Sustainability is at the heart of MIT Sloan’s nonprofit/social entrepreneurship curriculum. Examples of the more than a dozen sustainability-focused courses are “Entrepreneurs in Innovation: Information Technology, Energy, Biotechnology and Communications,” “Leading Profound Innovation for a More Sustainable World” and “Strategic Opportunities in Energy.”
In February 2010, Sloan announced its third specialty certificate option, the Sustainability Certificate. Open to all MBA and Sloan-related students (e.g., Leaders for Global Operations participants and Sloan Fellows), the new certificate “views sustainability as a function of the interdependent dynamics of economic, societal, and environmental systems, where success overall is influenced by success across all areas and not upon a single factor.” Required courses are “System Dynamics,” “Strategies for Sustainable Business,” “Sustainable Business Lab,” “Professional Seminar in Sustainability” and a capstone course that will be offered for the first time in Spring 2011. Students also choose two electives from a list of 30 options. In addition to receiving the certificate, students who pursue it will receive access to Summer Sustainability Internships and a special resume book for sustainability.