Social Enterprise Initiative

Getting Involved

MBA Students

MBA students with backgrounds in all sectors have opportunities for involvement in social enterprise at HBS, ranging from student clubs and organizations, to elective courses on social enterprise topics, to internships and other career development programs.

  • Courses & Curriculum. The first-year Required Curriculum includes the course Leadership and Corporate Accountability. Additionally, social enterprise cases and topics are integrated within several other first–year courses. During the second–year Elective Curriculum, students may select from a variety of course offerings that either focus on or integrate social enterprise topics. They may also pursue field studies in social enterprise and cross–register for courses in other select graduate programs.
  • The Social Venture Track of the HBS Business Plan Contest aims to educate HBS and Harvard University students in the process of creating and evaluating social-purpose ventures (including nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid models), while harnessing the unique resources that HBS offers. Its goal is to prepare students for opportunities in entrepreneurship sometime during their careers.
  • Immersion Experience Program (IXP) is open to both first and second-year MBA students. These opportunities immerse students, faculty, and staff in academic, cultural, and organizational-based field work around the world where participants can meet with leaders and actively engage in hands-on projects. The New Orleans IXP, which focuses on service and leadership in an entrepreneurial environment, inspired the "immersion" program concept when it was launched in 2006. Today, the New Orleans and Rwanda IXPs focus on topics relating to social enterprise and several other IXPs incorporate social enterprise components.
  • Clubs and Activities. There is a wide range of student-led HBS clubs that serve as major vehicles for student interest, activity, and community building in and around social enterprise.
    • The Social Enterprise Club seeks to inspire, empower, and enable students to create social value and connect them with individuals and organizations tackling critical social issues in the nonprofit, public, and for–profit sectors. The club aims to strengthen the presence and voice of social enterprise at Harvard Business School, cultivate a strong club community of socially–conscious students, and deepen partnerships at HBS, across the University, and within the broader Se community.
    • The HBS Board Fellows Program has a twofold mission: to provide Harvard MBAs with valuable community leadership development through placement as non–voting members on nonprofit boards; and to provide MBA talent to advance critical projects for nonprofit organizations.
    • The Social Enterprise Conference provides a forum for exploring the synergies between for–profit, nonprofit, and public–sector approaches to addressing critical global social issues. With panel discussions from alumni and practitioners, keynotes from recognized leaders, a career fair, and a social enterprise business plan competition, the annual, student–led conference has become an important and dynamic event in the social enterprise field.
    • The Business, Industry, and Government Club provides an opportunity for members to explore the relationship between business and government in the United States and other countries.
    • The Greentech and Sustainability Club facilitates educational, networking, and career opportunities for future business leaders interested in the intersections of business, environmental impact, sustainability, and clean technologies.
    • The Harbus Foundation is the nation's only foundation run by MBA students. Funded by the Harbus News Corporation, the publisher of the Harvard Business School newspaper, the Harbus Foundation has an endowment of approximately $1,000,000 and provides annual grant awards and consulting services to organizations promoting education, literacy, and journalism across the Boston metropolitan area.
    • The Healthcare Club provides a forum for students to learn the business of the health industry, and interact with leaders in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, healthcare services, health financing, and healthcare consulting.
    • Volunteer Consulting Organization has a dual mission: to create lasting social impact in the Boston area by providing social service organizations sound business advice; and to foster an appreciation for and provide and introduction to the traditional management consulting experience to HBS students.
    • HBS Volunteers works to make volunteer activities a greater part of life at HBS. By organizing club activities and working closely with the RC Volunteer Coordinators, the club facilitates volunteer projects that enable HBS community members to contribute meaningfully to the Cambridge and greater Boston communities.
  • Careers. To support students pursuing careers in social enterprise, the Social Enterprise Initiative, in collaboration with MBA Career Services, Baker Library, and the Social Enterprise Club, provides a myriad of resources and support. Visit the Careers & Recruiting section of this website to learn about the overall offerings, access additional career resources and information, and learn about specific social enterprise career programs including the Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship program, HBS Leadership Fellows, HBS Nonprofit/Public Sector Loan Repayment Assistance Program, and HBS Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship.
  • Information Resources. Visit the Resources by Topic section of this website for in-depth exploration of topics of interest; visit the Published Work section to search for articles and cases.