MBA applicants can get carried away with rankings. In this series, we profile amazing programs at schools that are typically ranked outside the top 15.
Sustainability is more than a mere buzzword or one elective specialization among many in the Bard MBA curriculum—it provides the grounding for an integrated core of economic, environmental, and social education. In this way, Bard offers an innovative approach to business, drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives and ecological thinking to prove that profitability can be compatible with a sustainable and socially responsible mission. Another rather unique feature of the Bard MBA is its low-residency structure, entailing monthly Weekend Residencies that focus on various learning “modules” in addition to online instruction. The school’s proximity to New York City facilitates Bard’s “NYCLab” course, in which students work in small teams to gain hands-on experience consulting for businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits. Students can collaborate with such firms as ConEdison Solutions, Unilever (as part of its Sustainable Living Plan), and TransitCenter, Inc.