4 universities in the US nurturing a new generation of business leaders

The COVID-19 pandemic came with a suite of curveballs. At its peak, businesses learned to cope. However, in a post-pandemic world, they will learn to thrive. As companies emerge from the crisis, more are quickly realising that new capabilities are required to face both the digital and environmental future.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought forth technological advances many never thought would be possible, such as autonomous transport, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, machine learning, biotechnology and more. While we don’t know what else will emerge in the future, we know for a fact it will change the way we live and work. Some jobs will disappear, others will transform, and some that are currently unheard of will become commonplace. In order to keep up, business leaders will need a new set of skills that facilitates fresher approaches to finance, management, development and more. 

Tomorrow’s business leaders will need to change processes and practices to evolve the world. By being daring enough to change the “business of business”, many are fighting to protect human rights, preserve the environment, conduct ethical business and more. They’re fighting for a better future — despite not knowing what it entails. To follow in their footsteps, the right education is a common prerequisite. In the US, fours business schools have curriculums that provide just that:

Florida International University: Chapman Graduate School of Business

Rated exceptional by US News and World Report, Bloomberg Businessweek, CEO Magazine, Fortune Small Business, Hispanic Business and many others. Among the top 5% of elite business schools accredited by the AACSB. Driven by exceptional faculty members with PhDs and international business expertise. Culturally diverse with 30% of students being international. At the Chapman Graduate School of Business, these features catapult graduates to leadership roles in the global market.

universities in the US

Miami, Florida is often referred to as the “Wall Street South” for being home to over 1,000 multinationals. Source: Florida International University

The Master of Science in Finance exemplifies this best. Ranked sixth overall and first for “Value for Money” in 2018 by the Financial Times, it has a curriculum as in-depth as it is acclaimed. All it takes is a year for aspirants to cover crucial ground on emerging concepts, practices, and technology in the financial industry. It is also a University Affiliation Programme with the CFA Institute, offering excellent preparation for Level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst exam — a qualification that opens doors to a wide range of higher-level financial roles.

Its core courses include: corporate finance, quantitative methods in financial analysis, securities analysis, as well as financial markets and institutions, amongst  others. More specialised offerings include international banking, financial management, investments, or financial innovations. These are complemented with hands-on activities such as

@RISK, BARRA, Trade Station, Stock Trak, Pro Banker, and the Trading Game. The best part? This 36-credit programme can be completed online or onsite.

Taking the onsite route means you’ll be able to take in the picturesque wonders of Miami, Florida — also known as “Wall Street South” for being home to over 1,000 multinationals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Europe; a thriving international financial district; and influential government agencies. The city even has the largest concentration of domestic and international banks on the East Coast south of New York City. An active Career Services team connects actively recruiting Fortune 500 companies — and the many other opportunities Miami offers — with Chapman students. Interested? Click here to begin your journey to financial leadership.

University of California, Berkeley: Haas School of Business

The second-oldest business school in the US, the Haas School of Business has degree programmes that are consistently ranked among the world’s best. Around 2,300 undergraduate and postgraduate students come to California each year to join a network of over 41,000 graduates now thriving in a range of professions.

UC Berkeley is home to 1,600 faculty members who cover 350 degree programmes in 130 academic departments. Source: University of California, Berkeley

Haas boasts a different take on leadership, believing that the best leaders are the ones who are authentic, working with and through others to create unexpected solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Programmes such as the Full-time MBA, Evening & Weekend MBA, MBA for Executives, Master of Financial Engineering and more offer professionals the opportunity to gain a business education that will equip them to become sustainable leaders of tomorrow. 

A strong sense of culture, a campus located at the epicentre of the innovation economy, and a Nobel Prize-winning faculty — the Haas School of Business has been breaking barriers in business education since its beginnings that date all the way back to 1898. By choosing Haas, future experts will be able to enjoy interdisciplinary guidance from 1,600 faculty members who cover 350 degree programmes in 130 academic departments, and guide 80 interdisciplinary research units for a dynamic student body of 35,000.  

Fordham University: Gabelli School of Business

A Fordham business education comprises many elements other business schools can only try to replicate. Here, programmes nurture skills needed at the world’s biggest organisations: creative thinking, problem-solving, writing, and public speaking skills. Both its campuses are situated in New York, the world’s capital of commerce. It boasts a fully-global curriculum that is backed by study abroad options. At the finish line, its graduates join a loyal network of 40,000.

Here, every programme shares the same goal: to broaden bandwidths and advance careers. Source: Fordham University

The Gabelli School of Business offers a Full-Time MBA, a Professional MBA, and an Executive MBA. Those with a passion for tech could also opt for a STEM pathway in fintech, information systems, and accounting for both part-time and full-time MBA options. Those interested in a Master of Science could choose one of several concentrations that include accounting; applied statistics and decision-making; business analytics; global finance; health administration; information technology; management; marketing intelligence; media management; quantitative finance; or taxation. 

Across programmes, the goal remains the same: to broaden minds and advance careers. Another contributing factor to outstanding outcomes is immersion. Through Graduate Student Organisations, Fordham’s business students make friends, have fun, and build their résumés — enjoying events, club site visits, and leadership opportunities.

University of Texas, Dallas: Naveen Jindal School of Management

The Naveen Jindal School of Management is the largest of UT Dallas’s eight schools. When it comes to designing its programmes, corporate and industry needs come first. This ensures students receive rigorous training and the relevant skills for professional success. 

University of Texas, Dallas: Naveen Jindal School of Management

Programmes are offered at all levels from undergraduate to postgraduate and executive levels focusing on six areas of business specialisations such as Accounting, Finance and Managerial Economics, Information Systems, Marketing, Operations/Supply Chain Management and Organisations, Strategy and International Management.

US News & World Report ranks the school’s Full-Time MBA 33rd in the nation and 12th among public university programmes in the US. In the same ranking, the Part-Time Professional MBA (PMBA) programme comes in at 19th place nationally and ninth among public university programmes in the US. The school’s online graduate business programmes ranked sixth in the US News and World Report’s 2020 Best Online Graduate Business Programme rankings, as did its online MBA in the US News and World Report’s 2020 Best Online MBA Programme rankings.

With a broad array of internship and scholarship opportunities available, the opportunities for growth here are endless. With the Career Management Centre ever willing to help, students are supported and guided throughout their courses too. 

*Some of the institutions featured on this article are commercial partners of Study International