Graduate With A Dual MBA Degree at Northwestern’s Kellogg School
When going for that MBA, why not just go for two graduate degrees? That’s possible at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
The business school, tucked inside Chicago, offers two dual MBA programs. Some of its graduates have gone on to work for Amazon and Microsoft. Plus, living in Chicago is a bonus.
The Windy City has vibrant arts, food, and comedy scenes, as well as a growing number of traditional career opportunities. Though the state of Illinois is suffering financially, Chicago saw a jump in employment following the Great Recession. The city is also home to headquarters for some of the biggest banks in the country.
Really, isn’t deep-dish pizza all a person needs though? Candidates can enjoy some Chicago-style pizza (if they’re into that kind of thing) while studying hard to achieve that dual degree.
Masters of Science in Design Innovation (MMM)
According to the school, this program is the first of its kind. Graduates walk away with their Kellogg MBA—and a Masters of Science in Design Innovation from Segal Design Institute at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.
That’s a steal. Especially given that this takes no more than two years. Candidates who want to build a successful business with a strong focus on design should really benefit from this program. Some design tools students learn while at Kellogg include user-centered research methods, prototyping, and implementation.
But every student has a specific interest. The program’s electives allow participants to hone in on whatever skills they need to succeed. These courses can look like programming design or even whole-brain communication.
“The MMM program challenges me to be more dynamic: in thought, in understanding, and in action,” Kellogg student Vikram Raju said on the school’s website.
The Kellogg MMM is a full-time program, offering classes during both the day and evening.
JD/MBA Program
This program is tailored specifically to the business-savvy with an interest in law. The JD/MBA program offers graduates a Masters of Business Administration from Kellogg, as well as a Juris Doctor from the Northwestern School of Law.
Again, Kellogg set an example with this program: It’s the first kind in the U.S. Be it for someone who ultimately wants to do law or someone who wants to hold a unique set of business skills, the JD/MBA program uniquely positions its graduates for the real world. Law firms, corporations, and nonprofits look to Kellogg’s JD/MBA graduates. Some alumni even go onto elected office.
“This program attracts people who are leaders,” JD/MBA student Adina Lord said on the program’s website.
This program takes three years (one year more than the MMM), but it’s worth it. The average student takes five years to achieve these degrees separately.
While working toward the MBA, students can choose an expertise: accounting, economics, and marketing, among others. Then, there’s the legal background on top. And the practice is hands on.
While at Kellogg, students can work with Northwestern’s Entrepreneurship Law Center, Global Lab, or Venture Lab. All these resources give students experience they need to attract future employers. The Law Center connects students with small businesses, where they can give businesses legal and strategic consulting.
Top 5 Schools for an MBA in Real Estate
The number of MBA students who pursue careers in real estate may be small, but even still, some of the most prestigious business schools in the United States offer exceptional programs that specialize in the field. Continue reading…
Metro News & Notes: The Business of Improv, Souring on Wall Street, and More
Good morning and happy Friday!
Here are a few stories you may have missed from the week that was …
How Improv Methods from Comedy Can Lift Business Performance | Knowledge@Wharton
There aren’t many part-time comedians and business school professors, but Bob Kulhan doesn’t fit the norm. An adjunct professor at both Duke University and the Columbia Business School, Kulhan is the founder and CEO of Business Improv and co-author of the new book “Yes And”: The Art of Business Improvisation. Speaking on the Knowledge@Wharton podcast about his new work, Kulhan talks about his improv-upbringing in the Chicago comedy scene and how it can be applied in a business setting.
When discussing those in business who struggle to think on the fly, Kulhan notes, “There are all sorts of biases that keep us from just communicating with people and keeping an open mind. What we look for in improvisation is a postponement in judgment and the critical thinking to another side so that we can take in and absorb the offers and opportunities that are being presented to us.”
The concept of “Yes And” (the building block of improv comedy structure), Kulhan notes, can help build individual development, which then helps build team development. “When great minds and intelligent people are sharing thoughts … the collective consciousness of the group will outweigh that of any individual,” he says.
Check out the Knowledge@Wharton podcast today.
A Record Percentage of MBAs Don’t Want to Work on Wall Street | Bloomberg
Training the Street, a New York City-based finance training firm, affirmed what many had already begun to suspect: Wall Street jobs are becoming less appealing.
The new survey data found that MBA graduates would like to work at the largest “bulge bracket banks” at the lowest rates in eight years—right after the peak of the economic recession. Scott Rostan, Founder and CEO of Training The Street, said in a release, “Banks are still a dominant hiring force for MBAs and continue to attract top talent, but working for larger, established companies off of Wall Street is becoming more attractive to MBAs as they offer a different type of lifestyle.”
Bloomberg writer Julie Verhage notes that interest in finance is not necessarily disappearing, however. “Other employment options hit record levels of preference this year,” Verhage notes. “Top choices included consulting firms at 20 percent, corporate development at a Fortune 2000 company at 13 percent and boutique banks at 12 percent.”
Find out more about the survey here.
AI Creeps Into the Work of MBA Career Advisers | Financial Times
The AI revolution may be a little less Terminator 2 (so far) than people might have expected, but it’s still changing the MBA game. In a new piece from the Financial Times, writer Jonathan Moules examines several of the world’s top business schools utilizing AI advantages for students, including Vmock, a helpful student résumé assistant created by grads from the Chicago Booth School of Business and Northwestern Kellogg School of Management.
