UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
UNBC launches new MBA in Sustainable Leadership

The University of Northern British Columbia is launching a new Master of Business Administration in Sustainable Leadership program designed to help northern businesses and communities thrive through a sustainable approach to business and community development.

The program, which will welcome its first students in September 2027, builds on more than two decades of UNBC's MBA experience while responding to the changing global, environmental and economic context in which northern businesses and communities operate.

"The future of business leadership will require a broader understanding of how organizations, communities and economies succeed together, and UNBC is positioning its MBA to meet that future," says UNBC Interim President Dr. Bill Owen. "This evolution from the original MBA launched in 2004 ensures UNBC continues to prepare leaders who can navigate an increasingly complex global business environment and help shape a strong and sustainable future across northern B.C., the province and the country."

The UNBC MBA in Sustainable Leadership integrates sustainability throughout the curriculum rather than treating it as a standalone topic. Students will develop a strategic understanding of business and its core functions, from accounting and finance to human resources management and operations, while examining how business decisions can contribute to sustainable community and economic development over the long term.

The program focuses on providing students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to lead in a way that advances both corporate and community interests over long term horizons, like the lifetime of a major resource project and beyond.

"Sustainable leadership means understanding that the success of a business and the well-being of the communities in which it operates are deeply connected," says UNBC Provost and Vice-President Academic Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu. "This new MBA program will prepare the next generation of leaders to make decisions that create lasting value for both, looking beyond the life of a single project toward the long-term strength and resilience of communities and the local and regional economies."

Through partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations, industry, the business sector and other agencies in northern B.C., the UNBC MBA program has been evolving to include sustainability as a central strategic pillar. Three years ago, the program introduced Foundation Week, designed to connect students directly with northern communities. Now a defining feature of the program, students start their first and second years by spending an immersive week learning directly from Indigenous communities, community leaders, knowledge holders, entrepreneurs and senior leaders in industry and business in a northern region of the province.

"Meaningful community partnerships are at the heart of the UNBC MBA program. Foundation Week provides students with an opportunity to listen, learn, ask questions and work alongside people who know their communities and understand the challenges and opportunities they face," says Faculty of Business and Economics Dean Dr. Ronald Camp. "This year's experience with Doig River First Nation reinforced the value of bringing people together to collectively imagine what a more positive future could look like. This approach is valuable not only because students gain a deeper understanding of northern communities, but because they have an opportunity to contribute their own ideas and perspectives in response to community priorities."

The new MBA will be delivered over four semesters for a total of 16 months with a structure designed for working professionals. Classes begin with Foundation Week in August. For the remainder of the program, classes meet during the first weekend of each month for a three-day session.

For the first time, UNBC will also offer a companion Graduate Certificate in Change Leadership. The three-course certificate will run in conjunction with the MBA and is professional development for individuals looking to strengthen their leadership and people skills. Upon completion, students will have the option to directly ladder into the MBA program.

Admissions for the first cohort will begin in September 2026. Complete program and admission details are available on the UNBC MBA website.