Advice provided by: Claire Moloney, LEED Green Associate, Cornell University

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Last week, the New York Times announced Bard College’s new Sustainable MBA program, which is set to begin in Fall 2012.

The program is modeled after the green MBA programs at the Presidio Graduate School and Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI), which are leading providers of such programs. Like Presidio and BGI, Bard’s program will integrate sustainable business ideas into the entire program, rather than simply offering electives on sustainability.

Like Presidio and BGI’s programs, it will be in a hybrid format – meaning that students will meet in “residencies” for a long weekend once a month with online classes in between.

The New York Times reported that Dr. Eban Goodstein, the program’s director “anticipates 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".

Green MBA Programs an Asset for Green Jobs in Sustainable Business

Adam Zak, an executive recruiter, told the New York Times in August 2011 that the demand for workers with sustainability skills is "through the roof."

"We estimate about a 40 percent increase over last year in the search assignments we are asked to conduct for these kinds of individuals," Zak said.

As a result, many graduate business programs have developed electives in topics such as carbon accounting or corporate social responsibility. Some colleges and universities, like Bard College, have created a green MBA program.

Others, such as BGI, have developed postgraduate certificates in sustainability, which represents a focused education in sustainable business that is less extensive than an MBA.

Sustainability Certificates at Bainbridge Graduate Institute

In November, the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) announced that it will offer three new certificates, which are designed for working executives and aspiring entrepreneurs who may want to increase their sustainability knowledge and awareness.

The certificates apply to three focus areas - Sustainable Built Environment, Sustainable Food and Agriculture and Sustainable Energy Solutions.

Each postgraduate certification program lasts for one year and introduces students to concepts, trends and systems in each topic area.

Individuals who enroll in the Sustainable Built Environment program, for instance, are exposed to financial, developmental and technical aspects of the design and green building jobs sectors, with an overarching focus on sustainability.

AASHE: Sustainable Business Programs

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) provides a list of graduate sustainable business programs in the United States and abroad.

Presidio Graduate School, the University of Michigan and Marlboro College are a few of the notable schools to offer green MBAs, while Arizona State University, the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley offer certificates.

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