A Techie Twist to 1-Year MBA At Cornell Johnson

The 1-year full-time MBA Class of 2019 of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell, comprising 69 students began the summer semester in May at the Ithaca campus together with their colleagues from the incoming Johnson Cornell Tech MBA program.

The Tech MBA, also a 1-year program, aims to provide people with a technical education/work background to develop the leadership, management and teamwork skills needed for dynamic tech companies and product teams. The program has the same foundational curriculum as the school’s other MBA programs.

The School looks for those who combine a passion for technology and entrepreneurial spirit. A strong digital experience with a background in science and engineering is preferred for Tech MBA cohort.

Digital background includes activities such as digital marketing, design, software development, prototyping and other related activities.

The summer months give MBAs from both programs a great opportunity to learn from each other and build their networks. Ithaca students can connect with their Cornell Tech MBA counterparts again if they choose to complete an NYC intensive course at Tech in the fall or spring.

The students from both programs are expected to make most of this opportunity in the combined Summer semester to get to know one another, work in core teams and tackle the various classroom and leadership challenges. When the fall semester begins, Cornell Tech students will head to New York City to complete their studies.

The summer months give MBAs from both programs a great opportunity to learn from each other and build their networks. Ithaca students can connect with their Cornell Tech MBA counterparts again if they choose to complete an NYC intensive course at Tech in the fall or spring.

During the pre-term activities, the students worked closely with Mark W. Nelson, the Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean and Professor of Accounting, other program faculty and administrators. The pre-term learning includes career planning and paths, the City of Ithaca and resources within and around Cornell University.

The core teams then went into the Leading Teams Practicum with Laura Georgiana, executive director of leadership programs and Alan Filipowicz, clinical professor of management and organizations.

Class Profile

International students, representing 15 countries, comprise 59% of the Class of 2019. It has 46% of women and 18% underrepresented minorities. The average GMAT score of the cohort is 690.

In education background, the majority had Business (32%), followed by Engineering (22%), Social Science (16%), Sciences and Other (13% each) and Humanities (4%).

In work background, 14% are from Technology. Finance and Healthcare (13% each) are followed by Manufacturing at 8%, Non-profit 1% and Others, including real estate, energy and transportation at 27%.