Please note: the BEES rules reflected on this page apply only to students who declared BEES during or prior to Spring 2023.
Students who declare ESGB, including ESGB-BEES, beginning Fall 2023 should follow the rules for the program set forth on the ESGB Concentration page. Previously declared BEES students have the option to follow the ESGB-BEES requirements.
The Undergraduate Concentration in Business, Energy, Environment and Sustainability (BEES, formerly Environmental Policy & Management) is designed to provide in-depth foundations for those interested in the complex relationships between business and the natural environment, management of environmental risks, and the business and economics of energy. As global energy markets grow and change rapidly and environmental challenges rise, there is a strong need for a new generation of expert business leaders who understand the rapidly evolving trends in business models, technology, regulation, and financing. Students choosing this Concentration are therefore ideally suited for the ever-expanding set of careers in energy companies, clean-tech investing, energy banking, consulting, the non-profit world, and the government. Students will gain insight into these challenges through an inter-disciplinary approach.
This concentration, which is housed in the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department, includes relevant course offerings by departments including Business Economics and Public Policy, Finance, Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Management, Marketing, and Operations Information and Decisions. Additional courses on business, energy, and the environment can be credited toward the Undergraduate Concentration in BEES from the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of Design, among other programs, as specified below.
Please Note – Students who declared BEES during or prior to Spring 2023 (prior to updates to the BEES concentration) may either follow the preexisting requirements listed on this page or the new ESGB – BEES requirements.
Requirements:
Note: Acronyms on the following list of courses refer to the following departments: Business Economics and Public Policy (BEPP), Finance (FNCE), Legal Studies and Business Ethics (LGST), Management (MGMT), Marketing (MKTG), and Operations, Information and Decisions Department (OIDD).
Students must take four credit units from the following list of courses:
- BEPP 2010 – Public Finance and Policy (1 cu)
- BEPP/OIDD 2630 – Environmental & Energy Economics and Policy (1 cu)
- FNCE 2540 – Impact Investing (1 cu)
- FNCE 2560 – Energy Finance (1 cu)
- LGST 2150 – Environmental Management: Law & Policy (1 cu)
- LGST 2600 – Climate and Environmental Leadership in Action (.5 cu)
- MGMT 2090 – Political and Social Environment of the Multinational Firm (1 cu)
- MKTG 2660 – Marketing for Social Impact (1 cu)
- OIDD / BEPP 2610 – Risk Analysis and Environmental Management (1 cu)
- OIDD 5250: Thinking with Models (1 cu)
Students may replace up to one credit of coursework from the above-listed courses with a course from this pre-approved list of courses outside of Wharton that bears a clear relationship to the core of the Concentration.
Note: Acronyms on the following list of courses refer to the following departments and/or schools: School of Engineering and Applied Science (EAS), Environmental Studies (ENVS), Penn Law School (LAW).
- EAS 301/501: Climate Policy and Technology
- EAS 306/506: Electricity Systems and Markets
- EAS 402/502: Renewable Energy and its Impacts
- ENVS 669-660: Corporate Sustainability Strategies
- ENVS 673-660: The Future of Water
- ENVS 674-660: Life Cycle Analysis
- LAW 919: Energy Law and Climate Change
- CBE 505: Carbon Capture
If a student believes that a course is missing from this list, they may petition the Faculty Advisors to the Concentration to add the course to the list prior to the start of the semester in which the course will be taken, or at the latest, within the first two weeks of the semester. Requests after a course have been completed will not be granted. The request should include a copy of the syllabus for the course and a brief statement as to why the course should be added. Courses that are likely to be approved are non-Wharton courses in which the primary focus is on topics relating to energy, environment, and sustainability. Because this concentration is housed in the LGST Department, courses offered by LGST cannot be used toward the Business Breadth requirement.
Questions?
If you are a current Wharton student, contact Sara Jane McCaffrey at mcsa@wharton.upenn.edu.
If you are interested in applying to Wharton, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at +1.215.898.7507 or visit admissions.upenn.edu.
Additional Information
For more information about resources at Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania more broadly on climate, energy, environment, and sustainability, please click here.
The Sustainability and Environmental Management Minor – This 6 cu University Interschool Minor is designed to give students broad exposure to an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the environment. Wharton students concentrating in Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability may not also take this University minor.
Wharton’s STEM Concentrations
Interested in a STEM-certified business degree? This concentration is designated as a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics concentration, which helps students excel in high-demand roles that require both business and technical acumen.
Our STEM concentrations offer another benefit for international students, who can obtain a STEM OPT extension for their F-1 visa after graduation. The extension allows students to apply the skills they learned in their STEM degree studies in full-time employment in the U.S. If you choose one of these concentrations, you will be eligible for 36 months of post-completion OPT (compared to 12 months for a non-STEM major).