evaluating green mba programs
DESCRIPTION
As more students consider 'green' studies at the leading business schools, we looked at the top MBA programs around sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and the environment.TRANSCRIPT
Evaluating the
Greenest MBA
Programs
Students Want Green MBAs
78% of MBA students want to see more content and applicable case studies related to sustainability and corporate responsibility integrated into the curriculum1
1 November 2008 Net Impact/Aspen Institute study
Morals Over
Money?
MBA students surveyed about Corporate Social
Responsibility said they would accept a lower
salary to work at a socially aware employer 2
2 2008 Stanford Business School study of 759 graduating MBAs at 11 top business schools
Environmental
Sustainability
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
Social
Enterprise
We reviewed 15 of
the best AACSB-
accredited business
schools that have
distinguished
themselves in
sustainability in one of
three areas
Environmental
Sustainability
Environmental Sustainability
• Specialized course in social entrepreneurship and management of non-profit organizations
• Home to one of the “greenest” buildings in the University of California system
• Lectures, case studies, and class discussions often revolve around themes of environmental sustainability
UC Davis Graduate School of
Management
• Explicitly integrates sustainability and social
entrepreneurship and design thinking into
fundamental courses
• Students choose between two tracks: sustainability,
or management by design
• First year students required to attend the MBA
Institute in Sustainable Value and Social
Entrepreneurship
Case Western Reserve
University, Weatherhead School
of Management
• Partnership with the US National Renewable Energy
Laboratory
• Elective courses include “Assessing Sustainable
Energy Technologies” and “Financing Business
Opportunities in a Resource-Challenged World”
• Incorporates sustainable practices into core
subjects such as supply chain management
University of Colorado, Boulder,
Leeds School of Business
• Ranked #1 US school in Beyond Grey Pinstripes
report
• Option for a join MBA/MS program related to
business, the environment and sustainability
• Loan repayment assistance for students who go into
non-profit careers after graduation
University of Michigan,
Stephen M. Ross School
of Business
• One of the longest MBA program histories in
sustainability
• A third of students involved in sustainable
development
• Courses include “Environmental Strategy”, “Climate
Change”, and “Sustainable Enterprise”
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler
Business School
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
• Madrid-based school offering over 60
courses that relate to corporate
responsibility and sustainability
• Courses address triple bottom line:
people, planet, profit
• Specialized courses in “Business
Government and Society”, and “Eco-
Intelligent Management”
• Dedicated chair in ethics serves as
hub for CSR-related activities
Instituto do Empresa (IE)
• Barcelona-based school has 90% of
its core courses involving a social or
environmental context
• Dedicated courses include “Global
Context of Management” and
“Social Marketing”
• 23 core courses feature corporate
social responsibility
ESADE
• Launched the Center for CSR in 2003 as a bridge
between academia and the corporate world
• Non-profit and Public Management track offers
students the experience of non-profit board service
UC Berkeley, Haas School of
Business
• Students have the
opportunity to work with the
Haas Socially Responsible
Investment Fund
Social Enterprise
Social
Enterprise
• Sustainability is fully incorporated
throughout the entire MBA
program
• Courses such as “Globalization and
Markets” taught by Nobel Prize
winner, Joseph Stiglitz
• Particularly strong in international
development where students can
advise global clients on
microfinance and health care
Columbia Business School
• Elective courses include
“Global Corporate Social
Responsibility” and
“Sustainability as a Driver”
• The Center for Sustainable
Global Enterprise focuses
on base-of-the-pyramid
enterprise development
Cornell University, The
Johnson School
• Fellowship program offers scholarships to
emerging leaders who have a commitment to
social responsibility
• Established the Center for the
Advancement of Social
Entrepreneurship in 2002
• Courses such as Corporate
Social Impact Management
• Admissions office has made
strides in placing special value
on applicants with social and
environmental interests
Duke University, Fuqua
School of Business
• Social enterprise materials is mainstreamed into all
aspects of research and
teaching
• Offers a Leadership Fellows
Program with grants for
deserving graduates who
choose to work in public
and non-profit enterprises
Harvard Business School
• Social Enterprise Initiative (SEI) started in 1993 and
was one of the first of its kind
• Skoll Center offers a number of
fully-funded scholarships for
students working in social
entrepreneurship
• Offers more than 20 courses that
integrate social and environmental
issues
Oxford University, Said
School of Business
• Incorporates macro issues via the
Institute for Science, Innovation
and Society
• Considered one of the best all-around MBA programs for sustainability
• Offers elective courses in public and non-profit management, social entrepreneurship, and philanthropy
• Center for Social Innovation offers courses, projects and fieldwork to build leadership skills in pursuing social value creation
Stanford University Graduate
School of Business
• At the forefront of merging
public interest with private
enterprise since 1976
• Courses include “Managing
Social Enterprises in
Developing Countries”, and
“Philanthropic Foundations”
Yale University School of
Management
• Students who go on to work in non-profit
management may qualify for a generous loan-
forgiveness program
Thinking of a Green MBA?
Research target
schools
Envision your future
career path
Craft an
outstanding
application
Challengeyourself, challenge the world!
Betsy Massar, CEO
Master Admissions
www.masteradmissions.com
+1 415-305-1163
Twitter: @MasterAdmission
References & Disclaimers
• Net Impact/Aspen Institute study – November 2008
• 2009-2010 Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey
• This presentation summarizes reviews of 15 AACSB-accredited business
schools that have distinguished themselves in an aspect of sustainability.
Please note that the list of schools in this presentation is not exhaustive.