Notre Dame MBA ranks 4th worldwide for ethics, social impact

The
Notre Dame MBA program at the
University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business ranked No. 4 worldwide
in the Aspen Institute’s Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2010-2011
Global 100, up one slot from its No. 5 ranking earned in each of the
three previous three surveys.

The
biennial survey, released today, is the only MBA ranking that measures how well
business schools are preparing their students for the environmental, social and
ethical complexities of modern-day business. It’s based on a rigorous, year-long
review of the school’s teaching and research pertaining to business and
society.

“We believe business education has
the responsibility to inspire students to recognize their impact on and
contribution to the wellbeing of society through effective and innovative
businesses,” said Carolyn
Y. Woo, Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business. “Our
students and our world deserve nothing less.” 

The top five programs were Stanford Graduate School
of Business, York University, IE Business School, Mendoza College of Business
and Yale School of Business, respectively.

The
Aspen Institute noted that competition in the current round of submissions was significantly greater than in 2008-2009.
Of the 149 schools from 22 countries that submitted data for the 2011-2012
edition of Pinstripes, 142 were eligible for inclusion in the ranking.
The 2011-2012 data submitted from the schools included more than 6,000 course
descriptions and about 6,000 abstracts of faculty research. The competition in
each scoring category was greater this cycle, including an increase in the
number of relevant courses, “business impact” courses, and research
articles submitted over prior years. Student enrollments in relevant courses
also increased.

All 20 of the Notre Dame
MBA required courses and a notable 143 electives integrate social, ethical or
environment issues.

“In all scoring categories used
to determine the ranking, business schools have raised the bar,” said Judith
Samuelson, executive director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society
Program, which conducted Beyond Grey
Pinstripes. “There more courses about the role of business as a positive agent
for change, more exposure of students to this content, and more research
published by faculty on relevant topics.”

Samuelson noted that the 2011
survey marked the first opportunity since the global economic downturn to comprehensively
measure the extent to which MBA programs have altered the content of their
courses, and whether faculty are pursuing research that questioned assumptions
about the role of business in society.

“The
focus on ethics and societal impact is foundational to the business school at
Notre Dame; it’s not a reaction to financial misfortunes,” said Edward J. Conlon,
associate dean of graduate programs. “But the recent economic downturn shows
how critical it is that business leaders have a values-based perspective.”

The
Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program, along with its Center for
Business Education, seeks to create business leaders for the 21st century who
are equipped with the vision and knowledge necessary
to integrate corporate profitability with social value. To that end, it offers
programs that provide business educators with the resources they need to
incorporate issues of social and environmental stewardship into their teaching,
research and curriculum development. The complete ranking of the “Beyond
Grey Pinstripes 2010-2011 Global 100” can be found at www.beyondgreypinstripes.org.

The
Notre Dame MBA at the Mendoza College of Business enrolls approximately 340
students annually in its one-year and two-year programs. The program is
designed to sharpen students’ analytical and problem-solving skills, enhance
their leadership ability and increase emphasis on ethical decision making.
Students have the opportunity to study the complexities of global business
through international immersions in Asia, Latin America and other locations.

During
the week-long Interterm Intensives, the MBA students analyze, investigate and
offer solutions for real-life problems presented by executives from large
global organizations. The Notre Dame MBA is ranked 24th among U.S. business
schools by Bloomberg Businessweek.

For
more information about the Notre Dame MBA, contact Brian
Lohr,
Director of Admissions, at (574) 631-8488 or Lohr.1@nd.edu, or visit business.nd.edu/mba.

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