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Looking to make a difference with a meaningful career? The Oregon MBA at the University of Oregon, Lundquist College of Business, offers a unique approach to education. Specialize in sustainable business practices and prepare yourself to become a creative, knowledgeable, powerful force for good.
Imagine an MBA that redefines success beyond profit. One that gives you a 360-degree understanding of business while preparing you to make ethical decisions that create real value for society.
That’s the idea behind the Oregon MBA Sustainable Business Practices (SBP) Specialization at the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business. A full-time, two-year program, it immerses students in a mix of theory and experiential learning, preparing them to understand today’s biggest sustainability challenges while developing creative solutions.
John Davis is the university’s Professor of Practice in Sustainability and Director of the Center for Sustainable Business Practices (CSBP). He believes this MBA specialization is, at its essence, about making organizations realize that sustainability isn’t merely aspirational; it’s critical. “We want the world to understand that this is a really important area for companies to pay attention to. It’s not once in a while; it’s a real-world need,” he says. (12:57)
Indeed, sustainability is in the university’s DNA. This is reflected in its MBA program ranking #5 in Princeton Review’s 2025 rankings. The ranking is based on assessments from former students, who rate how it prepared them to make a positive impact on sustainability during their career.
The SBP specialization offers a diverse range of hands-on experiences that immerse students in the real-world sustainability challenges facing organizations today.
Study tours take place both domestically and internationally. “We’ve gone to New York, the Bay Area, [and] Silicon Valley. We spent time in Seattle and Portland, Oregon. So, a wide range of major metropolitan areas,” says John. “In those cases, [students] spend several days meeting with leaders of companies to understand what they’re doing in the world of sustainability… the kinds of initiatives they have underway, and the challenges they’re facing.” (07:13)
Furthermore, international tours take students to the likes of London, Paris, Singapore, and Bangkok. These provide valuable insights into the unique qualities of different markets, as well as the cultural nuances of each destination.
“They’re incredibly enriching experiences, and the students always come away with this buzz of excitement around what they’ve gained,” John says. “It’s hard to put it into simple words, but I will say that it’s one of those things that profoundly changes them.” (08:36)
Moreover, these learning trips are far from just academic tours. They are deep, immersive integrations that provide incredible insight; experiences that students take with them into their careers.
Every year in Spring, the University of Oregon hosts its Summit for Sustainable Organizations (SSO), a two-day summit for professionals, students, and sustainability enthusiasts. “The students organize it. They attract the speakers, they put the entire event together,” notes John. (02:15)
This annual event includes keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities for students.
Students also undertake coursework-related projects. These bring applied knowledge to complement the theory learned in class, teaching students how to have a meaningful impact in organizations.
In the second year of the program, students take on their capstone project. The strategic planning project (SPP) is central to experiential learning during the Oregon MBA. Student teams work directly with organizations seeking to elevate their sustainability efforts, providing dedicated consulting services during a five-month collaboration.
The Oregon MBA’s SBP specialization is divided into two areas. Core courses provide foundational knowledge while electives offer a personalized focus.
Students take a module on sustainable business development, in addition to the regular MBA topics, when they enroll in the MBA program.
“[This] is the entry course into the specialization,” explains John. “When I say ‘entry’, it’s not simplistic. It’s just the beginning to get [students] familiar with the vernacular, the literacy, and the fluency of the vocabulary in the space, let alone understanding certifications, and other dimensions.” (04:49)
Students then progress onto modules on industrial ecology, life-cycle assessment, and their capstone project, the SPP.
Personalized electives enable students to build on the fundamentals from the core courses by tailoring their education towards specific interests and career goals. Electives range from clean energy, finance, and regenerative agriculture to sports sustainability.
They can also opt for a leadership elective on transforming an organization into a force for good. John gives the example of a fossil fuel company that wants to transition to renewable energy.
“It’s not like you can just flip a light switch to make that happen,” he says. “So, what are the leadership capabilities you need? How do you lead teams? How do you collaborate and build operational practices into the organization to make that transformation happen?” (06:30)
Each elective enables students to shape their career path during their MBA actively, choosing themes that best fit their future aspirations.
The University of Oregon MBA SBP specialization empowers professionals to influence how a company changes its trajectory over time. Previous graduates have gone on to work for the likes of Amazon, Unilever, Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Sony, the US Department of Energy, and leading global consulting firms.
“Students who come in [to companies] informed can enter directly into those sustainability roles in large and small companies. But they can also move into other roles that are adjacent and then have influence because of their knowledge in the space,” John explains. (13:06)
Companies able to adapt to sustainable business practices will be the ones that survive and thrive in the future. These companies will be driven by those with an entrepreneurial mindset and an unshakeable commitment to positive change.
Innovation is driven by individuals bold enough to make a difference. Are you ready to step up and become one of them?
Want to study at the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business? Take our eligibility quiz to see if you qualify!
