The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Current Students

Curriculum and Schedule

Full-time On Campus

Full-time students complete the program in 16-months, taking courses in four consecutive semesters (fall, spring, summer, fall 2). Full-time students begin the program in the Fall semester.

Curriculum

The Social Impact MBA offers all the quantitative skills, experiential learning, and intellectual rigor of a top-tier traditional MBA degree, but in a uniquely collaborative - not competitive - environment grounded in the values and practices of social justice. Whether you’re building your own social enterprise, managing corporate social responsibility, consulting for social sector organizations, or directing nonprofit programming, our curriculum will give you the skills you need to lead—regardless of sector.

Concentrations

In addition to the core social impact curriculum, you will have the opportunity to select a concentration, such as sustainable development or social entrepreneurship, for your elective courses. Our concentrations leverage many research institutes and centers at Heller, a top school of social policy, to deliver specialized knowledge in topical areas.

Team Consulting Project

The Heller Social Impact MBA program culminates in the Team Consulting Project (TCP), real-world, practical experience providing students with the opportunity to apply their analytical and problem-solving skills to help an organization or business unit more effectively pursue its social mission.

Electives

Below is a list of sample electives typically offered in the Heller MBA program. To see electives sorted by concentration, please browse the concentrations section. Once students have satisfied their core curriculum requirements and their concentration requirements, they may also pursue courses in the Boston Consortium or in other Heller degree programs. View the full list of Heller course descriptions for more. 

Sample MBA Electives

Approved Heller MBA electives offered at Brandeis International Business School

Course Sequence

The 68-credit curriculum includes the following core courses, which apply a social-impact focus to traditional MBA skills. Beginning in Fall 2022 all Heller students will also participate in a Racial Equity 21-day challenge course, designed to educate students on the history of racism and racial discrimination in America and current challenges.

Full-Time Course Schedule

First Year

Fall

  • HS 246a, Data, Models and Decisions (4 credits)
    This course has been developed to aid students in both the consumption and production of econometric models. It blends analysis of data (statistics) with economic theory (regression models) to establish a basis for the process of managerial decision-making under uncertainty.

  • HS 250a, Financial Reporting and Analysis (4 credits)
    Reporting practices that are unique to nonprofit organizations are introduced, discussed and differentiated from those practices employed by for-profit entities. Financial statements from organizations such as hospitals, large and small charities, and manufacturers are examined. A major paper assigned in the course focuses on the in-depth financial analysis of a nonprofit organization.

  • HS 253b, Leadership and Organizational Behavior (4 credits)
    This course covers leadership and organizational behavior with an emphasis on mission-driven organizations.

  • HS 412f, Social Policy and Management Through the Lens of Equity (2 credits)
    The purpose of this course is to provide theories, frameworks, policies, strategies, and practices that participants can use to 1) engage in deep reflection with and 2) integrate into their lives and careers.

  • Electives (4 credits)

Spring

  • HS 251b, Managerial Accounting (4 credits)
    Managerial accounting primarily addresses the internal use of economic information regarding the resources used in the process of producing goods and providing services. Fundamental aspects of costing out products and services are introduced with an emphasis on service organizations that are nonprofits. Break-even analysis, short-term business decisions, budgeting, variance analysis and capital budgeting for nonprofits are primary topics in the course.

  • HS 252b, Strategic Management (4 credits)
    This course covers strategy development and management with a special emphasis on collective decision-making and social impact enterprises. About half the cases address nonprofit and social impact strategy situations. Anti-racism and the identity issues around race, gender, religion, nationality, and other matters are woven into many of the cases, including a capstone dialogue considering the Brandeis Ford Hall 2015 occupation through a strategic lens. Field projects can be at organizational, industry, or ecosystem levels of analysis.

  • HS 258a, Operations Management (4 credits)
    Operations management covers the core principles associated with the flow of materials, people, and ideas in organizations and broader ecosystems, with a focus on nonprofit organizations and social impact systems. Lessons from lean/six sigma developments in the private sector are applied to health care, government operations, and mission-driven nonprofits. A capstone dialogue examines the Brandeis Ford Hall 2015 occupation through an operations lens. Field projects generate process flow maps and continuous improvement recommendations in a wide range of private, public, and nonprofit settings selected by the students.

  • HS 372b, Economic Theory and Social Policy (4 credits)
    Applies economic analysis to problems of importance to social policy. The particular applications may vary from year to year and may include such topics as unemployment and inflation, Social Security, and the economics of race and gender.

  • Elective (2 credits)

Summer

  • HS 232a, Team Consulting Project Workshop (2 credits)
    This skills-based course teaches consulting and influencing skills to help students gain the expertise to become leaders of mission-driven organizations.

  • HS 215b, Corporate Finance (4 credits)

  • HS 249f, Social Justice, Management and Policy (2 credits)
    This course offers a deep dive into social-justice issues.

  • HS 285a, Marketing (4 credits)
    This course focused on marketing principles overall with a special focus on mission-driven organizations. Final project involves creating a marketing/social media plan for a mission-driven organization.

  • HS 299b, Team Consulting Project (4 credits)
    Working under the supervision of a faculty advisor in teams of three to five, students provide consulting services to a mission-driven organization over a four-month period. This real-world, practical experience gives students the opportunity to apply their analytical and problem-solving skills to help an organization or business unit more effectively pursue its social mission.

Second Year

Fall

  • HS 247f, Evaluation for Managers (2 credits)
    This course covers metrics and evaluation for nonprofit/mission-driven organizations.

  • HS 248b, Financial Management (4 credits)
    This course focuses on financial management for nonprofit organizations.

  • HS 254a, Human Resource Management (4 credits)
    To have a positive social impact, an organization needs to develop sustainable high-quality relationships with its key stakeholders, including its employees. The Human Resource Management course focuses on building sustainable employment relationships. Students will learn strategic human resource management concepts and use these concepts to develop coherent, integrated approaches to achieve an organization’s desired performance outcomes consistent with its mission and strategy.

  • Electives (6 credits)