Heller School MBA in nonprofit management rated highly by Aspen

The Heller School’s MBA program in nonprofit management received the number two ranking in the Boston area in the Aspen Institute’s rating of innovative MBA programs that integrate social and environmental issues into their curricula and research. Overall, the Heller program ranked 38th of 149 MBA programs worldwide in this "Beyond Grey Pinstripes" rating.

“We continue to be proud of  Heller’s MBA program as it combines the rigor one finds in a traditional business school with the training necessary to address the distinctive management issues facing organizations with a social mission,” said Brenda Anderson, director of the Heller program.

Heller Dean Lisa Lynch expressed great satisfaction that Heller’s MBA was ranked fifth in the world by the Aspen Institute in the category of student exposure to social, environmental and ethical issues within the curriculum.

“The commitment of the Heller faculty in all of our degree programs to include in their courses a focus on these issues is a distinguishing feature of our school,” Lynch said. “As a result our students are well sought after by employers when they graduate and reenter the job market.”

Anderson said that Heller is distinguished by the fact that its students “come to the Heller MBA from all walks of life, sharing a common passion -- the desire to change the world by taking courses that address topics such as poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, healthcare, social enterprise and children, youth and family.”

Conducted by the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program, the review of MBA programs globally addresses how well full-time, accredited MBA programs incorporate social, environmental and ethical issues into the training of future business executives. The survey evaluates programs in four areas: availability of courses that contain social, ethical or environmental content; student exposure to such courses; courses that explicitly discuss how business can be an engine for improving social or environmental conditions; and the extent to which professors explore environmental and social issues in their research.

The Heller MBA is offered jointly by the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and the International Business School.