TCU MBA ranks 46th in the world for integrating social, environment and ethical issues

Fort Worth, TX

9/21/2011

The MBA program at the Neeley School of Business at TCU is ranked among the top 100 business schools in the world for integrating social, environmental and ethical issues into its MBA program, according to the Aspen Institute’s 2011-2012 edition of Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a biennial survey and alternative ranking of business schools. The Neeley School is ranked No. 46. The complete ranking of the Top 100 MBA Programs is available at www.beyondgreypinstripes.org.
 
While many MBA rankings exist, 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 22 countries participated in a year-long effort to map the landscape of teaching and research on issues pertaining to business and society.
 
“We intentionally design and implement a graduate learning experience that unleashes human potential and allows our MBA students to recognize and pursue opportunity, have confidence in their dreams, and create value in whatever career path they choose to follow,” said Bill Cron, associate dean of graduate programs at the Neeley School.
 
“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. “There are more courses with content on social, ethical, and environmental issues, more courses about the role of business as a positive agent for change, more exposure of students to this content, and more research published by faculty on relevant topics.” According to Samuelson, 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 questioned assumptions about the role of business in society.
 
“What does it mean to be a values-centered business school?” O. Homer Erekson, John V. Roach Dean of the Neeley School mused. “It is fundamentally about challenging our students to explore their value base, providing opportunities for them to think about the meaning of having a significant life, and encouraging them to look at ways their actions impact the lives of others.”
 
The Neeley School provides unique opportunities for TCU MBA students to think outside boundaries, shift resources, discover trends, eliminate obstacles, and flourish where others may not.  The Values and Ventures Program supports students who develop business plans that integrate personal ethics and corporate values. Study Abroad courses give our students first-hand insight into how the business world is intricately linked. Neeley and Associates Consulting projects give students real experience in transforming businesses. The Educational Investment Fund is a $1.2 million endowment that has allowed students to learn social responsibility alongside money management. Neeley’s Graduate Career Service Center works year-round to enhance student marketability. Students expand their professional toolkit by working with leadership coaches, networking with CEOs and polishing presentation skills through the Neeley Professional Development Center.