High technology MBA programs are designed to provide engineering and IT graduates with business fundamentals. Traditional science and technology education does not include instruction in business processes and management, which tech pros must learn in order to successfully manufacture and/or market their discoveries. Tech-focused MBA grads learn to speak the language of business and supplement their technology backgrounds with courses in marketing, finance, and research and development.
The need for scientists and engineers with advanced degrees in business will grow between 10 and 20 percent in the next five years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). A number of U.S. schools have programs to help fill this need; some have been around for decades and others are brand new. Here's a look at four very different programs.
Northeastern University pioneers the tech-focused MBA
The High Technology MBA program at Northeastern University (Boston, MA) consistently ranked high in the "Top Techno MBA Survey" by Computerworld magazine, last done in 2001. The program, which began in 1982, was the first of its kind in the nation. It combines general management with an emphasis on the dynamics of technology fields, particularly systems and software, finance, materials, defense, health care and biotechnology.
"Northeastern's eighteen-month high-tech MBA is for fast track and career professionals who work in a technology-intensive industry," explains professor Marc Meyer, the Matthews distinguished university professor and co-director of the high-tech MBA program. Most applicants are between twenty-seven and thirty-seven. "Over the last five years, 75 percent of our students get increased job responsibilities or promotions while they're in the program or soon after graduation. Salary increases have been substantial, typically about $30,000," Meyer reports.
"Applicants average eight to ten years of work experience," adds Dee Masiello, manager of graduate recruitment, Northeastern University Graduate School of Business. Most have a bachelors degree in a technical field, while some have PhDs in areas like electrical engineering or science. All must be employed while enrolled in the program.
Students attend classes on alternating Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings. There are also three three-day-long weekday programs called residencies, which Meyer describes as "intensive workshops on personal and enterprise growth." Many of the courses require students to work on projects with senior executive sponsorship.
"Our objective is to enhance students' skill sets and competence so that they can see themselves as business managers rather than technical development managers," Meyer says. "We help them leverage their strengths and broaden their careers."
While some companies reimburse their employees for the costs of obtaining an MBA degree, it's not as common as it used to be. "At one time three-fourths of our students had company reimbursement. Now it's only half of them. But most students can pay for at least the first year's tuition out of their salary increase," he notes. "The second year is an investment in their own careers.
"Our program takes a lot of work. It's not about 'come and sit while we lecture.' It's very much a collaborative effort between students and professors."
Women are some of the program's strongest supporters, notes Meyer. "We try to get as many strong female students as possible into our program. We also try to draw from ethnic populations. We have students from Ireland, Mexico and India here pursuing technical careers."
The class of 2006 has twenty-eight students. Eight are women and two are minorities.
Javier Cajiga diversifies his portfolio at Northeastern
Javier Cajiga will graduate from Northeastern University's tech-focused MBA program in 2006. Cajiga left his native Panama at twenty. He received a BS in computer engineering in 1994 from the Wentworth Institute of Technology (Boston, MA), and went to work in IT for Deloitte and Touche, Burns and Levinson, Morrison, Mahoney and Miller and then Hewlett-Packard.
He is currently a senior software engineer for Snowbound Software (Watertown, MA), which makes sophisticated software for image processing. He works with both local and Latin American clients and helps them with custom and standard solutions using Snowbound Software products.
"I was a software engineer consultant for Hewlett-Packard for five years before I applied to Northeastern," explains Cajiga. "While working at HP, I was able to interact with different levels of the organization, but realized I lacked the business skills necessary to effectively communicate with senior managers and executives. And then my position was outsourced to India."
Cajiga was happy to find his new job at Snowbound, but he realized that having a strong background in software engineering "was not going to be enough to be competitive in the marketplace," and that he needed to diversify his professional portfolio. Northeastern's MBA curriculum appealed to Cajiga, because he felt it related directly to his career goals. The class meetings twice a week every other week fit well into his busy schedule, and he finds both professors and classmates congenial. He has had one female professor and several from outside the U.S.
