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The greenest MBA: Corporate Social Responsibility

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A number of business schools are leading the charge in teaching, research and student activities related to sustainability. These efforts fall into three broad categories: social enterprise, environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Fifteen outstanding "green" programs have been profiled weekly. This is the fourth of a four-part article. Even business schools are going green. Sustainability, green tech, clean tech, triple-bottom line, bottom-of-the-pyramid and a host of other fashionable terms have been making their way into business school curriculums around the world. And it's what students want. According to a November 2008 Net Impact/Aspen Institute study, 78% of MBA students surveyed wanted more content and case studies related to sustainability and corporate responsibility integrated into the curriculum. The environmental club Net Impact is one of the most active and popular clubs across business schools. On October 21, Beyond Grey Pinstripes' published its anticipated survey of the "Global 100," which ranks business school programs on incorporating social impact and environmental issues into coursework and research. The Aspen Institute, which sponsors the survey, collected data from 149 schools in 24 countries. Most MBA programs are adding course content focused on some aspect of economic, environmental and/or social sustainability. Hundreds of business programs have infused the concept of sustainability throughout the MBA curriculum in both core and elective courses. According to data from the Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey, 69% of schools surveyed require students take a course dedicated to business and society. Over the last four years, the number of green-related electives has risen from 12 per school in 2005 to 19 in 2009.

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