Social Enterprise Initiative

Courses & Programs

MBA Courses and Curriculum


Social enterprise teaching is central to the HBS mission of educating leaders who make a difference in the world. HBS integrates social enterprise cases in courses throughout the MBA curriculum, offers a number of courses dedicated to social enterprise, and provides field-based learning opportunities within social enterprise.

Required Curriculum

The Required Curriculum incorporates social enterprise cases and topics in several courses ranging from finance to entrepreneurship.

Elective Curriculum

In the second-year Elective Curriculum, students may choose from a range of Social Enterprise elective courses, enabling the integration of the frameworks and functional skills learned in the first year into an understanding of the organization as a total enterprise.

Field Studies

Field Studies and Individual Research Projects in social enterprise complement the classroom-based courses by providing second-year MBA students the opportunity to apply their skills to the real-world challenges facing social enterprises. HBS students undertaking a Social Enterprise field study or ISR are eligible to apply for reimbursement grants to support their project expenses.

Other Resources

Harvard University-wide course guides by topic:

For information and resources on cross registration for MBA students, please visit the Cross Registration intranet site within MBA Quick Info.