INSEAD's Renewed MBA Curriculum for Social and Environmental Impact

As INSEAD prepares to graduate 488 MBA students from the December 2024 cohort, we take a moment to reflect on how INSEAD has successfully incorporated sustainability topics into its MBA curriculum.

By redefining sustainability in business, INSEAD ensures that social and environmental considerations are seamlessly integrated into decision-making processes, equipping graduates with tools to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing global economy.

The refreshed MBA curriculum was rolled out in January 2024 and is among recent initiatives to reinforce the school’s mission of bringing together people, cultures and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society. We are proud to see the December 2024 class be the first to graduate having benefited from this curriculum refresh. All 14 core courses now include sustainability components as well as a mandatory 3-day real-life sustainability business simulation capstone.

Mark Stabile, Dean of Degree Programmes said of the initiative: "As educators and scholars, we need to be aware not only of the current global risks such as societal polarization, climate crisis, misinformation, but also the demands of our students, and the state of the market in order to respond effectively. Here at INSEAD we position ourselves as a leader in business education. One of the reasons we have remained at the top, aside from producing top-tier research, is our close connection to the business world. INSEAD not only responds to trends but also strives to set them by staying attuned to global developments."

The curriculum review process was extensive, involving a school-wide consultation with faculty. Leading this initiative was a dedicated committee including INSEAD professors Atalay Atasu, Antonio Fatas, Peter Joos, Jasjit Singh, Urs Peyer (Chair).   The project was managed by Hoffmann Institute Associate Director Kim Wilkinson.

"For many years,” said Stabile, “we have researched topics related to social and environmental sustainability—such as climate finance, circular economy, impact entrepreneurship, wealth inequality, gender equality, and more. Integrating these subjects into the MBA curriculum was both a logical and urgent step. A large team of faculty and staff was involved in this process, and we are all quite pleased with the results. We continue to work hard to equip our students with the skills they will need in their future careers.”

The new sustainability-focused capstone is introduced during the last period of the students’ MBA journey and is designed to put theory into practice. Students will play roles of leaders of a company facing strategic challenges. In their analysis and decision making, they will practice integrating sustainability into all aspects of management including operations, strategy, accounting, finance and marketing.

Students can further tailor the programme to suit their individual interest, choosing from 19 elective courses focused on sustainability across nine different academic areas.  Examples of electives include Energy Transition Finance, Well-Being at Work and Caring Consumption. New electives will be added every six months to support learning of the latest business practices.  

Before graduating, students from the December class were offered the opportunity by the Hoffmann Institute to take the TASK™ test—the first international certification of sustainability knowledge. This rigorous assessment evaluates an individual's understanding of the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. Administered on a voluntary basis as an exit test, TASK™ not only provided students with a valuable credential but also enabled INSEAD to evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of its updated curriculum in equipping graduates with critical sustainability knowledge. Looking at the results we are happy to report that our MBA graduates scored an average of 71.5/100 which is significantly higher than the average business school score of 52/100.

Before graduating we spoke with Petra Janney, MBA’24D who said “INSEAD has recognised a key opportunity to differentiate its MBA program with a new commitment to sustainable business, which initially drew me to the school. I have seen first-hand the tension between those prioritising the future, and those mired in the past”.

The renewed MBA curriculum meets the increasing demand for sustainability-focused leaders in the job market. Students are equipped as future business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to manage sustainability risks and opportunities in business and to achieve both performance and progress. The new curriculum inspires these future leaders to champion creative sustainable solution that address global challenges.