Business, Energy, Environment and Sustainability, MBA
The MBA Major in Business, Energy, Environment and Sustainability (“BEES”) is designed to provide in-depth foundations for those interested in the complex relationships between business and the natural environment, management of environmental risks, and the business and economics of energy. As global energy markets grow and change rapidly and environmental challenges rise, there is a strong need for a new generation of expert business leaders who understand the rapidly evolving trends in business models, technology, regulation, and financing. Students choosing the BEES MBA Major are therefore ideally suited for the ever-expanding set of careers in energy companies, clean-tech investing, energy banking, consulting, the non-profit world, and the government. Students will gain insight into these challenges through an inter-disciplinary approach. Relevant courses are offered by departments including Accounting, Business Economics and Public Policy, Finance, Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Management, Marketing, and Operations Information and Decisions. This Concentration/Major is jointly administered by the Business, Economics and Public Policy Department, the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department, and the Management Department. The Faculty Advisors to this Concentration/Major are Professors Arthur van Benthem (BEPP), Vit Henisz (MGMT) and Sarah Light (LGST). Questions from current Wharton students regarding this Major should be directed in the first instance to Sara Jane McCaffrey. Prospective students should contact the Admissions Office.
For more information: https://esg.wharton.upenn.edu/students/mba-bees-major/
Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Major Requirements (As of Fall 2023)
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | 4 | |
| The BEES major is fulfilled by completing a total of 4.0 credit units from the following list of courses approved for the major. At least three of these credit units (3.0 cu) must be from the “Environmental” course list, and up to one credit unit (1.0 cu) of coursework may be from the “Social and Governance” course list. Up to one credit unit (1.0 cu) of Wharton coursework may be from the list of pre-approved non-Wharton courses focusing on energy, environment and sustainability (also below) with advance permission from the faculty advisors. Please note: A student cannot declare both the ESGB major and the Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (BEES) major. | ||
| A minimum of 19 course units is required for graduation. Major electives taken on a pass/fail basis cannot be counted toward the BEES Major. | ||
| Environmental | ||
| Select at least 3 course units from the following: | ||
| Climate and Financial Markets | ||
| Risk Analysis and Environmental Management | ||
| Energy Markets & Policy | ||
| Environmental Management: Law and Policy | ||
| The Business and Governance of Water | ||
| Environmental Sustainability and Value Creation | ||
| Strategy and Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Global Modular Course A (on Sustainability; in Germany, by application) | ||
| Thinking with Models: Business Analytics for Energy and Sustainability | ||
| Social and Governance: | ||
| Select up to 1 course unit from the following: | ||
| Financial Disclosure Analytics | ||
| American Public Policy through an Economic Lens | ||
| ESG and Impact Investing | ||
| Energy Finance | ||
| Shareholder Activism | ||
| Big Data, Big Responsibilities: Toward Accountable Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Other People's Money: The Law, Politics, and History of Financial Institutions | ||
| Law of Corporate Management and Finance | ||
| Employment Law | ||
| Leading Across Cultural and Relational Differences | ||
| Corporate Governance, Executive Compensation and the Board | ||
| Corporate Diplomacy | ||
or MGMT 7150 | Political Environment of the Multinational Firm | |
| Reforming Mass Incarceration and the Role of Business | ||
| Social Entrepreneurship | ||
| Global Modular Course A (Impact Hack) | ||
| Urban Fiscal Policy | ||
or BEPP 7730 | Urban Fiscal Policy | |
| University Courses: 1 | ||
| Carbon Capture | ||
| Climate Policy and Technology | ||
| Electricity and Systems Markets | ||
| Renewable Energy and Its Impacts: Technology, Environment, Economics, Sustainability. | ||
| Energy Systems, Resources and Technology | ||
| Decarbonization & Net Zero | ||
| The Future of water | ||
| Life Cycle Assessment | ||
| Energy, Waste and the Environment | ||
| Meaningful Participation: Race, Place and Environmental Justice | ||
| Climate Change | ||
| Law Seminar | ||
| Energy, Oil, and Global Warming | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
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In order to enroll in non-Wharton courses, Wharton MBA policy is to email mbaprogram@wharton.upenn.edu. In addition, to obtain permission to count a non-Wharton course toward the BEES major, please contact Sara Jane McCaffrey at mcsa@wharton.upenn.edu. Such petitions should be submitted prior to the start of the semester in which the course will be taken, or at the latest, within the first two weeks of the semester. Pass/Fail courses may not be counted toward the major.”
MBA Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Fundamentals of Financial Accounting | ||
| Fundamentals of Financial and Managerial Accounting | ||
| Finance 1 | ||
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Corporate Finance (Half CU) | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Macroeconomics and the Global Economic Environment | ||
| Macroeconomics and The Global Economic Environment (Half CU) | ||
| Legal Studies | ||
| LGST 6110 | Responsibility in Global Management | 0.5 |
| or LGST 6120 | Responsibility in Business | |
| or LGST 6130 | Business, Social Responsibility, and the Environment | |
| Microeconomics | ||
| BEPP 6110 | Microeconomics for Managers: Foundations | 0.5 |
| BEPP 6120 | Microeconomics for Managers: Advanced Applications | 0.5 |
| Management | ||
| MGMT 6100 | Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership | 0.5 |
| MGMT 6110 | Managing Established Enterprises | 1 |
| or MGMT 6120 | Management of Emerging Enterprises | |
| Marketing | ||
| MKTG 6110 | Marketing Management | 0.5 |
| MKTG 6120 | Dynamic Marketing Strategy | 0.5 |
| or MKTG 6130 | Strategic Marketing Simulation | |
| OIDD | ||
| Select one unit of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Quality and Productivity | ||
| Business Analytics | ||
| Online Business Models and the Information-Based Firm | ||
| Innovation | ||
| Operations Strategy | ||
| Enabling Technologies | ||
| Managerial Decision Making | ||
| Statistics | ||
| STAT 6130 | Regression Analysis for Business 2 | 1 |
| or STAT 6210 | Accelerated Regression Analysis for Business | |
| Management Communication | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 0.5 | |
| Management Communication 3 | ||
or WHCP 6180 | Entrepreneurial Communication | |
| Second Year Requirement: | ||
| Students must satisfy the following requirements during their second year in the program: (1) maintain a Wharton GPA that is greater than 2.33 in each semester of their second year, and (2) have no more than 4 CU of Wharton courses with a grade less than or equal to 2.33 (C+ or lower) in their second year. | ||
| Total Course Units | 9.5 | |
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STAT 6210 is by placement only.
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Enrollment in WHCP 6180 requires pre-approval.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.