Navigate responsibly in a global business world
4
credits in societal challenges
2
transformative projects
7
weeks per course
At D'Amore-McKim, we believe business can be a force for good—and we've built our Online MBA to help you lead with purpose, not just profit. You won't just study business theory—you'll apply it to the world's most pressing challenges.
As part of your journey, you'll take two powerful Societal Challenge courses. First, you'll start with a core course that lays the foundation for understanding how businesses can create value for all stakeholders—not just shareholders. You'll explore systems thinking, stakeholder strategy, and the role of business in shaping a better future. Then, you'll choose one of four elective courses to dive deeper into a topic that aligns with your goals.
You'll hear directly from thought leaders who do this work daily. What are their challenges and their day-to-day experiences? What barriers do they face, and how do they overcome them? You'll take their experiences and build your strategy for leading for the common good.
Marla Baskerville, Associate Professor, Management and Organizational Development; D'Amore-McKim Belonging Leader
SOCIETAL CORE COURSE
BUSN 6402: Stakeholder Values and Societal Challenges in Business (2 cr)
In today's business environment, understanding societal challenges is essential to making informed decisions. In this course, you'll examine how these challenges influence business strategy and what it takes to create value for both shareholders and stakeholders while also doing good. You'll explore the evolving relationships between powerful organizations and governments in both developed and emerging markets, and consider how decisions at the firm and policy level affect communities. You'll also gain insight into how for-profit companies, nonprofits, NGOs, and government agencies each contribute to addressing complex societal issues.
- Examine how to create value for stakeholders and address society's biggest challenges
- Discuss actual scenarios faced by today's leading companies, examine different perspectives, debate approaches, and analyze solutions
- Hear from top business leaders about driving impact within their organizations
- Apply your knowledge by crafting and presenting a plan to enhance a company's societal impact
Businesses can create so much value beyond profitability—and successful companies put systems in place that measure their performance in terms of the good they can do. That's why you'll tackle societal challenges front and center when you earn your Online MBA.”
Mary Steffel, Associate Professor, Marketing
SOCIETAL CHALLENGE EXPERIENTIAL ELECTIVES
EEBA 6402 EXPO Challenge: Sustainability (2 cr)
Want to make a real impact on sustainability and learn how to turn ideas into action? In this course, you'll work on a real-world business challenge tied to environmental sustainability and climate change. You'll collaborate with a team to apply best practices, explore stakeholder perspectives, and develop thoughtful, practical solutions. Along the way, you'll engage with industry experts, participate in case discussions and feedback sessions, and strengthen your ability to tackle complex challenges with confidence.
- Explore best practices for enhancing your business's environmental impact
- Conduct primary and secondary research into a consumer-facing sustainability challenge
- Analyze your data—pulling in your learnings from your Stakeholder Values & Societal Challenges core course—to construct a business plan to change behavior and enhance your impact
- Submit weekly deliverables as you work
- Deliver a final recommendation in a formal presentation
- Reflect on your successes and challenges—synthesizing your insights into a final analysis
The key to transforming your business's environmental impact lies in your power to change consumer behavior for the better. We need business leaders who can inspire consumers to act more sustainably and build a better future for all of us.
Mary Steffel, Associate Professor, Marketing
EEBA 6403 EXPO Challenge: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (2 cr)
Dive deep into workplace social justice and tackle an actual diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) challenge. In this intensive program, you'll move from learning to leading—researching, analyzing, and crafting a data-driven strategy to promote inclusion. Along the way, you'll build confidence, connect with DEI leaders, and gain practical tools to drive equity across organizational culture and the supply chain.
- Explore best practices for developing a socially conscious workplace
- Conduct research into a complex customer-facing DEI issue
- Conduct research and analyze your data—pulling in your learnings from your Stakeholder Values & Societal Challenges core course—to develop recommendations to your client
- Submit deliverables as you learn
- Deliver a final recommendation in a formal presentation and executive summary
- Reflect on your successes and challenges—synthesizing your insights into a final analysis
You'll grapple with social challenges that companies face in a global business environment—in a deeper, more direct way than you would by simply learning about them in a lecture or a book.
Marla Baskerville, Associate Professor, Management and Organizational Development; D'Amore-McKim Belonging Leader
EEBA 6409 Strategy: Successful Internationalization (2 cr)
Curious about what it really takes for companies to succeed on a global scale? In this course, you'll explore the strategic decisions behind international expansion and learn how organizations create and capture value across borders. Practical frameworks help you evaluate different approaches and understand when and why certain strategies are most effective. You'll also work directly with a real client, gaining hands-on experience with complex challenges that mirror the realities of global business.
- Company analysis: Introduction to the company and its operations, focusing on identifying its sources of competitive advantage.
- Country selection: Evaluate and compare countries to determine the best fit for expansion.
- Entry mode analysis: Analyze alternative entry modes among international trade and foreign direct investment options to select the best fit for the firm.
- Weekly deliverables: Submit individual analyses of data and reflections on internationalization strategies.
- Group project: Collaborate on a comprehensive report and presentation, focusing on a specific country and providing strategic insights.
- Stakeholder engagement: Understand and address the varying expectations of regulators, customers, distributors, and local communities across countries.
EEBA 6404 Key Developments in Environmental, Social, and Governance Investing (2 cr)
Curious about how ESG investing is shaping the future of finance? In this course, you'll take a hands-on approach to researching and comparing ESG and non-ESG portfolios while building a deeper understanding of how investors evaluate performance and risk. You'll explore why ESG investing matters, how rating firms and global capital influence the space, and what current regulations mean in practice. Along the way, you'll hear from industry experts and examine the perspectives of portfolio managers, institutional and retail investors, regulators, and others—giving you a well-rounded view of the opportunities and challenges in this evolving field.
- Portfolio comparison: Research and evaluate ESG and non-ESG portfolios to understand how different approaches perform across industries and markets.
- Performance and risk analysis: Assess financial returns alongside risk factors to determine how ESG strategies influence investment outcomes.
- Investor perspectives: Examine why different investors—portfolio managers, institutional investors, and retail investors—engage in ESG investing.
- Industry structure: Explore the role of ESG rating firms, global capital flows, and the resources driving growth in this space.
- Regulatory landscape: Analyze current policies and regulations shaping ESG investing, along with the challenges and debates surrounding them.
- Expert insights: Engage with industry professionals to deepen your understanding of real-world practices and emerging trends in ESG investing.
