Marquette launching revised MBA program to better meet market demands

March 1, 2017

Fewer required credit hours shorten time to degree

MILWAUKEE — Marquette University's Graduate School of Management will roll out a revised version of its part-time MBA program this fall, Keyes Dean of Business Administration Dr. Brian Till announced. The measure, which will integrate components of the current curriculum to cut the number of credit hours required to graduate, will help meet market demands, Till says.

The school's current MBA curriculum requires 40 to 50 credit hours to graduate, depending on a student's previous business education experience. Under the new structure, which Till describes as "streamlined," students will take 33 to 39 credit hours. As a result, average tuition will drop more than $10,000 to $39,000.

Dr. Jeanne Simmons, associate dean, emphasized that the new program will put an increased emphasis on business literacy and strategic leadership, areas that senior managers at companies across a variety of sectors have stressed the importance of.

"As we worked over the past few years to find the best ways to deliver the highest quality graduate business education, it was critical that we not only identify what students are seeking, but also understand the sorts of skills employers want for their employees," Simmons said. "We believe this new curriculum is an ideal fit for students and their employers."

"This redesigned MBA program meets the needs we are looking for when we hire and promote employees," said Daniel Tranchita, CFA, managing director and senior portfolio manager at Robert W. Baird and Co. "This next generation of business leaders needs to be strategic in their decision making and they will get that at Marquette."

"The biggest change is that students will no longer take one class in each functional area of business, one after another, often spending time and money on repetitive content," Simmons said. "Instead, students will take classes that integrate fundamental business topics, and they can use their electives to decide what classes they need to help advance their career."