The other night at the MBA Gala, I found myself talking to a first year about how I wanted to get more environmental courses during my MBA. Perhaps because I did not get out of Sauder to take courses before completing my MBA, I wanted to provide this somewhat incomplete guide to some of my ideas for getting more environmental rigor and knowledge into your MBA. If you are interested in getting a more sustainable education experience from your MBA, you might consider taking courses outside of the business school.
Here are three ways to start to explore options outside of Sauder:
- Contact Bill Rees and get his thoughts on how to make the most of your MBA experience at UBC. He is facility at SCARP—the school of community planning at UBC. He is a bit of a celebrity. He has a particularly challenging way of seeing the world. Just having a conversation with him and truly trying to understand what he is saying is a learning opportunity. But he might also have a suggestion or two for you on how to make your own degree while also fulfilling your MBA requirements.
- Perhaps the most relevant school at UBC for interdisciplinary environmental studies is the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability (IRES). Their graduate program is very well regarded. You should talk to some of the professors, like Kai Chan for example, and see whether there is an appropriate course or two. These will be more difficult classes than your MBA courses. They are a full semester instead of six weeks, so one course is the equivalent of two MBA modules. The MBA office recognizes this and will allow you up to 3 credits for one course instead of the usual 1.5 credits.
- Check out the UBC Organic Farm. This is not a course, but is a great way to get relief from some stress while you reconnect with nature. You can buy produce at the farm stand on Wednesdays at the bookstore during the summer and early fall. Also, you can always volunteer at the farm. I helped out with a friend who had a job picking up and cleaning the eggs from the hens once a week. There are dozens of other volunteer opportunities on the farm too.
Remember to check in with the appropriate person in the MBA Office and make sure to clear whatever requirements they have for courses taken outside of Sauder.
