Saint Mary’s students hoping to improve their teamwork and business skills can now look no farther than across the street, as Notre Dame announced this summer that it will guarantee four seats in its Master of Science in Management (MSM) program for graduates of the College.
Tori Wilbraham, a 2015 Saint Mary’s graduate who earned acceptance to this year’s MSM program, said she enjoys collaborating with her 48 classmates.
“One of the best parts of the program is the cohort atmosphere,” Wilbraham said. “Just like the business world, teamwork is essential for being successful. Working with a team and learning from one another has been one of the most exciting and rewarding parts.”
According to Wilbraham, this particular 10-month program offers a unique educational experience because it teaches technical skills that will make students more marketable.
“Getting to be a part of the Notre Dame family while pursuing a graduate degree is something that makes Notre Dame’s MSM program so special and really so valuable,” Wilbraham said. “The reputation of the Mendoza College of Business and alumni network at the University of Notre Dame made my decision a no-brainer.
"I knew that if I wanted to enter the business world, going to Notre Dame would give me a great network of supporters.”
Saint Mary’s provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs, Dr. Patricia Fleming, said this program distinguishes itself from others like it because it does not require an undergraduate business degree.
“Knowing that this program exists for a Saint Mary’s student four years down the road can make Saint Mary’s very attractive, especially to those parents who worry a bit about their daughter following her passion in a non-business major,” Fleming said. “We are very confident that the combination of studies proposed by this partnership will be ideal for some of our students.”
Fleming said both Notre Dame and Saint Mary's will benefit from this new policy.
“Saint Mary’s students are already familiar with Notre Dame because of the co-exchange program. There would be an easy transition for our students who wish to stay in the area for their graduate education,” Dr. Fleming said. “Notre Dame’s MSM program will be blessed with smart, articulate, confident graduate students with an eagerness to learn a very new field.”
Wilbraham also said students who receive undergraduate degrees from Saint Mary’s are prepared to take on the challenge of the MSM program.
“Having a liberal arts background is such a valuable thing, and with my new business acumen, I will be more marketable,” Wilbraham said. “Programs like the MSM are so valuable because they are full of students who have studied what they loved and want to enhance their education by spending a year doing something completely different.”
Wilbraham said she recommends this program to any Saint Mary’s students who wish to enter the professional world.
“Through teamwork, networking and problem solving, I know that the MSM program will give me the tools I need to be a powerful leader who will inspire change,“ Wilbraham said. “Just as Sister Madeleva promised us the discovery of ourselves, our world and our place in it, the MSM program will take you on a journey where you will learn more about yourself than you could have ever imagined.”
