Dual Degree Opportunities

Dual Degree Programs

The Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise is a partnership with the School of Natural Resources & Environment, which explores how organizations can achieve long-term success through the harmonization of economic, environmental and social interests. The institute’s world-class MBA/MS Program is an integrated three-year experience in which students earn two Masters degrees.

Erb Institute MBA/MS students complete one year of required courses within each school (Ross and SNRE), allowing them to develop an essential knowledge base in both business and environmental disciplines. After completing the core requirements within each school, students typically specialize in a primary area of interest, such as renewable energy, sustainable development, industrial ecology, eco-entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, conservation, green marketing, corporate responsibility, or sustainable production. To serve student interests, the program sponsors several specialized course offerings, which are taught by University of Michigan faculty and visiting practitioners.

Beyond the classroom, Erb MBA/MS students develop critical competencies by engaging in real-world research projects focused on issues of sustainability. Past research projects have included ecosystem analysis, policy appraisal, cross-sector partnership evaluation, life cycle assessment, environmental accounting, energy system modeling, and environmental strategy development. The geographic scope of these projects ranges from local community initiatives to on-site work in developing countries.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in two distinct summer internships during their three years in the program. This allows students to explore a wide range of career options across the non-profit, corporate and governmental sectors. The internships also provide invaluable work experience for students to draw upon as they embark upon their new careers.

Students admitted to the Erb Institute MBA/MS program must satisfy all degree requirements of each school. However, the schools utilize a credit-sharing arrangement that reduces the Ross MBA credit requirements from 57 to 45, and the SNRE MS credit requirements from 36 to 27. In other words, 12 credit hours from SNRE count toward MBA requirements and 9 credit hours from MBA count toward SNRE requirements. After taking into account the double counting of some credit hours, the adjusted requirements for Erb MBA/MS students are as follows:

• 45 Ross MBA credit hours; made up of:
  • Roughly 30 MBA core credit hours (note: successfully-waived core courses do not earn degree credits, and must be replaced with additional Ross electives)
  • Roughly 15 elective hours in Business Administration
  • Communication requirement
     
• 27 SNRE MS credit hours made up of:
  • A minimum of 19 hours of SNRE credits, including a project/thesis
  • A maximum of 8 graduate-level elective credits from other schools within the University (note: courses taken at MBS to fulfill this SNRE degree requirement do not count toward MBA degree requirements)

The total credit hours for the dual degree program must be at least 72 and no coursework completed prior to admission in either program may be counted towards the MBA requirements of the dual program. Students who have been accepted to the Erb Institute MBA/MS Program before they arrive on campus may begin their studies in either school. In addition, first-year students at either Ross or SNRE may apply for admission to the dual-degree program after they have begun their graduate studies.

Candidates interested in the program must file separate applications to and be admitted by both schools. Applicants must indicate on both applications that they are applying for the Erb MBA/MS (please make sure the correct box is checked on the MBA application). An application fee of $60 for domestic students and $75 for international students must be paid to Rackham; indicate who the school fee was paid to by completing the appropriate box on the Business Administration yellow fee envelope.

Applicants must take the GMAT for admission to Michigan's Ross School of Business, and SNRE will also accept GMAT scores. Therefore, please supply GMAT scores with both applications. Essays to each school should focus on what that particular school has to offer. However, essays to both schools should inform the selection committees as to why you are interested in being a dual-degree Erb Institute MBA/MS student.

For basic information about the Erb MBA/MS program, please see the Erb Institute web site at:
http://www.erb.umich.edu/Education/MBA-MS/
 
Please see below for a sample plan of this dual degree program.