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Other candidates pursue dual-degree MBAs simply because a particular program speaks to them. Ryan Heller, a graduate of the program that combines an MBA with a master of fine arts degree at New York University’s Stern School of Business, wasn’t even thinking about business school until he read about the program in the entertainment trade magazine Variety.
At the time, Heller was producing music videos in the back of a tour van for his band Aberdeen City while also managing the group’s finances. The band ultimately landed an album deal through Columbia Records.
“My decision [to enroll] was so personal,” says Heller, who is now a senior manager of digital media for Starz Media, headquartered in Denver.
Less than 1 percent of NYU’s MBA student body pursues the joint MBA-MFA, but the university feels strongly about making it more efficient to pursue both degrees at the same time.
“If you want to be a leading university, you have to offer distinguishing programs,” says Sam Craig, director of Stern’s entertainment media and technology program. “We are among the few universities that can do this, and that is one reason why we offer it.”
At Hopkins, the MBA-MPH program is a top attraction, drawing a much higher portion of MBA candidates. Far less popular is Carey’s MBA coupled with a master’s in nursing. However, William Kooser, associate dean for students at Carey, maintains that it furthers the university’s educational mission. “We like to make sure we are maintaining and developing relationships with all the medical sides of JHU,” he says.
Business schools say reputable dual-degree programs also serve to strengthen ties with industry, which is what MIT says has happened with its Leaders for Global Operations program. In that dual-degree track, candidates receive an MBA and a master’s in engineering in one of seven engineering disciplines. Candidates must meet the rigorous application requirements of both MIT’s Sloan School of Management and its engineering school. The program has inspired partnerships with 24 companies, ranging from Amazon.com (AMZN), to Verizon Wireless (VZ), to Kimberly-Clark (KMB). As a partner, the companies get premier recruiting access to students who have been groomed to run large manufacturing facilities. MIT strategically recruits for the program and aims to attract 10 percent to 15 percent of its MBA class into that dual-degree track.
“The candidate pool offers breadth and depth for recruiting,” says Guillermo Pinochet, operations research director at Kimberly-Clark. “When you go there, you really are hitting a specific cluster of highly qualified potential leaders.”
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Zlomek is a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek.
