Kelley School’s new Master of Science in Management degree offers practical skills in leadership and strategy

Kelley’s new Master of Science in Management degree is designed to enable any student — including those who studied the humanities, sciences, music, the arts, public health or other business-adjacent fields — to build upon their undergraduate degree knowledge.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Indiana University Kelley School of Business is offering a new residential master’s degree for recent college graduates who want to add management skills to their undergraduate education.

Kelley’s new Master of Science in Management degree is designed to enable any student — including those who studied the humanities, sciences, music, the arts, public health or other business-adjacent fields — to build upon their undergraduate degree knowledge through courses which emphasize business acumen and tangible business experience needed to advance in their career.

Richard Ash

“This new degree harnesses the diversity of career paths of students in the program, creating dynamic classroom environments where they will build on that knowledge and benefit from a multitude of perspectives. Students will learn from distinguished Kelley faculty about a range of industries,” said Richard Ash, clinical associate professor of management and entrepreneurship and program chair.

“Graduates will emerge from the program equipped with the skills and versatility needed to be successful in a wide range of roles and industries throughout their careers,” Ash added.

The degree at IU Bloomington can be completed in less than a year. Graduates gain a competitive advantage in the job market, accelerated progression to jumpstart their careers, and access to one of the world’s largest business school alumni networks.

“The Master of Science in Management degree opens up opportunities for students who have pursued both business or non-business undergraduate degrees, and now, want to add management, leadership, communications, and business strategy to their resume,” said Ash Soni, dean of the Kelley School and Sungkyunkwan Professor.

“We have created a degree that offers students a career path that is unique, competitive, and takes advantage of the best that Kelley has to offer,” Soni said. “Through this degree students will also gain connections to mentors, business leaders, and expert faculty who can support and guide them in their careers.”

The Master of Science in Management is 30 credits (over 10 months) for current Kelley students, including those minoring in business, and 36 credits (over 12 months) for non-Kelley students, who are required to take a 6-credit Business Foundations course.

Students can tailor their degree to fit to their unique career interests. Students can choose to study general management or select from one of three paths: strategy, leadership and human resources, or entrepreneurship.

In addition to the hands-on, real-world core coursework of this program, students can select from electives that will allow them to explore further other functional areas of business, including accounting, economics, finance, operations, and marketing. Their management courses will feature in-depth studies of organizational behavior, venture strategy, and creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations.

“The Master of Science in Management program builds on our legacy as a globally recognized and highly ranked Kelley School of Business,” Ash said. “Our program brings together students of various academic backgrounds and provides them with a platform that empowers them to successfully compete in their chosen field of study, drawing on the renowned excellence that defines Kelley.”

The application deadline for the inaugural class is March 1 for non-IU Bloomington graduates and March 15 for IU Bloomington students.

The Master of Science in Management joins four other degrees that are part of the school’s “+Kelley” graduate program, designed for students who want to jump start their careers by gaining in-demand business skills. They include master of science degrees in information systems, finance, accounting with data analytics, and healthcare management.