With the rise of impact investing in recent years, more and more students are considering pursuing degrees related to this field. Impact investing aims to generate positive social or environmental impact alongside financial returns, appealing to the consciences of millennial investors. Understanding the available programs can help interested students make informed decisions. This article will provide useful facts and insights about studying impact investing.
Top schools offer dedicated impact investing degrees at graduate level
Many top universities now offer dedicated master’s degrees focused on impact investing and social finance. These include Columbia University’s Master of Science in Sustainability Management, University of Oxford’s Master of Science in Sustainable Urban Development, and Harvard University’s Master in Public Policy in International Development. Such programs provide rigorous training in impact investing concepts and skills like impact measurement, sustainable development goals, stakeholder management, and social entrepreneurship. Students gain relevant knowledge to pursue career paths as impact investing analysts, ESG managers, sustainability consultants etc.
MBA programs increasingly offer impact investing concentrations and courses
Beyond dedicated master’s degrees, many business schools now enable MBA students to specialize in impact investing and social entrepreneurship. Top MBA programs like Wharton, Stanford and MIT Sloan offer concentrations in areas like social impact, public and social sector management, and sustainable business. Students can take courses covering topics from impact measurement methodologies to innovative social finance models. MBA graduates with impact investing knowledge are primed for leadership roles guiding corporations and funds towards more ethical and sustainable business practices.
Select undergraduate programs provide foundations for impact investing careers
At the undergraduate level, degrees in environmental studies, sustainable development, social entrepreneurship and related fields can lay the foundations for future impact investing work. For example, New York University’s Bachelor of Science in Social Entrepreneurship teaches design thinking, measuring social impact, financing social good, and launching ventures with social aims. And Yale University’s Environmental Studies program allows students to focus on business, policy and economics approaches to sustainability. Such programs equip grads with the mindsets and competencies needed to contribute to the growing impact investing ecosystem.
Learn-by-doing through internships and projects is a key component of many programs
Beyond academic coursework, impact investing degrees increasingly emphasize real world experiences through clinics, internships, and practicum projects. Columbia’s Impact Investing for Sustainable Development course has students perform due diligence and present investment recommendations on actual social enterprises. Harvard Kennedy School’s Impact Investing Initiative pairs MPP students with asset managers to source and diligence potential deals. Through such hands-on learning, graduates gain the practical skills to excel in their impact investing careers.
The rise of impact investing is driving demand for dedicated educational programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Top universities now offer impact investing degrees spanning MBA concentrations, master’s degrees, and even undergraduate majors. Through rigorous academics and experiential learning, these programs equip students with the knowledge and skills to pioneer the field of impact investing.