Lehigh's 1-MBA Program Launches STEM Concentration in Business Analytics

The program aims to arm students with optional practical training for STEM-related employment.

College of Business

Lehigh’s College of Business recently announced a new concentration in Business Analytics for its one-year MBA program (1-MBA) that has been classified as a STEM-designated degree.

The Business Analytics concentration is a 15-credit program specifically designed to give students exposure to business data collection, storage and retrieval, predictive models, and the applications for improved decision-making in today’s modern, data-rich organizations. This is the first concentration offered in the 1-MBA program.

“The rapid advancement in information technology has created a data rich environment for organizations in all sectors," said Georgette Chapman Phillips, Kevin L. and Lisa A. Clayton Dean, Lehigh University College of Business. "How to collect data, how to evaluate data collection methods and sources, and how to use the data to gain business insights and improve decision-making are the challenges faced by today’s intuitive managers. At Lehigh Business, we prepare our students to take on such challenges and grow as future business leaders.”

The addition of a one-year MBA with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) designation is beneficial to both domestic and international students as it can give students a significant advantage in their job search, college officials said.

For international students, having a STEM designated degree allows for an additional 24 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) for STEM-related employment.

“The existing 1-MBA curriculum has a rigorous core curriculum, so adding the business analytics concentration builds on our strong foundation, while also positioning our students for further success in their employment endeavors,” says Oliver Yao, associate dean for graduate programs at the College of Business.

For more information on the 1-MBA Business Analytics concentration and the Lehigh 1-MBA Program, contact Kevin Ezzell, 1-MBA program director at business@lehigh.edu or call 610-758-4450. To apply, visit www.lehighmba.com. The application deadlines for the next cohort are April 19, 2020 for international applicants, and May 15, 2020 for domestic US applicants.