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If you have a knack for technology and aspire to take leadership roles in a fast-evolving business environment, a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - Master of Business Administration or STEM MBA is the best option for you.
STEM MBAs are intended to cater to enterprises that require business leaders with a good understanding of innovative technologies, creativity, and data analysis. They also offer elective courses to address the need for technological knowledge of managers of different industries.
At A Glance
STEM means Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM MBA refers to the integration of technology and analytics into the core curriculum leading to a master’s degree in entrepreneurial management. It is an interdisciplinary management curriculum that is blended with science, engineering, and technology know-how.
A STEM undergraduate degree leads to numerous work opportunities but with a STEM MBA, students of traditional or online programs learn to apply advanced technological and scientific principles in solving many complex problems.
The Best 20 STEM MBA Programs
01Harvard Business School
MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences MS/MBA: Biotechnology
The MS/MBA degree programs of Harvard are jointly offered by HBS and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. It is designed for innovators who aspire to be at the forefront of innovative entrepreneurial and technology ventures.
HBS understands that the modern business world needs entrepreneurs and trailblazers with good knowledge of management and technology. The university meets this need by developing the student’s knowledge and skills in technology and preparing them for leadership roles in technology.
02Stanford Graduate School of Business
MSx or MBA Program
The MSx and MBA degrees of Stanford GSB are STEM-designated programs. It signifies the university’s commitment to fulfilling the educational needs of its international student population and promoting solutions to global problems based on relevant, research-based data.
The MSx is a full-time accelerated one-year, full-time program designed for current leaders and entrepreneurs with at least eight years of work experience. It is a one-year study that offers a deep understanding of the field for career advancement or entrepreneurial success.
The MBA on the other hand is a general management degree designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to make a successful career in management. It is a two-year program that doesn’t require applicants to have a minimum number of years of work experience.
03The Wharton School - University of Pennsylvania
STEM Master of Business Administration
If you are interested in acquiring a STEM degree, six of Wharton’s major graduate courses in business administration are designated as STEM majors. These majors with STEM electives can equip you with knowledge and skills to tackle responsibilities that require adeptness in commerce, management, and technology.
Wharton’s STEM is beneficial to enrollees from other countries because it allows them to obtain a 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension to their 12-month practical training. This means when their application is approved, an international student can stay in the US for 36 months after graduation.
04Columbia Business School
Master of Business Administration
On March 5, 2020, CBS, which emphasizes the value of diversity and analytics, announced that it has received STEM designation for both itsMBA and EMBA curriculums.
The STEM designation is a major enhancement to the university’s graduate entrepreneurial management programs. It can provide you with the knowledge and skills you will need to thrive in rapidly evolving, data-driven industries.
The designation also allows STEM enrollees from foreign countries to train in the US for three years after graduation, by an approved F-1 visa.
05MIT Sloan School of Management
Two-Year Full-time Master of Business Administration
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management is known globally not only for its world-class education but because of its flair for invention, innovation, and dedication to infusing analytics into its management curricula.
The school’s entrepreneurial management program earned its STEM designation in 2019.
06University of Chicago Booth
Master of Business Administration
The University of Chicago’s Booth School has four fully STEM-certified Master of Business Administration programs. It reinforces the university’s MBAs that are dedicated to providing you with strong leadership and business fundamentals which include a profound understanding of accounting, statistics, economics, sociology, psychology, and analytics.
07Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management
Master of Business Administration Programs
The Full-Time, Evening, and Weekend Master of Business Administration programs of Kellogg School of Management are STEM-designated degree programs, and it is inviting eligible non-US citizen students to take part in the university’s graduate degree programs in commercial management.
Each one of Kellog’s STEM MBAs provides you with options that enable you to attain educational and professional success. They are interdisciplinary and equip you with knowledge and the ability to develop solutions to complex organizational problems.
08Duke University’s Fuqua School
Management Science and Technology Management (MSTeM)
The Management Science and Technology Management (MSTeM) at Duke University’s Fuqua is one of the first STEM-certified MBAs in the US. These programs prepare you for leadership roles in many industries and provide you with a good understanding of commercial, technological, leadership, and business skills that you’ll need to make complex business decisions. The MSTeM degree prepares you for leadership roles in industries including:
- Health
- Consulting
- Technology
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Entrepreneurship
The degree also provides qualified international students with the opportunity for practical training in the US for 36 months via STEM OPT.
