Lehigh’s First 1-Year MBA Cohort Graduates, Secure Roles In Major Firms

Most of the students in the first batch of the 1-year MBA program at the College of Business and Economics of Lehigh University that graduated in January this year managed to find employment while several others moved on to pursue entrepreneurial activities in the fields of tourism and consulting.

Lehigh had launched the program, named 1-MBA in January 2017, with a special focus on disrupting old business models. It also promised a reduction in opportunity costs compared to a 2-year program, an 8-week internship and career service coaching teams.

The previous cohort, the class of 2017, saw 79% receiving job offers and 96% employed within 3 months of graduation. Hiring companies for 2017 included ADP, Amazon, Deloitte, IBM, Mack Trucks, News America, Vanguard, Vitech, and Zulily.

Recruiters of the first cohort included major firms like Tesla, QVC, Hubspot, AstraZeneca, BP China, and Penn State University Justice and Safety Institute, the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based University said in a press statement.

Meanwhile, Lehigh also announced the graduation of the third cohort of its 10-month MS in Management (M2) program in May. More than 80% of the cohort had received job offers prior to graduation.

Several of the students have accepted offers from top companies such as Amazon, Axtria, Bloomberg, Brinker Capital, Burns and McDonnell, Home Advisors, IBM, KPMG, and Whiting-Turner.

The previous cohort, the class of 2017, saw 79% receiving job offers and 96% employed within 3 months of graduation. Hiring companies for 2017 included ADP, Amazon, Deloitte, IBM, Mack Trucks, News America, Vanguard, Vitech, and Zulily.

The 1-MBA cohort of 2019 starts classes in July, while the 2019 M2 cohort begins their program with an intensive 2-week Orientation in mid-August that focuses on professional and career development skills.

The 1-MBA program has a rigorous curriculum with a total 50 credits. It starts with a 2-week pre-program session (5 credits) and moves on to a 7-week session on functional area core knowledge and stakeholder perspectives session of the same duration (7.5 credits each).

A 4-week Integrating Societal Shifts Session follows with 12 credits. The 8-week internship/equivalent experience has 3 credits. Electives are taken care of during the 14 weeks Fall semester with 15 credits.

The program also boasts of a dedicated coaching team assigned to each student prior to their arrival on the campus. The teams comprise a 1-MBA program faculty member, Lehigh alumnus and Career Services staff member.

The teams focus on the student’s professional goals and career aspirations. They personally serve as mentors and assist students in identifying internship opportunities and subsequent full-time job placement.