The program is intended for students that have an undergraduate degree in a non-business field and do not qualify for an MBA program
By KAYA DO-KHANH — campus@theaggie.org
The UC Davis Graduate School of Management is the first school in the UC system to launch a master’s in management program, which will start in April 2024. This is just one of many firsts, as UC Davis was also the first UC school to create an online MBA program in 2019, according to an article from Poets and Quants, a news source that covers matters in the business school world.
The degree program offers a 15-month part-time online version which will start this April and a 9-month full-time program at the UC Davis campus, which is expected to start in fall 2024.
“The ability to take courses both in-person and online is relatively rare for a Master of Management course,” Dean of the Graduate School of Management H. Rao Unnava said. “We provide that flexibility. We are also planning on providing specialization tracks, which is also relatively rare in this type of a program.”
The program curriculum is designed after the MBA@UCDavis program which includes nine courses in the functional areas of business, such as accounting, economics, finance, marketing and strategy. With access to a flexible online option, the degree program will prepare students for the professional world and jobs in the private sector, according to a UC Davis press release. Students will also have the opportunity to meet with the school’s career development team in order to develop a personalized career plan during the program.
“Due to various living arrangements, cost-interferences and other factors, the multifaceted nature of the management program would be extremely beneficial,”
third-year managerial economics major and President of the Davis Accounting Society Misha Chakravarthy said. “It would provide a platform for those with other commitments to continue their career path.”
The program is an option for students who have an undergraduate degree in a non-business field and do not qualify for an MBA program, and there is no work experience requirement prior to the program. The Graduate Management Admission Test and Graduate Record Examination are optional and not required.
“Students can view this as their fifth-year experience, supplementing their learning in their non-business major with a solid introduction to business decision-making,” Unnava said. “Recent graduates, for example those who graduated about three years ago, can use their learning in this program to step into a management track in their jobs.”
The faculty of the program consists of the same faculty that also teach within the UC Davis MBA program. Unnava said that the main goals for the program once it starts in April 2024 is to launch the program smoothly and grow it to at least 200 students.
“Since UCD only offers managerial economics as their version of a business major, I would believe and hold all members of Davis Accounting Society to be non-business majors,” Chakravarthy said. “That being said, I believe that management is a holistic and necessary skill for almost every field and career. For instance, we have a bio major on our board and various economics majors in the club, [and they] would all thrive in a management graduate environment.”
Written by: Kaya Do-Khanh — campus@theaggie.org
