A plan for expansion

10/14/2014 - True to what it teaches, the Kellogg School is taking a successful model and scaling it.

This fall, Kellogg is expanding its newest degree track, the Russell Fellows Program’s M.S. in Management Studies (MSMS), by opening admissions for July 2015 enrollment to accredited schools outside of Northwestern. The program was available only to recent NU graduates for its first two academic years.

As a result of this admissions change, Kellogg expects the program’s class size to grow from 25 to 75 students within the next two years. Long term, the program is projected to enroll 125-150 students each year.

The first top-tier business school to establish a master’s program of this kind, Kellogg developed the MSMS degree after identifying a strong demand for it.

“When you take smart, well-rounded liberal arts students and give them a business wrapper, they become highly valued in the marketplace,” says Betsy Ziegler, associate dean of MBA Programs and dean of students. “These kinds of students want business knowledge. And employers want to hire these kinds of students.”

Designed to help recent graduates launch their careers, the program focuses on teaching foundational management skills and offers access to a dedicated career coach.

Many graduates say the degree has already kick-started their careers. Among the employers for the inaugural class: Accenture, Burger King, Deliotte, Dropbox, FTI Consulting, Google, IBM, The Mind Company, Roland Berger, Uniqlo and Wells Fargo.

With an undergraduate degree from NU’s School of Education, Danielle David ’14 says that the program complemented her managerial skills with business discipline and quantitative skills, enabling her to land her “ideal job” in the high-energy technology field.

“You will come out [of the program] smart, more confident in your skills, and totally prepared to stand out in any industry you choose,” she says.