Best Business Programs for Eco-Entrepreneurs

Running a sustainable business has become a top priority for just about every major corporation on the planet. True, most companies want to do whatever they can to help preserve the environment for the earth’s sake, but the move to "be greener" is also driven by the need to preserve the company’s bottom line. Today's consumers prefer to do business with companies that are in line with their views on everything from manufacturing practices to the environment. This means companies, both old and aspiring, need a team at the helm that understands how to fuse responsibility with profitability. As such, the demand for leaders with a “green” background is greater than ever before.

Many colleges and universities around the globe have responded to the demand by creating new programs for aspiring eco-entrepreneurs and green business leaders, or by expanding existing ones. And some might surprise you. To cover all regions, we have compiled a list of some of the top business schools for eco-entrepreneurs from coast to coast. Here you go.

Babson College F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, Wellesley, Massachusetts - The Babson MBA is shaped around “Entrepreneurial Thought and Action®, the school’s one-of-a-kind methodology that allows students to overcome ambiguity to create economic and social value everywhere,” says the school. Besides learning goals such as entrepreneurial thinking and acting, managing a global environment, and self and contextual awareness, the Babson MBA places a strong emphasis on social, environmental, and economic responsibility. The MBA offers green courses such as building and leading conscious business, climate change politics and policy, leading and managing sustainability, environmental and sustainable entrepreneurship, water in America, and nature, technology and values.

Boston University Questrom School of Business, Boston, Massachusetts - The 102-year-old Boston University Questrom School of Business focuses on training leaders in the fields of digital technology, health care and social enterprise and sustainability. The school utilizes collaborative teaching and team learning to address a trend: organizations are becoming more dependent on teams, with team members from various backgrounds or even on different continents, to drive growth and creativity. For aspiring eco-entrepreneurs, Questrom offers an MBA in Energy and Environmental Sustainability.

Brandeis University International Business School, Waltham, Massachusetts - The International Business School (IBS) is part of Brandeis University—one of the world’s leading research universities. The school launched its “Global Green MBA” in 2008. According to IBS, the new concentration, the MBA in Socially Responsible Business, was created, in part, to help strengthen the position of IBS as a leading global business school. The new program provides students “the tools they need to build sustainable businesses in a complex global marketplace,” says Marty Wyngaarden Krauss, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Brandeis.

Claremont Graduate University Drucker School, Claremont, California - According to the Drucker School, the goal of the Drucker MBA is to “develop future leaders by enhancing their ability to make sound strategic decisions and to lead and inspire others.” The MBA has five features—principles and applications, management and analytics essentials, customizable concentrations, practice of management, and ethical judgment and social responsibility and sustainability. To build on this, the school introduced a study abroad option called Doing Business in a Culture of Sustainability. The program takes students to Costa Rica for 11 days of classroom and field study.

Clark University Graduate School of Management, Worcester, Massachusetts - With its own Office of Sustainability called ‘Sustainable Clark” and a 90 out of 100 (A-) in Princeton Review’s 2015 Green Guide, it’s no surprise that Clark University Graduate School of Management offers a Dual MBA/MA in Environmental Science & Policy and MBA concentrations in Social Change and Sustainability.

Colorado State University College of Business, Fort Collins, Colorado - The College of Business at Colorado State University offers an MBA in Global Social & Sustainable Enterprise (GSSE MBA). According to the College, the GSSE MBA program equips students “with the tools and network to become a global social entrepreneur, where the bottom lines are people, planet and profit. This sustainable MBA is in the business of creating a better world, improving the lives of people, while building profitable ventures.” Summer field work includes projects that focus on including clean energy, irrigation technology, consumer products, clean water supply, organic foods and a many other sustainable and social businesses.

