Business Schools Refresh Curriculum

It’s almost spring, and some business schools are getting a head start on spring cleaning. That is to say, this is the time of year that b-schools often launch new programs and revamp their curriculums for the fall. Here’s a quick look at some recent changes to MBA programs.

Curriculum Revamps

HEC Paris has announced some changes to its 16-month full-time program. Starting in September, all core courses will be taught entirely in English, although some electives will still be available in French. The school will also offer a wider range of experiential learning options, and a new specialization in “Leadership in Global Organizations,” which will prepare students for management-level positions in multinational organizations.

Likewise, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business has refreshed its full-time and evening MBA programs with a new, global focus. The school will launch a variety of new courses, including one called “Principled Leadership for Business and Society,” which will focus on elements of leadership and ethics in a globalized business environment. Additionally, the program will continue to offer global experiential learning through a new course called “The Global Business Experience,” which will give students hands-on experience consulting for organizations around the world.

New Specializations

Other schools have recently announced new specializations to add more choices for students. South Carolina’s Clemson University, for example, plans to encourage the development of new businesses through its new concentration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Beginning in June, the coursework of this concentration will help students develop business plans, secure seed capital, and incorporate their new businesses.

Fostering innovation is also a goal of NYU Stern’s new MBA specialization in Digital Marketing, which launches in the spring. This new specialization will help students understand the convergence of marketing and digital information systems – and take advantage of the opportunities emerging from this fusion.

Doctorly Dual Degree Programs

For the doubly ambitious students, NYU Stern has also announced plans to offer a joint MD/MBA program with the NYU School of Medicine. This new dual degree program will help aspiring physicians gain a comprehensive understanding of both patient care and the business of medicine. For the first three years of the program, students will study at the NYU School of Medicine on a full-time basis. The summer of their third year through the spring of their fourth are spent doing MBA coursework. Students then return to the medical school for the summer and fall of their fifth year, and then finish out their last semester at NYU Stern.

Likewise, West Virginia University’s College of Business and Economics (WVU) has recently announced a partnership with the university’s School of Medicine to offer an MD/MBA dual degree program as well. Like NYU’s program, most of the MBA curriculum will be sandwiched between stints at the Medical School, during a “step out” accelerated year of business school.

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