NEW YORK, October 10, 2007—The University of San Diego’s MBA program ranks in the top 100 programs worldwide for integrating social and environmental issues, according to the Aspen Institute’s 2007-2008 edition of Beyond Grey Pinstripes. USD’s MBA program ranked 36th in the world and is the highest ranking program in southern California.

Stanford University earned the number one spot on the Beyond Grey Pinstripes Global 100 ranking, with the University of Michigan coming in second.  UCLA and Pepperdine were the only other programs from southern California on the list.

“We are honored to be recognized with other such prestigious universities for having an MBA curriculum that helps shape new leaders to be the drivers of future ethical business behavior and thinking,” said USD President Mary E. Lyons. Among Catholic universities, USD ranked third nationally and fourth globally. “Our MBA program’s emphasis on ethical leadership reflects the mission of the School of Business Administration and the wider-USD community,” Lyons said.

“Issues of corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability are integrated throughout our curriculum and within specially focused courses,” added Andrew Allen, former dean of USD’s School of Business Administration. Courses offered include Ethical Leadership in Organizations, Corporate Governance and Values, and Peace through Commerce. The small program size and personalized attention foster a supportive environment that stresses strategic thinking and collaborative teamwork.

Much of the demand for a program emphasizing ethics and social responsibility comes from the students themselves, said Professor Denise Dimon, director of USD’s MBA programs and the Ahlers Center for International Business. “In the global business arena it is critical to understand the linkage between business, the environment and society,” she said. “This increased complexity and interdependence requires talented and ethical leaders who can advance organizational goals and meet the broader expectations of all their stakeholders at the same time.”

The Aspen Institute Center for Business Education, a program of The Aspen Institute Business and Society Program, compiled Beyond Grey Pinstripes, its biennial research survey and alternative ranking of business schools, looking at how well social and environmental issues are incorporated into the training of future business leaders.

Invitations to participate in the 2007 survey were sent out to 600+ internationally accredited business schools with in-person, full-time MBA programs. More than 40,000 pages of data were collected from schools in the U.S. and abroad. 

“In the Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey, success is measured not by how much new MBA graduates earn or how many offers they get,” said Judith Samuelson, executive director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program, “but by how well prepared they are to guide a company through the complex relationship of business and society, where issues relating to the environment or the well-being of a community can impact a company’s performance and reputation.”

The complete ranking of the Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2007-2008 “Global 100” business schools can be found at www.beyondgreypinstripes.org. 

Learn more about the San Diego MBA program at www.sandiego.edu/MBA