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Stanford MBA Program

 

Public Management Program

Stanford was the first MBA program to offer a certificate in public management. The GSB has prepared government, nonprofit, and socially responsible business leaders for more than 35 years through the Public Management Program (PMP).

As part of the Center for Social Innovation, the PMP remains the premier program to equip MBA students to apply management skills to social and environmental concerns.

  • Each year, the PMP offers 20-30 electives in public policy, nonprofit management, social and environmental entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, and more. These courses highlight collaboration among government, nonprofit, and business entities and explore various paths to creating social and environmental value.
  • In addition to taking elective courses in areas such as public and nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship, international development, environmental sustainability, and philanthropy, you can extend your learning outside the classroom through participation in a variety of domestic and international service learning trips, clubs, conferences and speaker events.

Certificate In Public Management

  • The certificate in Public Management is an academic option within the MBA Program.
  • The certificate is evidence of a student's preparation for and commitment to using management tools to address social and environmental issues and also serves as an important signal to future employers.
  • To earn the certificate, you must complete at least 16 units of related courses, including an approved economics course.
  • Each year, you can choose from approximately 30 classes that encompass public, nonprofit, and socially responsible business management topics.
  • Sample PMP electives include:
    • Strategic Issues in Philanthropy
    • The International Economy: Policies and Theory
    • Initiating, Sustaining, and Monetizing Green Marketing
    • Strategic Management of Nonprofits
    • Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability
    • Environmental Science for Managers & Policy Makers

Public Management Initiative

The Public Management Initiative (PMI) is a primary component of the PMP and offers an opportunity to investigate one important public management topic in detail.

Each year, first-year PMP students choose the Public Management Initiative topic for the following academic year. This topic becomes the focus of a wide range of activities, speakers, and events for that year.

This year's topic is "Debating the future: What will be the real impact of the economic crisis on business?"

Past topics have included:

  • Bridging the Digital Divide
  • Climate Change—Energy, Economics, and Corporate Policy
  • Greening the Bottom Line
  • Investing in Social Change
  • Public/Private Partnerships
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Sustainable Economic Development
  • The Double Bottom Line: Promoting Profits and Public Service
  • Women in the Global Economy

Experiential Learning

A host of PMP activities provide the opportunity to extend your learning beyond the classroom while engaging with and contributing to the community. Gain real-world experience and make a tangible difference:

  • Board Fellows—serve an eight-month apprenticeship on a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit board of directors to learn firsthand about effective board governance.
  • Future Alumni Consulting Team—partner with alumni and fellow students to provide pro bono nonprofit consulting services to Bay Area nonprofits.
  • Service Learning Program—work alongside and learn from globally recognized international and domestic social entrepreneurs who are addressing some of the world's most pressing social and environmental problems.
    • Service Learning Trips—Seven to ten day domestic and international trips to visit and work with leading social entrepreneurs. 2009-2010 trips include:
      • Cambodia & Thailand: Innovations in Economic and Human Capital Development
      • India: Health Services at the Base of the Pyramid
      • California & Nevada: Water, the Lifeblood of the American West
      • China: Energy and the Environment
      • South Africa: Education, Leadership Development, and Social Entrepreneurship
    • Service Learning Project Fund—Financial support for short-term consulting projects with organizations visited on the Service Learning Trips.

Career Assistance

The PMP and Career Management Center (CMC) provide resources and counseling to help you pursue summer or full-time positions in the nonprofit and public sectors as well as socially responsible business and for-profit ventures.

Career opportunities include:

  • Stanford Management Internship Fund (SMIF) Summer Internships—SMIF supports MBA students who contribute their business skills to nonprofits, government agencies, and social purpose businesses through their summer employment. The program brings critical management skills to organizations addressing important social and environmental issues and gives students hands-on experience working in these fields.

    Past summer internship employers include: Environmental Defense Fund, Executive Office of the President, NewSchools Venture Fund, Save the Children, District of Columbia Public Schools, Social Venture Network, The World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and Goodwill Industries.

    In its nearly 30 year history, SMIF has funded nearly 500 Fellows in work with over 325 organizations around the world.
  • GSB Nonprofit/Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program—If you accept a qualifying government or nonprofit position after graduation, either in the U.S. or abroad, you may be eligible for a loan forgiveness program that substantially reduces your MBA financial obligation.

    Stanford MBA graduates working in the nonprofit and public sectors are eligible to have up to 100 percent of your debt repayments forgiven for that year. You may apply at any time during your career while you are still repaying loans, and there is no limit on the number of years you can qualify for the program.

    The GSB Nonprofit/Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is one of the most generous loan forgiveness programs among business schools.

Community Connection

The Public Management Program is committed to supporting a vibrant community of people actively engaged in building a more just and sustainable world. Activities such as retreats, speakers, conferences, social events, and student clubs allow you to connect with GSB peers, faculty, alumni, and expert practitioners who share your interests.

Additionally, PMP students organize dozens of events on topics as varied as corporate social responsibility, education, environment, healthcare, international development, philanthropy, social enterprise, and state and local government

Hundreds of students belong to PMP-related clubs, including:

  • Challenge for Charity (C4C)—Raises money and volunteer support for Special Olympics, and hosts the C4C Weekend held each spring at Stanford, which is attended by students from eight west coast business schools.
  • Education Club—Engages business and education students in discussion and learning about their roles in education, education's role in society, and business' role in education.
  • Energy Club—Fosters connections between students at the GSB, across Stanford, and in the energy community.
  • Environmentally Sustainable Business Club—Informs students about environmental concerns in a business context.
  • Government and Politics Club—Facilitates a highly energized, non-partisan group of students interested in developing a deeper understanding of the intersection between government and business.
  • Healthcare Club—Brings students with interest or experience in healthcare together with alumni, industry experts, and thought leaders who share common interests.
  • I Have a Dream (IHAD)—Seeks to improve graduation rates, build college aspirations, and help finance continued education for children growing up in low-income and otherwise disadvantaged communities.
  • International Development Club—Brings together students interested in learning about various international development issues and opportunities.
  • Social Venture Club—Explores the blurring boundaries between the public and private sectors in the belief that social sector organizations can benefit from applying business principles and skills to deliver public services.