Chicago Booth has made multiple changes to enhance their MBA coursework and curriculum for the 2019-2020 academic year. They have introduced four new areas of the curriculum as well as an Accelerated JD/MBA option. The faculty pioneered these notable updates and demonstrate Booth’s “living curriculum” model, which offers bold cutting-edge coursework. Read on for the details.
2019/2020 Booth MBA Curriculum Updates
Most of the curricula updates fell into one of four categories: leadership, women in business, social enterprise and innovation, and STEM.
Leadership Curriculum
Chicago Booth offers a suite of courses focused on leadership, all headed by the Harry Davis Center for Leadership. The classes focus on personal development and learning through experience, and include:
- Leadership Practicum: Focused on skill sets such as coaching, communicating, and developing credibility.
- Leadership Studio: Helps students develop authentic leadership qualities through fieldwork and rehearsal.
- Arts Leadership: Delves into how to run an arts organization effectively.
Women in Business
The latest course in this category focuses on female entrepreneurs as well as women as venture capitalists, investors, board members, and private equity executives. The goal is to provide an in-depth look at women personally and professionally as they lead in organizations worldwide. Students will walk away with a better understanding of what helped to catapult or impede these incredible women executives.
Social Enterprise and Innovation
Over the summer, students were offered a course titled Social Sector Strategy and Structure, which delved into how strategy and structure drive each other and can help and hurt the social sector. In the winter, students will have the opportunity to take a course called Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which focuses on the role of social entrepreneurship to answer society’s problems. The course will analyze the competitive landscape, create go-to-market strategies, and propose business models.
STEM
There are also new STEM eligibility options for MBA students. Both the Business Analytics and Analytic Finance concentrations can be designated STEM-eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) purposes. There’s also a STEM-eligible masters in Computer Science as well as an MBA/MPCS joint degree.
Accelerated JD/MBA
Students can now complete their joint MBA and JD degree in just three years. The new accelerated JD/MBA has curriculum that spans both schools as well as leadership development, career support, and other student activities. It’s a fully integrated experience where students can enhance their legal and business expertise at the same time.
Learn more about Chicago Booth’s new coursework in the school’s most recent blog.
