Introducing the Kellogg Technology Management Pathway
by Rachel Sawa, 2Y 2019
It all started when my classmate and the future president of the Kellogg Technology Club, (affectionately called “KTech” by students) told me about his idea about a “tech pathway” at Kellogg. As the vice president of academics for KTech, it is one of my core responsibilities to work with faculty and administration to seek out and develop tech-focused curriculum at school — so I was immediately inspired!
Researching the field
I did some research, and I found that 70 percent of Kellogg students would consider pursuing a tech pathway. Furthermore, after reviewing the major and pathway-like options offered at peer schools, I found that only two schools offered similar technology-focused options. To me, Kellogg pursuing a technology pathway seemed like a win/win scenario: First, students could benefit from a curated list of courses to help prepare for futures and tech, and second, Kellogg could position itself as a tech-focused school, attracting both prospective students interested in technology and prospective companies interested in recruiting students to the technology sector. I liked the sound of that.
Faculty partnership
After presenting my findings to Dean Mazzeo, he immediately jumped on board. However, in order to get this idea off the ground, I needed to find faculty sponsors to help curate the list of courses, as well as get feedback from industry experts. So, I found excellent faculty partnerships in Ben Jones, Florian Zettelmeyer, and Chaithanya Bandi. Each professor helped curate the list of pathway courses based on their respective strategy, marketing and operations expertise. Afterwards, I interviewed several tech industry experts for feedback on the courses selected, which ultimately enabled us to refine and perfect the selection of courses.
The Technology Management Pathway
Finally, we submitted our request to introduce a Technology Management Pathway in November 2018. The Kellogg Curriculum Committee approved our list of courses, and the pathway was introduced to students in January of this year. The pathway features recommended coursework for the top three fields Kellogg students recruit into post-MBA (product management, product marketing management, and business operations/strategy), and each field features 10–13 courses that can help round out students’ skill sets for futures in tech. Since the launch of the Technology Management Pathway, we at KTech hope that Kellogg students will feel better prepared and equipped to take on their future roles in the technology sector.
When the Technology Management Pathway was finally approved, it was one of my proudest moments at Kellogg. The journey was long and challenging, but the results made everything worth it. We have left our mark at Kellogg, a legacy, and I am to grateful to the team, faculty and KTech community for their support in making this happen.