“More than 100 higher education institutions, including 17 of the top 20 business schools on the FT MBA ranking list, pay an annual subscription for Vmock’s software,” Moules writes. The cost to use the program is a modest fee of $19.95, with over one million résumés already uploaded.
Like Vmock, much of the AI-infused technology used in business schools was “born out of a frustration the founders felt as MBA students themselves.” Moules’ sources insist that the infusion of tech will not replace the hands-on help of career advisers, but I doubt many of them are ready for Terminator 2 world either.
Chicago Business Schools Prepare Students For Future Careers in Nonprofits
According to the Chicago Tribune, Windy City nonprofits reported a surge in spending and staffing in recent years. An annual survey by the CBRE Group, one of the world’s largest real estate companies, showed that 35 percent of Chicago-area nonprofits planned on expanding staff or office space, up from 24 percent reported in 2011. Additionally, 20 percent reportedly planned on increasing advocacy and marketing budgets, outpacing national averages. Continue reading…
Lehigh Heat Wave Study Finds Temperature Affects Helpfulness
A study published in the European Journal of Psychology, called “Too Hot to Help! Exploring the Impact of Ambient Temperature on Helping,” shows that hot temperatures make people less likely to be courteous and helpful. The three-part study was co-authored by Lehigh University College of Business and Economics Professor Liuba Belkin and Kellogg School of Management Professor Maryam Kouchaki.
Finding Your Post-Graduate Career From the Kellogg School of Management
Every MBA candidate is in pursuit of a dream job with good benefits and high pay. But what can your business school do for you in terms of helping you reach your career goals and aspirations? What resources, networks and workshops are available for MBA students to take advantage of? Specifically, how does the Kellogg School of Management help prepare graduates’ careers? Let’s take a deeper dive.
The Kellogg School of Management
Originally founded in 1908 as the Northwestern University School of Commerce part-time evening program, the school was renamed the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management in 1979 after a $10 million gift from John L. Kellogg, former president of the food manufacturing Kellogg Company. Today, the school is ranked among the top graduate business school’s in the Chicago metro and the world.
A founding member of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, Kellogg offers a full-time, part-time, Accelerated and Executive MBA programs. The Kellogg School has campuses in Evanston, Chicago proper and Miami as well as a number of Executive MBA Global Campuses.
What About Jobs?
According to Kellogg, 96 percent of the full-time class of 2016 received a job offer by three months after graduation, with a median starting salary of $125,000. These stats were reported by Kellogg’s Career Management Center (CMC). That report states that most Kellogg students find work in the consulting (33 percent), tech (22 percent), CPG (14 percent) and finance (13 percent) industries.
Here’s a closer look at some of the statistics:
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- 96 percent of students receive a job offer three months post-graduation
- 93 percent students accept job offers within that same three month period
- $125,000 median salary
- Approximately 200 employers hire Kellogg grads
- $25,000 median sign-on bonus
- Jobs placement all across the country (18.8 percent East Coast, 31.4 percent Midwest, 10.7 percent South, 26.3 percent West Coast) and around the world (12.8 percent international)
Following the release of the 2016 CMC jobs report, Matt Merrick, Associate Dean of MBA Operations, said:
“Kellogg students demonstrate a balanced and dynamic skillset that employers seek. With foundational skills in data analytics and business operations, organizations benefit from their multidisciplinary approach to problem solving. As growth-minded leaders, they exhibit an emotional intelligence that motivates teams and has a lasting impact on an organization’s success.”
The Kellogg Career Management Center (CMC)
Kellogg’s industry-leading CMC provides customized support for students, whether they are going through traditional on-campus recruiting or an off-campus “just in time” search. CMC aims to equip students and alumni with the tools and training to proactively manage their career over a lifetime.
For example, of the 22 percent of Kellogg students who took jobs in the technology industry this year, about half got jobs through on-campus recruiting and the other half through a more individualized search in close partnership with the CMC.
What types of resources does CMC offer? Here are just a few, according to the Center:
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- Coaching & Learning: Unlimited free, one-on-one coaching for students and alumni and executive education options for alumni.
- Private Job Board: 3,000-plus job listings, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 for students and alumni.
- Dedicated Research Specialist: Help students build a list of target companies, find contacts and prep for interviews.
- Resources & Workshops: Explore topics, such as resumes, interviewing and salary negotiation, online and in person.
- Expansive Alumni Network: Kellogg’s international network of 55,000 alumni extends across an exceptionally diverse range of industries and functions.
What about for students seeking careers as entrepreneurs?
According to the 2016 CMC jobs report, 39 Kellogg students accepted full-time positions with startups or started their own business. The school has plenty to offer those who decide to pave their own career path.
The Kellogg School of Management’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship (KIEI) initiative helps students and business leaders discover new ideas that can help lead to success in business. Following a generous endowment by Larry and Carol Levy in 2003, the school also launched the the Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice in order to provide entrepreneurial curriculum and activities for Kellogg students.
According to Kellogg, since the fall of 2012, the Levy Institute and KIEI have collaborated to introduce 44 new courses to the school and 22 new faculty members who are all engaged within the Chicago startup and venture capital community.
