Online Sustainable MBA - Green MBA Degree Programs

The online sustainable MBA is also known by other names, for example Green MBA or sustainable management MBA degree.

The green MBA is seeks to promote financial viability, ecological sustainability, and social justice in business, non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other public and private organizations. In their programs of study, students gain practical skills, knowledge, and experience. These skills prepare then to be innovative in communicating and leading global changes. On the other hand, sustainable management focus on managing the use, development and protection of physical and natural resources in a manner that ensures economic, environmental, social, economic and cultural well-being as well as avoiding, remedying or mitigating adverse effects of activities on the environment. Online Sustainable management degree programs therefore focus on long-term gain by incorporating environmental and social costs of business into management decisions.

Selected Sustainable MBA Degree Programs

Walden University

• MBA - Concentration in Sustainable Futures

South University Online

• MBA in Sustainability

University of Phoenix

• BS in Business/Green and Sustainable Enterprise Management

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Green MBA Courses and Training

The green degree is a sustainable business degree. In the MBA courses, students focus on traditional MBA courses as well as the environmental impact of business. The focus of the green MBA is on the economic, environmental, and social sustainability.

• Economic - Effects of running out of natural resources
• Environmental - Effect if the loss of habitat, species, whole ecologies, and global warming
• Social - Effects if overpopulation, eliminating poverty, ensuring equity and social stability in development.

The goal of the program is to ensure efficiency in business practices, for example using less packaging, less electricity, less chemicals, recycling, in an effort to save costs and preserve the environment. Hence the focus is on:

• Profit - To keep businesses moving
• People - Ensure fair business practices
• Planet - Sustainable environmental practices

Green MBA courses include topics on waste management, marketing green products, environmental regulations, and the effect of environmental actions on profit. In addition students take traditional MBA courses that include accounting, marketing, finance, management, public relations, etc. Some specializations include:

• Energy Policy and Administration
• Green Development
• Natural and Organic Resources
• Renewable Energy

This being a fairly new and growing specialization, depending on the school, the degree listing may vary and could be titled as any of the below. Nonetheless the goals of the program might be close enough:

• Environmental Management
• Sustainability Masters
• Organizational and Environmental Sustainability
• MBA in Sustainable Management
• Green Business Management
• Management of Environmental Pollutants, Climate Change, Energy, and Development
• Socially Responsible Business
• Global Green Business Practices
• Business Strategies for Environmental Sustainability
• Environmental Science and Policy
• Sustainable Futures

Careers with a Green MBA

Environmental sustainability issues are on the forefront of businesses and companies that wish to be known as ‘environmentally friendly’, and business leaders and managers with an understanding of underlying issues continues to grow. Areas that continue to see growth are: Farming and agriculture, forestry, fisheries, wind and solar energy (alternative energy), energy efficiency, and manufacturing.

Other jobs are available in colleges and universities, research consortiums, state and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank working on issues like policy development and environmental health.

In sustainable MBA degree programs, students explore mechanisms for understanding and improve relationships among communities, individuals, organizations, and communities. They learn how to incorporate global awareness into planning, operations, and decision-making at various levels of a company or organization. Graduates also they develop innovative social responsibility practices to respond to sustainable development.

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

In terms of job prospects and salary, this depends on your professional goals. However, green business is the future, but salary and jobs may take a while to reflect these changes to the business sector. Salaries with a sustainable MBA are similar to those in other MBA specializations as follows:

• Colleges and universities - $50,503
• Banking - $64,212
• Health-care - $84,072
• Manufacturing - $85,303

Sustainable MBA holders working as financial controllers, information technology project managers, chief financial officers, senior financial analysts, etc earn between $92,802 to $166,066. Those in human resources make between $50,946 to $77,782. Environmental scientists earn around $69,000 while environmental engineers earn $87,800 per year. For those working in environmental management, the salary is around $65,280 with a range of $35,310 to above $102,610. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that growth in the environmental sector will grow by up to 28% between 2008 to 2018.