Two Notre Dame graduate business programs earn new STEM designations

Two University of Notre Dame graduate business programs were recently granted STEM designations, an important recognition of their quantitative-based curricula that provides graduates with significant benefits. The designations for the Master of Science in Finance (MSF) and the Master of Science in Management (MSM), offered by Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, are effective immediately and apply to the current incoming Class of 2023 students. “Many employers who hire business graduates place a priority on students with STEM-designated degrees,” said Martijn Cremers, the Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business. “The new designations align the MSM and MSF with similar programs offered by other top universities and signify the ‘quant’ focus of their respective curricula, which includes coursework designed to meet the growing need for skills in data analytics across disciplines.” A STEM-designated program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is an academic program that falls in at least one of the approved categories from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. International graduate students are chief beneficiaries of the designation because it allows them to work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation without a H1-B visa compared to one-year stays for non-STEM-designated master’s programs. The additional 24 months provides time for valuable extended training through work experience. Further, the demand for STEM jobs is projected to grow by 13% by 2027, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “The STEM designation is yet another innovation for the MSM program,” said Kris Muir, academic director of the Master of Science in Management. “Since Spring 2020, we have doubled the size of our cohort and enhanced the curriculum by offering concentrations in finance and marketing. We’ve also added new courses that emphasize quantitative skills, such as Applied Financial Modeling, Managerial Economics and Digital Marketing, among others.” “Being STEM-designated will allow Notre Dame to remain globally competitive by attracting and successfully placing quantitatively oriented students, especially international students, who are interested in becoming finance professionals in fields such as private wealth management, investing, consulting and corporate financial management,” said Katherine Spiess, academic director of the Master of Science in Finance. The MSF and MSM are one-year, residential graduate degree programs intended for students who often just completed their undergraduate degrees and have little or no work experience. In keeping with the missions of Notre Dame and Mendoza College of Business, the programs emphasize the values-centered development of the whole person in addition to academic excellence. Applications for the MSM and the MSF programs are now open. For more information, visit mendoza.nd.edu or call (574) 631-8488.