Want to change the world? You’ve come to the right place. The complex social and environmental challenges facing us today demand leaders with the passion, skills, and deep knowledge to create lasting change.
At Booth, you’ll build on the fundamentals of business with opportunities to compete in social venture competitions, serve on nonprofit boards, and consult with mission-driven organizations. Centers such as the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation provide you with a number of opportunities to make the world more equitable and sustainable, while student groups and business accelerator programs such as the John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge allow you to network and get the most of your MBA experience. When you graduate, you’ll be ready to tackle some of the world’s most difficult problems.
At Booth, You Own Your MBA Experience
A Booth MBA is rooted in The Chicago Approach, the educational philosophy that sets Booth apart from every other business school in the world. Grounded in the fundamental scientific disciplines at the heart of business—economics, accounting, psychology, sociology, and statistics—this transformative approach teaches all Booth students how to use theoretical frameworks to help them define problems, ask better questions, and develop evidence-based solutions.
At the same time, the MBA curriculum for Full-Time and Part-Time MBA students is the most flexible among the world’s top business schools. At Booth, the level and sequence in which you take your foundational courses is not set in stone. We give you the opportunity to customize your education to support your career interests and goals, because we know there is no singular roadmap to career success. As our students and alumni will tell you, everyone’s journey to the career they want is different.
Listed here are just a few of the many social impact-focused MBA courses that provide the tools and insights you need to change the world.
| Course | Short Description |
| Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation | Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation allows students to identify an opportunity for an innovative social venture, research relevant academic literature, conduct customer discovery, analyze the competitive landscape, validate and refine the product/service, propose a business model, go-to-market strategy, and come up with an impact measurement strategy. |
| Evaluating and Scaling Social Innovation |
Evaluation and Scaling Social Innovation is a project-based course that allows students to choose a social or environmental issue about which they are passionate and confront the challenges of foundations and investors by developing an investment hypothesis and possible solution for capital. |
| Social Impact Lab |
Social Impact Lab is a project-based course where students deeply examine a social or environmental issue and work in small groups to develop a proposal for a company, nonprofit, or other organization to address the issue. |
| Social Sector Strategy and Structure |
Social Sector Strategy and Structure gives students use cases and exercises to examine and unpack key topics in social sector management and strategy, including organizational structure from a tax-status perspective, common business models, management tools, and impact measurement. |
To see more Booth MBA courses, visit our course catalog.
MBA Concentrations at Booth You Can Consider
Our flexible curriculum gives you the freedom to focus your MBA experience on a specific area of interest. Earning an MBA concentration gives you deep knowledge in a given field and sets you up for success in your career. Concentrations are available to Full-Time, Evening, and Weekend MBA students.
Several of our concentrations are of particular interest to students planning to pursue social impact with their MBA. In addition, our Civic Scholars Program provides substantial tuition awards to impact-driven professionals who work in the public or nonprofit sector, and the University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholarship program provides a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to advancing social change.
Behavioral Science
This concentration prepares you to navigate organizational challenges, increase productivity in the workplace, and thrive as a leader.
Behavioral Science
Entrepreneurship
Build the practical tools and experiences you need to start your own business or embark on a career in private equity or venture capital.
EntrepreneurshipMBA Student Groups in Social Impact
Joining a student-led group committed to social change is an excellent way to explore career options, make connections with like-minded classmates, and build a strong community. Among our many student organizations are several that are specifically committed to social impact.
Designed for Full-Time MBA students, this club fosters conversation among Booth students interested in finding solutions to climate change and supports students interested in pursuing careers in corporate sustainability.
Join a global movement of students and emerging impact leaders who want to use their skills to make a positive impact for people and the planet. Net Impact hosts more than 30 educational, social, and career-focused events every year.
Designed for Evening and Weekend MBA students, this group provides opportunities to serve the community and resources to help you prepare for a career in the social sector.
Join a Full-Time MBA Group
Get involved, develop new skills, and meet new people in a wide array of student-led groups.
