West Lafayette, Ind. \u2014 Students interested in strengthening their technical skills while acquiring the business background they need to advance in their careers now have an accelerated option at Purdue University. Beginning in fall 2018, the College of Engineering and Krannert School of Management are teaming to offer a concurrent master\u2019s degree in engineering and business administration. The new product will give students the ability to earn both degrees in two years, rather than the three it would take to earn them separately.<\/p>\n
\u201cEngineering students who seek a non-thesis or professional master\u2019s degree typically plan a career that requires expertise in business and management, as well as in their technical field,\u201d said Eckhard Groll, associate dean of undergraduate and graduate education and the Reilly Professor of Mechanical Engineering. \u201cWhile many professional master\u2019s degrees in engineering offer up to nine credit hours of management courses, many students prefer the experience of a full Master of Business Administration. Others find that their professional degrees are adequate early in their careers, but they lack the management skills they need to advance in their companies. This concurrent program meets the needs of both groups.\u201d<\/p>\n
Interested students must apply and be admitted to both programs. They will focus on engineering courses in the first year and then transition to the MBA the second year. Students will pay tuition costs for both programs, but several assistantships will be available through Krannert. The following engineering schools have signed on to take part in the concurrent program: aeronautics and astronautics, biomedical, chemical, civil, environmental and ecological, industrial, nuclear and interdisciplinary engineering.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis combination will provide students both technical and interpersonal skills that will give students an edge in their organizations,\u201d said Karthik Kannan, Thomas Howatt Chaired Professor in Management and academic director of the Krannert MBA program. \u201cWith a selection of more than 100 electives in management, economics and organizational behavior, students are able to personalize their experience. They can complement their classroom instruction through independent studies or by getting involved in experiential projects through Purdue\u2019s robust high-tech entrepreneurial ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n