Georgetown MBA students have unparalleled opportunity to incorporate the rich resources of Georgetown’s Washington, D.C., location in their studies and to observe and experience up close how business success and principled leadership are shaped by regulatory, political, cultural, and social forces. Here in Washington, D.C., the halls of government, corporate and association headquarters, and other locations double as classrooms. Georgetown McDonough students have the opportunity to attend events on campus and off at federal agencies, firms, and organizations that feature prominent global figures, and to interact directly with business leaders, government officials, policymakers, and leaders of industry alliances.
The certificate coursework provides a unique and structured opportunity to reinforce, enrich, and extend the study of nonmarket strategy. Through coursework and “only in D.C.” engagement and interaction, certificate students benefit from sustained attention to the nonmarket environment.
Questions about the certificate? Contact John Mayo, academic director.
Overview
The MBA certificate in nonmarket strategy promotes a deeper understanding of the ways in which business success and principled leadership are shaped by regulatory, legal, political, cultural, and social forces beyond the market and the critical relationships and interactions among firms, government, and the public. Certificate study connects the strengths of the Georgetown McDonough faculty and the MBA curriculum to the rich resources of Washington, D.C.
The certificate offers Georgetown McDonough students unmatched opportunities for sustained attention to and structured engagement at the intersection of business, economics, and public policy in Washington, D.C., while broadening and reinforcing an understanding of the theory and practice of nonmarket strategy in the classroom. Students develop a sophisticated appreciation and respect for the dynamics and complexity of the nonmarket environment.
Certificate-achieving graduates will be poised for extraordinary business leadership and service whether through managerial and leadership positions in public and private firms, consulting, board membership, or other specialized roles.
The Certificate at a Glance
- Distinguished by the business sub‐discipline of nonmarket strategy, which brings rigor and managerial perspective to exploration and understanding of the interaction of firm strategy and the broader business environment.
- Integrated MBA coursework reinforces understanding of the business challenges and opportunities in the nonmarket environment from the perspective of the firm.
- Required electives blend classroom instruction with attendance at “only in D.C.” events and other opportunities for students to encounter business leaders, government officials, members of Congress and other policymakers, and leaders of industry alliances.
More about Nonmarket Strategy
Suggested Reading: What Every CEO Needs to Know About Nonmarket Strategy, MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring 2010.
“CEOs need to make the jump from thinking about isolated nonbusiness issues and recognize that, together, they form the nonmarket environment of the company. Nonmarket strategy starts with a simple, dual premise — first, that issues and actors ‘beyond the market’ increasingly affect the bottom line, and, second, that they can be managed just as strategically as conventional ‘core business’ activities within markets. The challenge for CEOs and their leadership teams is one of simultaneous separation and integration. To manage successfully beyond the market, executives must recognize the important differences between the company’s market and nonmarket environments but then take an integrated, coherent and strategic approach to both arenas. That is the key to turning perceived nonbusiness issues into strategic opportunities and thereby building sustainable competitive advantage, as examples from leading corporations show.”
Bach and Allen
Coursework
Students focus a portion of their MBA electives on understanding of the business challenges and opportunities in the nonmarket environment from the perspective of the firm. Upon graduation from the MBA Program, students will receive a notation on their official university transcript along with a certificate of completion.
Required Electives
- The Miracle of Markets?: focuses on the potential for and perils of markets as a mechanism to allocate society’s resources. Among the myriad critical questions addressed are: Are markets the “miracle” to push economic well‐being forward or are they sowing the seeds of society’s demise? Under what conditions do markets work well, and under what conditions might they fail? When they fail, what mechanisms exist either within markets or externally to correct resource distortions of markets? Students seek understanding of these fundamental questions about markets through a survey of economic thought, grappling with classic theories and systems from laissez faire to Malthusian theory to the tragedy of the commons to the problem of social cost, along with market characteristics and imperfections including information asymmetry, externalities, monopolies and antitrust, price fixing, and innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Strategies Beyond the Market: focuses on firms’ strategies to compete successfully in imperfect markets. The course explores the connections between market imperfections and nonmarket strategy, and the variety of specific nonmarket factors firms need to consider. Topics include regulatory structures, political forces, corporate social responsibility pressures, environmental concerns, and the relevance of the media. In addition to providing tools to understand these factors, the course documents the strategies firms employ to successfully overcome both potential and real challenges as well as take advantage of valuable growth opportunity.
- Washington, Business, and the World: explores the nonmarket environment in practice and blends classroom instruction with attendance at “only in D.C.” events with opportunities for students to encounter business leaders, government officials, policymakers, and leaders of industry alliances.
Choice of two additional electives from a list that includes topics such as:
- Economics of Strategic Behavior
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Technology Strategy
- Antitrust & Business Strategy
- Global Strategy
- National Security & The Global Economy
- The Business of Defense
- Commercial Approaches to the Public Sector
- Financial Markets and Regulation
- Global Marketing
- Understanding Social Innovation
- Globalization and the Wine Industry
- Defending the Bottom Line
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Environmentally Sustainable Ops and Bus Models
Note: This list of MBA electives serves as a guide. It is subject to change and does not represent a guarantee that specific courses will be offered in specific academic years.
Participation
The certificate program is designed for and limited to enrolled McDonough MBA students.
Students are responsible for registering for certificate electives during each MBA registration period on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Completing certificates requires in-person class attendance and careful course planning. Flex Online students are not eligible to complete a certificate unless they are able to enroll in and attend classes in Washington, DC.
Current students should view MyHoyaMBA for full details.