Columbia University Columbia Business School, New York, New York - “At the very heart of our philosophy,” says Columbia, “is the entrepreneurial mindset.” The school’s courses will teach students “to emphasize their individual initiative by identifying, valuing, and capturing opportunity no matter what field they are in. The school is home to the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics, which is the “umbrella for leadership and ethics activities at Columbia Business School” and “ensures that these issues are an integral aspect of training the next generation of global business leaders.” On the menu are MBA tracks such as Entrepreneurship & Social Entrepreneurship, along with course offerings such as Carbon Finance, Finance and Sustainability, Business in Society: Doing Well by Doing Good?, and Investor Influence on Corporate Sustainability.

Duke University The Fuqua School of Business, Durham, North Carolina - The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University offers several joint degree programs for aspiring green leaders and entrepreneurs. According to the school, “the joint degree program between Fuqua and Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment is one of the preeminent business and environment programs in the world that prepares you to tackle complex issues in this changing global context.” Joint degree offerings include a Masters of Environmental Management MEM/MBA and a Masters of Forestry MF/MBA. Students will spend time exploring “additional classes in energy and environment disciplines at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, Sanford School of Public Policy, School of Law, and other Duke departments across campus.”

Loyola University of Chicago Quinlan School of Business, Chicago, Illinois - Loyola University is home to the Institute of Environmental Sustainability, which offers a host of sustainability-themed courses such as climate and change, environmental sustainability & science in China, restoration ecology, and environmental sustainability. Quinlan students have the opportunity to take these courses and others by enrolling in one of the school’s five-year dual degrees with an MBA. Offerings include a BS in Environmental Science/MBA or a BA in environmental studies/MBA. According to the School, the programs introduce students to the “fundamental issues involved in global, environmental and ethical business practices. The academic content and direct, hands-on experiences within the Bachelor’s degrees will provide a base from which to develop skills and knowledge in the MBA program to promote and implement sustainable business practices.”

New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York, New York - According to multiple online sources, sixty percent of NYU's MBA courses integrate content related to social and environmental impact and stewardship. For eco-entrepreneurs and green leaders, the school offers an MBA with specialization tracks in Social Impact Investing and Finance, Sustainability and Environmental Management, Social Enterprise, International Development and Human Rights, and CDR and Branding.

Portland State University, Portland, Oregon - Portland State University says that, “sustainability is a campus-wide learning outcome for every major.” The school’s urban campus “as a live living laboratory for green practices” allows students to engage in sustainable practices “planting green roofs, testing solar arrays, tracking transportation systems, and tending organic gardens.” The schools Sustainability Leadership Center also offers employment and volunteer opportunities to help students engage with sustainability ideas and efforts on campus. The school offers an endless list of green programs including, but not limited to, an MBA which “combines a traditional MBA core with an intense focus on leadership, innovation, and sustainability,” a Master of Science (MS) and a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, a Master of Public administration (MPA) with a Natural Resources Policy and Administration Specialization, a PHD in Environmental Science and Resources, a Master of Environmental Management, an MS or an MA in Education with a Specialization in Leadership for Sustainability Education, and Graduate Certificates in Sustainability and Hydrology.

Presidio Graduate School, San Francisco, California - In 2003, Presidio Graduate School (PGS) pioneered the field of sustainable management education with 22 students and a handful of faculty. Today, PGS has an accomplished team of more than 40 faculty and staff members, 150 students, and a global reputation. The school offers three path-breaking degree programs—MBA, MPA, and a Dual MBA/MPA—as well as several certificates, all in sustainable management. According to the school, PGS has become a hub for sustainability innovation and impact, helping forge a new sector at the intersection of for-profit and for-benefit. -PGS

Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Stanford, California - Stanford University Graduate School of Business offers a joint MS Environment and Resources/MBA degree program with the Stanford School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences. The program offers the opportunity to “develop a background in the science, engineering, and technology that underlie environmental problems,” says the school. Students will “integrate that knowledge with the MBA curriculum to become an influential and innovative leader addressing environmental issues — either directly or peripherally.” The Graduate school also offers a Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation. Students may focus their elective coursework in Environmental Sustainability.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania created its green program in response to a growing concern over the way business is conducted and their environmental impacts. According to the school, the MBA Major in Environmental and Risk Management is designed to provide “in-depth foundations for those interested in pursuing careers in the growing environmental sector of the economy, whether in private business, environmental consulting, or government.” Students will learn about “designing and implementing effective strategies related to business sustainability and the reduction of harmful environmental impacts.” Wharton also offers a MBA/Master of Environmental Studies (MES) and a Multi-Master’s Degree in International Environmental Management. “Upon completion of their studies,” says the School, “students will receive a Mastère Spécialisè degree in Environmental Management from the Ecole des Mines de Paris in France and a Master of Engineering degree from Tsinghua University in China, in addition to the Master of Environmental Studies degree from the University of Pennsylvania.”

University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor, Michigan - The Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan (Ross School of Business and School of Natural Resources and Environment) and the World Environment Center (WEC) announced a partnership in November 2012 to “directly engage graduate students in planning and implementing sustainable development initiatives with leading global companies.” Known as “Erb/WEC Fellowships,” the program is supported by IBM “as part of its long-term commitment to environmental sustainability and developing next-generation skills for the 21st century workforce.” In addition to programs such as these, the School offers a three-year MS/MBA with heavy coursework in areas such as Sustainable Manufacturing, Environmental Economics, and Green Development.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill, North Carolina -  The Kenan-Flagler Business School at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill houses the Center for Sustainable Enterprise (CSE). “Through education, research and outreach,” the CSE “empowers business leaders to build shareholder value while exercising environmental stewardship and promoting societal well-being,” says the Center. The School offers an MBA with an “enrichment concentration” in Energy or Sustainable Enterprise. Students in both concentration areas have the opportunity to pursue a dual degree with The Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.

University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame, Indiana - Entrepreneur magazine says the University of Notre Dame MBA is one of the best programs in the U.S. for students seeking careers in green industries. The program offers sustainability courses “focused on topics such as “greening” the supply chain and improving environmental accounting,” according to the College. In addition, the College “features lecture series, including Ten Years Hence, that bring speakers to campus to discuss how environmental concerns can be better incorporated into business practices.”

University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business, Charlottesville, Virginia - According to the Darden Graduate School of Business, the Darden MBA program “teaches students about sustainability through case studies and experiential opportunities. Cases are real-time, showcasing entrepreneurs and ventures that are creating new products, processes, technologies, markets and organizational forms to deliver low-pollution electrical power, outdoor gear made from recycled materials, packaging polymers from plant-based materials, low CO2-emitting cement, and modular green buildings. Integrated throughout the curriculum is the theme that while business has one main bottom line — profitability — it must be achieved in an ethical, socially-minded, and environmentally-responsible manner.” The program features 17 elective courses that “solely or partially focus on sustainability and ethical leadership/decision-making.” These courses also count toward the Innovation for Sustainability concentration. Just a few courses include global economics of water, markets in hope, sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship, and faith, religion and responsible management decision-making. The program also features sustainability-themed global experiences such as "Sustainability, Innovation and Design in Scandinavia" and "Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Israel."

Yale University Yale School of Management, New Haven, Connecticut - Yale University’s Yale School of Management offers an MBA for Executives with a focus on Sustainability. According to the School, alongside the integrated core curriculum, first-year students will increase their grasp of “big ideas and trends in the business of sustainability by participating in the Colloquium on Sustainability Leadership, a series of candid talks with innovators, CEOs of global corporations, policymakers, and other people shaping the field.” In addition, students will “build their network and benefit from the perspectives and experiences of classmates from all facets of the field.” Second-year students will take a “series of deep explorations of topics in sustainability,” along with advanced business and management courses. According to the School,” these courses are taught by experts from the School of Management (SOM) and other parts of the university, including the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (FES). The program builds on a long history of collaboration between SOM and FES, exemplified in the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale. A capstone course structured around major challenges in sustainability will deepen students’ learning and link back to the essential business skills taught in the core.”

 To find more business programs for eco-entrepreneurs, search Princeton Review, U.S News & World Report, and Forbes.