How Katz Is Changing The MBA Experience

Katz students are part of one of the most diverse MBA programs in the United States

In an interview with Poets&Quants last April, you talked about your first orders of business would be “maintaining the momentum” with faculty by getting them the support and resources. When you look out at the next two years, what are some of the areas in the MBA program where you’re going to be prioritizing and what would success look like in those areas?

I think that success is achieving the goals I mentioned earlier. With respect to the MBA program, we have a strategy. We have a philosophy. We don’t need to invent a whole bunch of new stuff. Actually, the one priority that I will be pushing much further for the MBA program is more of a focus on globalization in the sense of providing a more significant global experience for every one of our full-time MBA students.

We’re not at that level quite yet – and the reason we’re not there yet is because of the way I define “significant” – something that really gets them into a global situation where they’re problem solving as a group and really mimicking the kind of global challenges they would see in the world of business as closely as possible. By that, I mean possibly being in the country where you’re solving that global business problem or being in the kind of firm facing that kind of problem. It might even be in Pittsburgh, but with a global network that’s looking at a global business problem.

Other than ratcheting up the global element, the rest of what we’re doing – experiential-based learning, soft skills development and how to assess these programs and make sure they’re working right or figuring out where to improve them – that’s essentially continuing the old agenda with just laser-like focus because it worked for us in the last few years under Dean Delaney. And that’s the momentum that I don’t want to lose. If you have a strategy that’s working, you want to amplify it. You don’t want to suddenly switch away from all of that.

These days, you have critics claiming that the MBA is a relic with little relevance in a startup, mashup world. Let say some random guy comes up and asks why an MBA is a great value in today’s business climate. How would you respond?

Katz Dean Arjang Assad

I don’t want to be cute about this, but if that random fellow approaches me with that kind of question, I want to see what that person’s career objective is and what he expects to get out of an MBA. Because we admit only 22% of applicants, for 78% the answer is may be no. Maybe the MBA is not for you. Maybe another MBA is for you – or maybe another degree like our MS program is more appropriate.

What do you intend to get out of the program? The question has to be at the start of anything. Any student who wants to join an MBA program has to be completely frank with themselves and say, “Why am I joining an MBA program? Have I considered the alternatives? What do I expect to get out of it that I wouldn’t get out of another program?

I think that’s a good starting point, to see where their investment of time and money goes. I don’t want to give a glib answer to that and say an MBA is a great degree and you should just jump in and you’ll find it to be great. In some cases, it may not be the best choice.

The MBA, as I see it, is still the only degree that I know of that provides you with a general management education. That means if you’re not thinking of specializing in just one aspect of management, the MBA is the only degree that’ll give you the additional skills you need to work in cross-functional areas and propel yourself into leadership because of the kind of training that we provide. It’s ultimately focused on how do I work within a business organization,

I always ask, what does a chemist learn? They learn how to work with materials or chemicals. They’re in the world of, let’s say molecules. We’re in the world of, how do business units function? How do enterprises tick? And I don’t know of another degree that provides that.

Will the MBA always have its critics? Yes. Is the world getting more complicated? Absolutely! That’s why we need to innovate. There will always be a place for an MBA degree – it’s just there will be a lot of alternatives alongside the MBA that appeal to people who have a different objective.

For some, it may not be the best choice. And that’s the only way you build a good program: Making sure there is a good fit between the program and the applicant – and ultimately what that candidates thinks the program will add value.

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