Dual Degree in Education ( MA ) and Business ( MBA ): Program History
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The dual degree opportunity came about in response to a proposal by a group of business students with education backgrounds who had an interest in teaching and learning. One of them was Marc Lavine, who was part of a three-student pilot program that predated the approval of the official program. He had been a classroom teacher, then started working in the nonprofit sector with young people in the areas of job training and economic development.
“I was trying to market and promote a program while knowing there was a formal body of knowledge on how to do it that I should access to be more effective,” says Lavine. “I also thought that if I were involving young people in a business to teach them skills, it would be helpful to get more formal business training.”
Mr. Lavine and several other students approached Education faculty member Roger Goddard to express an interest in the creation of a dual degree program in education and business. Persuaded that the program had strong potential, Goddard worked for a year with faculty colleagues in both schools to design the program.
In 2003, the Educational Administration faculty, Ross School of Business, and University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School approved the new MA / MBA program. There seems to have been a considerable reservoir of demand for this particular interdisciplinary blend. The program has been continuously enrolled since its inception with the number applications from new students on the rise in recent years. Professor Roger Goddard serves as the faculty adviser to the dual degree program in Education and Business.
Since the inception of this dual degree program, the University of Michigan has been a leader in collaboration among schools of education and business. For example, during the 2005-2006 academic year, the University hosted a Distinguished Speaker Series in Business and Education sponsored by the Spencer Foundation. And, in the summer of 2007, the Schools of Education and Business collaborated to offer a School Leadership Forum for school superintendents. These and related activities provide a rich context filled with engaging interdisciplinary opportunities for dual degree students.
