Purdue News

April 20, 2001 Krannert joins other top business schools with MBA designation WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Most master's degree students who graduate next month from Purdue University's business school will see the familiar letters "MBA" on their diplomas. The Krannert Graduate School of Management was among only a handful of top-25 business schools not to use the MBA designation. Two others – Northwestern and Carnegie Mellon universities – last year announced plans to change their master's degree designation to the MBA. Purdue's Board of Trustees approved a proposal in February to change to the MBA designation, and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education made it official in March. "The MBA is the most recognized degree name in the global market for graduate business management programs," said Richard A. Cosier, Krannert School dean and Leeds Professor of Management. "Our program is already very similar to other top MBA programs, so we contemplate no changes in curriculum." Since the Krannert School's founding in 1956, it has awarded master of science in management (MSM) degrees. The school was established with a goal of providing engineers and scientists with management education. Krannert kept the master of science designation as the master of business administration (MBA) gained general acceptance among business and management schools. But the MBA has become ubiquitous. Students say that they have to explain the MSM degree to recruiters in their resumes and point out there is no substantive difference between the Krannert MSMs and other business schools' MBAs. All students currently enrolled in the Krannert School's MSM program have the option of choosing the MBA designation, and all students entering the program beginning next fall and later will be awarded the MBA degree upon completion of their studies. Several of the Krannert School's executive education programs also will carry the MBA designation. The one-year, full-time master of science in industrial administration will not change to the MBA. Sources: Richard A. Cosier, (765) 494-4366, rcosier@mgmt.purdue.edu Charles R. Johnson Jr., director of professional master's degree programs, (765) 496-3668, cjohnson@mgmt.purdue.edu Writer: J. Michael Lillich, (765) 494-2077, mlillich@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page