Graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison can pursue a new certificate in strategically applying business principles to environmental and social challenges.

The Certificate in Business, Environment and Social Responsibility, is being launched this fall. It reflects a growing interest in sustainability and the role of business in addressing pressing societal problems.

The certificate arose out of a collaboration between the Wisconsin School of Business and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. The proposed Center for Business, Environment and Social Responsibility (BESR) will serve as the coordinating institution for the certificate and other collaborative efforts. When fully developed, BESR is expected to address environmental, economic and social challenges in the developed world and in developing economies.

Graduate students in the Wisconsin School of Business, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and other graduate programs will be able to earn the certificate by applying through the Wisconsin School of Business and completing 12 credits of business school courses. The certificate also has been approved as a Ph.D. minor.

Professor Dan Anderson will serve as director of BESR. Tom Eggert, its associate director, said the certificate grew out of increasing recognition by MBA students and students training for careers in regulatory, environmental and social organizations that business principles and sustainability practices are important in making any organization more efficient and effective.

In the most recent Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey of business schools’ efforts in environmental and social stewardship, the Wisconsin School of Business was ranked 24th in the United States and 33rd in the world. In terms of courses offered in the environmental and social responsibility area, the Wisconsin School of Business scored as one of the 10 best schools in the United States.

Posted in Degrees and Programs