Michigan Ross Announces New ESG Concentration for Full-Time MBA Students

As of 2024, Michigan Ross is one of the first business schools in the country to offer an ESG concentration.

Emphasis on ESG in business has been quickly growing in recent years. While things like corporate responsibility and sustainability have been measured among companies for decades, the concept of ESG integration and investing is slightly more contemporary, established around 2004.

As the world and the ways we do business continue to change, investors are increasingly interested in understanding the material and social impact that companies have. By approaching issues through the lens of ESG, businesses can not only work to mitigate risks and earn a return on their investment in these areas but also contribute to building a better world, whether that is through environmental, social, or governance-related policies.

The ESG concentration at Michigan Ross exists to help prepare MBA students to lead and innovate with a strong foundation in the three pillars of ESG. Students interested in the concentration take classes based on each of the focus areas, such as Energy Markets and Energy Politics (BE 527/EAS 527), Impact of Financial Markets on Social Welfare (FIN 625), and Financial Derivatives in Corporate Finance: Managing Risk and Creating Value (FIN 580).

For MBA students interested in combating climate change, improving corporate responsibility, and championing social issues, the ESG concentration helps them build some of the expertise they need to make an impact.

“We aim to equip students with the tools to lead in a world where decarbonization is imperative. Business can be a positive force for progress in the world, and the ESG concentration prepares Ross graduates to make that happen,” explained Jerry Davis, Gilbert and Ruth Whitaker Professor of Business Administration and professor of management and organizations.

Beyond coursework, the new concentration will include optional co-curricular activities, such as workshops and featured speakers. There have already been multiple ESG-centered events at Michigan Ross to coincide with the launch of the concentration, including an event covering utilizing ESG data in the fall of 2023, which sold out.

Several more events are currently being planned to further highlight the new ESG concentration, including an upcoming faculty panel on Michigan Ross ESG research in the coming semester.