Joint Degree: BA Environmental & Sustainability Studies and Masters' in Business Administration

We are very excited to offer a unique degree program that combines Environmental & Sustainability Studies with business administration. This is the only program of its kind in New Jersey and one of the few on the east coast! The two things may not seem to go together -- didn't businesses and industry cause a lot of our environmental problems? -- but understanding how businesses work is essential to being an effective problem solver in today's world. The truth is, learning how to harness skills in management, finance, entrepreneurship, and other areas of business education is vital to enacting sustainability in the real world. Whether you are thinking of a career in the private sector, government, environmental non-profit, or starting up your own company...this is the program for you. Feel free to contact me with any questions or for more information.

-- Dr. Jordan P. Howell (howellj@rowan.edu)
Associate Professor & Program Coordinator, Environmental & Sustainability Studies
Co-Director and Affiliate Professor, Rowan Center for Responsible Leadership 

What's it all about?
This "4+1" program combines our BA in Environmental & Sustainability Studies with a Masters' in Business Administration at the Rohrer College of Business here at Rowan. In this program, you will combine your passion for the environment and solving environmental problems with the professional skill set offered through undergraduate and graduate courses in business administration.

This program offers you the opportunity to examine environmental and sustainability issues from a range of perspectives in the social sciences, sciences, and humanities while also learning about the roles of business in environmental issues. Given the significant role that businesses play in causing, and correcting, environmental problems, understanding how businesses function and how business decisions are made – and most importantly, having the skill set to engage with the business community – is an essential component of effective environmental advocacy in the 21st century. From the perspective of the business community, it is increasingly necessary for firms to engage with sustainability issues, and indeed there is no shortage of examples of companies choosing to ‘go green’ for both financial and ecological reasons. As the curriculum below clearly demonstrates, graduates of this 4+1 will be well-positioned to lead the emerging generation of decision-makers working at the intersection of business and sustainability advocacy.

Why would I want to do this?
We refer to it as a "4+1" because you are technically completing two different degree programs in just five years (and saving a lot of money along the way). That means, in five years at Rowan, you will complete a BA in Environmental & Sustainability Studies AND the Masters' in Business Administration, something that would normally take at least six years or longer. And, by the way -- the program is absolutely friendly to transfer students!

Many students and their families, understandably, are concerned about the value of pursuing pure ‘liberal arts’ degrees, no matter how interested they may be in the underlying subject matter. Similarly, students enrolled in professional degree programs may feel that they are missing out on an opportunity to immerse themselves in a subject area they are more interested in, or even passionate about. Furthermore, a number of surveys have indicated that the most successful students (both immediately upon graduation, and years after graduation) are those who have been able to combine ‘liberal arts’ skills like critical thinking, effective communication, and understanding of historical and ethical dimensions of problems with applied skills that make them ‘ready to work’ on day one of their careers. This 4+1 program puts it all together to make you very competitive in the job market.

What kinds of careers? We're glad you asked. Graduates of this program would be well-suited for careers in internal and freelance sustainability consulting, sustainability communications and strategy, operations management, corporate citizenship and community relations, and advanced roles in facilities management among others. Program graduates would also be ready to take on sustainability leadership roles in government, non-profits, or environmental avocacy groups. Of course, you'd also be prepared with the skills to start your own company!

I'm interested. What do I have to do?
First, check out the program guide. You'll take the same Environmental & Sustainability Studies courses that you would otherwise, as well as the pre-requisites for the MBA program at Rowan. Then, in your senior year, you will take four MBA-level courses (at no additional cost) while wrapping up the Environmental & Sustainability Studies program. Then in year five, you will complete the MBA curriculum.

Second, get in touch with Dr. Jordan P. Howell, the program director to talk about your interests in the program and complete some paperwork for the university. (howellj@rowan.edu)

More information about Combined Advanced Degree Program admissions can be found here.

The fine print
Details about applying, graduating, and other things you should know appear below. The same information can be found in the University Catalogue. 

1. Admission Requirements and Procedures:
Students will declare the BA in Environmental & Sustainability Studies (‘BAESS’) following the same procedure as they would for declaring any major at Rowan. Students interested in the 4+1 are encouraged to contact the Program Coordinator of Environmental & Sustainability Studies (Dr. Jordan P. Howell) during their freshman year to ensure they take the courses necessary to complete the program on schedule.

