Top 10 Business Schools for Sustainability 2019

The 2019 Better World MBA results have been published this month. The annual research, done by the Canada-based magazine Corporate Knights, assesses which business schools around the world are paving the way towards sustainability.

This year’s ranking looked at 146 business schools accredited by AMBA, AACSB or EQUIS and signatories to the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Management Education. The schools were ranked using publicly disclosed data based on a number of key factors: Core courses, research institutes and centers, faculty research intensity, number of citations intensity, faculty gender diversity and faculty racial diversity. You can find out more about the methodology used here.

Noting the importance of this research, CEO of Corporate Knights Toby Heaps said, “As the climate emergency alarm bell sounds and social tensions threaten to unravel the compact on which capitalism depends, The Better World Business Schools are at the forefront of a sea change in business education focused on preparing tomorrow’s business leaders to be a force for good.”

Out of the 40 business schools that made the top roster, the top 10 are: 

 10) Sobey School of Business

• Better World progress: -2 ranks from 2018
• Final Score: 82.72 percent

Sobey has placed on the Corporate Knights list for the past five years, showing its commitment to sustainability. The 16-month MBA program focuses on “responsible leadership” and gives students the opportunity to participate in small-classroom learning, professional development workshops and study abroad experiences. It also includes sustainable development courses that students can add to their curriculum, such as Environmental and Sustainability Management and Sustainable Entrepreneurship.

9) Scheller College of Business

• Better World progress: -3 from 2018
• Final score: 82.80 percent

Scheller’s 22-month MBA program includes core and elective courses, summer internships and extracurricular learning opportunities that focus on business and technology. Students who want to learn more about sustainable development can choose compulsory and optional courses such as Sustainable Business and Strategic Sustainability.

8) TIAS School for Business and Society

• Better World progress: +4 from 2018
• Final score: 83.04 percent

TIAS’ MBA programs have a number of structures available – either 12, 19, or 24 months – giving students the opportunity to customize their curriculum. TIAS’ Managing Sustainable Business Models course is one of its most popular, promoting the school’s goal of “developing leaders who serve society by transforming business”.

7) Durham University Business School

• Better World progress: +20 from 2018
• Final score: 83.56 percent

With the most significant increase from last year’s ranking, Durham has been taking strong steps towards sustainability. With 12 and 15-month MBA programs combining core modules and specialist pathways on the topic, the school wants to give students a “challenging and inspirational” learning experience focused on internationalization, social responsibility and ethics.

6) MIT Sloan School of Management

• Better World progress: +4 from 2018
• Final score: 84.04 percent

Sloan has increased its efforts towards sustainability by introducing MBA courses such as Laboratory for Sustainable Businesses and a Sustainability Certificate to help students use a “sustainability lens” in their business degree. Alongside the two-year MBA program, the school has published an annual report on its environmental impact since 2014 to prove its commitment in protecting the environment.

5) Griffith Business School

• Better World progress: -1 from 2018
• Final score: 84.86 percent

Griffith’s MBA program focuses on “responsible leadership, sustainable business practices and an Asia-Pacific perspective”. Students can choose between a full-time 18-month or a part-time three-year program, as well as face-to-face, online and combination courses. Griffith has a strong sustainability stance and hopes to “equip the next generation of leaders, innovators and decision makers with the knowledge and skills to tackle global challenges.”

4) Grossman School of Business

• Better World progress: +1 from 2018
• Final score: 85.00 percent

Grossman offers a one-year Sustainable Innovation MBA designed to “challenge” traditional MBAs. With master classes and partnerships with global environmental institutions, students can expect to develop the entrepreneurial mindset and knowledge necessary to tackle global challenges such as “environment, ethics, poverty and inequality”.

3) University of Bath School of Management

• Better World progress: +12 from 2018
• Final score: 86.13 percent

Bath’s School of Management has made noticeable progress on the Better World ranking. The school offers a one-year customizable MBA program with project work, company visits, business speakers and optional internships in hopes to deliver world-class research and help students become future leaders and innovators.

2) Schulich School of Business

• Better World progress: +1 from 2018
• Final score: 89.90 percent

Schulich offers a flexible MBA program with the choice of a part-time or full-time format that students can customize throughout their degree. Among the different MBA specializations, students can choose to undertake a Business & Sustainability course, one of the first of its kind in North America, focused on “social, ethical and environmental” concerns. Some of its core classes include Management Practices for Sustainable Business and Business Strategies for Sustainability.

1) Warwick Business School

• Better World progress: same as 2018
• Final score: 94.23 percent

For the second year in a row, Warwick Business School is at the top of the Better World ranking. Sustainable development and innovation are key elements of Warwick’s one-year program, with a dedicated Business & Sustainability module, international travel and in-depth working opportunities with industry-leading companies across sectors. Andy Lockett, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Dean of WBS, said, “We will endeavor to produce MBA graduates who are socially responsible and have the drive and knowledge to help business create a sustainable future for us all.”