In the forums and sites I haunt, I was seeing the term Green MBA used quite frequently among the more academic.

Being a high school dropout with no interest in university, obtaining one hasn’t been high up on my green “todo” list; but for many people, a green MBA could be a ticket to a fruitful and lucrative career.

A green MBA is basically a sustainable business degree. Traditionally, MBA (Master of Business Administration) students tend to give even less thought to environmental impact of business after they graduate from business school than they did before they commenced. That’s because business degrees have been focused on profit and consumption.

… but so is a green MBA; just with a new twist on thinking; a more responsible approach to business with the environment as an important aspect.

Just a few years ago, less than half of the top U.S. business schools offered anything associating social and environmental concerns to business; but that’s rapidly changing.

I don’t think that anyone would argue that green business is the Next Big Thing.. in fact, it’s the Current Big Thing; there’s so many eco-focused business success stories to prove the models can work. But once the honeymoon period is over, there will be more than just a place for green and sustainable business, it will simply become the norm.

Green business is not about forgoing profit for the sake of the planet; quite the opposite. Much of it is about efficiency – for example, using less packaging, less electricity, less chemicals – all of which are money savers. Being sustainable in a business isn’t just about the environmental warm and fuzzies, it’s about the bottom line.

MBA programs also emphasize a triple bottom line, also known as “TBL” or “3BL” — profit, people, planet.

Profit: what keeps business in business :)

People: Fair business practices toward staff, contractors, suppliers and the community in which a company conducts business

Planet: Sustainable environmental practices

The curriculum can include courses such as Triple Bottom Line Accountability & Management, Green Marketing & Environmental Product Design/Recycling, Corporate Social Responsibility & Ethics
and Sustainable Enterprise Development & Leadership – sounds a lot more interesting to me than a dry old traditional business degree!

Some institutions also offer degrees in sustainable business that you can undertake online.

One such university offering a online green MBA is Anaheim University (here’s a special coupon code to have the $100 application fee waived: 323934). Anaheim University offer 6 “green” courses in Sustainable Management through the Anaheim University Kisho Kurokawa Green Institute. You can complete the Online Green MBA from anywhere in the world on a part time basis.

Online Sustainable MBA courses start every 6 weeks and Anaheim University offers an 18-month intensive program. Anaheim University is listed in the US Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institution and Programs.

If you decide to sign up for a course through Anaheim, here’s a coupon code to have your $100 application fee waived: 323934

The cost of a green MBA is around the same as a traditional MBA, just not as widely available – yet. In the years to come, I can see there being no distinction between the two – sustainability will be key in any business.

If you or your children are considering a career in business and would like the letters after your name that seem so important these days when applying for positions, consider going for a green MBA. If the Anaheim online course doesn’t interest you, try going to your favorite search engine and typing:

green mba state
or
green mba country

.. where state or country is where you are located. If you don’t find anything replace “green mba” with “sustainable business degree”

Reading all this stuff about sustainable business degrees nearly makes me want to complete my high school education and then go to university.

..nah :).