Master of Business Administration: Sustainable Business
Master of Business Administration: Sustainable Business
Sustainable Business Concentration in Rowan's MBA
Why an MBA Concentration in Sustainable Business?
Organizations increasingly have to account for environmental, social, regulatory, and resource considerations alongside financial and operational priorities. These issues can affect cost, access to capital, reputation, supply continuity, customer expectations, community relationships, and long-term resilience. For some organizations, sustainability creates opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and differentiation. For others, it is closely tied to stewardship, public accountability, mission, or the responsible use of limited resources.
Sustainable business brings environmental, social, regulatory, resource, and stakeholder considerations into organizational decision-making. That can include examining environmental impacts, resource use, stakeholder expectations, regulatory obligations, and the tradeoffs involved in changing products, processes, sourcing, facilities, or business models. The work also requires moving from stated commitments to implementation: defining priorities, assessing feasibility, measuring progress, allocating resources, and determining which actions are likely to produce meaningful results. Different organizations will approach these questions differently depending on their purpose, industry, ownership, mission, and operating environment.
Rowan’s Sustainable Business Concentration begins with focused study in sustainable commerce, assessment, and innovation, then allows students to extend that foundation through selected coursework. Students can deepen their sustainability focus or connect it with areas such as entrepreneurship and accounting, depending on the courses chosen. That perspective complements work across finance, operations, supply chain, marketing, management, and other business functions where decisions about resources, investment, risk, stakeholders, and implementation can carry environmental and social consequences.
Concentration Details
Requirement: 9 credits; complete 6 credits from the primary Sustainable Business courses, then 3 additional credits from approved options.
The first 6 credits anchor the concentration in sustainable commerce, assessment, and innovation and problem solving. The final 3 credits can extend that focus or connect it to entrepreneurship, accounting, or additional sustainability study. This structure allows students to consider sustainability both as a defined area of study and as a factor that intersects with broader organizational decisions.
Concentration courses may also be taken as graduate business electives when students satisfy any listed Foundations and prerequisites.
*STEM-designated course. For degree-level requirements, see the STEM MBA.
Course Details
Complete 6 Credits
MGT 06530 – Sustainable Commerce (STEM*)
Students will examine the notion of “sustainable business” in this course. Students will learn about different types of ‘green’ and sustainable businesses and evaluate many case studies of businesses that have been successful in improving their environmental and social performance while also remaining profitable. Students will gain an understanding of social venturing and continue to develop their entrepreneurial skillsets and mindsets. Students will develop their own approaches to evaluating the sustainability of a business while also learning about emerging norms and frameworks. Students will examine sustainability as a concept impacting all aspects of a business, from operations and product design to finance, marketing, and human resources management. The impacts of “green” industries, products, and business practices are also examined. This course may be offered online.
MGT 06531 – Sustainability Assessment (STEM*)
Students will learn different approaches for setting sustainability goals, measuring progress towards sustainability outcomes, and managing so-called “sustainability transitions”. Students will learn about the increasingly important role of sustainability officers in different firms, and gain exposure to concepts and practices in sustainability reporting for both shareholder, regulatory, and scientific purposes. This course may be offered online. Students will learn different approaches for setting sustainability goals, measuring progress towards sustainability outcomes, and managing so-called “sustainability transitions”. Students will learn about the increasingly important role of sustainability officers in different firms, and gain exposure to concepts and practices in sustainability reporting for both shareholder, regulatory, and scientific purposes. This course may be offered online.
MGT 06532 - Topics in Sustainability Innovation and Problem Solving
Students in this seminar/practicum type class will study the implementation of sustainability transitions, in the context of current events and emerging ideas related to sustainability studies. Students will identify industries and/or societal challenges that could benefit from sustainability thinking and develop plans for implementing a new product, system, or structure. This course may not be offered every year. This course may be offered online.
Complete 3 Additional Credits
ACC 03507 - Government and Not-For-Profit Accounting
This financial accounting course focuses on the contemporary accounting issues of governmental and non-profit organizations. It includes financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning in the environments of local, state, and federal government, colleges and universities, hospitals, and voluntary health and welfare organizations.
Prerequisite: ACC 03500 Financial and Managerial Accounting.
ENT 06505 - Entrepreneurship and Innovation
This course provides a broad framework for understanding the nature of entrepreneurship in multiple organizational settings. The course introduces students to the innovation and idea generation process and helps students apply an alternative way of “thinking” to assist in solving difficult issues for government, business, and the non-profit sector.
Prerequisites: ACC 03500, MGT 06502, and MKT 09500
ENT 06506 - Corporate Entrepreneurship
This course provides an overview of the potential for innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities or new ventures within a corporate environment. The course covers various aspects of corporate entrepreneurship. Major topics include understanding the corporate entrepreneurial revolution, learning about the nature of entrepreneurship within established organizations (intrapreneurship), understanding the requirements for setting up an environment conducive to being intrapreneurial within a corporate setting, and learning about the entrepreneurial direction of firms as they grow and evolve. Among the issues discussed are the role of creativity within corporate entrepreneurship, the relation to product innovation and technology, the importance of corporate strategy within an entrepreneurial framework, and what it takes to create an entrepreneurial culture in a corporate setting.
ENT 06599 – Special Topics in Entrepreneurship (0–6 credits)
Students will study advanced level topics in Entrepreneurship. The exact topics will change over time to remain relevant as practices in industry and markets evolve. Contact the MBA office for additional details.
Sustainable Business Certificate Option
The Sustainable Business Certificate of Graduate Study provides focused graduate study in sustainability before entry into the MBA. Completed COGS coursework can apply directly to the degree, and course selection can be planned to support the Sustainable Business Concentration.She wants to save the planet.
Not by herself, mind you, but with the knowledge and skills she’s developed in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies major through Rowan University’s School of Earth & Environment, additionally she is now enrolled in an innovative 4+1 program, Aarushi Gupta, who carried a 3.99 GPA heading into her final
undergraduate semester, will stay at Rowan to earn a Rohrer College of Business MBA in 2023-24. She seeks to help limit the effects of climate change and will likely do so from within corporate America. “I don’t think companies necessarily want to save the world, but many realize it’s no longer feasible to maintain their current business practices,” she said. “Business, by definition, seeks profit, and that’s OK. When there are people within an organization who have the moral framing of wanting to help, they can make a difference slowing down climate change.” Considering the influence big corporations have on society and the environment at large, Aarushi believes her greatest impact might be approaching the existential threat of climate change from the business side.
Learn More About Aarushi Gupta's Journey to fight climate change
Net Impact – Rowan University Chapter
Graduate business students interested in sustainable business can connect with Rowan University’s Net Impact chapter for opportunities to engage with others interested in sustainability, business, and positive social and environmental impact.
