Hands using a stylus on a device.
Beyond Grey Pinstripes honors the program again.

MBA Program Among Top 100

The School of Business and Economics has demonstrated significant leadership in integrating social, environmental, and ethical issues into its MBA program, according to the Aspen Institute’s 2011–12 edition of Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a biennial survey and alternative ranking of business schools.

Michigan Tech ranked number seventy-six on a list of the top 100 business schools in the world. In terms of student exposure, the Michigan Tech MBA program was eighteenth out of 100, up from number sixty-three in the 2009–10 survey.

"Ethical, sustainable, and environmental concerns inform every aspect of our MBA program, from course content to faculty selection."Tom Merz

While many MBA rankings exist, Beyond Grey Pinstripes is the only one that looks beyond reputation and test scores to measure something much more important: how well schools are preparing their students for the environmental, social, and ethical complexities of modern-day business.

The 2011–12 ranking reflects the School’s increased efforts to build sustainable content into the curriculum. “Ethical, sustainable, and environmental concerns inform every aspect of our MBA program, from course content to faculty selection,” said Associate Dean Tom Merz. “This comprehensive approach increases exposure for both students and faculty."

In a remarkable showing, 149 business schools from twenty-two countries participated in a yearlong effort to map the landscape of teaching and research on issues pertaining to business and society. “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.

This year’s 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 questions assumptions about the role of business in society.

“The Michigan Tech MBA program is dedicated to providing timely, relevant course work and research opportunities that prepare our students for a changing workplace,” said Mari Buche, associate professor of management information systems. “In the current economic and environmental climate, students are actively seeking out programs that focus on ethical and socially responsible business practices. Our Beyond Grey Pinstripes ranking is a great way to attract motivated, socially conscious students.”

Learn more about Beyond Grey Pinstripes.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.