Join a Full-Time MBA Group
Explore Part-Time MBA Student Groups
Pursue your interests and expand your network by joining a student-led group for Part-Time MBA students.
Explore Part-Time MBA Student GroupsDiscover Student Stories
From Hardship to Leadership
Yi Wei, ’21, reflects on how the Civic Scholars Program helped her pivot to a role in impact investing.
From Hardship to Leadership
Chicago Booth Social Impact Summit
The Booth Experience spoke to recent graduate and co-chair of the Net Impact Club Shelby Cain to hear more about her work organizing the conference this past spring.
Chicago Booth Social Impact Summit
Choose Your Path to Success
Tell us about yourself, and we will show you the value of a Booth education.
Discover Alumni Outcomes
Our alumni are delivering social impact around the globe—bringing low-cost electricity to Haiti, educating voters across the United States, and providing autism therapy to children in rural communities.
Catching Up With Janelle Jenkins, '08
The insights and connections gained during Chicago Booth’s two-year MBA program reverberate throughout the career of an alumnus.
Catching Up With Janelle Jenkins, '08
Catching Up With Chris Wheat, ‘10
We connected with Chris, to hear how the insights and connections he gained in our two-year MBA program have reverberated throughout his career.
Catching Up With Chris Wheat, ‘10
How I Found My Career In Social Impact: Q&A with Jared Mueller, ‘19
As Booth’s hub for people tackling complex social and environmental problems, the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation is working to help these Booth students positively impact humanity and our planet.
How I Found My Career In Social Impact: Q&A with Jared Mueller, ‘19Dig into Our Employment Reports
From government to healthcare to nonprofit management, our graduates are making a difference. See our employment reports for details.
Booth Research Centers in This Area
Our interdisciplinary research centers give you access to workshops, conferences, leading scholars, and research opportunities.
Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation
As Booth’s social impact hub, the Rustandy Center offers hands-on learning opportunities, supports innovative courses, and pursues research—all with the goal of developing people and practices with the potential to solve the world’s biggest problems.
Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation
Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Polsky Center bridges the gap between knowledge and practice, idea and action, and research and impact through education, partnerships, and new venture creation.
Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and InnovationFaculty Research in Social Impact
Our faculty are award-winning scholars whose work is regularly covered in Chicago Booth Review, our influential magazine focusing on business, policy, and markets.
To Encourage Donations, Make People Publicize Their Charity
Benefactors don’t want anyone to question their motives.
To Encourage Donations, Make People Publicize Their Charity
Peer Pressure Can Help Fight Climate Change
Telling people about the efforts of others can inspire them to reduce their own emissions.
Peer Pressure Can Help Fight Climate Change
Green Investors: Don’t Divest . . . Protest!
How shareholders can maximize their social impact
Green Investors: Don’t Divest . . . Protest!Leverage Resources Across the University
Students who are interested in a career in social impact can leverage additional resources across the University of Chicago, including the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) and the University of Chicago Urban Labs.
EPIC produces data-driven research that advances society’s understanding of the global energy challenge and translates research insights into real-world impacts through strategic outreach and training for the next generation of global energy leaders.
The University of Chicago Urban Labs works to address challenges across five key dimensions of urban life: crime, education, energy and environment, health, and economic opportunity.
Engage Further with Us
MBA Life at Chicago Booth
See how the student experience comes to life for MBA students at Chicago Booth, and read about how our alumni are creating impact across the globe.
MBA Life at Chicago Booth
Admissions
We take a holistic approach to admissions at Chicago Booth. Explore the admissions process for MBA, PhD, and other Booth programs.
Admissions
Full-Time MBA Program
The Full-Time MBA Program provides you with freedom: academic freedom, freedom to take risks, and freedom to define your impact in the world.
Full-Time MBA Program
Part-Time MBA Programs
Our top-ranked Evening MBA and Weekend MBA Programs accommodate the schedules and lifestyles of working, goal-oriented professionals.
Part-Time MBA Programs