By Liese Hutchison
Not looking for an MBA, but still interested in getting a master’s degree? Look no further, numerous master’s programs are available through the region’s institutes of higher learning.
“People want a broad-based education,” notes Don Brennan, Ph.D., associate provost for research and dean of the graduate school at Saint Louis University. “Some are pursuing degrees for their own enlightenment, some are retired executives fulfilling what they’ve wanted to do for a long time and some are looking for non-MBA programs to help them in their fields.”
At Saint Louis University, master’s programs that can be oriented toward the business professional include communication, organizational psychology, economics and international business. Dozens of other options are available as well, including urban affairs, public administration and health administration.
Degrees that may not result in job advancement, but are enlightening or fulfilling to the student include art, history, English and American studies. Certificate programs are also available in renaissance, medieval and rhetorical studies.
At Washington University’s University College, two master’s programs are popular with business executives—International Affairs and Liberal Arts. According to Anne Hetlage, associate dean, the student mix is completely different for the two programs. “Students in the international affairs program want to get a better grasp and understanding of our dealings with other countries on the issues that may affect them such as business, marketing, legal, military and finance,” she states. “The whole idea is not how to do international business, but to help people understand the cultures of the country or how to respond to various events such as the forming of the European Union or the implementation of NAFTA or the economic crisis in Asia.” Hetlage notes that a number of students in that program already have their MBAs or law degrees.
The other University College graduate program, Master’s in Liberal Arts, is for people who “love to read and love new ideas,” Hetlage says. “People are looking for an anecdote to everyday life.” From contemporary politics to classical civilizations to history to philosophy, this program helps students become better critical thinkers and opens them up to new ideas.
Another program offered at Washington University that’s not an MBA, but still an advanced management program is the executive master of manufacturing management degree. The first of its kind in the country, the program is designed to develop working professionals, so they have the skills to become world-class leaders in manufacturing.
At the University of Missouri?St. Louis, one of the most popular graduate programs that are in education. Initially aimed toward educators of all levels, the program attracts business executives who want to switch careers. Other master’s programs that are more business oriented are offered in accounting, MIS and public policy administration.
Other universities and colleges offering master’s programs include Fontbonne and its master’s of management, Southern Illinois University?Edwardsville and its master’s in public administration and master’s in mathematics, and at Webster University, the institute offers a master’s in computer science/distributed systems.
The selection is boundless. Today’s business professionals really have the ability to select the appropriate institutions as well as the exact master’s programs that meets their needs or simply pique their curiosity.
This article was written by Liese L. Hutchison, assistant professor in the department of communication at Saint Louis University and a free-lance writer.
