Simon Business School Receives STEM Designation for MBA

MBA Blog / 17th August 2018

Simon Business School at the University of Rochester has received a STEM designation for its full-time MBA program, and is the first MBA program in the country where a STEM option is available for every specialization.

“Because our curriculum is heavily weighted toward quantitative analysis, we felt this made a lot of sense for our students,” said Andrew Ainslie, dean of the Simon Business School. “We strongly believe in teaching tomorrow’s leaders how to use data to make better business decisions,” said Ainslie. “Data analysis has been at the cornerstone of what Simon has been doing for decades, and we like to think this designation is recognition of a ‘job well done.'”

The STEM MBA reflects today’s business needs—the ability to parse and analyze data and make better business decisions is increasingly important in the C-suite.

“The trend we are seeing from both domestic and international students is a desire for a STEM-focused program,” said Rebekah Lewin, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid. “Recruiters will like this because students are hired with a baseline of knowledge that impacts a company’s bottom line. Students like this because it helps them open additional doors for their careers.” 

For international students, a STEM designation helps a student transition to the workforce in the United States. Students receive an additional 24 months for a total of 36 months of optional practical training (OPT), which helps to bridge the gap between a student visa and a work visa if they secure a STEM-eligible role.

The STEM MBA option will be available for all full-time MBA students starting this fall.