Dual Degree in K-12 Education (MA) and Business (MBA): Overview
The University of Michigan School of Education and the Ross School of Business combine to offer a unique dual degree program leading to both the MA and the MBA This program recognizes that talented individuals possessing business expertise and a thorough understanding of educational policy and practice can effect meaningful improvements in our education system. Graduate work in the MBA program teaches students the technical and financial skills of business management. Graduate work in the School of Education adds theoretical grounding in the foundations of education research, policy, and administration.
“This program recognizes there are ways the two schools can work together for the improvement of education,” says Associate Professor Roger Goddard. “It also serves a need for MBA students who want to work in the field of education, and who have an interest in learning about instructional improvement, the environments in which schools operate, and the ways they are organized and financed.”
This unique, fast-paced program is arranged so that all requirements for both degrees are completed in two and one-half to three years of enrollment. The degrees are awarded simultaneously.
Program Requirements
The program is arranged so that all requirements for both degrees are completed in two and one-half to three years of enrollment. The degrees are awarded simultaneously.
Students admitted to this dual degree program must satisfy the following degree requirements:
- The MBA 57 credit hour degree program
including: - 45 Business Administration Credits, made up of:
- Roughly 30 credit hour MBA core (no credit is awarded for Business Administration core courses successfully waived: credit must be earned with Business electives);
- Roughly 15 elective hours in Business Administration;
- MBA Communication Requirement.
- 12 credit hours of transferable electives from Education;
- For more information regarding the Ross School of Business' MBA courses and requirements, please see their Web site
. - For dual degree students in Business and Education, in addition to the above, the School of Education requires 21 credit hours for the MA degree including:
- 6 hours of core courses in Education
- 15 hours of specialization courses in Education
The total credit hours for the dual degree program must be at least 66.
The dual program may begin with studies in either school. However, because of the sequenced nature of the core courses in the MBA program, most students will find it advantageous to start with year one in the business school. During years two and three, courses may be taken in both schools. Students who wish to begin with Education should see a counselor in the business school to arrange an appropriate plan of study. No course work completed prior to admission may be counted toward the MBA requirements of the dual program.
This program is not open to students who have earned either the MBA or a Master’s degree in Education. Students enrolled in the first year of either program may apply.
Careers
Demand for talented individuals with management expertise and an interest in the field of education is growing and the number and variety of career opportunities available to dual degree students is vast. Dual degree program graduates and current students have made a meaningful impact on the educational landscape by pursuing a variety of career paths in fields such as consulting, philanthropy, venture philanthropy, urban school district management, charter school management, teacher development and recruitment, government, entrepreneurship, and academia.
Career opportunities for dual degree graduates exist with a tremendous number of organizations, including those listed below (* indicates organization with which dual degree students have already worked).
| Private Education | ||
| Testing | ||
| ETS: Educational Testing Service | ||
| Kaplan | ||
| The Princeton Review | ||
| Publishing | ||
| Harcourt | ||
| Houghton Mifflin | ||
| McGraw-Hill | ||
| Scholastic | ||
| Other | ||
| Consulting | ||
| Bain & Company | ||
| Bridgespan | ||
| Huron Consulting Group* | ||
| McKinsey & Company | ||
| Government | ||
| U.S. Department of Education | ||
| State and Local Departments of Education | ||
Please note that this is simply a sample list of potential employers available to dual degree students. It is not intended to serve as a comprehensive source of this information. Other employers exist within each of these fields. These employers are not formally affiliated with the dual degree program.
