Business has a critical role to play in creating a sustainable future and so do you
In a world facing increasing pressures to meet social, economic and environmental needs, business skills are required to influence and create real change. CSU’s College of Business Impact MBA provides the critical business skills needed to drive organizational change and create ventures that incorporate the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.
Implementing a triple bottom line in business plans can increase competitive advantages in reputation, efficiency and resiliency, and produce long-term financial returns. As organizations look to create sustainable solutions across every aspect of their business, the demand for professionals with the knowledge, skills and mindset to solve complex problems using a social, economic and environmental framework will continue to grow.
Impact MBA is the degree for those seeking to use business to create a better world.
Connect Purpose and Profit
Whether you want to start your own business or become a change agent within an organization, CSU’s College of Business Impact MBA provides you with the skills and tools to take action, the leadership and influence to drive change and a supportive network of like-minded, innovative professionals with sustainable visions.
This 16-month program requires focus and dedication for you to make the most of this immersive experience. We go beyond case studies to deepen your expertise and offer real-world, authentic experiences through two specialized tracks: Social Entrepreneurship and Corporate Sustainability.
Both tracks share the same foundational business core infused with social impact and sustainable business practices and methods. Once admitted, you’ll choose from the distinct track electives and experiential summer courses.
Track 1 – Social Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurial – start a team-based venture that addresses a global, social and/or environmental challenge
- 40-60 day practicum of discovery in the field: A unique opportunity to discover and to fill in the practical implications or gaps in knowledge related to a new venture idea. Immersing you in the population or environment in most need of creative solutions
- Hands-on experience identifying opportunities, designing business models, creating financial projections, and pitching your ideas
Social Entrepreneurship
Track 2 – Corporate Sustainability
- Intrapreneurial - make the business case and lead sustainability projects from within an existing organization
- Fellowship: An opportunity to apply the foundational analytical and technical skills learned in the classroom to real sustainability projects under consideration in corporations, governments and non-governmental organizations
- Courses in greenhouse gas management, life cycle assessment and climate change impact with a Carbon Management certificate option
Corporate Sustainability
STEM Designation
The Impact MBA meets the federal definition of a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program as it emphasizes technical business skills combined with options for scientific coursework.
Benefits for International Students
After finishing the Impact MBA program, students can apply for OPT (Optional Practical Training) that allows you to work 12 months in the United States upon completion of the MBA. Thanks to the STEM designation, international students who graduate with an Impact MBA are eligible to apply for an additional 24 months OPT extension. With a potential of 36 months to work in the U.S., you can gain invaluable work experience and build a network of professional colleagues in the U.S.
Early application deadline Dec 1st. Final application deadline May 1st. Classes start on campus in August.
Program at a Glance
| Delivery: |
Face to face |
| Location: |
Fort Collins, CO, plus 40-60 days in a field location or time in a summer fellowship |
| Length: |
16 months (three semesters–includes a summer practicum or fellowship) |
| Start Dates: |
August |
| Schedule: |
Classes four to five days a week, Monday–Friday |
| Credits: |
44 |
| Degree awarded: |
On diploma: Master of Business Administration
On transcript: Master of Business Administration, major in Business Administration with Impact specialization |
Did you know?
Colorado State University is the first of only six institutions worldwide to achieve a Platinum rating in the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS).
Origin Story: Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise MBA
For more than a decade, our top-ranking Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise (GSSE) MBA – affectionately known by graduates and our community as “The Good MBA” – has paved the way for professionals to create business ventures and to seek market-based solutions to causes that matter most.
Our new Impact MBA builds on the momentum created by the GSSE MBA. You’ll join a group of tight-knit graduates who continue to act upon their innovative ideas and create solutions to make the world a better place for all of us.
The legacy of the Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise MBA lives on through the Social Entrepreneurship track, teaching social entrepreneurship and how to create an enterprise that applies market-based approaches to find solutions to complex challenges.
The Impact MBA introduces the new Corporate Sustainability track, offering a choice of specialized coursework to teach the science behind sustainability and how to make the business case for sustainability projects within an organization.
While there are a variety of starting points to lasting success in business, one thing is certain: There is so much good to be done.
I’d never done in-depth interviews like that, and it was really cool sitting down and hearing their stories and challenges.
Researching energy needs in rural East Africa
MBA grads build legacy tackling global challenges
Impact MBA practicums harness big ideas for social change
Important Dates
No upcoming events