MBA Social Impact Emphasis

All BYU graduate students can now acquire additional skills and experience in social impact through the MBA Social Impact Emphasis. Emphases do not appear on transcripts, so we list all recipients online (see bottom of this page).

MBA Social Impact Emphasis Criteria

Complete one of the following courses:

  • MBA 692: Social Impact (3.0 credits, Fall/Winter)
  • MBA 693R: Advanced Social Impact & Impact Investing (2.0 credits, Winter)

Complete one of the following courses:

  • MBA 574: Creating Virtuous Organizations (3.0 credits, Fall)
  • MBA 675: Corporate Social Strategy (3.0 credits, Winter)

Complete one of the following experiential learning courses:

  • MSB 471R: Social Venture Academy (3.0 credits, Fall/Winter)
  • MSB 472R: Ballard Brief (2.0 credits, Fall/Winter)
  • MSB 492R: Social Impact On-Campus Internship (SIP/ISIP/CSIP; 3.0 credits; Fall/Winter)
  • MPA 631: Public Program Evaluation (3.0, Winter)
  • MPA 659R: Grantwell (3.0 credits; 1.5 credits Fall and 1.5 credits Winter)
  • MBA 692: Social Impact not taken as one of the required courses (3.0 credits Fall/Winter)
  • MBA 693R: Advanced Social Impact & Impact Investing not taken as one of the required courses (2.0 credits, see above)
  • MBA 574: Creating Virtuous Organizations not taken as one of the required courses (3.0 credits, Fall)
  • MBA 675: Corporate Social Strategy not taken as one of the required courses (3.0 credits, Winter)
  •  MPA 638: Social Impact Service Design
  • Preapproved experiential learning course where your project is focused on social impact:
    • MSB 490R: Improving Helping Behavior and Practices

Perks

Priority status for grant funding.

Listing on Ballard Center website.

Invitation to Social Innovator of the Year Luncheon.

Finished?

Please email us at ballardcenter@byu.edu when you are in your final semester.

When finished, fill out this completion form.

MBA Social Impact Emphasis Completion Form

Course Descriptions

MBA 692 SOCIAL IMPACT & SOCIAL INNOVATION

Taught by Todd Manwaring. This class focuses on solving issues that social innovators face; understanding complex systems of for-profit, nonprofit and hybrid social ventures; and outlining involvement in social innovation as part of a lifetime of meaningful service.

MPA 623 NONPROFIT STRUCTURE AND TAX

Taught by Aaron Miller. This class is an introduction to nonprofit organizations including their history, structure, legal requirements, and finances. Topics include nonprofit corporate structures, tax-exempt status, altruism and economics, and nonprofit revenue sources. Emphasizes what every nonprofit manager and board member should know.

MPA 650 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT

This course focuses on managing the various stakeholders in the nonprofit sector including staff, volunteers, board of directors, political leaders, media, and other unique internal and external influences.

MPA 659R GRANTWELL

This project-based course explores real-world issues in philanthropy. Students will learn to understand resource development, strategic funding priorities, applicant assessment, grant evaluation, and grant management through projects with large individual and institutional donors. Students get to assist with funding actual organizations. The following illustrates the grant process: 

  1. The donor and Grantwell students establish grant criteria.
  2. The Grantwell students issue a request for proposal (RFP).
  3. Nonprofits submit grant proposals to Grantwell, which are evaluated by Grantwell students.
  4. The Grantwell students submit recommendations to the donor.
  5. The donor contributes funds to the selected nonprofit.

Note: This emphasis does not appear on your transcript. We list all awardees on our website.

The classes associated with the minor really affected my decision for what type of organization I wanted to work with after graduation and where I would donate my time and money. The Do Good. Better. mindset will give me a leg up at my new job. When I put social innovation minor on my résumé, employers ask about it.”

— Jeff Roberts, MPA Class of 2015

MBA Social Impact Emphasis Recipients

Any BYU graduate student can earn the MBA Social Impact Emphasis. The following changemakers have completed the requirements for the MBA Social Impact Emphasis (formerly MBA Social Innovation Minor). Congratulations on your hard work!

2024

2023

2022

  • Addy Roney, MPA

2021

2019

  • Megan Brewster, MBA
  • Camilla Camargo, MBA
  • Wendy Carrigan, Executive MPA
  • Erik Champenois, MPA
  • Teresa Yi-Ning Hawang, MPA

2018

  • Raven Albertson, MA Mass Communications
  • Elise Berrett, MPA
  • Fernando Casado, MPA
  • Wesley Jeffrey, MS Sociology
  • Chloe Jensen, MBA
  • Jamie Kim, MA Music Education

2017

  • Kulani Elliott, MPA
  • Ted Jackson, MPA
  • Amy Jennings, MBA
  • Joao Batista Oliveira, MPA
  • Abigail Weidmer, MPA
  • Jessica Wilkinson, MPA

2016

  • Carolyn Brown, MPA
  • Laura Palmer, MPA
  • Alejandro Raygoza, MPA
  • Lance Stevens, MBA
  • Samantha Thee, MPA

2015

  • MaryDawn Barnard, MPA
  • David Alexander Carroll II, Environmental Science
  • Danielle Hallam, MPA
  • Jessica Maughan, MPA
  • Melissa Mitchell, MPA
  • Jessica Pino, MPA
  • Jeff Roberts, MPA
  • Brianna Rowland, MPA
  • Todd Tapp, MPA
  • Tyler Terry, MPA
  • Amy Wood, PhD Mechanical Engineering

2014

  • Angelica Aguilar, MPA
  • Delphine Bize, MPA
  • Angela Breedlove, MPA
  • Heather Hammond, MBA
  • Stephanie Hibbert, MPA
  • Cindy Jenkins, MPA
  • Crys Kevan, MPA
  • Rebecca Loveland, MPA
  • Elicia Merwin, MPA
  • Megan Murff, MBA
  • Danielle Shurtleff, MPA
  • Kara Staley, MPA
  • Robert Tonks, MBA
  • Allyson Robison West, MPA
  • Kristen West, MPA
  • Michael Wiseman, MPA

2013

  • Brittany Bird, MPA
  • Jennifer Brito, MPA
  • Sheila Mayne, MPA
  • Anggita Putri, MPA

2011

  • Saeko Yamashita Logsdon, MPA
  • David Owen, MPA
  • Nadmidbayar Tsendbaatar, MPA
  • Julie Wiscombe, MPA