20 MBA Programs That Are “Going Green”

The MBA degree has been around since the late 19th century, but in recent years, it’s evolved into something more, offering students the chance to specialize in green and sustainable programs that focus on issues in corporate, social, and environmental sustainability. The following schools have added green concentrations, classes, and partnerships with sustainable businesses, making them excellent resources for jump-starting a career in sustainable business. Listed in no particular order, we’re really impressed by the green initiatives that these top MBAs have begun to offer.

1. Dominican University of California Green MBA:Established in 1999, the Green MBA at Dominican University of California was one of the first Masters of Business Administration in Sustainable Enterprise available in the U.S. Designed to bridge the gap between environmental activists and business executives, Dominican’s Green MBA teaches environmentally and socially responsible business practices to transcend “business as usual” practices and become better equipped to serve a changing world.
2. Marylhurst University Accelerated Online MBA in Sustainable Business:At Marylhurst University, their Accelerated Online MBA in Sustainable Business is all about the “triple bottom line” of people, planet, and profit. Through this program, the school aims to create green ambassadors that can not only support the health of the global environment, but also support long-term profitability to create truly sustainable businesses.
3. Green Mountain College Sustainable MBA:Green Mountain College has had a focus on sustainability for more than 15 years, but in more recent years, their Sustainable MBA program has branched out to bring an environmental concern to the business world. Offered 100% online, students from around the world can enjoy the Sierra Magazine No. 1 rated sustainable education offered by Green Mountain.
4. Presidio Graduate School MBA in Sustainable Management:Through the Presidio Graduate School, MBA students can pursue a concentration in sustainable management, building an understanding of the issues that define sustainability. In this MBA program, students are able to combine management theory with systems thinking, and sustainable leadership, as well as ecological and social awareness.
5. Stanford University:At Stanford, sustainability is just a part of doing business. Throughout the Stanford Graduate School of business, green initiatives are woven into not only curriculum, but learning spaces and activities as well, earning it a No. 1 ranking from Beyond Grey Pinstripes. Stanford’s new business school complex is LEED Platinum certified, and the teaching that happens within it is sustainability-focused well, making corporate responsibility and social impact a part of required curriculum.
6. University of Michigan:Like Stanford, MBAs at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business experience a sustainable education no matter their concentration. Michigan has made responsible business practices a part of their core curriculum, discussing ethics and support of the global economy. Many of the electives offered through the program are sustainable as well, including Sustainable Manufacturing and Corporate Environmental Strategy. Plus, through a Multidisciplinary Action Program, Ross MBA students are able to work on projects with client-sponsors that take them to the developing world, teach them about sustainable enterprise, and explore clean tech.
7. Bainbridge Graduate Institute MBA in Sustainable Business:Bainbridge Graduate Institute presents its business school as the foundation for “sustainability pioneers,” and its practices certainly back it up. BGI was one of the first schools to offer an MBA in sustainable business, and all of its programs are designed to bring environmentally and socially responsibility business practices to traditional business education. Students of Bainbridge learn how to create and support enterprises that are financially successful, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable, thanks to a network of sustainability and business experts that are a major part of BGI’s curriculum.
8. Yale University School of Management:At the Yale University School of Management, ethical leadership is a major focus, and a big part of that is taking care of social and environmental commitments. These principles are included throughout the Yale MBA curriculum, with students enjoying projects and advanced electives that allow them to get exposure and education in social and environmental topics. Yale regularly features green guest speakers, including Robin Chase, the founder of ZipCar, and Alex Counts, the president and CEO of the Grameen Foundation. The School of Management is able to offer excellent green curriculum to students through partnerships both within and beyond the university community, including the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, as well as the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
9. Antioch University of New England MBA in Sustainability:Students of Antioch University of New England’s MBA in Sustainability program are able to acquire the business and leadership skills needed to succeed in today’s more sustainable business environment. This school has a long history of a great Environmental Sciences program, and that history is effectively made a part of the MBA program as well, bringing ecology, earth systems, and complex systems thinking into studies. Special attention is made to introduce topics of sustainability, ethics, and social justice as a measure of organizational success, making AUNE’s MBA in Sustainability a great foundation for sustainable leaders.
10. University of North Carolina Sustainable Enterprise Concentration:Students at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School are able to learn about business with long term growth, for society, environment, and business. Drawing on courses from within and beyond the business school, UNC’s Sustainable Enterprise MBA concentration takes students into studies including social work, environmental studies, public policy and even city planning. Plus, the school has a strong Net Impact club, and a center for sustainable enterprise to support their learning experience. About 30% of UNC’s 2012 MBA class completed this concentration.
11. UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business:UC-Berkeley’s Haas School of business has two options for MBA students interested in sustainability: a concentration in Corporate Social Responsibility, and one in Energy and Clean Technology. Both reinforce responsible business practices and require students to work on real-world projects, resulting in a pair of programs that are widely recognized, with high rankings from both the Financial Times and Beyond Grey Pinstripes. Of particular interest is the school’s Center for Responsible Business, launched in 2003, which operates as an “action tank” to build on Berkeley’s “culture of innovation” and tendency toward social progress. Students of this MBA program enjoy research, theory, and practice that offer a comprehensive education in sustainability.
