Green MBA appeal: Save green, make green

Local business schools increase "green business" course offerings to keep students competitive in the job market.

Green MBA appeal: Save green, make green

Local business schools increase "green business" course offerings to keep students competitive in the job market.

By Katie Ormsby, Seattle Times business reporter

Local business schools' green course offerings:

Bainbridge Graduate Institute: A Sustainable MBA, which weaves sustainability into every course. The program will also be offered in an evening format this spring in Seattle.

Seattle University's Albers School of Business: Adding the option to specialize in sustainability; three new courses developed.

University of Washington's Foster School of Business: Addresses sustainable issues in all of its first-year classes and some of its second-year classes.

University of Washington offers a course called "Cases in Sustainability." Sounds like an Environmental Studies class, right? It's actually for MBA students.

"The class focuses on the interaction between ecological issues, societal issues, profit and the interest of shareholders," said Dan Turner, an associate dean at UW's Foster School of Business. "It's important for students to be able to successfully incorporate sustainability into business operations, and that's what this class aims to do."

Green business classes of this nature are on the rise, according to a 2009 study by the Aspen Institute Center for Business Education. Since 2007, the typical business school added two classes featuring elements of sustainable responsibility.

Local business schools illustrate this trend. Seattle University's Albers School of Business added its first sustainability class in 2009, and the UW has seen increased student interest in courses like "Cases in Sustainability." The Bainbridge Graduate Institute, which focuses strictly on sustainable business, has also grown and will offer classes in Seattle starting this month.

In general terms, a sustainable business takes into account people, planet and profit when making decisions. Professor Greg Magnan, program director for the master's in business administration program at Seattle University, said today's students need a grasp of sustainable business practices to be competitive in the job market.

"We're producing the next generation of leaders," he said, "and they are going to need to solve the world's problems. Businesses need to better manage the way they use resources. Not only will that help the environment, increasing sustainable practices also saves the employer money. So, they're interested in hiring students with that background."

Kevin Hagen, director of corporate responsibility at outdoor-equipment retailer REI, said he sees the benefits of studying green business every day. He graduated in 2005 from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) with a Sustainable MBA. "Students who don't get elements of sustainability in their MBA program these days will be obsolete before they start."

The flip side, Hagen said, is that his specialized job may not last long. "Positions like mine will eventually be absorbed into every position, so the skills and competencies that I learned at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute will be needed in all areas of the business world, no matter the job title."

More than 94 percent of BGI graduates earn their living in sustainable management, according to Gifford Pinchot, president and co-founder. Alumni have gone on to companies such as REI and outerwear retailer The North Face or have created their own businesses.

BGI integrates sustainability into its entire MBA curriculum. For example, its accounting class about the bottom line uses the triple bottom line model. In addition to profit, the model takes into account the company's environmental and social impact.

This is a year of expansion in green business education at both Seattle University and the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. At the end of this month, BGI will offer an evening Sustainable MBA program, which will be two nights a week at its downtown Seattle location.

"Seattle was the natural location for expansion." Pinchot said. "Now we are more accessible to a larger number of potential students."

Magnan said Seattle University is finalizing a sustainable business specialization to be in place by next fall. Three new courses have already been developed.

"Adding the option to specialize in sustainability keeps our students competitive in the job market and keeps us competitive in recruiting students," he said. "Many students have come to us expressing an interest in studying green business."

Pinchot acknowledged that "business isn't usually the first thing students think of when looking for a path that will allow them to solve the world's problems." But, he added, "it's something they should consider because it's one of the most influential and dominant institutions."