The Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) announced this past spring that it will offer a new MS Computer Science (MSCS)/MBA joint degree program, and a recent webinar provides tips for prospective applicants looking to learn more about the program and its application requirements.
The webinar begins with Mary Oleksy, who oversees the joint and dual degree programs for the GSB, outlining some basics. “The purpose of this degree program is going to be to provide an opportunity for computer scientists to develop necessary skills to be managers and entrepreneurs, and for technologically inclined business students to gain a solid background in Computer Science by combining these two degrees into a really focused and intentional approach,” she says.
Students in the three-year, full-time program will start with a year of core curriculum coursework at the GSB, followed by two years filled with a combination of MBA electives and MSCS required courses and electives. In total, the program consists of 129 units, 84 from the GSB and 45 from Computer Science.
There are some admissions requirements specific to the joint degree program, which were also covered in the recent webinar. For one, the GRE is required of all applicants to the joint MBA/MSCS program (unlike applicants to the GSB alone, who can submit either GMAT or GRE scores). No prior work experience is required – applicants may apply and attend straight from college. Olesky notes that Stanford has set no specific class size for the new degree program. “We are really looking for quality more than quantity,” she says.
One of the questions asked most often by participants in the webinar pertained to whether or not applicants must have a background in computer science. In response, Jay Subramanian, the director of graduate admissions at the Computer Science Department, recommended that prospective applicants take the foundational courses for the department (listed on the first page of this pdf) at a nearby educational institution or online. “These could help you in preparing to apply to the MSCS program, particularly those who do not have a CS background or do not have strong analytical and quantitative skills, and are coming from more of the humanities and sciences background,” Subramanian says.
View a recording of the webinar or read the pdf transcript to learn more about admissions requirements, including letters of recommendation, essays and personal statements and much more.
