From the breakroom to the boardroom, AI is part of everyday discussions at corporations small and large.
To meet the growing business need, many MBA programs are offering ways for students to gain increasingly essential skills in generative AI and machine learning through coursework and even program specializations.
Rethink AI and its potential to innovate in this 6-week online course from MIT Sloan.
Learn from experts with first-hand experience in implementing AI across industries.
Join a global network of thought leaders and innovators. Understand the changes required across your organization to drive successful AI adoption.
But at Northwestern, those with a keen interest in the field are learning at the heart of the inspection of business and technology through the school’s MBAi program—a partnership between the Kellogg School of Management and McCormick School of Engineering.
The joint degree is one of the only of its kind, where students take core MBA classes as well as applied computer science courses to help students become experts in the frontier of new tech and intersections with AI.
“If you’re interested in working at the intersection of business and technology, and that’s what excites you, if you want to see how technology enables business growth, the MBAi program is something for you to consider,” says Eric Anderson, director of the program.
Filling a learning and talent gap
When the program first launched in fall of 2021, part of the impetus was to help fill the talent gap within the growing fields of AI and machine learning and give students the tools they need to solve business problems with computer science.
According to the World Economic Forum, AI and machine learning specialists are among the fastest growing jobs, and Goldman Sachs expects investments in AI to reach $200 billion by 2025.
About 40 to 50 students are included in each MBAi cohort—with three application rounds each year. Those seeking to get ahead with the MBAi program come from a wide range of tech and business backgrounds, Anderson says.
Tiffany Dsouza is one example. She is recent program graduate, but she previously had a background in medicine. For her, the MBAi was a match made in heaven. In part, she says, because of the technical courses specifically tailored to the degree.
“What was critical to what my mission was being that person at that intersection of business and tech,” she says. “And so it was pretty much a slam dunk for me when applying to MBAs.”
Raisul Chowdhury is another example. He completed the degree last year, but joined the program with a non-technical background. While he experienced a learning curve initially, he says it paid off in the end.
“Come with an open mind, be ready to push yourself out of your comfort zone. It is going to be rewarding. You will surprise yourself in terms of all the amazing things that you can do over the lifetime of the program. Be ready to be surprised,” Chowdhury says.
Chowdhury now works at the intersection of data science and marketing at YouTube, and he says the skills he learned during the MBAi program are used on a daily basis in his career. Even months after graduating, he still reviews some of his old lectures and notes to help with his current projects.
Within the current program cohorts, classes are constantly evolving to demand in the industry. Earlier this year, Apurva Gorti was enrolled in an applied AI for business course when generative AI like ChatGPT started becoming increasingly popular. Correspondingly, the class shifted to study its applications and implications.
“It was so relevant to everything we saw in the news after that, for most of us going into our internships, we could understand the conversations that high level executives are having about whether or not the company should focus on AI and certain aspects,” Gorti tells Fortune.
Becoming prepared for jobs that don’t even exist yet
As recent graduates, Chowdhury and Dsouza are quite familiar with navigating the job market. To their benefit, Chowdhury says AI is very much in-demand, and within the tech industry, most people are actively working to build skills in AI.
“Is the market good or bad? It’s great. It’s beyond great,” Chowdhury tells Fortune. “This is probably the most hyped up topic within the tech industry.”
About three-fourths of MBAi graduates go on to careers in tech—far more than other Kellogg MBA graduates, of whom only 20% or 30% venture into the tech space. But as tech skills become more ubiquitous across all industries, looking at roles, and not necessarily the company, can be important.
“I think that’s a big difference in terms of explaining what our students are going to go into. They want to go into technology, but not necessarily in just a stereotypical tech firm,” Anderson adds.
Students have gone on to work at organizations like Vanguard, John Deere, and Home Depot. But for some, the roles they’ll end up at do not even exist yet, Anderson says, so MBAi graduates will be key to aiding companies in developing new product management technical or AI implementation teams, for example.
“If you find that stressful, MBAi is probably not a good fit,” Anderson says. “If you’re invigorated by being sort of at the frontier, being part of that transformation, and being a lot more entrepreneurial—it’s a really good fit.”
AI & Data Science Certificate
Master Python, AI, and data science with expert-led training to launch your tech career.
Become a skilled data science and AI professional with the AI & Data Science Certificate. Designed by industry experts, this program offers hands-on training in Python, SQL, automation, and AI integration. Master essential skills in data manipulation, advanced querying, and AI-driven problem-solving. Tailor your learning with advanced Python techniques to enhance your coding capabilities.
