Earlier this year, UVM announced an Accelerated Sustainable Entrepreneurship MBA (SEMBA) program.

The program’s focus centers on ecofriendly business development and teaches students that profitability and sustainability are not mutually exclusive, explains UVM’s website.

SEMBA takes one year to complete, with eight to nine months of formal classes, and three to four months of internships. 

SEMBA students will have access to various individuals and corporations that have been innovators in the business world. 

“After they graduate the program, students of SEMBA have the option of entering into Vermont Law School’s accelerated three year JD program,” said Cheryl Hanna, Vermont Law School’s Vice President of External Relations.

According to Hanna, the program will take three years, two of which will be at Vermont Law School. The third year, students will complete an internship. 

There is heavy regulation and law around business and the environment. Therefore, knowing the relationship between the two is extremely advantageous, explained Hanna.

“Sustainable business and environmental law really go hand in hand. Having a background in both opens up new opportunities,” Hanna said. “And there is no better place to study than the number one environmental law school in the country.”

Students who graduate from SEMBA are given the option to continue onto the environment-law focused accelerated three year program at Vermont Law. Students must take the LSAT, and if they qualify they can start the program that summer (or wait until the next fall). 

Hanna also explained that the relationship between the student and program is reciprocal. Students who apply independently and graduate from the three year accelerated program at Vermont Law School have the option of entering SEMBA when they finish.

“I like that there are programs available to students like the accelerated JD,” first-year Matt Coates said. “I think that there is a lot of interest in sustainability at UVM, and the program just makes sense.”

The program will also be more affordable, since students will be able to save one year in tuition from Vermont law school, and one year in tuition from a traditional MBA program.

“President Sullivan is really committed to finding innovative ways to bring down costs and improve the educational opportunities offered at UVM,” Hanna said. “We here at Vermont Law are really excited to work with UVM and its students.