09University of California Berkeley’s Haas
Master of Business Administration
The University of California Berkeley Haas is among the first business schools in the US to receive STEM designation for its graduate degree programs. The university announced this development on November 14, 2019. It makes current students from other nations eligible to apply for an additional 24-month visa extension after graduation.
All the entrepreneurial management programs of UC Berkeley Haas are stem-designated. They are intended to provide you with the knowledge and capability to drive organizations forward effectively.
10Yale University
Master of Business Administration
Yale University’s School of Management offers several management courses including Data Analytics and Technology, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Strategy, the new Management Science concentration, and many more.
Its STEM-designated Master of Business Administration curriculum is designed to provide you with a rigorous study of the vital aspects of modern commerce. As part of its admissions process, it also allows enrollees with F-1 visas to qualify for a 24-month OPT extension to their 12-month post-graduation training.
The university announced the STEM designation of its school of management degree programs on March 16, 2020.
11Dartmouth College - Tuck
Management Science and Quantitative Analysis
On January 17, 2020, Tuck announced that it is offering Management Science and Quantitative Analysis to its graduate students in business. It is a STEM-designated master’s degree that will benefit enrollees because it focuses on the technical aspects of operating an enterprise.
This STEM major is a useful addition to the traditional entrepreneurial management curriculum. It enhances your qualifications and increases your chances for professional success.
International candidates who add Management Science and Quantitative Analysis to their advanced management education are qualified for a 24-month extension to their STEM OPT stint.
12New York University Stern
Two-year Full-time MBA Tech MBA
On January 28, 2020, New York University’s Stern School announced that its two-year Full-time Master of Business Administration program has been STEM-designated. The university further said that the STEM will start at the beginning of the spring semester which was on February 3 of the same year.
The STEM designation signifies the integration of analytics and technology into the school’s existing graduate management curriculum.
But Stern’s two-year Full-time MBA isn’t the only STEM-designated syllabus of the university. Its Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA also earned a STEM designation in May 2019.
13University of Michigan Ross
MBA with Specialization in Management Science
The University of Michigan Ross designs its Specialization in Management Science for individuals with interest and aspiration to pursue a career that requires a combination of advanced management and technical education.
14Cornell SC Johnson College
Full-time Master of Business Administration
Cornell Johnson has three Full-time STEM-designated MBA programs, the university announced on April 24, 2020.
Two-Year Management Science - this degree explores several facets of interdisciplinary ventures. It immerses you in leadership, management, technology, and experiential learning.
- One-Year Management Science - it is an accelerated program designed for enrollees who wish to expand and enhance their professional experience with more leadership and business skills.
- Johnson Cornell Tech MBA - an advanced business education program designed to develop the student’s skills and make them competent in the digital age. It includes computer science, leadership, and engineering courses in its curriculum.
International applicants who enroll in any of the three STEM MBA curricula of Cornell Johnson on an F-1 visa are qualified to apply for a STEM OPT of up to 36 months.
15Carnegie Mellon University - Tepper
STEM Master of Business Administration
The STEM MBA of Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School is an interdisciplinary program consisting of a blend of management, financial, technology, and science disciplines. It offers a valuable experience focused on meeting the complexity and challenges of modern businesses.
It infuses technology into its entrepreneurial management curricula to meet the challenges and demands of an evolving marketplace.
16University of California in Los Angeles Anderson
Master of Business Administration
On June 16, 2020, the University of California in Los Angeles Anderson announced that its three MBAs have been STEM-certified. This development makes UCLA Anderson one of a few business schools to offer STEM-designated graduate degrees in entrepreneurial management.
UCLA Anderson’s full-time Master of Business Administration program leads you closer to your career objectives, whether it’s career advancement, career exploration, or career transition. It also provides you with a deep knowledge of entrepreneurship.
