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Program Guide
MBA in Sustainability
Sustainability issues have been the focal point of environmental discussions for quite some time. As people become more conscientious of climate struggles and the role of business, more and more students are choosing to undertake an MBA with a concentration in sustainability - often called "green MBAs".
Green MBAs are unique as there is a specific focus on the intersection of sustainability and business success and ethics, using the trialled and tested conventional MBA framework to help advance sustainability principles.
When looking into roles at corporations that make sustainability a key part of its modus operandi, degrees in sustainability will feel particularly beneficial.
As the level of students choosing MBAs in Sustainability, many have argued any MBA program should include some sustainability coursework too.
With an MBA in Sustainability, graduates can go on to a variety of different careers, such as sustainable accounting, CSR positions in private industry, or a range of jobs in nonprofits or social enterprises.
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Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to businesses everywhere, with the desire to study for an MBA in sustainability also rising, as students see the need for such skillsets.
If you choose to undertake an MBA in Sustainability, your studies will not only boost your career prospects, but help you land sustainability roles in areas like strategic functions or corporate sustainability responsibility (CSR) departments.
Students and graduates passionate about sustainability issues will more than likely find themselves in companies committed to improving their social and environmental footprint.
There are numerous business schools that boast MBA programs in Sustainability and CSR. Sustainability MBA programs follow curriculums that approach and explore business ideas through different lenses. One example would be the “triple bottom line”, which deems a business successful not only through its profit, but also how it effects humanity and the planet.
Social entrepreneurship MBA programs give students the tools to create and manage businesses to evoke social change.
The best business schools for sustainability will often host specialized, sustainability-oriented centers, which may produce research, put on events, and provide networking opportunities.
Business schools all around the world offer sustainability tracks on their MBA programs, and some also offer sustainability perks outside of the classroom from specialized research centers to sustainability clubs.
Haas School of Business
Haas’ Center for Responsible Business organizes numerous sustainability-oriented events, providing resources like scholarships and fellowships for MBAs with a CSR mindset. Similarly, the Social Finance elective approaches business topics with a sustainability lens.
IE Business School
Located in the Spanish capital Madrid, IE Business School pushes to incorporate innovation throughout the school’s ethos. The school offers a number of appropriate sustainability courses, and also holds an annual “Social Responsibility Forum” that explores CSR-related issues.
Michigan Ross School of Business
In 1996, the Ross Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise was founded, and is described as a thought leader in the space. If interested in focusing your studies around sustainability at Ross, students can undertake a dual-degree MBA/Master of Science in partnerships with the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
RSM’s core curriculum of the MBA program offers courses including “Business, Society, and Sustainable Development,” which places a strong focus on CSR and sustainability. The school produces a range of research in the sustainability field, but more importantly, RSM incorporated the UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education into the MBA programs’ curriculum.
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University
Johnson’s Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise – which launched in 2003 – publishes relevant sustainability and CSR research. If they so wish, MBA students can choose a concentration in “Sustainable Global Enterprise,” as well as a company project focusing on CSR topics.
Saïd Business School
The Univerisity of Oxford's Saïd Business School's MBA program’s curriculum allows students to choose elective options like “Social Enterprise Design,” and “Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation.” Similarly, the school’s Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship provides students looking to create social change through innovation with the relevant resources.
University of Exeter Business School
Exeter’s MBA curriculum is one of only a few UK programs which focus on sustainability and CSR-related themes. The school’s Sustainability and Circular Economy research cluster publishes a variety of topics, including low-carbon transitions, agricultural systems, and climate change.
Harvard Business School
HBS was in fact one of the business schools to build research in the CSR space through its Social Enterprise Initiative. Many of the MBA program’s core curriculum classes also integrate CSR case studies.
Sustainability MBAs – or green MBAs – offer a program based on the principles behind social and/or environmental sustainability.
There are thousands of jobs being created across the globe in solar and wind power, representing a growth across several popular field. Interest in sustainable practices is becoming increasingly popular among graduates, however, not everyone is aware of the wide variety of career possibilities, which can inhibit them from investigating it as a serious professional option.
Some possible career paths sustainable MBA graduates might not have thought of include:
Research and development
Green industries must incorporate an innovative spirit just like any other. Research and development involve creating new product lines and refining existing technologies.
Those with a creative mind, who wish to make a difference in the world, would love to get paid for what they enjoy doing, this is a path to keep an open mind for.
The digital technologies sector, recycling industry, automotive industry, and the energy industry are just a few industries looking out for sustainable leaders.
Education
You may consider green tech a fairly youthful industry. It’s one of the most popular career options for the college-bound generation.
As young people are expressing record levels of interest in environmentally friendly living, education needs to keep on its toes.
In academia, career paths include higher education, public school policy enforcement, curriculum development, as well as department heads and university deans.
Marketing
There is so much information out there surrounding green technology, like the vast amount of sustainability jobs being created across industries – and many people aren’t aware.
If you choose to become a marketer, you will be able to show people just how sustainable “sustainability” really is.
Green tech is a new concept, but if you were able to create a memorable campaign to ensure it clicks in peoples’ minds, you could make a difference in the amount of support the general public gives green businesses.
An MBA in Sustainability could help you climb the corporate ladder or build a portfolio to become an independent contractor.
Fossil fuels industry
We can’t deny the fact that our society’s history was very much built through the fossil fuel industry. However, many companies based on the use of fossil fuels are now investigating on how to replace it with green tech – but this can’t happen overnight.
This industry will require forward-thinking people to assist in the period of transition, while also tackling the technical, social and financial hurdles that will arise.
Financial management
Financial management and sustainability interlinked may not be the first partnership that comes to mind, but in reality, all enterprises need its cash flow looked after.
Whether it’s the burgeoning wind and solar power industries, to creating more environmentally friendly products, to electric cars, green technology is making a name for itself across all major tech industries.
With an MBA in Sustainability, you could find yourself climbing up the ranks to an executive position, helping you advance your career as the driving force behind new, exciting green trends.
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