Nonmarket Strategy Certificate Program Welcomes Inaugural Cohort

Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business has invited 43 MBA students to the inaugural cohort of the Certificate in Nonmarket Strategy.

“Georgetown McDonough enjoys a defining and differentiating characteristic by virtue of its location in Washington, D.C., which provides unparalleled access to national and global institutions that set the rules by which businesses must operate,” said Dean David A. Thomas. “Our MBAs who participate in the Certificate in Nonmarket Strategy will have an opportunity to use our city as their classroom and learn from professors across disciplines who are world-renowned in their fields.”

Certificate coursework begins this semester with the premier of one of three new MBA elective courses, all of which draw on the strengths of the Georgetown McDonough faculty, the MBA core curriculum, and the rich resources of Washington, D.C.

“The Nonmarket Environment in D.C.” blends classroom instruction with attendance at “only in D.C.” events with opportunities for students to interact directly with business leaders, government officials, policymakers, members of interest groups and industry alliances, activists, and the media. The other new elective courses are “The Miracle of Markets?” and “Strategies Beyond the Market.”

“The size and quality of this first cohort of certificate students are impressive,” said Marcia Mintz, director of the certificate program. “Through certificate study, Georgetown McDonough students will enhance and extend their knowledge and understanding of issues at the nexus of business and public policy, and the award of the certificate will differentiate these students as they enter the job market and throughout their careers.”    

The certificate program is open to enrolled Georgetown McDonough MBA students who are selected through a competitive process. In statements of interest, students articulated the importance of this focused study and expressed their enthusiasm and expectations for the program.

“When the Nonmarket Strategy Certificate Program was announced, I thought, ‘This is why I came to Georgetown,’” said Leslie Hope (MBA ’17). “I plan to take advantage of this great opportunity to network and collaborate with other government agencies, NGOs, and private sector firms. I am excited to learn how social, political, and environmental factors influence corporate strategy and business decisions.” 

“We are thrilled to launch the certificate program,” said John Mayo, professor of economics, business, and public policy and executive director of Georgetown’s Center for Business and Public Policy. “For more than a decade, the Center for Business and Public Policy has provided a proof of concept of Georgetown’s comparative advantage in this space and the real value of proximity and intellectual exposure to high-level issues that affect businesses in a world in which policymaking and social pressure can substantially shape their success.”

Students will be welcomed at a launch reception on Thursday, Jan. 21.