US discovers Masters in Management programs

Masters in Management programs, long popular in Europe, have become more attractive in the US as the financial crisis prompted undergraduates to reassess the value of taking two years off to earn an MBA.

Wake Forest University was among the first universities in the US to launch a one-year master of arts in management program, with an inaugural class of 13 students in 2006. The program, designed for recent graduates with little or no work experience, has grown more than 10-fold to about 140 in the latest year.

Other schools have followed. Recruiter demand for liberal arts students with a strong business foundation encouraged Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business to launch its programme in 2009. Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, with 25 students last year, and University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business are two of the latest entrants. Continue reading