Sustainability a Recognized Criterion for MBA Programs
Test scores, job placement rate and graduate salaries are all criteria that historically dominate the ranking of graduate university business programs.
In 1999, the World Resources Institute (WRI) saw the value in examining Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs for their teaching of social impact management, including sustainability. This led to the creation of Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a research survey and alternative ranking of business schools which highlights MBA programs leading the way in the integration of social and environmental stewardship issues into curriculum.
York University in Toronto topped the Global 100 list for its innovative programs, coursework and partnerships. Photo: Flickr/mjb84
The 2009-2010 issue of Beyond Grey Pinstripes was recently released, highlighting the full-time MBA programs of 100 schools in 17 countries.
For the first time, the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, Canada ranked No. 1 for its integration of social and environmental impact issues into management education.
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan took the No. 2 spot, followed by the Yale School of Management and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Other countries to have schools prominently featured on the list include the Netherlands, Spain, Great Britain, Australia, France and South Africa. Nearly 150 schools in 24 countries participated in this year’s survey, up from 111 schools in 18 countries in 2007.
Growing in popularity, the Beyond Grey Pinstripes ranking is recognized by business leaders and business schools worldwide.
“When I first read Beyond Grey Pinstripes in the late 90s I was blown away[...] reading it was one of the factors that motivated me to attend business school,” said Jason McBriarty, senior finance manager of Levi Strauss & Co.
Relevant courses, student exposure, for-profit impact and faculty research are all categories ranked on the Beyond Grey Pinstripes Global 100 list.
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Gene
posted on January 1st, 2010 at 11:46 am
One of the schools they are missing (I believe because it is not “full time”) is Bainbridge Graduate Institute (http://bgi.edu/). They just received accreditation last year, but the program was created from the ground up as an MBA in sustainable business. From what I’ve seen, many of the other programs are regular MBAs with “sustainability” courses and content tacked on.