The Age of Sustainable Development is an online course offered by the Earth Institute at Columbia University, a well-known Ivy League school in the United States. Open to anyone interested in learning more about environmental issues, the course examines how economic development can progress in a way that does negatively impact the planet. The course consists of 14 modules. The recommended syllabus is to complete one module per week, but students can work at their own pace.

To complete each module of The Age of Sustainable Development, students will need to spend about 2 hours of time. The course material comes primarily in the form of videos, which are done in English with Chinese subtitles. Readings are assigned to supplement the video lectures. After completing the readings and watching the videos for a module, students take a quiz to assess their mastery of the course material. A passing grade is needed on every quiz to pass the overall course. A certificate of completion can be provided upon request.