"I could have opted to pursue a masters in computer or software engineering, but I knew that a higher degree in the same field was not going to give me the edge I was looking for," he says. "Through the curriculum, I've come to know a lot about corporate organization, marketing strategies, financial structure and management, human interaction and global strategy for technical organizations. I have learned to think creatively and write and strategize like an executive."
Northeastern's Lisa Rock improves management capabilities
Lisa Rock has been in the biotech industry since she graduated from Tufts University (Medford, MA) in 1990 with a degree in biopsychology. She also has a certificate in community health, and a masters in occupational and environmental health and safety. She recalls that all of the career paths that she was interested in after graduation involved a combination of science and business.
She graduated from Northeastern's tech-focused MBA program in 2004. "Northeastern's program was ideal, because it had the precise focus I was looking for, which balanced elements of finance and marketing with current management topics. And the schedule, while challenging, let me work full time and meet my parenting obligations," says Rock. "Completing the program was one of the hardest things I've ever done. However, it has already produced outstanding results in my life. I consider it a gift that keeps on giving."
At the start of the program she worked as a quality assurance manager in Worcester, MA for Q-One Biotech, a United Kingdom GLP/ GMP contract testing facility. As the program progressed she was promoted to director of quality assurance and quality control. Prior to Q-One Biotech, Rock worked in various quality and research positions at BioHybrid Technologies, Seragen/Marathon Biopharmaceuticals (now Cambrex Biosciences) and Stryker Biotech.
Rock says that the MBA program taught her to "accept uncertainty and welcome change." She also learned how to write more decisively for an executive audience, and how to work closely with people with diverse personal and professional backgrounds. The faculty included two minorities and one woman, MBA program manager Dee Masiello, when Rock attended.
Now Rock is associate director of manufacturing at GTC Biotherapeutics (Framingham, MA). GTC develops and produces therapeutic proteins using transgenic animal technology. Her responsibilities include management of milking and downstream processing operations. "The program has improved my management capabilities, especially in communication and negotiation," she says.
UAB launches new MBA program
A new alternative MBA program offered by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Business is called MBA for Scientists. The program began with the 2005-06 school year. It's a specialized fast-track, one-year, full-time program for students who already have a masters or PhD degree in a science-based discipline like biology, chemistry, microbiology, pathology, physics, biomedical engineering, computer science, physiology, medicine or genetic engineering. Students study technology commercialization, intellectual property management, technology-based entrepreneurship, marketing and scientific due diligence practices, along with traditional MBA courses.
Douglas Ayers, PhD, associate professor of marketing in the department of management, marketing and industrial distribution at UAB, points out that the new MBA program concentrates on growing technology-related entrepreneurship with a life sciences focus. It involves a lot of medical-related concerns. The knowledge can prepare students for work at a venture capital firm or financial analysis company, for example, where they must understand science as well as business.
"For people who have a science background, this is essentially a business overlay," says Ayers. "Applicants to the program don't necessarily need to have work experience. The biggest requirement is having an advanced degree in a science-based area. I see our graduates working for pharmaceutical, chemical and biotech companies where they will be valued for their science skills, but differentiated by the fact that they have an advanced business degree."
Of the five students who entered UAB's new MBA for Scientists program this year, one is female. "We are very interested in having women and minority students," Ayers says. "Our recruiting efforts for this first year were very grassroots and included a direct e-mail campaign to all students meeting certain academic qualifications. As our program matures, we will increase efforts to specifically target females and minorities."
MBA program at Georgia Tech gets high marks
Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA) initiated its MBA program in 1945 as a master of "industrial management." Later it became a master of science in management. "I think by virtue of it being at Georgia Tech, it became tech-focused. After all, that's who we are," says Paula Wilson, director of MBA admission.
Although its slant has changed a bit, the program has maintained a competitive edge. In 2004 Business 2.0 magazine named it one of the top twenty-five, and it was ranked number thirty-two in U.S. News and World Report's top fifty MBA programs.
