{"73771":{"#nid":"73771","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Enrollment Rising in MBA Dual Degree Program","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDominic DePasquale\u0027s search for the right graduate school was greatly simplified by how few institutions offered what he wanted - the ability to earn an MBA and master\u0027s degree in aerospace engineering at the same time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the Graduate Management Admission Council, only two percent of the approximately 1,400 MBA programs in America offer a dual-degree program of any kind. While some schools have only recently begun offering this option as student demand for competitive edge grows, the College of Management has had a dual-degree program for more than twenty years.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough the business school\u0027s Technology Leadership Program, which is rapidly growing in popularity, students like DePasquale can earn two graduate degrees almost as fast as it takes to earn one. The MBA can be paired with a degree from any other graduate program at Tech. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDePasquale saw the doors that having two graduate degrees could open while working in the aerospace industry for two years prior to starting at Tech. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s not hard for an aerospace engineer to rise as a technical manager, but to move into business operations and development, a background in business is very useful,\u0022 he says. \u0022It\u0027s rare that you find people strong in both areas.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDePasquale, who\u0027s due to finish both of his degrees in May 2006, says his combined studies haven\u0027t been as difficult as they might seem, thanks to the Technology Leadership Program\u0027s flexibility. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The administration and faculty in both schools at Georgia Tech have been extremely accommodating and helpful,\u0022 he says. \u0022There are mature processes in place that make enrolling and studying in the Technology Leadership Program hassle-free.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough DePasquale knew from the get-go that he wanted to earn two degrees simultaneously, many master\u0027s and doctoral students don\u0027t learn of the dual-degree option until after they\u0027ve begun their graduate studies, says Paula Wilson, director of MBA admissions at the College of Management. Some decide to add the MBA to their agenda when they learn that they can earn both degrees in seventy to seventy-six course hours versus the ninety-plus hours required if the degrees weren\u0027t consolidated. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Several years ago, we would enroll only four or five dual-degree students a year,\u0022 Wilson says. \u0022Today a third of our MBA students are pursuing dual degrees. Enrollment in the Technology Leadership Program surged once the name of the master\u0027s in management was changed to MBA in 2002. The MBA program\u0027s rise in the rankings has also generated a lot of interest. The word is getting out.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERicardo Campbell was halfway through earning his master\u0027s degree in physics at Tech when he realized that he was more interested in technology-related entrepreneurship than conducting physics research professionally. So he knew enrolling in the MBA program was the way to go. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A lot of people think physics and business are a strange mix,\u0022 says Campbell, who earned his master\u0027s in physics in May 2004 and is due to finish his MBA in December. \u0022But IBM saw the value and said it\u0027s a great combination.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter interning at IBM last summer, he accepted a full-time position with the computer giant that he\u0027ll start after graduation. Campbell, who focused on nanomaterials while in the physics program, will continue to draw upon his scientific background as he helps IBM explore new business opportunities, like nanotechnology, as a member of the company\u0027s market intelligence division. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A large part of my job surveying the marketplace will involve looking at companies who are very technical in nature and being able to understand their end products\u0085.,\u0022 he says. \u0022Having wonderful business skills to complement my technical education is a tremendous asset going out into the workforce.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nPeople interested in enrolling in the Technology Leadership Program can attend an information session at 6:30 p.m. November 10 in the Georgia Tech Student Center (Room 301). To register, visit the Technology Leadership Program Website \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/mgt.gatech.edu\/programs\/mba\/dual.html\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/mgt.gatech.edu\/programs\/mba\/dual.html\u003C\/a\u003E or call 404-894-8722.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Brad Dixon, College of Management\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, only two percent of the approximately 1,400 MBA programs in America offer a dual-degree program of any kind.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"MBA can be paired with any graduate degree at Tech"}],"uid":"27301","created_gmt":"2005-11-07 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:02:23","author":"Elizabeth Campell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2005-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2005-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"73772":{"id":"73772","type":"image","title":"Dominic DePasquale","body":null,"created":"1449178020","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:00","changed":"1475894678","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:38"}},"media_ids":["73772"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/mgt.gatech.edu\/programs\/mba\/dual.html","title":"Dual Degree Programs"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}