Additional Information for Advanced Degree Holders
The Rady School welcomes applications from individuals who have already undertaken advanced study in science, engineering, medicine and technology.
The ability to understand and evaluate both the business and technical dimensions of an innovation or discovery is rare—and the Rady School of Management is focused on growing the pool of leaders able to drive innovation forward by working across the boundaries between research and discovery. Deep knowledge of a scientific or technical field can, in combination with a rigorous MBA education focused on innovation, provide you with a launching pad for an exceptional career in industry sectors which are driving economic growth. Our student body, in both Full-Time and FlexMBA programs, includes unusually high numbers of people with advanced degrees. And early results in internships and post-MBA career opportunities demonstrate that these individuals are highly regarded by our business partners.
These Rady students are creating great futures for themselves—and they are enriching their classes, imparting information and perspective to classmates who have interest in these industry sectors, but less technical depth. They collaborate with classmates with other areas of expertise to create powerful project teams and they introduce non-scientific classmates to areas of knowledge that will become the next big products and the next big industries.
Career options for those with advanced degrees are multiple. Those with advanced degrees in the life sciences and a Rady MBA have had success in moving into business development roles, particularly in emerging or growing biotech or pharma companies. The combination of scientific and business skills is an asset in identifying, evaluating and pursuing appropriate alliances, joint ventures and other opportunities. Students with technical knowledge and strong business and leadership skills find they are able to add value quickly to start-up or emerging companies- their breadth of expertise allows them a range of action greater than what someone with only one part of this package can provide an organization.
Venture capital has also been an area where there is strong interest and strong student success. We see increasing interest from specialized investment banking and alternative finance organizations and specialized consulting firms, who value the sophisticated quantitative skills, the sector knowledge and the intellectual power of those with advanced degrees. And major corporations, especially in the technology sector, have shown interest in such students for roles in product management and strategic planning. The Rady career center, MBA Career Connections, works with students to help them to create bridges to a new career and is experienced in the opportunities and challenges which advanced degree holders may experience.
A number of students have come to Rady directly from postdocs in academic or industry settings or from other research roles. Others have chosen to pursue MBA study after moving from research roles to project management or business development positions. Either path can work: what we would want to understand from your application and admissions interview is why you believe now is the right time for you to make this move.
Please explore our Web site, join us for an information session or an online chat—or email us directly if you have questions. We would be delighted to Connect you with other students with similar profiles who can respond to questions and offer their perspectives on the Rady MBA experience.