Contact: Craig Dunn, director of WWU College of Business and Economics Graduate Programs, at (360) 650-2593 or craig.dunn@wwu.edu.

BELLINGHAM – Western Washington University’s MBA program has been ranked in the top 100 programs worldwide by the Aspen Institute.

WWU’s program finished 72nd out of approximately 600 business schools invited to participate in the survey, which goes beyond mainstream academic content and ranks the programs on the institution’s efforts to integrate social, ethical and environmental concerns as well. York University in Toronto, Canada, finished atop the list; WWU finished ahead of such well-known programs as Vanderbilt University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oregon State University and Washington State University.  WWU and Washington State University were the only in-state programs to make the list.

“I am gratified that the Aspen Institute has recognized the Western MBA program’s excellence in integrating social, ethical and environmental issues into our curriculum,” said Brian Burton, dean of Western’s College of Business and Economics. “Our MBA program reflects the emphasis Western and the College of Business and Economics give to the social, ethical, and environmental aspects of business, and we provide businesses throughout the state with graduates who also hold those values.”

The criteria used to formulate the schools rank focuses on how well programs integrate social and environmental issues into the curriculum by:

• Student opportunity - The number of courses the program offers containing social and environmental content.
• Student exposure - The amount of time in each course dedicated to the study of social and environmental issues.
• Course content - An evaluation of the importance placed on incorporating social and environmental issues into responsible business.
• Faculty research - Considers the number of relevant faculty written peer-reviewed articles that have been published on the integration of social and environmental issues into business and economics.

“Western has a strong set of values that are woven into the fabric of our University culture – including values for community engagement and ethics.  The Western MBA Program’s solid ranking by the Aspen Institute provides clear evidence that the reach of Western values is not limited to the core curriculum, but extends to all corners of the University,” said Craig Dunn, director the MBA program.

WWU Provost Catherine Riordan shared Dunn’s excitement about the new rankings.

“This is indeed good news and is a much-deserved recognition. The rating scheme clearly is one of substance rather than simply reputational,” she said.

The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of social and environmental values through nonpartisan studies and research. The institute, founded in 1950, has headquarters in Washington D.C. and campuses in Aspen, Colo., and in Maryland as well as internationally in Tokyo, Rome, Berlin, Lyon, New Delhi and Bucharest. For more information about the Aspen Institute visit http://www.aspeninstitute.org.

The Western MBA Program has been offering graduate business education in the Pacific Northwest for 30 years.  The program offers a part-time evening track, part-time weekend track, traditional two-year track, and accelerated one-year track to serve the needs of the increasingly diverse student population of Washington state.  Fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) as one of the top five percent of business schools globally, the Western MBA Program seeks to provide a high quality, personal, and flexible experience for its students.

For more information contact Craig Dunn at (360) 650-2593 or craig.dunn@wwu.edu.

printer friendly