The program's information technology management concentration is a popular one, with courses in systems analysis and design, electronic commerce and business data communications. And its Technology Leadership Program (TLP) enables students to earn an MBA while pursuing a graduate degree in another academic discipline at Georgia Tech.
"We find that these dual-degree students are able to contribute positively to the MBA program," says Wilson. "Overall we look for level of maturity, level of focus and level of experience; quality, not quantity. Most students have completed a couple of internships or done research."
About 50 percent of Georgia Tech MBA students have a computer science or engineering degree, 25 percent have a business degree, and 25 percent come from other academic disciplines. Some, especially students in the TLP, don't have the traditional work experience since they enroll immediately after graduation. "Close to 90 percent of our MBA students overall have work experience," Wilson notes. "Our average is about three and a half years."
All MBA students must attend classes full time for two years and complete forty credit hours. About 25 percent of the students are female and 20 percent are minorities. Graduate assistantships are offered as one way to help students pay their tuition.
"To recruit women, we've basically relied on mail and e-mail campaigns. However, we are planning to expand our efforts this year by speaking to groups of businesswomen here in Atlanta and probably developing a marketing piece targeted specifically to women," says Wilson.
Shameika A. Vailes: a strong business foundation
Shameika A. Vailes graduated from Georgia Tech's MBA program in May 2004. She is interested in "how businesses can use technology to increase their efficiency and productivity. As a result, it was important for me to understand business and how organizations work. A technology-focused MBA offered me this opportunity. I was able to learn a lot about economics, finance and accounting."
Vailes joined Chase Manhattan Bank (Chicago, IL, now JP Morgan Chase) right after graduating from Spelman College (Atlanta, GA) in 1999 with a degree in computer science and a math minor. In 2000 the company merged with JP Morgan and was laying off employees, so she volunteered to be let go.
She moved to Atlanta to attend school full time at Georgia Tech, choosing the school for its technical expertise and entrepreneurial programs. Her class was almost equal parts men and women, and during her two years in the MBA program she had two female professors and two minority professors.
Today Vailes works for the business consulting services arm of IBM (Armonk, NY), specializing in financial service institutions. Her role varies with each project. Recently she was a business analyst assisting with the implementation of a new application designed to help Citigroup become more efficient with its mortgage processing business.
"Aside from boosting my salary, my MBA from Georgia Tech has given me a strong foundation in business, further enhancing my analytical ability," says Vailes. "I'm comfortable working on technical and business or operations-focused projects. As a consultant, that is a valuable asset to have."
Vailes encourages anyone with a technical interest or background to take the time to get an MBA. "In this day and age many organizations can pay less money and get greater value by offshoring their pure technical needs, such as programming. But it is more difficult for them to find someone with both the technical and business acumen," she says. "I would urge anyone who is considering a technical MBA to follow your heart. Your opportunities for employment or entrepreneurship will keep you from being pigeonholed into one industry or sector. There is much room for growth."
Tech-business grad programs at MIT
The MIT Sloan School of Management and its School of Engineering offer two different degree programs that combine business and technology. Both were developed in partnership with industry.
Graduates of the Leaders for Manufacturing (LFM) Fellows program earn two degrees: a master of science in engineering and either an MBA or master of science in management. Every Fellow receives tuition support.
LFM, created in 1988, is a very selective, intensive twenty-four-month program, says Thomas Allen, PhD, the Howard W. Johnson Professor of Management and professor of engineering systems at MIT, who co-directs the program. LFM applicants have been out of college for an average of five years. Once in the program they must be willing to spend their second summer and subsequent fall in internships at one of the sponsoring companies, which include many high-tech manufacturers. The manufacturers that sponsor the program also offer scholarships.
Forty-eight students are enrolled in the 2006 LFM class. Fourteen are women, four are minorities and five are international students. Their average age is twenty-eight.
