Lead the Change

What is the next career step for people working in campus sustainability? We asked three professionals working in campus sustainability who graduated from the MBA in Sustainability at Bard College about their experience.

• Alistair Corse worked on the Vassar College sustainability team. After graduating from the Bard MBA, he joined KPMG, one of the “Big Four” consulting firms, where he is now Associate Director for Corporate Sustainability.
• Delicia Nahman earned her MBA while serving as Director of Sustainability, gaining skills and expertise to take her current work at Lafayette College to the next level.
• Veronica Johnson came to the Bard MBA specifically planning to build a professional career in campus sustainability. She is now Academics & Engagement Program Manager at Santa Clara University’s Center for Sustainability. 

Alistair, Delicia and Veronica all completed the Bard MBA while working full time. The program is designed for working professionals, meeting in-person one extended weekend each month in NYC, plus on-line weekly. With this structure, students are able to attend the program from across the US. Bard’s MBA program has been ranked the #1 Green MBA, five years in a row. Read more about the professional career journeys of Veronica, Alistair and Delicia below. 

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA?

Delicia: I was looking for new ways of doing my work, seeking specific finance skills that could help elevate my contributions, insights and leadership among Trustees and my CFO. There were more and more questions around the endowment, and how our climate leadership could show up in our endowment philosophy and impact.

Also, I was finding that the more competitive jobs at other institutions required experience plus preference for advanced degrees. 

Alistair: I had been working in higher ed for several years, and was  looking to pivot to work in additional sectors.  I wanted to work in sustainability  consulting where I could further broaden my cross-sector experience. I increasingly felt that the longer I stayed in higher education the harder it would be to leave, so I chose to pursue the sustainability MBA at Bard.

Veronica: In college, I realized that I wanted to work in higher education sustainability. However, after graduating, securing a higher education sustainability job seemed impossible! Many required several years of experience or a master's degree. So I decided to pursue a master's degree in sustainability, which led me to the Bard MBA.

I picked Bard mainly because it was one of a kind. There wasn’t any other MBA with the sole focus on sustainability that had a hybrid structure. I liked having the flexibility to do the MBA, while not having to move to NYC!

How did the MBA in Sustainability help you as the next step in your career?  

Delicia: I did find a role at a new institution with a higher salary. The MBA was a major negotiating leverage point. And throughout the MBA I was able to apply what I was learning in my classes immediately to the work I was doing.

Alistair: The Bard MBA program’s focus on practical hands-on experience through class assignments and consulting projects provided me with talking points for my resume and interviews. It was great having a tight knit cohort to learn from and connect with. Even if our personal interests and goals varied we all shared a strong sense of purpose to make a positive impact in the world.

I also appreciated the hybrid low-residency model that enabled me to continue working fulltime while completing the program. It felt like going to a conference once a month where I could apply lessons learned from classes immediately to my day job while also helping me prepare for what opportunities may come in the future.

Veronica: Halfway through my second semester at Bard, I was hired as the Sustainability Coordinator at Southwestern University in Texas. During my final year at Bard, I used my capstone project to design and teach a sustainable business course at Southwestern. That capstone project helped me land my current role as the Academics & Engagement Program Manager at Santa Clara University’s Center for Sustainability, where I integrate sustainability across the curriculum. 

The best part of Bard was definitely the amazing connections I made throughout the program. I now have a vast network of sustainability professionals that I’m thrilled to call my friends. The most surprising thing—when I went back to graduate school, I was expecting sustainability to be an add-on topic, but it was clearly integrated throughout the entire Bard MBA program. 

What career advice do you have for campus sustainability professionals?

Delicia: Having the skills and knowledge to make the business case for climate leadership and sustainability in higher education is growing increasingly important. As higher ed faces a number of challenges, having influence in the decision-making process means knowing how to navigate the business model of your institution.

Alistair: Much of sustainability work is about making the business case for projects but also about building relationships. In consulting we talk about being a ‘trusted advisor’, you need to build trust with a broad group of stakeholders. Understanding their needs and priorities is key but so is managing your personal brand - make data informed decisions, under promise-over deliver, communicate proactively, bring solutions not just problems to leadership.

Veronica: Understand your audience and their wants/needs! Whether you are seeking approval (or funding) from administration or student participation in a program, being able to articulate why it matters to them is key. The Bard MBA does an excellent job of teaching you how to make the business case for sustainability.

How did the MBA experience advance your work as a sustainability leader? 

Delicia:  It really grew my knowledge and awareness of larger trends in other sectors and how they were relevant to my work. It grew my network of peers that I could turn to with questions. And it gave me technical skills, business skills, and management skills that I have been able to utilize personally and professionally.

Alistair: The Bard MBA and the connections with my classmates opened the door for me to enter the consulting sector. The combination of business acumen and deep sustainability knowledge I gained has enabled me to feel prepared to tackle whatever project or challenge may come across my desk.

Veronica: The MBA helped me build up a lot of leadership-related skills that I was able to apply to my roles at Southwestern and Santa Clara University.

About the Bard MBA in Sustainability

The Bard MBA in Sustainability is one of the nation’s leading graduate programs preparing leaders to transform business for a sustainable future. Ranked among the top green MBAs, Bard’s program fully integrates sustainability into a rigorous business curriculum, equipping graduates with the tools to build organizations that prioritize people, planet, and profit.

Delivered in a low-residency, hybrid format with monthly in-person weekends in New York City, the program combines cutting-edge coursework with experiential learning, real-world consulting projects, and a culminating capstone that positions graduates as leaders in sustainable business.