Business School 101
In response to applicant demand, global business schools are starting to offer a range of master of science in management (MSM) programs to help students from all walks of life achieve their professional goals. Some of these master in management programs prepare students without business experience to enter the business world.
According to the Graduate Management Admission Council's Application Trends Survey, applications are up among 69 percent of master in management programs surveyed between June and July of 2011. In contrast, the majority of MBA programs reported fewer applications in 2011. A total of 649 programs from 331 business schools and faculties worldwide participated in the annual study.
"We decided to offer [the MSM] in response to the demand from non-business undergraduate students for a master's degree in business," said Ana Portocarrero, program director at the University of Florida's Hough Graduate School of Business. "With MSM, students leave with a solid business foundation and enter the workforce sooner."
An introduction to business school
The University of Florida's MSM is among the master in management programs that accept students without degrees in business. The idea is to provide fundamental business knowledge to prepare candidates for business and management positions.
The school's master in management program can be completed in less than a year if pursued full-time. In these master in management programs, students usually complete the first year of core business courses of the traditional two-year MBA. They can also learn how to apply the fundamentals of business to managerial decision-making.
These master in management students usually benefit from the career services offered to MBAs. At the University of Florida, these services include individual counseling, workshops with corporate recruiters and executives, and a career fair. They can also use their degree as a stepping stone for MBA programs.
From business school to marketing, communications and consulting
Mellie Spalding studied political science in college and after graduation joined a political campaign in Gainesville, Fla. She quickly realized she needed a business foundation to be successful in the campaigning world, or in any of the other positions that interested her. This motivated her to join the MSM program at the University of Florida, and she now expects to graduate in December 2011.
"I decided to enroll in this program over a traditional MBA because I would be working with students who were on my level of business experience," Spalding said. "Through the program I have learned I have a passion for solving complex business issues and aspire to work for a management consulting firm."
Also enrolled in the MSM, Mark Teague has always been into advertising. He received his undergraduate degree in advertising with honors and was vice president of the AdSociety at his college. He also interned at two advertising agencies--one in Gainesville and the other one in Atlanta. Teague returned to business school to learn the ABCs of business in hopes of rising through the ranks in the marketing and communications world.
"The MSM program was specifically for non-business undergraduates and designed to provide those students with a solid business foundation and degree, which is exactly what I was looking for," Teague said. "After MSM, I plan on pursuing communications leadership, corporate marketing, and client-side marketing."
Like Teague, Alysia Powell also obtained an undergraduate degree in advertising before enrolling in the MSM. After she graduates in December, Powell looks forward to a career in brand marketing. Through the program, she has already contacted several companies and is determined to use her time efficiently.
"I wanted to start my career off on the right foot instead of working for years and then changing paths," Powell said. "I knew that MSM would allow me to get the right opportunities now."
Stepping ahead of the crowd
Although master in management programs cannot guarantee those entering the business world coveted positions, they could set these students apart. As long as there is a rising demand from non-business undergraduate students, business schools will continue to update these offerings to facilitate professional success or transition into MBA programs.
