Over the last century, the landscape of graduate business degree programs has evolved drastically. This evolution is particularly prevalent when looking at the Master’s of Business Administration degree. The MBA has increased in breadth and depth, growing to encompass numerous concentrations, specializations, majors, and certificates covering specialized topics in business and business sector/job specialty. The degree has not only expanded, but also the number of universities and colleges offering this degree in an on-campus and online format are growing every day. This demand for degrees is only matched in demand for knowledgeable and skilled leaders in the workplace. Students can currently pursue online MBA programs with specialized curriculum in Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare Management, Nonprofit Management, Supply Chain Management, and International Business, with more choices added every semester. Online MBA Today explores different online MBA degree options in order to give prospective students information on the multitude of fields and degrees available.
Let’s explore the growing field of Environmental Sustainability.
Environmental Sustainability
Business and the environment keep excellent company. More than ever, there is a need for our business practices to seriously consider environmental impacts and move toward more environmentally sustainable models and systems. It’s not enough for organizations to think of things like resource scarcity, climate change, or energy sources as constraints on what they can do. Rather, forward-thinking businesses should view challenges of doing “green” business as opportunities for new avenues of growth and success. Consumers are looking for organizations that are making positive environmental impact by doing business differently. With an online MBA in environmental sustainability, you have the opportunity to make these values a reality because you will be able to marry practical business concerns with environmental ones.
Online MBAs in Environmental Sustainability
With an online MBA in environmental sustainability, you will cover traditional business school coursework in accounting, finance, economics, law, ethics, and leadership development in tandem with environmental rules, regulations, and issues. Some areas of sustainability you might explore include:
-the impact of energy requirements
-how to practically communicate how addressing environmental issues is a better way to do business
– how to examine the ecological impact of a given business endeavor
– the impact of environmental compliance on all aspects of society – from community development to political activism
-trends in sustainability
-environmental compliance
A career in environmental sustainability means an eye toward improving your organization’s environmental, social, and economic impact. An online MBA in environmental sustainability will provide you with career opportunities in renewable energy and sustainable business practices for all sizes of businesses, ecological advocacy, or municipal and environment regulatory agencies. You might find yourself at an organization where sustainability is already part of the culture, whether they have dedicated sustainability staff or not. Others, often larger organizations, might specifically employ sustainability professionals or contract out for advice on sustainability best practices.
Online MBA graduates with an environmental sustainability focus might fill various management roles. Chief sustainability officer and director of corporate responsibility are career options with this MBA. In these roles you will develop and implement sustainability strategies for your organization. If you find yourself in an operations manager role, you’ll be tasked with implementing the executives’ sustainability strategies on a day-to-day level. And as a transportation, distribution, or storage managers, you’ll find ways to make the transportation of products more sustainable through waste reduction.
Graduates with environmental sustainability can be found in a variety of organizations. From chemical companies to car manufacturers, social enterprises to municipal utilities, the move toward more sustainable ways of doing business impacts all spheres of society.
Doing your MBA in environmental sustainability online offers so much flexibility. Depending on the program you choose, you could do it entirely online, when and where you please. Though some programs do require you to come to campus once or twice, or give you the option of blending your coursework with on-campus and online classes. This flexibility is great if you are already working full-time, have family obligations, or travel frequently. More and more online programs are just as engaging and interactive as their traditional counterparts, usually with the same faculty and coursework. Plus, you get environmental bonus points for not having to commute to class.
Based on our ranking of the top Online MBA programs in Environmental Sustainability, here are the top five programs in the country:
Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business – Boston, Massachusetts
Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business – Stillwater, Oklahoma
University of North Carolina at Chapel HIll’s Kenan-Flagler Business School – Chapel Hill, North Carolina
University of California, Los Angeles’ Anderson School of Management – Los Angeles, California
Webster University’s George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology – Saint Louis, Missouri
OTHER MBA SPECIALTY REVIEWS:
Guide to Online MBAs in Accounting
Guide to Online MBAs in Finance
Guide to Online MBAs in Information & Technology
Guide to Executive MBAs
Guide to Supply Chain Management MBAs
Guide to Online MBAs in Business Analytics
Guide to Online MBAs in Healthcare Management
Guide to Online MBAs in Marketing
Guide to Online MBAs in Finance
Guide to Online MBAs in Nonprofit Management
Guide to Online MBAs in Entrepreneurship
Guide to Online MBAs in Cybersecurity
