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Enterprise Sustainability

No organization can operate independent of issues related to climate change, energy scarcity and security, consumption of non-renewable resources, ecosystem degradation, global shortages of food and safe drinking water, expanding world population, and the resulting economic dislocations.

You will explore and learn the strategic responses to these issues to create business opportunities and competitive advantage. Fisher College of Business MBA courses will offer you both instruction in diverse aspects of sustainability and hands-on project opportunities working with companies and non-profit organizations facing sustainability challenges. Through your work, you will have the opportunity for extensive interaction with executives from a wide variety of organizations and industries that are developing and integrating sustainable best practices into their organizations.

Course Offerings

Required Courses
  • MHR 841 - Business and the Environment – Strategies for Sustainability
  • At least three courses taken from at least two of the categories below:
Category 1

Courses that prepare students to manage toward multiple goals

  • MHR 802 - Managerial Negotiations
  • MHR 822 - Advanced Negotiations (Pre req: MHR 802)
  • MHR 847 - Strategic Execution and Implementation
  • MHR 859 - Business Ethics
  • MHR 830 - International Negotiations
  • M&L 845 - Global Marketing and Sustainability

Courses offered outside of Fisher that cover similar content areas can be substituted:

  • PP 880.06 - Climate Change and Public Policy
Category 2

Courses that introduce students to innovation and efficiency in the industrial use of resources

  • MGT 810 - Six Sigma Principles
  • MGT 837 - Global Sourcing
  • MGT 840 - Lean Management Practices

Courses offered outside of Fisher that cover similar content areas can be substituted:

  • IE 757 - Industrial Ecology
  • IE 694R - Resilience Engineering
Category 3

Courses that build understanding as to how the earth works from a systems point of view offered outside Fisher, as available. Other courses offering covering similar content areas may be substituted with permission.

  • NR 835 Ecosystem Management Policy
  • CRP 724 Planning for Sustainable Development
  • ENR 656 Ecosystems of the World
  • GEO 597.02 Integrated Earth Systems: Confronting Global Change*
  • LA 597 Stewardship Issues in Environmental Design & Development*
  • HIS 366 Global Environmental History*

* Because these are undergraduate courses, credit hours earned will not count toward the MBA degree. They will, however, count toward completion of the track and the certificate opportunity.

Certificate in Enterprise Sustainability Management

Students that complete course requirements for the Enterprise Sustainability career track with an average grade of B or higher, and that complete two of the following four requirements, will be awarded a Certificate in Enterprise Sustainability Management.

  • Five courses, rather than the above required four courses.
  • 40 hours of volunteer service in a non-profit organization working on matters that have a relationship to sustainability.
  • A summer internship involving sustainability.
  • An independent study on a sustainability topic approved in advance by the faculty member listed below. This could take many forms, including: a case study of a significant sustainability initiative, a research inquiry into a topic of interest to the student, or a comparative assessment of opposing views on a topic or alternative approaches to a problem.
  • An additional course from the above listings.

Action-based Learning

Fisher students also have many opportunities to expand their knowledge of sustainability topics and to sharpen their management skills through participation in extra-curricular activities. Options include: participation in the Ohio State's Net Impact Chapter, participation in business case competitions having a sustainability focus, and service on non-profit boards through Fisher Board Fellows.
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More Information
  • Students who pursued the Enterprise Sustainability career path typically completed one of these majors:

  • Fisher was ranked 24th in the Aspen Institute's Beyond Grey Pinstripes Global 100 survey for the the integration of issues concerning social and environmental stewardship in the curriculum.
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