IBS BA/MBA Program for Brandeis Undergraduates 

The BA/MBA dual degree program allows Brandeis graduates with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree to complete the IBS MBA at an accelerated pace, and without a break in their studies. IBS offers this dual degree in cooperation with the School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) at Brandeis. Students will complete their BA or BS in one of the majors offered by A&S before enrolling in the MBA program at IBS.

The IBS MBA normally consists of two years of full-time study at the graduate level, and admittance normally requires at least two years of work experience after college. Through the BA/MBA dual degree program, we will admit an elite cohort of Brandeis students who will enter our MBA program upon graduation and then complete the degree in just three added semesters of graduate study.

This new option is available starting with the MBA class entering in Fall 2013. Students may apply for the program in or after their senior year at Brandeis. Applications are being accepted now for entry next Fall; the application deadline is May 1st, 2013.

Further information on how to apply is here.

General information on the IBS MBA Program is here.

Structure of the BA/MBA Program

For this program, IBS will consider specific types of undergraduate experiences among the qualifications for admittance and will count certain undergraduate courses for credit toward the MBA degree itself. The main features of the program are as follows:

• Aside from academic performance, the Admissions Office will also evaluate whether the student has acquired a minimum amount of part- or full-time work experience during or before college, and has shown a level of professional maturity consistent with the standards of the IBS MBA.
• Once the student is enrolled in the MBA, IBS will count 16 credits from Brandeis undergraduate studies towards the MBA. The list of undergraduate courses that will be counted towards the MBA is linked here for the BA/MBA-Science and here for the BA/MBA-Liberal Arts (see below for explanation of these tracks).
• The remaining 48 credits required for the MBA will be earned during the following three semesters. The BA/MBA student will take core courses and electives in the normal IBS MBA curriculum, although specific undergraduate courses in Business and Economics may allow exemptions from certain MBA requirements.
• Students in the BA/MBA program can pursue any of the IBS Specializations that fit their goals and schedule. Further information on the Specializations available at IBS is here.
• BA/MBA students will be coached and supported to help them gain further work experience through part- and full-time internships.

The Two Tracks in the BA/MBA Program

The BA/MBA will focus on two distinct streams of students, each with slightly different requirements for entry and for completion of the MBA:

The BA/MBA-Science is intended for Brandeis graduates earning a Bachelor of Science in any major or a Bachelor of Arts in any field of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM). Aside from such a background in the sciences, admittance will normally require the completion of at least two entry-level undergraduate Business or Economics courses, and two undergraduate courses dealing with the applications of a science. Work or professional-level experience in a lab or business will be valuable. The admissions process will also require a Curriculum Vitae, three letters of reference (one from a supervisor at work, and two from Brandeis faculty), personal essays, a personal interview, and GMAT or GRE scores from a test taken before or after application.

The BA/MBA-Liberal Arts is intended for Brandeis graduates in other Liberal Arts fields, who often will also be majoring or minoring in Business. Admittance will normally require the completion of at least four advanced courses in Business or Economics. Serious work or professional-level experience is required, and will normally amount to at least two or three internships done during the summer or part-time during the school year. The admissions process will also require a Curriculum Vitae, three letters of reference (one from a supervisor at work, and two from Brandeis faculty), personal essays, a personal interview, and GMAT or GRE score from a test taken before or after application.

What careers will the BA/MBA prepare me for?

The BA/MBA dual degree program prepares graduates for the same sorts of long-term careers as the normal MBA Program at IBS. Job placement following the MBA will, as always, also depend on the candidate’s experience before entering the MBA program at IBS. The science background of BA/MBA-Science students will therefore be critical to their success in the MBA job market following graduation, as will the work experience of BA/MBA Liberal Arts students. For example:

• We expect BA/MBA-Science graduates with Life Science backgrounds to be prepared for jobs in business development, marketing and sales, and product development in biotech and pharmaceutical firms; those with Computer Science backgrounds will likely target similar functions in the Information Technology industry. Other trajectories in science-based businesses are possible, of course, in materials science, engineering, and so on.
• BA/MBA-Liberal Arts graduates will be best prepared for generalist jobs in consulting, finance, and business, depending, again, on their specific prior experience and on any special fields they pursued in their studies. BA/MBA-Liberal Arts students are strongly encouraged to pursue one or more of the Specializations at IBS, to differentiate themselves in the MBA job market.

The Hiatt Career Center is a great place for undergraduate students to explore career options. Information it offers online and in person can help in deciding if an MBA is the right next step, given your career interests. In particular, the “Vault Guides” series (available through Hiatt) has volumes on specific industries, such as the “Vault Guide to Biotech Careers.” Visit the Hiatt webpage here and go see them in person in Usdan 15.

How can I learn more about the BA/MBA Program and the IBS MBA Program?

The BA/MBA Program is new, so we encourage all interested students to seek advice from Admissions Counselors. They will help students evaluate if they qualify for the program and advise on how to apply. Contact the IBS Admissions office here.

Students in the BA/MBA Program, will be required to complete (or exempt out of) the core requirements of the IBS MBA, and become part of the MBA cohort and all its activities. Further information on the IBS MBA Program is here.