Not ready for the rough job market? New W. P. Carey School degrees may help

Starting out in the real world after college may seem especially daunting right now, given the rough job market. The W. P. Carey School of Business is offering a fast, new way for those who didn’t major in business as undergraduates to make themselves more marketable to employers.

The new nine-month Master of Science in Management (MiM) will help new grads to complement their existing knowledge from other fields with a basic business foundation. The MiM program shows students with liberal arts, engineering and other degrees how to best apply their undergraduate education and skills to the business world.

“Whether you choose to work for a major corporation, a nonprofit or a small business, this program will enhance your credentials for a job search and help you apply your undergraduate education to your career,” said Amy Hillman, executive dean of the school. “Also, if you want to start your own company, the master’s in management will give you the business overview to help you succeed. For example, someone who majored in art as an undergrad may want to open a gallery, or an engineer may want to start his or her own firm. This will assist.”

MiM students will take courses in leadership, as well as the fundamentals of accounting, economics, finance, marketing, statistics and supply chain management. The entire program is designed to help students approach business challenges strategically and to give them an edge in job searches. A business-consulting capstone class is included, during which students help a real company with a real problem.

The MiM program is being added to an already strong lineup of graduate programs from the prestigious W. P. Carey School of Business. The school’s full-time MBA and evening MBA programs are ranked Top 30 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school’s executive MBA program is ranked No. 13 in the world by The Wall Street Journal.

Applications for the inaugural MiM class are being accepted for fall 2012. More information is available at wpcarey.asu.edu/mim.

In addition, the W. P. Carey School just unveiled two new undergraduate degrees this semester. They are being added to the school’s popular Bachelor of Arts in Business offerings – all of which combine a traditional high-caliber business degree with a concentration in another field. The new concentrations are in statistics and global leadership.

“The field of statistics offers relatively high salaries and a growing number of jobs right now,” said Kay Faris, associate dean of undergraduate programs for the W. P. Carey School of Business. “If you want to be a financial analyst, an actuary or a market researcher, among other occupations, this degree should really help. Those who take the global leadership concentration will get a great background in international politics and cultures, including a Spanish course specifically for business use.”

Both new concentrations are being offered at ASU’s West campus beginning this semester. The W. P. Carey School already has four other undergraduate degree programs at the West campus: accountancy, management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business with either a communication or a sustainability concentration. Additional degrees are available at ASU’s other campuses.

For more information on the degrees available through the school’s highly ranked undergraduate program, visit wpcarey.asu.edu/undergraduate.