Entrepreneur magazine has named the Graduate School of Management at Clark University one of 16 graduate schools of business that are top-notch institutions for MBA students to get an education in “Green Business” fields. For this project, Entrepreneur teamed up with The Princeton Review, the education services company widely known for its test prep programs and “best” colleges and graduate schools lists.
“Our social change concentration and dual degree programs are unique; our corporate greening courses are at the cutting edge.” ~ Joseph Sarkis, GSOM interim dean
The Princeton Review selected the 16 business schools featured in the Entrepreneur article titled “A Sustainable Degree,” based on the company’s survey of administrators at 325 graduate schools of business in 2009-2010 and of students attending the schools. Administrators were surveyed on their schools’ academics, curricula, campus policies and student services related to sustainability, social responsibility and the environment. Students were polled on how well they felt their MBA programs were educating them for careers in “Green Business” fields. The Princeton Review chose the schools based on criteria that covered four key areas: the amount of research the school conducts related to sustainability, the availability of courses in sustainability, the percent of faculty teaching such courses, and the school’s career services for students interested in green business/social responsibility employment. Among its offerings, Clark’s Graduate School of Management collaborates with the International Development, Community and Environment department to offer two dual MBA/MA degrees, including one in Environmental Science and Policy, which includes Green Business Management, Management of Environmental Pollutants and Climate Change, Energy and Development. The other dual-degree program, Community Development and Planning, is dedicated to addressing the challenges of environmental sustainability, social justice and economic well-being. Clark’s entry also notes that Professor Joseph Sarkis, the interim dean at the GSOM, is one of the leading international scholars on green supply chain management, as well as sustainability and operations management. “GSOM has realized for many years that sustainability and the greening of corporations is not a passing fad,” Sarkis said. “We have been innovators, and offered topics on social and sustainability issues for over 15 years. This social awareness has always been part of Clark. We not only seek to offer a high quality core business education, but to integrate social awareness into this business education. It is strategic for us. “Our social change concentration and dual degree programs are unique; our corporate greening courses are at the cutting edge,” he continued. “Organizations realize the importance of sustainability, even during financially difficult times. GSOM is here to provide these organizations with world-class management students who can immediately contribute in this emergent competitive environment.” Amy Cosper, vice president and editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine said, “Ground-floor trends for entrepreneurs in green business are approaching fever pitch, with big opportunities in everything from clean tech to sustainability management, ecological restoration and more. With high gas prices and recent oil slicks on our minds, it’s not hard to guess why. The school programs we’ve listed may offer entrepreneurs the launch tools necessary to be able to fuse their passions for green to some of these emerging business opportunities.” The Entrepreneur feature list of business schools best for “Green Business” education will be published in the magazine’s April issue, available on newsstands March 22. The list is also posted at entrepreneur.com/greenbizdegrees.
