School is in (Summer) Session

The halls of the Robins School have been livelier than usual this summer as the first cohort of the Master of Science in Management (MSM) program began class. The program was conceptualized to provide non-business majors with a comprehensive understanding of business fundamentals, emphasizing innovation and analytics used across top businesses worldwide. 

Courses span fields—from Operations and Supply Chain and Financial Modeling to Customer Centricity and Leading Teams for Innovative Change—and prepare graduates with an expanded worldview and the critical thinking capability a liberal arts education provides with the necessary technical skills of a business degree. 

Recent graduates from the University of Richmond, High Point University, Fairfield University, Hampden-Sydney College, and Lafayette live and learn at Richmond for the 12-month program. A robust professional development program complements day classes, including mentorship opportunities, career coaching, and workshops.

Lucy Yeomans earned a B.A. in English and philosophy from UR in May. She wanted to take advantage of another year of NCAA eligibility on the Richmond Swimming & Diving team. “The program is a perfect opportunity to round out my liberal arts studies,” she said. Yeomans looks forward to broadening her career prospects through the program. “I’ve always loved reading and writing, so I want to pursue what I enjoy,” she said. The on-campus daytime classes work well with her student-athlete schedule. 

The program is more than rigorous and instructive courses—students are encouraged to take advantage of professional development opportunities and mentor relationships.

Ross Miller is looking forward to learning and developing from these one-on-one mentorships. A recent graduate from Hampden-Sydney College, Miller studied government and history and considered a job in federal consulting or software sales.

“I felt like I lacked specific skills and areas of study from my undergraduate program,” he said. “It has been a very hands-on learning experience so far. The classes have been engaging, and the professors are invested in our success. The program will provide more career options for me.”

The program builds on students’ undergraduate backgrounds to help launch careers in the government, not-for-profit, and business sectors, and students' career plans vary, from law and medical school to finance and commercial real estate, among others.   

Rich Boulger, associate dean of graduate and executive development programs, led the program’s implementation and is excited students are already realizing its benefits. “We’re building skills that will prepare our graduates to not only get good jobs but be really competent on those jobs immediately.”

For more information about the MSM program, visit the website.