Starting in the fall, MTSU will offer a new master’s degree in management geared toward professionals in the workforce looking to advance in their careers.

The Tennessee Board of Regents recently gave final approval for the Master of Science in Management program through the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. To complete the program, a student must finish 33 credit hours as well as complete a research project in partnership with an organization or nonprofit.

University Provost Brad Bartel described the new program as “a management degree for the real world.”

Dr. Brad Bartel

“We designed this degree to help employees develop skills they need to accelerate their careers,” Bartel said. “This will help position them for greater responsibilities and promotions.”

Bartel said students “will be exposed to real-life experiences, not just theory, and courses are offered at night, on weekends and online.”

The program offers three concentrations: not-for-profit management, supply chain management and organizational leadership. Applications are being accepted immediately and can be found at http://www.mtsu.edu/graduate/programs/mgmt.php.

Dr. Jill Austin, chair of the MTSU Department of Management and Marketing, noted that the concentrations were developed after the university researched the area’s workforce needs.

For example, a recent study by MTSU counted more than 2,000 nonprofits in the Midstate. The new program aims to help nonprofit managers, some of whom don’t have a strong business-oriented background, learn to think more strategically while managing the growth of their organizations.

“We talked to a number of students, we did surveys, and we talked to a number of business people about the needs they have and the skills they need from graduates,” Austin said.

Dr. Jill Austin

Students will be able to take six hours of courses in specific areas related to their career interests, said Daniel Morrell, director of the new degree program and an assistant professor.

For example, a healthcare professional may wish to take a course in healthcare management, or a law enforcement professional may wish to take courses in criminal justice.

The research project ties all of the program’s components together and allows the professionals to apply their new skills directly back to their current organizations by tackling an organizational issue while receiving the support and advice of faculty, Morrell said.

A limited number of assistantships will be awarded on a competitive basis each semester, with most covering the cost of tuition and most fees as well as providing a monthly stipend. The assistantships can be renewed up to two years.

For more information, contact Morrell at 615-494-7758, Dan.Morrell@mtsu.edu or Austin at 615-898-2736 or Jill.Austin@mtsu.edu. Or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/graduate/programs/mgmt.php.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)