"The LFM program helps enhance the prestige and reputation of manufacturing and engineering," says Allen. "A lot of engineering schools have undergraduate degrees in manufacturing and engineering, but nothing like this where students can simultaneously earn graduate management and engineering degrees. Our alumni are in very strong positions in major companies."
MIT also offers a System Design and Management (SDM) program, developed in 1997. SDM is aimed at career professionals and gives them an opportunity to acquire both management skills and engineering depth, with an emphasis on new product development and systems design. SDM graduates receive a masters degree in engineering and management. Most become tech-focused leaders, Allen says.
"Each of the SDM students has roughly ten years of work experience. The benefit of this program is that they can bring their immediate work experience into the classroom," says Allen. "Traditional MBA topics such as finance and marketing have been re-engineered so that SDM students learn specifically how to apply them in the world of high-tech."
SDM offers students three options: a twenty-four-month, off-campus, live video conference and Web-based distance learning curriculum with a one-semester residency requirement; a thirteen-month, full-time on-campus program; and a thirteen- to twenty-four-month career-compatible on-campus program for students who work within commuting distance of the MIT campus. All SDM students come together for one week every semester, which reinforces their relationships as well as their work in the program.
Of the sixty-two students who enrolled in SDM in January 2005, 10 percent are women, 3 percent are minorities, and 19 percent are international students. Although recruitment efforts have actively targeted women and minorities for both SDM and LFM, more women are still needed, Allen says.
Ilana Davidi: MIT is the best
Ilana Davidi is enrolled in MIT's SDM program and will graduate in 2007. She is currently a senior software systems engineer at Mitre Corp in Bedford, MA. Mitre is involved in aviation system development, defense and intelligence, and enterprise modernization. It manages three federally funded research and development centers, and partners with government sponsors to support critical operational missions and address issues of national importance.
MIT was Davidi's only choice for graduate school. "MIT is the best out there. There is no comparison," says Davidi. "I couldn't decide if I wanted to get an MBA or a science degree. This program is half engineering and half management and allows me to pursue both."
Davidi earned her undergraduate degree in English from Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH) in 1996. Her first job was for a software consulting firm in Boston, which drew her into the tech world.
She has had no second thoughts about the SDM Program. "Everything that I learn in school I'm able to apply immediately. The engineering classes make me look at things from a different point of view, and I can use my new management knowledge right away."
Corporate sponsorship is vital at MIT and elsewhere
Eleven companies have been with LFM since it began, and today it has more than twenty partner companies that play a critical role in program governance and overall program policy and operations. Many also provide internships. Some of the companies that partner with LFM are Boeing, Ford, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, Intel, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, United Technologies and Dell.
Allen says that all LFM students receive generous financial packages funded by the program's industry partners. This assistance is expected to continue for future students. Companies that contribute $1 million can become top-level LFM management partners. About ten companies are management partners.
Industry partnership is also a critical element for SDM, notes Allen. Early partners United Technologies, Eastman Kodak, Xerox and Ford not only sponsored students, but also offered valuable input on the SDM vision and curriculum. Current SDM partners include NASA, Raytheon, ArvinMeritor and Northrop Grumman.
In return for their time and financial support, industry partners have access to SDM knowledge and faculty, participate in program and partnership governance, and sometimes even recruit students. They also can enroll eligible company employees in distance-education courses, with faculty permission.
Georgia Tech also reaches out to corporate sponsors. "We do seek and secure corporate involvement and sponsorship of programs at Georgia Tech College of Management," says Philip Spessard, VP of development at Georgia Tech. "Such engagement is for the greater good of the college and student body. Last spring, for example, Assurant Solutions (an Atlanta subsidiary of Manhattan-based financial company Assurant, Inc) sponsored our Impact speaker series, which focused on leadership, entrepreneurship and solutions. MBA students as well as undergrads and the local business community benefited from that.
"When we build a relationship with a company, we hope it will raise awareness of the company among students and help them learn what the company has to offer them in terms of internships and other opportunities," explains Spessard.
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