Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University recently announced the launch of an advanced credential in sustainability offered through the Sustainable Enterprise Partnership (SEP), which will provide the knowledge needed to address the economic, environmental, technical and social challenges facing enterprises seeking to achieve sustainable operations and practices.

The Certificate of Advanced Study in Sustainable Enterprise (CASSE) will engage graduate students from diverse academic backgrounds and uniquely integrates business, science, engineering and policy instruction with practical knowledge in sustainability.

It is delivered by expert faculty and researchers from Whitman, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (LCS) and the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE)—the four curricular partners of the SEP.

This collaboration is a key distinction of the CASSE in comparison to other graduate programs in business and sustainability.

The CASSE comes amid growing demand for professionals versed in sustainability issues and can contribute strategic solutions to the environmental, economic and social dilemmas facing enterprises, such as cost-effectively reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas output, efficiently managing energy use, incorporating clean technologies, and promoting sustainable decision making and principles.

CASSE graduates will also be prepared to spark innovation in enterprises to develop greener operations, models and practices, and help recognize the opportunities that advance an organization’s sustainability.

For more information about this green enterprise, click here.

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For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.

The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University has posted the 2009-2010 essay topics; please click here for key dates and  deadlines. The online application will be available beginning tomorrow, September 1, 2009. 

Here are the essay prompts for this admissions cycle:

A. What are your short-term and long-term goals? How will a Tepper MBA help you to achieve these goals. (Please include any information regarding what steps you have taken to learn more about the Tepper School.)

B. The Tepper School’s culture relies on all members to be active contributors to our community. With your values, experiences, and interests, how will you make a unique contribution to the Tepper community? Your examples may include: classroom interaction, student activities, career development, community service, etc.

C. Please answer two of the following three questions or statements. Please clearly specify which questions you are answering. Your two answers should equal a total of two pages or less.

1. Describe an obstacle you have faced in your professional or academic life. How did you overcome this obstacle and how did it foster your development?

2. Describe a time in which your ethics were challenged. How did you deal with the situation and what did you learn from it?

3. One thing people would be surprised to know about me is…

The Tepper School also offers space for an “additional information” optional essay.

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We are now on Facebook – please join the Stacy Blackman Consulting group, or become a friend of Stacy Blackman. I am posting news about MBA related events, job listings, and of course MBA news.

I am on Twitter too…click to follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/stacyblackman

For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.

London Business School has released the deadlines and essay topics for the 2009-2010 admissions season. All applications are due by 17.00 London time.

The deadlines are as follows:

Stage 1
Deadline: October 7, 2009
Notification: December 16, 2009

Stage 2
Deadline: January 6, 2010
Notification: March 25, 2010

Stage 3
Deadline: March 3, 2010
Notification:  May 20, 2010

Stage 4
Deadline: April 21, 2010
Notification: July 2, 2010

The 2009-2010 essay topics:

Question 1 (600 words):
In what role do you see yourself working immediately after graduation?  Why?  How will your past and present experiences help you achieve this?  How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal? Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?

Question 2 (200 words):
Where do you see your career progressing five years after graduation and what is your longer term career vision?

Question 3 (500 words):
Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life.  Include any specific challenges you have faced. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your first year study group?

Question 4 (400 words):
Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community event s will you be involved with and why? How will you contribute?

Question 5 (150 words):
Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country. What did you gain from these?

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We are now on Facebook – please join the Stacy Blackman Consulting group, or become a friend of Stacy Blackman. I am posting news about MBA related events, job listings, and of course MBA news.

I am on Twitter too…click to follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/stacyblackman

For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School has released the application for the 2009-2010 season. Four required essays and two optional prompts form part of the application process this time around.

1.  What are the 2 or 3 strengths or characteristics that have driven your career success thus far? Do you have other strengths that you would like to leverage in the future? (500 words maximum)

2.  Briefly describe the career path you intend to pursue immediately after b-school. Explain why this career option appeals to you and why an MBA is appropriate at this time. (500 words maximum)

3.  What personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? How do these qualities or experiences equip you to contribute to Kenan-Flagler? (500 words maximum)

4.  Kenan-Flager has five core values: excellence, leadership, integrity, community and teamwork. If you could add one value what would it be and why? Be sure to explain how you have lived this value. (300 words maximum)

(Optional) 5.  If your GMAT quantitative score is low, or if you have not had coursework in calculus, microeconomics, statistics and financial accounting, please tell us how you plan to prepare yourself for the quantitative MBA curriculum. (300 words maximum)

(Optional) 6.  Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you in order to evaluate your candidacy? (300 words maximum)

Click here for the UNC Kenan-Flagler deadlines.

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We are now on Facebook – please join the Stacy Blackman Consulting group, or become a friend of Stacy Blackman. I am posting news about MBA related events, job listings, and of course MBA news.

I am on Twitter too…click to follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/stacyblackman

For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been alerting our blog readers/applicants to the advice of Rose Martinelli, associate dean for student recruitment and admissions at Chicago Booth School of Business. Waiting to board a plane back to Chicago after a whirlwind two weeks in Asia and Israel,  Martinelli updated the Rose Report blog with an entry on how to put together a great application.

Here are some key messages Martinelli covers:

• Complete a self-assessment and come up with the stories, attributes, hobbies and passions you want to convey to Admissions.
• Every school is different, so map your messages into each school’s application requirements.
• Ask yourself whether the information is important for the admissions committee to know you better.
• Content is more important than creativity…at Chicago Booth, they want to see what applicants have learned from their experiences.

To see Stacy Blackman’s tips for the Chicago Booth essays, including the PowerPoint question that reappears this year, click here.

(photo credit: Chicago Booth School of Business)

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We are now on Facebook – please join the Stacy Blackman Consulting group, or become a friend of Stacy Blackman. I am posting news about MBA related events, job listings, and of course MBA news.

I am on Twitter too…click to follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/stacyblackman

For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.

The Economist Wednesday had an interesting piece debating the  rising cost of MBAs. Even though a recent study by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities has found that tuitions rose by just 4.3% in 2009–the smallest increase in 37 years–there is little chance of below-inflation increases any time soon.

Rose Martinelli, an associate dean at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, is mentioned in the article, and she points out that it’s not just the cost of receiving business education which has risen; it is also the cost of providing it. She makes the case that MBA programs are now much more resource-driven than they were a decade ago, citing a new career-management center, more teaching facilities, increased use of technology and greater use of mentoring and coaching as examples at her own school.

Weighing in on the state of endowments, return on investment and cost increases at top programs, the article suggests that perhaps the only way to measure the true return on an MBA  is by looking at its effect over the course of five or even ten years. By examining the careers of successful alumni, The Economist concludes that the rising cost of the MBA experience may not be so daunting after all.

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We are now on Facebook – please join the Stacy Blackman Consulting group, or become a friend of Stacy Blackman. I am posting news about MBA related events, job listings, and of course MBA news.

I am on Twitter too…click to follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/stacyblackman

For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.