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
From legacy program to specialized track
First launched in 2006, our legacy Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise MBA lives on in the Impact MBA and its Social Entrepreneurship track. As one of the original innovators in the field of sustainable business programs, the Impact MBA was founded on the idea that through hands-on business education, students can develop the tools and systems needed to address social and environmental challenges.
Now, more than a decade in, the world has caught on. Our faculty continue to lead in sustainable research on one of the greenest campuses in the nation and teach the skills and ideas needed to merge business goals with the desire to make the world a better place. Students learn from these world-class thought leaders at our college and across the CSU campus. Each course teaches them how to forge tangible and innovative ways to use business to make a difference in communities and organizations around the globe. There is no time to lose on the solutions the world needs right now. During the program, students create real sustainable ventures or initiate sustainable projects within organizations that can live on after graduation.
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.