Beginning in fall 2018, Babson College graduate students will be able to take classes in Miami, Florida. The expansion builds on the success of Babson’s Women Innovating Now (WIN) Lab—an accelerator program for women entrepreneurs—which expanded to Miami in 2016. The new Babson College hub in Miami will offer a variety of graduate programs including the Blended Learning MBA, a Master of Science in Business Analytics, and a self-paced Certificate in Advanced Management.
Choosing Miami
Two of the reasons for the college’s expansion to Miami are the large alumni network already in the area and the vibrant community of family businesses and innovative startups. According to an interview with Babson College President Kerry Healey: “We are thrilled to be in Miami—a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, gateway to our vibrant Latin American community, and home to more than 1,300 Babson alumni, many of whom are involved in family businesses and entrepreneurial ventures in the area.”
Miami was also a prime choice for Babson College’s expansion due to its startup culture. The Kauffman Index of Startup Activity, which measures new business creation and engagement in business startups, ranked Miami No. 1 among the nation’s 40 largest metro areas. And according to a press release, Babson has identified a “growing need to support and strengthen family enterprises, which account for two-thirds of all businesses worldwide.”
This focus on entrepreneurship fits the Babson College vision and mission. For 23 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Babson College as the No. 1 program in entrepreneurship for its one-of-a-kind Entrepreneurial Thought & Action ® (ET&A™) methodology. It’s also known as a leader in family business with its Institute for Family Entrepreneurship, which is a hub for research and student programming.
“One of the founding interests of Babson College was as support for family businesses, and today nearly half of our students come from business families still,” Healey told the Miami Herald. “Every generation of a family business needs an entrepreneur. Family businesses are founded by entrepreneurs but they are also kept alive by entrepreneurs.”
Babson’s New Hub in Miami
Babson’s Miami campus will be located at CIC Miami (Cambridge Innovation Center). The center is a co-working space within the University of Miami Life Science and Technology Park. It offers flexible offices, laboratory spaces, and robust programming, advising, and community-building initiatives.
For Babson College, CIC Miami offers students 24/7 access to classroom, conference, and café space. It also provides an opportunity for students to interact with a community of entrepreneurs and mentors who are focused on making a positive difference in Miami’s thriving innovation corridor. In addition, Babson students will be able to attend CIC’s weekly gatherings of Venture Café Miami (a non-profit focused on encouraging the growth of Miami’s innovation community), monthly community breakfasts, and client presentations.
“We from the CIC side have had a tremendous experience hosting the WIN Lab, and we all know that Miami is starting to get on the radar of interesting institutions and stakeholders,” Natalia Martinez-Kalinina, general manager of CIC Miami, told the Miami Herald. “We are working with Babson to facilitate how best to support their mission and vision.”
Other partnerships with CIC Miami include:
- Above and Beyond (A&B): a firm that aims to guide financial institutions through digital transformation.
- FINTECH305: a one-of-a-kind program that offers mentorship and resources to support acceleration and technical integration within financial institutions.
Graduate Programs Offered in Miami
Although Babson College is still determining which programs will be offered at its Miami location, it has confirmed that the graduate offerings will include:
- Blended Learning MBA: The Financial Times ranked the Babson Blended Learning MBA as the No. 1 Online MBA for alumni earnings, as well as one of the top 10 overall programs worldwide. The program combines online classes with face-to-face sessions to enable students to better balance their professional and personal lives.
- Master of Science in Business Analytics: This degree program teaches students the tools and analytics methods necessary to effectively communicate the value of data in a business setting. The program is delivered via online and face-to-face sessions.
- Certificate in Advanced Management (CAM): This self-paced degree helps students earn the necessary credits and build the relevant skills required to earn a future Babson degree.
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
To celebrate the announcement of Babson’s newest location in Miami, Babson College President Kerry Healey and other Babson, CIC, and Miami representatives attended a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 24th.
Of the event, Healey said: “We were honored to have so many alumni, friends, and members of the Babson and Miami communities—including local business leaders and elected officials—join us to celebrate Babson’s expanded presence in the region.” She continued, saying, “Cutting the ribbon for our new home at CIC Miami is an exciting step toward our goal of making entrepreneurship education accessible to everyone, everywhere.”
