At the Yale School of Management (SOM), the MBA core curriculum blends business insight with social responsibility. Courses like State and Society show how organizations interact with governments, NGOs, and communities. Learn how the course prepares leaders to think beyond profit and create meaningful, lasting impact.
The Yale School of Management (SOM), founded in 1976, is the graduate business school of the prestigious Yale University. Located in picturesque New Haven, Connecticut, in the United States, Yale SOM is synonymous with a top-tier education.
From the start, Yale SOM was different. The school went beyond preparing managers for business. It aimed to achieve its mission, namely, to “educate leaders for business and society.” This philosophy is at the core of their MBA degree programs.
That mission makes the Yale SOM Master of Business Administration (MBA) program a distinctive choice for students who want to gain a global outlook and learn to lead organizations in a way that balances profitability with long-term societal value.
The Yale SOM MBA begins with a carefully designed Year 1 that encapsulates the core curriculum. The courses in Year 1 build on skills systematically, so students move from foundational tools to the more complex challenges of leadership.
In Year 1, students learn to look at business from every angle. Students learn to understand organizations as a whole. Moreover, they analyze the wider impact of business on society, focusing on organizations, communities, and individuals. They learn about business leadership through diverse lenses and real-world challenges.
Year 1 is made up of various courses that set a solid foundation of knowledge and skills for a business career.
These are foundational courses that equip students with the skills and know-how they need for a career in business and management. This series includes courses such as:
These courses ensure students have a solid understanding of key concepts and set them up for a fruitful MBA learning experience.
These courses examine how organizations truly work, looking at the different key players that make up an organization. Students learn what it takes to spearhead a successful organization. The unique faculty brings various perspectives into the classroom.
This series includes courses such as:
This structure ensures that students understand how businesses influence, and are influenced by, the world around them. This is particularly true for the course “State and Society”.
The State and Society course looks more closely at how organizations operate within a wider context, offering a more holistic view of business in tandem with other factors.
As Gai Sawat, a student of the Yale SOM MBA, explains, “Business doesn’t operate in a vacuum. It is impacted by the people it is catering to, by its suppliers, by government regulation, and the entire world around it. State and society, as the name implies, is talking about where state and society come together and how they can impact business or how business can impact them.” (00:05)
The course covers how organizations interact with nonmarket forces such as governments, regulators, NGOs, and activist groups. Students examine legal frameworks, political trends, and the societal forces that shape business opportunities and risks.
Another student, Colin Hughes, shares, “We talk in the course about what are the right policies for business, and as an extension, what are the right policies for society as a whole.” (00:44)
By embedding State and Society into the first-year core, Yale SOM ensures every graduate leaves with the ability to think critically about the social context of business decisions.
Students analyze urgent policy issues, including immigration, racial and economic inequality, and gender wage disparities. They take a closer look at how business impacts public policy.
Student Emma Fullem shares that they address questions such as, “Where do they (businesses) get to actually advocate or help shape different policies?” (01:21)
When discussing topics such as the gender wage gap, she adds that these topics and issues feel very “real and tangible”, making it a very important class. (02:31)
Students also learn how businesses can directly influence policy. For example, through policies surrounding parental leave, diversity initiatives, and workplace flexibility. Emma underscores, “We will be the ones making some of these decisions, but we will also be the ones who get to shape the policies around it.” (02:41)
By grounding discussions in both research and real-world application, the course teaches students to link their learnings with leadership.
The inclusion of State and Society in the Year 1 core curriculum sends a clear message. It signals that social impact is not a side topic; it is part of the foundation of good business and good leadership.
Student Emily Nagler reflects, “The fact that it’s part of the core [curriculum] really shows the embodiment of [Yale] SOM’s mission for educating leaders for business and society… if you’re going to go out with an MBA and be a business leader, you have to carry this perspective with you.” (02:53) Emily further elaborates, “You can’t just think about maximizing profits, you have to also think about the social implications of what you’re doing.” (03:11)
MBA graduates leave with the ability to navigate the complex challenges and multi-layered, interconnected factors that shape organizational success.
The Yale School of Management MBA program prepares graduates to lead with confidence and social responsibility in equal parts.
Courses like State and Society represent how Yale SOM weaves its mission into its MBA curriculum. They show students that success is not only about maximizing profits but about shaping policies, communities, and institutions for the better.
With its innovative core curriculum, world-class faculty, and mission-driven culture, it is a program for those who want to lead with impact. The future of competitive business leadership requires balancing profit with purpose. At the Yale School of Management, you’ll gain the skills, vision, and values to do just that.
Discover more about the Yale School of Management via its school profile page.
