New green MBA program offered by U.S university
Bard University, a liberal arts college close to New York City, is prepared to offer a new MBA program in sustainability from Fall 2012.
An increasing number of academic institutions are expanding their course ranges to include more electives or entire programs devoted to issues concerning sustainability, green business practice and renewable energy research. Bard University is the next academic institution to join the movement.
As the issues of green economic practice and dwindling natural resource supplies become more urgent and serious, academic institutions have to include these subjects in order to cope with the increased demand of such specialists and training.
Bard's two year program will take place in new York City, and the curriculum consists of 19 courses. The course summary is thus:
"Classes provide grounding in core business competencies with a focus throughout on the integrated bottom line: economics, environment, and social equity. From courses on leadership to operations, marketing to finance, and economics to strategy, our program builds sustainability from the ground up."
The course encases a modular system, with classes meeting over long weekend on a monthly basis, five times per semester. Students are also required to partake in online instruction between residential components. Admissions for the program can be submitted until June 2012, and all disciplinary backgrounds are considered.
The New York Times reports that Dr. Eban Goodstein, the program’s director, views these courses as valuable for future graduates:
“[I] anticipate that many graduates will start their own green-minded businesses and that others will work for established companies as ‘intrapreneurs’, blending sustainability initiatives into every function of a business, including operations, marketing, finance and strategy".
To gain business experience as well as study the theoretical, first-year students in the program will also participate in the NYCLab, a consultancy scheme that involves working on projects within business, government agencies and non-profit organisations.
It may be necessary for corporations to learn how to view the environmental impact of their operation as well as recording their profit margins. The economy is making a slow and necessary shift towards sustainability, and more specialists trained within this field are required if businesses wish to survive the transition in the future.
Photo credit: Flickr
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com