New experiential opportunities for the Master in Management Program

Professor Thomas Hubbard, Faculty Director of the Kellogg Master in Management Program, shares his thoughts on how the program’s academic and co-curricular offerings provide students access to premier resources, giving them the business education they need to launch their careers.
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Four students in the Master's in Management Program stand in a classroom having a group discussion
“MiM gives its graduates a career boost — helping them reframe their interests and ambitions from their undergraduate experience into real-world career opportunities,” says professor Thomas Hubbard.

Designed for recent graduates with a background in STEM, economics or the liberal arts, the Master in Management (MiM) program is open to students in their final undergraduate year and recent graduates with less than two years of career experience. 

Want to know what MiM can do for you? We sat down with faculty director and professor of strategy Thomas Hubbard to ask about new co-curricular offerings coming next year to the Master in Management program.  

Who is a good fit for our Master in Management Program? What’s the elevator pitch on MiM?

Kellogg is looking for excellent students who want their undergraduate credentials enhanced with a general management curriculum from one of the world’s top business schools. It’s a great fit for those whose undergraduate education has made them strong in other areas and who want to complement these strengths with a world class business education.  The best candidates demonstrate strong undergraduate performance and many exhibit relevant internships or research work, reflecting a proactive and engaged approach to their academic journey. 

MiM gives its graduates a career boost — helping them reframe their interests and ambitions from their undergraduate experience into real-world career opportunities. Program graduates have gone on to work for top companies in Chicago and other major cities including Google, Goldman Sachs, Bain, JP Morgan Chase and Microsoft, to name a few. 

How does the program’s curriculum work to help students build and grow their business skills?  

In just ten months, the MiM curriculum covers foundational business knowledge and essential management topics, offering students a comprehensive introduction to various aspects of business without requiring extensive work experience. Its classes, including in negotiations, marketing, strategic thinking, and operations management, are taught by the same faculty that teach in our MBA programs.  

Students move through the course sequence as a cohort, creating a tight-knit community of peers. Through various electives, MiM students also have the opportunity to tailor their curriculum to their interests and pursue classes that support their particular career objectives.  

Outside of the classroom, there are new co-curricular opportunities available in family business, healthcare and real estate. Why were these areas chosen? What are the benefits of these opportunities for the students?  

In the upcoming year, we are developing co-curricular activities that are derived from three of Kellogg’s strongest centers: family business, healthcare and real estate.   

  • Family Business: For more than two decades, the John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises has been the hub of Kellogg’s initiatives with respect to family businesses.  It is the center of a collaborative community of Kellogg students, faculty, alumni, and scholars who learn and apply new ways of thinking about the ownership and leadership of family enterprises. 
  • Healthcare: The Healthcare at Kellogg ecosystem combines foundational business education with a focus on the business of healthcare that is necessary to succeed in this challenging and dynamic space.
  • Real Estate: The Guthrie Center for Real Estate Research has been a long-standing forum for the engagement and education of real estate professionals, including in real estate development, real estate finance, and real estate entrepreneurship. 

Connecting with these centers provides MiM students opportunities to participate in conferences and other events alongside Kellogg MBA students, meet with business leaders in these areas, and prepare to hit the ground running in their careers. We’re excited to offer MiM students such opportunities, including: 

  • Conferences such as Kellogg Business of Healthcare Conference and the Kellogg Real Estate Conference and Venture Competition. 
  • Faculty and guest lecturer speaker series such as Perspectives on the Business of Healthcare or The Kellogg Real Estate Executive Speaker Series. 
  • Access to clubs such as Kellogg Family Business Organization and Family Enterprise Club. 
  • Support from and access to the Ward Center for Next Steps Planning and the Healthcare at Kellogg alumni network.  

Combining academic and real-world experiences, students can pursue their passions on a Global Initiatives in Management (GIM) trip. What makes GIM a unique Kellogg experience? 

Students have the option to study business in an international context which includes a GIM trip, which is eight weeks of coursework in Chicago culminating in a 10-day international trip.  

Last year, the MiM cohort traveled to Croatia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia gaining firsthand insights into these countries’ markets and cultures. The group met with local companies to learn about how they navigate business within their respective countries’ geopolitical and economic landscapes, giving students the chance to look at problem-solving from a non-U.S. angle.  

This hands-on experience provides a unique global perspective that impacts our students long after graduating. 

The MiM program is housed on our downtown Chicago campus. What are the benefits of this environment for students?  

It is in the heart of one of the world’s leading business centers, home to more than 400 major corporations and global brands — including McDonald’s, AbbVie, PepsiCo, McKinsey and Morningstar.  

Chicago is also home to 30+ headquarters of Fortune 500 companies, more than any other U.S. city except New York. Plus, with 77 neighborhoods to explore and experience, Chicago offers arts, culture and programming year-round, creating vibrant communities.  

Chicago is a major destination where thousands of people in their early twenties come after obtaining their undergraduate degrees to launch their careers and begin the rest of their lives. MiM students will join a cohorted community of ambitious peers who move through the program together creating close-knit bonds, in the context of a much larger community of recent undergraduates from universities all over the world. 

It is also an extremely fun city to live in. 

What advice would you give a prospective student who is applying to the Master in Management program?  

When applying, prospective students should focus on highlighting both their academic achievements and ability to think critically and analytically. 

Consider how the combination of your undergraduate experience and a MiM from Kellogg will differentiate you from others who are also starting their careers, and what jobs would be a great fit for someone with this combination of experiences. 

Read next: Shaping well-rounded business leaders: A MiM alumnus’ Kellogg journey