Green means growth


Green means growth with a new online MBA in Sustainable Business

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5/11/2009

Green means growth with a new online MBA in Sustainable Business

Marylhurst University will expand its graduate program this summer and offer a new online MBA in Sustainable Business to meet a growing need in one of the few industries that is adding, not cutting jobs, thanks in part to the 2009 federal stimulus bill.

Concentrations within the new degree program will address the most pertinent sustainability topics: renewable energy, green development, natural resources and public policy. Inaugural classes in the new program begin June 22, and enrollment is underway.

With $62 billion in direct green spending, plus another $20 billion in tax incentives allocated in the 2009 stimulus bill, jobs in sustainability are growing in almost every industry. The bill specifically allocates $500 million for the creation of green jobs. In addition, many states are creating their own green job initiatives.

“We have collaborated with industry leaders to create a relevant and compelling curriculum in sustainability,” said David Plotkin, Marylhurst University provost. “Each course has been written to incorporate the important issues pertaining to the green movement. Being in Portland, one of America’s greenest cities, gives us a strategic advantage to be a leader in this area.”

The new MBA concentration in sustainability becomes the second concentration (joining real estate) available solely online at Marylhurst. The university has the highest combined on-ground and online enrollment of any MBA program in Oregon. The program’s small, seminar-style classes provide a strong grounding in ethics, teamwork and communication to students preparing to become leaders in today’s fast-paced global marketplace.

As a longtime education provider to “non-traditional” students, Marylhurst was among the first to offer online classes (since 1996), and the university is recognized by the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning for its “comprehensively effective practices in serving adult learners.” This includes a 2004 CAEL Institutional Service Award for “outstanding commitment to the expansion of lifelong learning opportunities and for innovative efforts to improve access and quality in academic programs for adult learners.”

With a multimillion-dollar campus-wide reconstruction completed over the past decade, Marylhurst is undergoing tremendous growth, though that hasn’t changed the university’s commitment to providing a personalized education to all students.

“While the student population is growing, we are still maintaining small class sizes, adhering to high faculty standards and staying true to our commitment to developing ethical leaders,” said Mary Bradbury-Jones, accelerated online program director.

About Marylhurst University

Marylhurst University, a private liberal arts university located 10 miles south of Portland, Oregon, offers professional certificates and degrees for undergraduate and graduate studies. Marylhurst’s small, seminar-style classes – which are offered weekdays, evenings, weekends and online – provide many educational options for students with busy lives.