Harvard Business School and Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences launch new joint master’s degree program

BOSTON and CAMBRIDGE—(TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017) Harvard Business School (HBS) and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) announced today a new joint master’s degree program. The two-year, full-time program, which will confer both a Master of Science in Engineering Sciences and a Master of Business Administration (MS/MBA), begins in August 2018.

Designed to train future leaders of technology ventures, the program will provide a strong foundation in general management, build design skills, and extend students’ understanding of engineering. Prospective students must have an undergraduate degree in engineering, computer science or a related technical field and at least two years of full-time work experience. The program will leverage existing HBS and SEAS curricula, as well as several new courses designed and taught jointly by faculty from both schools.

“Finding effective solutions to the most daunting challenges calls for thinking across the boundaries of disciplines,” said HBS Dean Nitin Nohria, the George F. Baker Professor of Administration. “The faculty who created this program designed it specifically to bridge the divide between engineering and business for aspiring leaders in the tech sector who want to drive and manage innovation throughout their organizations.”

“This is a truly collaborative endeavor between HBS and SEAS,” said Frank Doyle, dean of SEAS and the John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “The expansion of SEAS to a state-of-the-art science and engineering complex across the street from HBS presents a compelling opportunity to leverage the resources of our schools. This collaborative program will meet the needs of an increasingly technology-driven world, in which breakthrough solutions to societal problems require deep knowledge of both engineering and business.”

The program spans four semesters, augmented by additional summer and January term coursework. In the first year of the program, students will take a System Engineering course that emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to analyzing complex systems, as well as the HBS MBA Required Curriculum, which conveys concepts and builds skills across disciplines relevant to general management, including marketing, organizational behavior and finance. In the second year, students will take electives at each school. The program also features three new design courses that emphasize learning-by-doing and build students’ skills with human-centered design and lean experimentation methods.

As graduate students in SEAS, students will be formally enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and enjoy the benefits of affiliation with this vibrant academic community. Harvard master’s students join a cohort of innovative thinkers who seek to answer fundamental questions, advance new knowledge, and develop creative modes of inquiry in an interdisciplinary environment.

To gain admission to the MS/MBA program, students must:

• Hold an engineering, computer science, or related undergraduate degree, with a record of outstanding academic achievement;
• Have at least two years of full-time work experience, ideally in designing and/or developing technology-intensive products;
• Meet the criteria for admission to both the HBS MBA program and the SEAS MS program.

“We are looking for individuals who want to balance their passion for engineering and innovation with a deep understanding of management and leadership,” said Chad Losee, Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at HBS. “The students we are seeking have already distinguished themselves technically; this program will help propel them into leadership roles.”

The inaugural MS/MBA cohort will matriculate in August 2018. Candidates for the MS/MBA can apply in either Round 1 (September 6, 2017 application submission deadline) or Round 2 (January 3, 2018 deadline) to matriculate with the first cohort in August 2018. College seniors must apply in April (April 10, 2018 deadline) for “2+2” deferred admission. More details about the application process can be found here.

Interested students can receive updates on the program by indicating their interest in the MS/MBA here.

If you have questions, please email: msmba@hbs.edu.