UR offers new graduate program in management

The University of Richmond is offering a new one-year Master of Science in Management graduate program beginning July 5. 

The program, created for students with liberal arts degrees or concentrations in STEM, aims to provide an understanding of business fundamentals with a sub-focus on data analytics. There is no expectation of previous business coursework, according to the program's website. 

Students with only business degrees will not be accepted into the program, said Rich Boulger, associate dean for graduate and executive education programs.

“The hope for the program is that this provides the avenue to really good, early-career jobs for liberal arts students who choose to transition into business roles,” Boulger said. “And we define business broadly to be for profit, not for profit, and maybe even government.”

The program will be full-time and on-campus in day classes from July 2022 to June 2023. The second half of summer will focus on foundations in analytics and statistics, as well as a course in leadership; students will then enroll in four courses in the fall and spring semesters before an international experience in May and June. The international location is undetermined at this time, Boulger said. 

It is important for the students to recognize the commonalities and differences in how business is approached across the world, said Mickey Quiñones, dean of the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business. 

“I think we want them to be exposed to the world, and that there's more out there in terms of opportunities and ideas and talent,” he said. 

All courses will be taught by the business school faculty and there will be about 25-30 students in the program, Boulger said. 

“It'll really be a single cohort process where you'll march through all the courses with the same group of people,” he said. 

The courses provide students with foundational skills in business disciplines like accounting, finance, marketing and economics. There is a combination in each course where students will study the principles of the disciplines and apply them to a data set, he said. 

The program has been in the works since fall 2020, program manager Amanda Ennis said. 

“We saw a really high demand for students who are about to graduate or who just got out of college and wanting to do a graduate program at the University of Richmond and having limited options with that,” she said. 

UR’s Office of Alumni and Career Services is available to assist program students in the search for early career opportunities. Students can receive assistance with their resumes, cover letters, networking, mock interviews and more. 

The UR graduate programs also have an advisory board, whose members are alumni representing employers like the Federal Reserve, Altria and Capital One. Students have the option of receiving a one-on-one mentor from the advisory board or elsewhere in the alumni community, Boulger said.

Prospective students for classes beginning in July can apply online with a personal statement and two letters of recommendation — at least one from a faculty member. A personal interview will also be scheduled once the application is received. The Graduate Management Admission Test and Graduate Record Examinations are waived for the fall 2022 admissions cycle but submitted scores will be reviewed. 

“We think this dramatically enhances the attractiveness of liberal arts students to the job market,” Boulger said. 

Prospective students are encouraged to register for one of the upcoming virtual information sessions. 

Contact managing co-editor Ryan Hudgins at ryan.hudgins@richmond.edu.