17The University of Texas at Austin - McCombs
Master of Business Administration
On December 17, 2020, the University of Texas at Austin - McCombs announced that it has obtained STEM certification for 14 of its 22 MBA concentrations. These are:
- Information Systems Management
- Supply Chain & Operations Management
- Business Analytics
- Brand & Product Management
- High Tech Marketing
- Marketing Analytics & Consulting
- General Finance
- Corporate Accounting
- Investment Management
- Corporate Finance
- Energy Finance
- Clean Tech
- Private Equity
- Real Estate Finance
The areas of focus involved in the STEM concentrations include Information Technology and Management, Data Analysis, and Technology Commercialization.
Your two years of advanced studies at the University of Texas at Austin - McCombs will offer you opportunities for transformation and growth. It aims to develop and hone your skills, broaden your professional network, and boost your leadership skills to provide you with a promising career.
18Arizona State University W.P. Carey School
Full-time Master of Business Administration
The full-time, STEM-designated full-time master of entrepreneurial management administration program at W.P. Carey School is designed to equip you with skills and technical competencies that allow you to attain your professional goals.
W.P. Carey’s STEM MBA program unlocks your leadership potential and helps you discover tools to become an effective leader of an organization.
19Babson College
MBA with a Quantitative Finance Concentration MBA with a Business Analytics & Machine Learning Concentration
Babson College has two STEM-designated MBA programs. These are:
MBA with a Quantitative Finance Concentration
This STEM MBA program focuses heavily on financial modeling and programming. It helps you to develop fundamental and critical thinking skills to analyze the financial market.
It prepares you for a promising career in asset management, investment banking, risk management, financial engineering, and other businesses in the financial services sector.
MBA with a Business Analytics & Machine Learning Concentration
The STEM MBA with a concentration in Analytics and Machine Learning prepares you for a fruitful career in technology, finance, professional services, and many other industries.
The learning and experience you’ll get from your advanced commercial analysis courses will help you become a prudent leader with the capability to create operational breakthroughs and make informed business decisions.
20Brigham Young University Marriott School
Management Science and Quantitative Methods - STEM Management
The BYU Marriot School announced that it was offering a new STEM-designated specialization: Management Science and Quantitative Methods-STEM Management that began in the Fall 2021 semester.
BYU further stated that their new STEM specialization is available to Master of Business Administration aspirants who may be interested in adding technical knowledge and skills to their graduate business management degree.
21Georgetown University McDonough
Full-time MBA Flex MBA
In a press release dated August 6, 2021, Georgetown University - McDonough announced the addition of a STEM-designated Management Science Major to its Full-time and Flex MBA programs.
The MSM intends to provide McDonough MBA students with a good preparation for technology focused on the business and industrial sectors. The university’s decision to add STEM to its MBA curriculum addresses the rising demand for tech-savvy MBA graduates.
McDonough’s Management Science Major allows students who hold F-1 visas to apply for the 36-month STEM OPT in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a traditional MBA and STEM MBA?
Traditional MBA programs offer purely business-oriented curricula, while STEM MBA programs require students to possess a substantial understanding of technology and build on this knowledge to train students to use it in a commercial setting.
You can consider a STEM MBA as a cross between a traditional MBA and an MS degree program.
What are the salient benefits of pursuing a STEM MBA program?
Undeniably, having a STEM MBA degree offers more benefits than the traditional MBA. Here are the popular advantages:
- Full Utilization of Existing Technical Knowledge
- Added Competitiveness in the Job Market - Even students with foreign citizenship who wish to get employed in the US are attracted to the top STEM MBA programs.
- Greener Pastures
- Three-year Optional Practical Training for International Students
Is earning an MBA in a STEM-focused topic a wise decision?
Yes, earning an MBA in a STEM-focused topic can be a wise decision, especially if you are looking to transition into a career in a STEM field. An MBA can provide you with the management and leadership skills necessary to excel in a STEM career.
Additionally, the specific knowledge and technical skills gained from studying a STEM-focused MBA can be invaluable in any field.
Key Takeaways
If you are a professional with existing knowledge or a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, you certainly have an edge over your non-STEM peers should you decide to pursue an MBA program.
A vast number of companies from different industries seek STEM MBA holders because of the additional skills and services they can offer and the results they can deliver.