12. NYU Social Innovation and Impact MBA Specialization:NYU’s Stern School of Business trains business leaders in professional responsibility, whether that means corporate social responsibility, economic development, or environmental sustainability. This training is supplemented with the help of NYU’s Social Impact Internship Fund, which shares funding with students who take on internships in the social sector. Plus, a student-led task force, the Stern Campus Greening Initiative takes on green projects with the help of MBA students. Students are also encouraged to express their social consciousness through the Stern Consulting Corps program, which enables MBAs to provide pro-bono management and consulting services to small businesses in need of help.
13. York University:York University’s Schulich School of Business offers a Business and Sustainability MBA that focuses on the cutting edge of best practices in sustainability. This MBA is designed to prepare students not only for management and corporate positions, but also specialist environment and consulting posts. York’s program is ranked as one of the best sustainable MBAs in the world by Beyond Grey Pinstripes, and it’s not hard to figure out why: the school has made social impact management and environmental management a part of its core curriculum. Plus, the campus sets a great example with a major reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, environmentally-friendly commuting options, an impressive recycling program, green building policies, and more.
14. Colorado State University Global Sustainable Enterprise MBA:Colorado State University’s Global Sustainable Enterprise MBA prepares students to take on some of the most stubborn issues of our time, including poverty, disease, and environmental degradation. Working with multinational companies, students of CSU’s program are able to work toward social and environmental objectives, while at the same time returning on investments. CSU’s program is designed to create global social entrepreneurs, with a program centerpiece of summer field work that takes students on projects both domestic and abroad to work on projects from clean energy to organic foods. Many students continue to work on these social enterprises after graduation. Plus, on campus, CSU has a Live Green Team that ensures the program is staying in line with green initiatives including green power, recycling, and Earth Week awareness.
15. University of East Anglia MBA in Strategic Carbon Management:The University of East Anglia’s MBA in Strategic Carbon Management is great for students interested in the emerging low carbon global economy. In this program, MBA students take on fresh ways of thinking as they focus on both business and carbon management, learning how the two go hand in hand. This is the world’s first MBA in Strategic Carbon Management, and they’re creating a brand new kind of business manager. Students from this program have gone on to work in high-reaching organizations including the Carbon Trust and Carbon Disclosure Project, and The Global Carbon Exchange.
16. Illinois Institute of Technology Master of Science in Environmental Management and Sustainability:Offered since 1995, the Illinois Institute of Technology’s MBA in Environmental Management and Sustainability takes the best of law, science, and business to teach students how to take on the business side of environmental issues today, especially those concerning sustainability. The program offers courses including Sustainable Communities, Industrial Ecology, and The Sustainable Enterprise. In addition to teaching sustainability, IIT practices it as well, incorporating green building design, engaging in small business growth, and launching the Sustainable Entrepreneurial Economic Development program, which addresses economic development in rural America.
17. IE University:Spain’s IE Business School brings sustainability to everything they do, from the courses to specialized electives and initiatives. This is evident through IE’s Venture Lab, an incubator for the development of social and responsible business startups from the IE community, as well as the student club ecologIE, which is focused on sustainability on campus including CO2 auditing, recycling, and even double-sided printing. IE also offers a new program, the Master in Global Environmental Change, which is designed to brings sustainability from science to just about any industry. This program tackles sustainability in food security, urbanization, disease transmission, and climate change.
18. Notre Dame:Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading sustainable MBAs, from the Financial Times, Aspen Institute, and USA Today. Their program stands out among other sustainable offerings for its focus in individual integrity, effective organizations, and the greater good. Sustainability in integrated throughout the curriculum, with social, ethical, or environmental issues introduced in all required and elective courses. Some of the most notable courses offered include Sustainable Enterprise, Examination of Sustainability, and Ethics in Finance in Banking. Beyond courses, students are able to take on deep-dive case studies in sustainability during four day intensive mini session between quarters, known as Interterm Intensives. Some students have taken on intensives including philanthropic campaigns and a dairy sustainability program.
19. Northwestern University:Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management prepares students to become global citizens capable of effective positive change on both business and society. At the heart of this mission is the Social Enterprise at Kellogg program, which brings together values, decision-making, and sustainability with courses like Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Economics. Students are able to take sustainable learning beyond the classroom with experiential learning opportunities, including the Innovating Social Change Conference that brings in top executives to discuss social and environmental stewardship.
20. Cornell University:The Cornell University Johnson School of Business makes sustainable business a major focus with its Center for Global Enterprise. In this program, students enjoy an MBA experience “like no other” as the school brings together a collaborative community full of global partnerships, applied research in sustainable ventures, and students immersed in hands-on company sponsored projects that delve into economic, social, and environmental issues.