The Top Environmental Management MBA
Online Programs

Today, businesses and other organizations are interested in green technologies and practices to ensure the longevity of natural resources, to invest in clean energy and to manage waste more responsibly. An online Master of Business Administration in Environmental Management could help a recent college graduate find employment fields that work to protect the environment in any of these ways.

The online MBA environmental management programs prepare students to serve as consultants and managers of businesses wishing to interact with their environment more responsibly and efficiently. Many employers, including state and local governments, work with consultants to create and implement environmental policy. Students must also be aware of current and upcoming EPA laws and be willing to engage in hands-on work.  A set of skills a student might need to be proficient in, for example, is the assessment of damage in sites where nuclear waste was introduced. An online MBA in environmental management will educate students in such specialized procedures.

How can I tell if an online MBA environmental management degree is right for me?

Students interested in protecting the environment, working with clean energy sources and managing waste disposal could benefit from attending one of the nation’s accredited online environmental management MBA schools.

Many online MBA environmental management students also have the following traits:

• A capacity for getting information
• A knack for making decisions and solving problems
• A proclivity for processing information
• A propensity for communicating with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• A proclivity for communicating with persons outside organization

How long does it take to earn an MBA online environmental management degree?

Earning an environmental management MBA degree online is comparable to earning any other MBA online. This degree typically requires two years of full-time education to earn. However, some schools offer part-time or accelerated programs that give students the ability to complete the degree under a timeframe that suits their schedule.

What are the prerequisites and admission requirements for MBA environmental management schools online?

Accredited online MBA environmental management programs typically require students to possess a bachelor’s degree before gaining admission in the MBA program. A bachelor’s degree in subjects such as environmental law, environmental studies, business administration, and ecology may be preferred by some schools that have an MBA environmental management online program.

Many online MBA in environmental management programs also base admission on the following criteria:

• Work experience
• Essays
• Personal interviews
• References or Letters of Recommendation

What courses will I take in environmental management MBA programs online?

No matter what a student’s concentration is, the first year of any MBA environmental management online education generally offers courses designed to aid students manage for-profit and non-profit businesses and organizations. Courses might include finance, marketing, operations, business strategy, and accounting. From there, the student will take courses that focus more closely on online Master of Business Administration in Environmental Management topics.

To finish an environmental management MBA online, students will take courses that instruct how to integrate sustainability strategies into any business model and be familiar with EPA laws and regulations. Schools with top online environmental management MBA rankings offer courses like economic forces, business risk and alternative sources of energy. All environmental management MBA schools online differ, however, so students should examine the curricula of their prospective school before enrolling.

In addition to coursework, internships are also done by some students in online environmental management MBA programs. Such an internship can be valuable in that it not only gives students a chance to practically apply the business and environmental management skills they are gaining in an actual business setting, but it can also serve as an introduction into a particular business or company.

What are the best online MBA in environmental management books I should consider reading?

Books that might be on point for students interested in environmental management MBA careers include:

1. Managing the Environment: Understanding the Legal, Organizational, and Policy Challenges (Rosemary O’Leary, Daniel J. Fiorino, Robert F. Durant and Paul S. Weiland) – Named Best Book in Environmental Management (1999) by the American Society for Public Administration, this book provides managers the tools they need to stay abreast of current trends and issues in environmental policies and laws.

2. Down to Earth: Applying Business Principles to Environmental Management (Forest L. Reinhardt) – In this book, Reinhardt argues that businesses should stop assigning environmental issues to scientists only, that a concern for the environment should be an essential component of every business model.

3. Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage (Daniel C. Esty and Andrew Winston) – As its title suggests, this book makes the case that businesses that operate with the environment in mind not only are doing a good deed but also can benefit financially from doing so.

4. Structured Decision Making: A Practical Guide to Environmental Management Choices (Robin Gregory, Lee Failing, Michael Harstone, Graham Long, Tim McDaniels and Dan Ohlson) – The authors provide pragmatic solutions to tough, multi-faceted problems businesses and governments face when making decisions about how to handle the environment.

5. The Sustainable MBA: The Manager’s Guide to Green Business (Giselle Weybrecht) – Author Webrecht offers hints and strategies on how to “green” a business or organization, to go beyond the ideology and put talk into action.

What are my future job prospects if I pursue environmental management MBA jobs?

Currently in the U.S., there are 89,000 workers in the field of environmental management, some of them holding a degree from one of the top online MBA. The best environmental management MBA salary expectations are as follows:

• Sustainability Manager – $101,250
• Energy Efficiency Finance Manager – $103,910
• Project Manager – $62,920
• Environmental Scientists – $61,700

Although the BLS does not yet track data on green jobs, the organization predicts an additional 43,000 positions will arise in the next decade. Green jobs and MBA online environmental management graduates are increasing in number as more consumers and citizens demand that companies and governments conduct their day-to-day operations with the environment’s health in mind.

Many employers favor graduates who have earned their degrees from a program that has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB accredited environmental management MBA programs are thought to provide students with a quality education.

What are the top online schools to pursue an online Environmental Management MBA degree?

• Ashford University
• Colorado Technical University