Detroit's two major universities continue to transform their curriculum to reflect the needs of this century's new economy; the University of Detroit-Mercy is introducing a MBA for healthcare professionals and Wayne State University now offers a new graduate certificate in sustainable engineering.
U-D Mercy's new healthcare MBA looks to break down the silos that have long separated the medical and entrepreneurial sectors. The new degree will focus on the ins and outs of starting a business for medical professionals with innovative (and potentially profitable) ideas.
"There is a lot of attention being paid to care delivery, but there is also the side of the business that focuses on business acumen," says Ken Kuna, associate dean for external relations at U-D Mercy College of Business Administration.
Healthcare and life sciences have proven to be two of Michigan's biggest areas of entrepreneurial opportunity in recent years. Each industry represents billions of dollars worth of investment and thousands of new jobs annually. Close behind those two sectors is the broad-ranging sustainability job market, which encompasses everything from recycling to alternative energy.
Wayne State's new certificate in sustainable engineering focuses on the ethos of sustainability -- namely finding a way to get a job done that doesn't harm or take away from the environment.
That can mean creating everything from buildings, to processes, to larger systems that maximize preservation of the surrounding environment. It also makes students look at the short- and long-term consequences of their actions.
Source: Wayne State University and Gregory W. Ulferts, Director of the Graduate Business Programs at University of Detroit Mercy
Writer: Jon Zemke
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