by Preston FoerSeptember 15, 2023, 8:37 p.m.
Photo of Kellogg School of Business on the campus of Northwestern University, courtesy of Getty Images.
From the break room to the boardroom, AI is becoming part of the daily discussions of companies large and small.
To meet growing business needs, many MBA programs offer ways for students to acquire increasingly important skills in generative AI and machine learning through coursework or program specializations.
But at Northwestern University, people with a strong interest in the field learn the core of business and technology validation throughout the school. MBAi program—Partnership between Kellogg School of Management and McCormick School of Engineering.
This joint degree is one of the only degrees of its kind where students take core MBA classes and applied computer science courses to help them become experts at the forefront of new technologies and their intersection with AI. is.
“If you’re interested in working at the intersection of business and technology and that excites you, if you want to learn how technology can enable business growth, consider our MBAi program. Why not take a look?” said director Eric Anderson. program.
Bridging the learning and talent gap
When the program first launched in fall 2021, one of its driving forces was to help fill the talent gap in the growing field of AI and machine learning and expand the workforce needed to solve business problems with computer science. The goal was to provide students with the tools they needed.
by world economic forumAI and machine learning specialists are one of the fastest growing job roles. Goldman Sachs expects to invest in AI It is expected to reach $200 billion by 2025.
Each MBAi cohort includes approximately 40-50 students and receives three applications each year. Those looking to advance in the MBAi program have broad backgrounds in technology and business, Anderson said.
Tiffany D’Souza is one example. Although she just graduated from the program, she had a previous medical background. For her, MBAi was a match made in heaven. In part, she says, it’s thanks to the technical courses specifically tailored to the degree.
“It was important to my mission to be someone at the intersection of business and technology,” she says. “So it was almost a certainty for me to apply for the MBA.”
Raisul Chaudhry is another example. Although he completed his degree last year, he entered the program with no technical background. At first he went through a learning curve, but he says it paid off in the end.
“Be open-minded and be prepared to push yourself out of your comfort zone. It’s going to be rewarding. You’ll be amazed at all the amazing things you can do during the life of the program. Be amazed. Be prepared,” Chaudhry says.
Chaudhry currently works at the intersection of data science and marketing at YouTube, and says the skills he learned during the MBAi program are used on a daily basis in his career. Months after his graduation, he still reviews some of his old lectures and notes to help with his current projects.
Within the current program cohort, class Constantly evolving to meet industry demands. Earlier this year, when generative AI like ChatGPT started gaining popularity, Apurva Gorti was enrolled in an AI Applications for Business course. In response, the class moved into researching its applications and implications.
“Then it was very relevant to everything we saw in the news, and for most of us who go into internships, the conversations that senior executives are having about whether the company should focus on AI or certain aspects. “I was able to understand that,” Golti said. luck.
Start preparing for jobs that don’t even exist yet
As fresh graduates, Chowdhury and Dsouza are well versed in navigating the job market. To their benefit, Chaudhry says that AI is in high demand and most people in the technology industry are actively working to acquire his AI skills.
“Is the market good or bad? It’s great. It’s beyond great,” says Chaudhry. luck. “This is probably the hottest topic within the technology industry.”
Approximately three-quarters of MBAi graduates find employment in the technology industry—Far more than any other Kellogg MBA graduate, only 20% or 30% of them go on to enter the technology field. But as technology skills become more prevalent across all industries, it may become important to focus on the role and not necessarily the company.
“I think this makes a big difference in terms of explaining what students are going to be working on. No,” Anderson added.
Students go on to work for organizations such as Vanguard, John Deere, and Home Depot. But for some, the role they will eventually fill doesn’t yet exist, and MBAi graduates are key to helping companies develop new product management technology teams or AI implementation teams, for example. Anderson says.
“If you find that stressful, MBAi is probably not for you,” Anderson says. “If you’re on the frontier and you’re energized by being a part of that change and being more entrepreneurial, it’s a really good fit.”