At Northwestern University, the Kellogg School of Management has announced a new joint degree, called the MBAi, in partnership with the McCormick School of Engineering. The MBAi is an accelerated, five-quarter program that combines the study of management principles and technical strategic management.
Candidates for the MBAi joint degree will have access to courses that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and data science with business, covering topics such as robotics, computational thinking for business, introductions to the frontiers of science and technology, and how data science and AI are driving innovation. Students can also expect intense experiential learning. During the Summer quarter of the program, MBAi students will complete a 10-week summer internship, garnering work experience in the field and engaging with industry leaders, while still taking two academic credits during the evenings and weekends. At the end of the Summer quarter, MBAi students enjoy company visits, industry networking and case competitions in San Francisco.
Francesca Cornelli, dean of Kellogg, commented, “The MBAi was designed to produce leaders that will tackle the evolving, nuanced business challenges in technology. This expanded partnership with McCormick is a perfect example of our values of creativity and innovation in action.”
The joint degree came about in response to an upward trend in MBA students’ interest in tech; a quarter of Kellogg’s MBA Class of 2019 pursued technology careers. The schools expect the MBAi degree to prepare students for career across industries in tech operations, analytics and innovation leadership roles, such as business intelligence development, data analytics, tech entrepreneurship and more.
The schools encourage those with four to six years of work experience; tech work experience as a product owner, project manager, data scientist, software engineer, R&D associate, etc.; and an undergraduate STEM degree or major to consider applying. Prospective students can apply to the inaugural class for the MBAi program by the following deadlines:
- Round 1: October 21, 2020
- Round 2: January 6, 2021
- Round 3: April 7, 2021
See the full announcement here.
