UTC to launch online Master of Science in Management degree

A new Master of Science in Management online degree program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga begins with the spring 2024 semester.

The addition of the program, housed within the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, was made official on Aug. 17 after its confirmation from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. It was approved by the UT Board of Trustees on June 30.

The program directly addresses workforce needs. Approximately 70,000 unique job postings for managerial positions in the state of Tennessee were listed in 2022, with an 11.4% expected growth of managerial jobs in the state from 2022 to 2027.

“From the research we were able to do, there is a lot of demand from students and employers for a more specialized business degree in management,” said Dr. Jerold L. Hale, UTC provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “This degree is unique because it places a strong focus on helping people develop interpersonal and leadership skills.”

The MS Management online degree program is designed to help graduates become skilled managers of people within any industry through personal career coaching and instruction on organizational planning, leadership dynamics, decision-making, business ethics, communication and other essential management skills.

“We’re excited to announce the launch of our new 100% online Master of Science in Management program,” said Dr. Robert Dooley, dean of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. “The program was designed at the request of prospective students and employers who saw a need for leadership skills to drive positive change and make a lasting impact in the business world.”

The program will be taught online so that students may be in the workforce while completing the degree. Full-time students can complete the degree in one calendar year, while part-time students can complete the program in five to six semesters. Four start dates throughout the year will enable students to begin in fall, spring or two start dates in summer.

“Through innovative technology and teaching, we have created a flexible learning experience that allows students to achieve their professional goals while balancing personal, professional and academic responsibilities,” said Dr. Kathleen Wheatley, associate dean of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business.

The degree is open to students with undergraduate degrees in any discipline—not just those with business-related degrees. MS Management students will receive career coaching, mentoring, networking sessions and instruction on leadership and managerial skills that translate across various industries.

“If you are a recent university graduate in the workplace or a technically proficient veteran in your industry who feels the need to upgrade your people skills in the workplace, this program can help you reach your career goals,” said Dr. Mark Mendenhall, J. Burton Frierson Chair of Excellence in Business Leadership. “The primary element that stands out in our program compared to other specialized management graduate programs is that our program features a designed-in emphasis to help students develop management and leadership skills through personalized coaching.”

Learn more about the MS Management degree, including enrollment information for spring 2024, by visiting utc.edu/MSM.

# # # # #

The MS Management degree becomes the fourth online graduate program offered by the Rollins College of Business.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at UTC offers 100% online or flexible hybrid options to students preparing for the next level in business.

MBA students can choose from four concentrations—business analytics, finance, health care administration and accounting—to gain greater knowledge and develop specialized skills that can set students apart in a competitive business landscape.

The 100% online Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program offers full-time and part-time options for students to become professional accountants while earning a Certified Public Accountant license.

Companies of all types rely on ethical, knowledgeable and savvy accountants to maximize their earnings and increase margins. The core curriculum in the MAcc program helps prepare students for these challenges by focusing on a broad range of essential topics in accountancy, including auditing, information systems, taxation, financial accounting analysis and data analytics.

MAcc students can choose from a CPA preparation path that helps them pass the Uniform CPA Examination or a non-CPA route. UTC offers a MAcc general track along with a Forensic Data Analytics concentration.

The Master of Science in Data Analytics (MSDA) is intended to help students develop the technical expertise and business skills to be a leader in data analytics.

Data drives most decision-making in business, and now—more than ever— businesses of all types need analytical thinkers who can dissect data quickly and communicate findings effectively. Students in the MSDA program will learn to channel data analysis into intelligent business decisions.

MSDA students can choose from two tracks: Business or computer science. Core courses cover several vital areas, including computer science concepts and data mining and analytics. From there, the focus moves to higher-level topics in either track—such as programming languages, data visualization and machine learning; or finance, marketing and organizational leadership.

The program is offered in both fully online and hybrid formats. Students can choose to attend full-time or part-time.

The Business Analytics Graduate Certificate is offered as a 100% online and flexible hybrid program. It is designed to help marketers, business analysts, accountants, financial analysts, executives, small business owners and other non-IT professionals effectively analyze business data through the hands-on use of modeling and other techniques and consists of four graduate-level courses.