Public Policy Gains a Foothold at B-School

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"I tell my students, 'I know you'll have big loans to pay when you get out of here, and you'll get lucrative offers from Goldman Sachs, but remember that the public sector needs your talents, and you can do both,' " says Inman. "That's a hidden agenda of mine."

Environmental Economics for Managers

Cornell University Johnson School of Management (Johnson Full-Time MBA Profile)

Benjamin Ho, assistant professor of economics

Ho kicks off this course by talking about his own experiences as a lead economist for energy at the White House from 2006 to 2007. As a trained economist who has studied politics and psychology, Ho says he brings a unique perspective to MBA students. Students in the class learn about how to negotiate and influence policymakers. For example, he teaches them how to apply economic concepts, such as supply and demand, to understanding politics. Students must analyze the political costs of various issues. Case studies, discussions, and current events come together to create a rich tapestry from which students can learn, says Ho. Class size has been growing in the three years since Ho arrived at the Johnson School.

Urban Labor Markets and Public Policy

MIT Sloan School of Management (Sloan Full-Time MBA Profile)

Paul Osterman, professor of human resources and management

Those aspiring to earn a PhD in business make up the majority of this PhD seminar that attracts three to four MBA students whenever the course is offered. "They don't intend to go into public policy, but they are interested in issues and hope to bring these lessons into traditional, mainstream businesses," says Osterman. As members of teams, students work with real organizations as consultants, and their grade is based on a presentation, a paper, and class participation.

Michael Norman, a second-year Sloan MBA student who is planning to graduate in May with an MBA and a master's in city planning from the School of Architecture, took Osterman's course in spring 2009 because he wanted to discover how to create businesses that help low-income communities. The course, he says, gave him an appreciation of just how complex the labor system is. Even more important, says Norman, he was offered the chance to ponder life. "The highlight of the course was asking big questions," says Norman. "Many times in MBA programs, you are dealing with specific frameworks. When talking about policy, you can ask big questions, such as 'What kind of society would you like to have?' And there are no right or wrong answers."

Di Meglio is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in Fort Lee, N.J.

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