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University of Michigan
Stephen M. Ross School of Business

701 Tappan Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234
United States

In the school's own words...

At the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business, social and environmental responsibility is a cornerstone of broad-based management education. A Ross MBA prepares students to address fundamental issues of social responsibility and environmentally sustainable business whether they work in the public, private or nonprofit sectors – or all three.

The Ross commitment to responsible business is woven organically into the core curriculum. All students are required to complete a course dedicated to issues of ethics and governance, as well as a course on the world economy that addresses the civic and cultural landscape of the global business environment. In the distinctive Multidisciplinary Action program (MAP), all Ross MBA students work in teams that produce valuable information for client-sponsors. The school is committed to MAP projects sponsored by nonprofits, especially those in the developing world, and to projects that involve clean tech and sustainable enterprise. All incoming MBA students participate in the Ross Leadership Initiative (RLI), a set of co-curricular activities designed to prepare graduates to lead globally diverse teams and consider the role of business in society. RLI activities are offered throughout the 20 months of the MBA program, and several of its components are mandatory, including a community service project.

Many electives at Ross focus on environmental and social responsibility. Notable examples include Corporate Environmental Strategy, Finance for Sustainable Enterprise, Sustainable Manufacturing, and Systems Thinking for Sustainable Enterprise. Ross courses address social responsibility through both the most global and most local of lenses. Ross is a leader in teaching related to the Base of the Pyramid, addressing the global relationship between development and poverty alleviation. More scholars affiliated with Ross have been named Faculty Pioneers by the Aspen Institute than have thinkers from any other business school.

Ross enjoys an extremely high level of institutional support for a socially and environmentally responsible approach to business. The Frederick and Barbara Erb Institute, a partnership between Ross and the School of Natural Resources and Environment, offers the world’s leading dual degree program (MBA/MS) focused on global sustainable enterprise. The Nonprofit and Public Management Center, a partnership with the schools of Public Policy and Social Work, is dedicated to providing managerial expertise to the dynamic intersection among public, private and nonprofit institutions. The Ross School shares many resources with the William Davidson Institute, which has a mission to improve social welfare and facilitate economic transition in developing countries.

Finally, Ross offers students a broad and deep array of student clubs, speaker series, seminars, and conferences dedicated to issues of social and environmental responsibility. Such activities are an integral part of a learning community dedicated to training leaders who have a global, socially responsible view of how their organizations fit into an interconnected world. Among the many student clubs that address social and environmental responsibility is the Ross Net Impact club, which has been named National Chapter of the Year for three consecutive years.

School Demographic Information