Students will formally apply for admission to the program after earning 60 credits. Transfer students who have fulfilled the requirements may also apply. In any case students who wish to apply to the BA/MBA program must meet the criteria listed below to ensure that they can finish undergraduate requirements within 4 years:

- Minimum overall GPA of 3.3 in undergraduate coursework (NB: The GMAT requirement for the MBA program is waived for applicants with at least a 3.3 GPA);
- Must have earned at least a C in all courses that required for the BAESS major;
- Must have completed of at least five of the MBA prerequisite courses listed below with at least a C in each course:
---- Calculus: Techniques and Applications (MATH03.125) OR Calculus I (MATH01.130)
---- Statistics I (STAT02.260)
---- Introduction to Macroeconomics (ECON04.101)
---- Introduction to Microeconomics (ECON04.102)
---- Principles of Accounting I (ACC03.210)
---- Principles of Accounting II (ACC03.211)

Students meeting the above criteria will be accepted into the "4+1" program!

However, to begin taking MBA courses during their senior year, students who have been accepted into this accelerated dual degree program must meet the criteria listed below by the spring of their junior year (or, the semester in which they will have earned 90 credits):
- At least 90 credits (including credits in-progress during the semester in which this analysis is taking place) with a 3.3 overall GPA
- Completed all prerequisites for the MBA with a grade of at least C, or enrolled in these courses in the semester in which they will have earned 90 credits:
---- Calculus: Techniques and Applications (MATH03.125) OR Calculus I (MATH01.130)
---- Statistics I (STAT02.260)
---- Introduction to Macroeconomics (ECON04.101)
---- Introduction to Microeconomics (ECON04.102)
---- Principles of Accounting I (ACC03.210)
---- Principles of Accounting II (ACC03.211)
---- Principles of Marketing (MKT09.200)
---- Operations Management (MGT 06.305)
---- Principles of Finance (FIN04.300)

Students who meet the above criteria should submit to the Program Coordinator of Environmental & Sustainability Studies (Dr. Jordan P. Howell) the material listed below, preferably in the first month of the semester in which this application is taking place:
- A statement of purpose (300-500 words);
- An academic transcript (unofficial) detailing completion of the above requirements;
- Names and email addresses of two professors who will provide letters of recommendation (preferably one from the Rohrer College of Business faculty)

Students enrolled in this accelerated BA/MBA program may take up to 12 credits of graduate courses at the undergraduate rate in their senior year (two in fall and two in spring), providing they meet the criteria listed above. However, students must meet with the Director of MBA program, prior to course registration for the next semester after achieving this status, to review course work and requirements for the MBA program.

B. Graduation:
To graduate from this accelerated dual degree program with a BA and an MBA, students must:
- Complete all requirements for the BAESS, including any General Education / Rowan Experience / Rowan Core requirements;
---- Earn a grade of C or better in all undergraduate courses required by the BAESS program and undergraduate pre-reqs for the MBA program;
- Complete all prerequisites for the MBA program;
- Complete all requirements for the MBA (which include: no more than two total “C” grades of any combination of “C+” or “C.” [C- grades are not acceptable]; earn no grades lower than a “C”; earn an official cumulative GPA of at least 3.000 on Rowan’s 4.000 scale)

C. "Off-ramps"
Students who enter the 4+1 program but do not maintain satisfactory progress or who simply choose to not continue pursuing the degree will be allowed to apply up to 12 credits of graduate coursework to the BAESS. If the student “opts out” before 12 credits have been completed, any remaining credits needed for 120 credits required for the undergraduate degree will be selected through consultation between the Environmental & Sustainability Studies academic advisor, the Program Coordinator for Environmental & Sustainability Studies, and the student. The Program Coordinator for Environmental & Sustainability Studies will meet with students who do not meet the criteria outlined above, and/or who have not gained permission to take graduate-level courses to discuss the best alternative for the student. It is most likely that for students who opt out of graduate level courses or do not meet the criteria to take graduate-level courses, that they will Graduate with a BA in Environmental & Sustainability Studies and a minor in business administration.