Notre Dame MBA earns No. 5 ethics ranking

The University of Notre Dame MBA Program was ranked No. 5 in the Aspen Institute’s 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a biennial survey and alternate ranking that indicates the school’s success in integrating social, environmental and ethical issues into its program.

“We believe that business has the moral imperative to address these issues and it is our responsibility as educators to engage, inspire and prepare our students to step up,” said Carolyn Y. Woo, Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame.

Beyond Grey Pinstripes measures how well schools are preparing their students for the environmental, social and ethical complexities of modern-day business. This year, 149 business schools from 24 countries participated in an 18-month effort to map the landscape of teaching and research on issues pertaining to business and society. Relevant data collected in the survey, as well as the entire “Global 100” list of business schools, is available at http://beyondgreypinstripes.org/.

“Our program has always emphasized strong values-based leadership skills in keeping with the Notre Dame and Mendoza College missions,” said Edward J. Conlon, associate dean for graduate studies of the Mendoza College. “In 2005, we launched a new MBA curriculum that focuses on problem-solving opportunities in the context of individual ethics, organizational effectiveness and promoting the greater good. These areas will continue to be the cornerstones of our program.”

Some 340 students participate annually in the Notre Dame MBA, which offers one-year and two-year programs. According to data submitted to the ranking, all of the 14 required courses in the MBA program and a notable 93 electives integrate social, ethical or environmental issues. The Notre Dame MBA ranked 20th in the 2008 BusinessWeek biennial survey of the top business schools in the nation.

“The best business students move quickly into the front ranks of business – and the attitudes and values they bring to the table are deeply influenced by their time in business education,” said Judith Samuelson, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program. “Will they accept the status quo or act on their passion about the positive role business can play at the intersection of corporate profit and social impact? The schools that are competitive in the Beyond Grey Pinstripes ranking are the real trailblazers – they assure that students have the right skill as well as the will to make things happen.”

The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society; and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues.

 

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