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Students

The Center is a resource for Cornell students interested in issues pertaining to business and sustainability, engaging students in these issues through various activities and research.

MBA Curriculum

Sustainability literacy is at the core of the MBA curriculum. Innovating on the topic for over two decades, Johnson has continued to lead in providing residential MBA students with an ever expanding, award-winning curriculum. Sustainability literacy is a practical understanding of strategic business decision-making in the context of social, environmental, and governance issues including how businesses can incorporate sustainability into their internal strategy.

Breadth

Starting with the class of 2027, students in the 2 year MBA program will be required to take 1.5 credits of sustainability courses, selecting from a broad, discipline-based selection of qualified options.

SGE Electives

There are a number of sustainability-related electives available at the Johnson as well as elsewhere on the Cornell campus. Johnson students can take a limited number of electives outside of Johnson and are encouraged to explore these opportunities based on their specific interests. Non-Johnson students can take Johnson classes with permission from the instructor. A list of Cornell classes related to energy, environment, and economic development is maintained by the Campus Sustainability Office, although it may not capture the most recent course changes.

Big Red Microenterprise

Big Red Microenterprise (BRM) is an MBA educational experience based out of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise that spurs microenterprise development by assisting self-employed individuals reach their business goals.

BRM Hammerstone Jennifer, Miwako, and Maria (featured image) resized
Community Foundation 4
Adobe Express – file (11)
Adobe Express – file (12)

Fellows Programs

The Center runs Fellows Programs, including Sustainable Business (SB) Fellows for MBAs, Environmental Finance and Impact Investing (EFII) Fellows for MBAs and MPAs, and the Semlitz Family Sustainability Fellows for MBAs and PhD or Postdocs. Learn more about this opportunities: https://business.cornell.edu/centers/sge/students/fellows-program/

Applied Learning 

By participating in company-sponsored projects secured through the Center, students develop the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary to take on leadership roles in business, regardless of industry or functional area.

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Careers

The Center works closely with the Johnson Career Management Center to provide the appropriate resources and support to MBA students seeking internships and careers that fall under the domain of sustainable global enterprise.

Student Organizations

The Center provides advice and guidance to several graduate and undergraduate student clubs and organizations around campus. Throughout the year we frequently collaborate with them on a variety of sustainability events and activities.

Sustainable Global Enterprise Club (graduate)

Cornell Energy Club (graduate) 

Cornell Sustainability Consultants (undergraduate) 

Impact Investing @ Cornell (undergraduate)

Read more about the student experience:

Hammerstone: Chiseling Away the Access Gap for Women in Carpentry

July 9, 2025

Big Red Microenterprise students Jennifer White-Phalen MBA ’25 and Miwako Uemura MBA ’26 reflect on their experiences refining Hammerstone’s marketing.

Energizing the Future at NextEra

June 2, 2025

Jacob Hyppolite II MBA ’25 reflects on his internship at NextEra, where he applied classroom theory to enable pragmatic sustainable change.

Summit Emphasizes Human-Centric Sustainability

February 7, 2025

MBA students Kaiser Khoo and Jason Woolf attended the International WELL Building Institute’s Social Sustainability Summit, where they explored the intersection of social sustainability and best business practices.

Ina Gjika MS '22

The knowledge I gained from researching and building the model for the SGE project sponsor was great preparation for my internship

Ina Gjika MS '22
Austin Blais

The SGE curriculum was one of my most impactful and formative experiences at Johnson. Not only did it build a foundation for innovation, sustainability, and business, it also greatly advanced my teamwork and problem solving skills. It more than prepared me to take the next step in my career.

Austin Blais, MBA ‘20
Sierra Stewart

One of the most important lessons I have learned at Johnson is to let go of trying to do what people expect you to do and focus on doing the things that are going to be highest impact for you personally. For me, SGE was one of those things.

Sierra Stewart, MBA ‘15