It sounds like you're on the journey to realizing what you want to do in the world of sustainability (more strategy of larger organizations impacting the world than CSR roles), but I thought that I'd provide my two cents working in sustainability now and having gone to graduate school to do this very thing. At a top line, if you want to do something in sustainability or at least have a broader network, I'd think hard about Tepper bc it doesn't play that large of the space. I agree with your sentiment that if you get into Duke, you should go.
There was a really great 2x2 that we utilized at my MBA program. The Y Axis is job function and the X Axis is company type.
Sustainable Function at Sustainable Company: Sustainable Consultant at BSR | Sustainable Function at Traditional Company: Sustainability Manager at P&G |
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Traditional Function at Sustainable Company: Supply Chain Manager at Patagonia | Traditional Function at Traditional Company: Senior Consultant at Consulting Firm |
I would say that the majority of sustainability interested individuals at T20 schools end up in the bottom right bucket hoping to one day make an impact at their company. This happens because of a variety of reasons: 1) Pay - these roles often pay more and allow for students to pay off their debt; 2) Scale of impact - An unfortunate realization of grad school is that these roles have the most impact for companies because the companies are larger and this is often where the money / impact lie. I had a sustainability internship with a F100 company but ultimately realized that the role wasn't going to be as impactful as I would like; 3) # of Sustainability Roles / Companies: There just aren't that many opportunities; 4) Recruiting Timeline: The big firms / roles come through on campus in the fall and the sustainability jobs are more just-in-time opportunities.
That being said, the three year dual-degree programs (think Michigan, Duke, Yale) seem to place more into the sustainable functions due to their sustainability-oriented MS and the alumni network that goes back a while (particularly Michigan in my opinion). However, judging from my friends that attended those types of programs, the majority still end up in traditional roles at traditional firms.
Last thing I will point out is the types of programs that I saw when going through the process:
If you're interested in learning more, I encourage you to read Net Impact's MBA Overview, GreenBiz's State of the Profession, and Katie Kross's job resources (she also has a great book titled Profession with Purpose) to get a more thorough understanding of potential channels and outcomes you are looking for. Good luck!
There are tons of jobs now, and there are a variety of degrees you can pursue ranging from environmental masters degrees, to systems design, to MBAs. Just search sustainability on LinkedIn and there are literally thousands of jobs now - it's amazing.
I made the transition from consulting to sustainability/circular economy two years ago and have no regrets. Below you will find the info on MBAs I have previously provided.
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There is a really great 2x2 that we utilized at my MBA program. The Y Axis is job function and the X Axis is company type.
Sustainable Function at Sustainable Company: Sustainable Consultant at BSR | Sustainable Function at Traditional Company: Sustainability Manager at P&G |
---|---|
Traditional Function at Sustainable Company: Supply Chain Manager at Patagonia | Traditional Function at Traditional Company: Senior Consultant at Consulting Firm |
I would say that the majority of sustainability interested individuals at T20 schools end up in the bottom right bucket hoping to one day make an impact at their company, but that seems to be changing because of the job market (which is hot). This happens because of a variety of reasons: 1) Pay - these roles often pay more and allow for students to pay off their debt; 2) Scale of impact - An unfortunate realization of grad school is that these roles have the most impact for companies because the companies are larger and this is often where the money / impact lie. I had a sustainability internship with a F100 company but ultimately realized that the role wasn't going to be as impactful as I would like; 3) # of Sustainability Roles / Companies: There just aren't that many opportunities though that is definitely changing; 4) Recruiting Timeline: The big firms / roles come through on campus in the fall and the sustainability jobs are more just-in-time opportunities.
That being said, the three year dual-degree programs (think Michigan, Duke, Yale) seem to place more into the sustainable functions due to their sustainability-oriented MS and the alumni network that goes back a while (particularly Michigan in my opinion). However, judging from my friends that attended those types of programs, the majority still end up in traditional roles at traditional firms.
Last thing I will point out is the types of programs that I saw when going through the process (~4 years ago):
3 Year Dual-Degree: Michigan, Yale, Duke, UNC
2 Year Sustainability Focused Programs: MIT, Cornell, Cal, Stanford
Other regional/sustainability schools to think about include: UVM MBA, Presidio MBA, ASU MBA, CSU MBA, Bard MBA, Oregon MBA - these are all sustainability-focused outside of the top 15 MBAs with different levels of success. Additionally, you should read Net Impact's MBA Overview, GreenBiz's State of the Profession, and Katie Kross's job resources (she also has a great book titled Profession with Purpose) to get a more thorough understanding of potential channels and outcomes you are looking for. Good luck!
This might not be a perfect answer as it's a bit more oriented towards sustainability at the broader level, but there was a really great 2x2 that we utilized at my MBA program. The Y Axis is job function and the X Axis is company type.
Sustainable Function at Sustainable Company: Sustainable Consultant at BSR | Sustainable Function at Traditional Company: Sustainability Manager at P&G |
---|---|
Traditional Function at Sustainable Company: Supply Chain Manager at Patagonia | Traditional Function at Traditional Company: Senior Consultant at Consulting Firm |
I would say that the majority of sustainability interested individuals at T20 schools end up in the bottom right bucket hoping to one day make an impact at their company. This happens because of a variety of reasons: 1) Pay - these roles often pay more and allow for students to pay off their debt; 2) Scale of impact - An unfortunate realization of grad school is that these roles have the most impact for companies because the companies are larger and this is often where the money / impact lie. I had a sustainability internship with a F100 company but ultimately realized that the role wasn't going to be as impactful as I would like; 3) # of Sustainability Roles / Companies: There just aren't that many opportunities; 4) Recruiting Timeline: The big firms / roles come through on campus in the fall and the sustainability jobs are more just-in-time opportunities.
That being said, the three year dual-degree programs (think Michigan, Duke, Yale) seem to place more into the sustainable functions due to their sustainability-oriented MS and the alumni network that goes back a while (particularly Michigan in my opinion). However, judging from my friends that attended those types of programs, the majority still end up in traditional roles at traditional firms.
If you want to go into social impact more specifically, I'd check out companies and organizations like Dahlberg, Resonance, FSG, USAID, the Gates Foundation, the Clinton Foundation, and other family offices.
Last thing I will point out is the types of programs that I saw when going through the process:
Other regional/sustainability schools to think about include: UVM MBA, Presidio MBA, ASU MBA, CSU MBA, Bard MBA, Oregon MBA - these are all sustainability-focused outside of the top 15 MBAs with different levels of success. Additionally, you should read Net Impact's MBA Overview, GreenBiz's State of the Profession, and Katie Kross's job resources (she also has a great book titled Profession with Purpose) to get a more thorough understanding of potential channels and outcomes you are looking for. Good luck!