For MBA candidates who want to earn their degree part-time yet at a faster pace, Carnegie Mellon University announced in April that it will launch another program. The part-time accelerated MBA program at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, which Fortune ranks as a top business school, takes just 24 months to complete.
Carnegie Mellon’s new part-time MBA program can be completed eight months faster than its two options: a part-time online program and a part-time flex program, both of which clock in at 32 months. The part-time accelerated MBA program, which will launch in Fall 2022, is specifically designed for candidates who have undergraduate business coursework that can help them place out of certain classes.
“Our curriculum has an intensive core, which provides a solid foundation in business that is attractive to non-business majors and career switchers,” Tad Brinkerhoff, senior executive director of graduate programs, tells Fortune. “Our goal is to offer a shorter and more flexible degree for those with an academic background in business.”
Students accepted into the accelerated program will receive transfer credit for their undergraduate business courses, therefore reducing the number of units they need to complete during their MBA program. This also allows for less overlap between the MBA program and the candidate’s undergraduate major, Brinkerhoff explains, and lets students pursue elective courses earlier.
Carnegie Mellon targets business undergrads with new program
In order to pursue this fast-tracked MBA program, you must have taken courses in accounting, finance, marketing, microeconomics, and operations within the past seven years. Candidates also need about three to seven years of work experience under their belt to apply.
“As we continue to work toward a more intelligent future, flexible and accessible options are a priority for us at the Tepper School,” Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, dean of the Tepper School of Business, said in a statement announcing the program. “This new program provides a fast-track Tepper School MBA degree to propel graduates into the next levels of their careers.”
This new MBA track is also designed for working professionals who prefer to take courses online. By contrast, Carnegie Mellon’s flex MBA program allows students to take classes in-person or online—or a mix of both. The school also offers a traditional full-time MBA program, which can be completed in 21 months in Pittsburgh.
“The accelerated MBA is designed to attract a new audience to our MBA,” Brinkerhoff says. “Based on the format of our program, we anticipate interest from a national audience.”
Admissions standards for all of the programs are the same, according to Carnegie Mellon, and students even have the opportunity to switch program formats if needed. All Carnegie Mellon MBA programs are also STEM-focused and focus heavily on analytics.
“In order to solve the business challenges that lie ahead, you’ll need to be able to forecast, predict, and model solutions in the face of uncertainty,” according to Tepper’s curriculum information page. “You’ll need to develop your advanced analytics skills to stand out in today’s marketplace.”
See how the schools you’re considering landed in Fortune’s rankings of the best business analytics programs.
