Mills College Announces Joint MPP/MBA Degree in Public Policy and Business Administration

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In response to a growing demand for professionals who can demonstrate the ability to work across multiple sectors, Mills College is pleased to announce a joint master of public policy and business administration (MPP/MBA) degree program. The Mills College Public Policy Program and the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business worked together to design the program to provide graduates with career flexibility and the capacity to function collaboratively across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

“It is essential for professionals to understand the practices of private, public, and nonprofit entities as a way of relating to the diverse social and political dynamics in any business environment and to further their own careers.”

The joint MPP/MBA curriculum reflects an effective balance of public policy and business management courses in a truly integrated academic experience. Students who pursue the joint degree will gain critical knowledge of organizational management in multiple sectors, economic and policy analysis, the relationship between business and society, and key functional areas of business such as accounting, strategy, operations, information and technology systems, and marketing.

“Our research revealed that switching between sectors is extremely common in the careers of MPP graduates,” said Carol Chetkovich, director of the Public Policy Program. “This joint MPP/MBA degree will help prepare students with a broad knowledge base and a focus on social responsibility that is essential to organizational leadership today.”

Goals of the program are to equip future leaders with the skills to work across multiple sectors, the knowledge to operate within a political system, and the ability to succeed in upper-level management roles in corporate citizenship or government affairs.

Well known for its academic rigor, Mills College has gained a national reputation for excellence and innovation in its graduate programs. With a focus on collaboration between distinguished faculty and students, the integration of theory and practice, small class sizes, and flexible program features, the graduate curriculum allows students to delve intensely into their areas of study within a liberal arts context.

Students earning the Mills joint MPP/MBA degree will not only be prepared for careers that cross sectors, but will be uniquely suited for employers seeking the most effective leaders and problem solvers of the future.

“Today’s management landscape demands cross-sector knowledge,” said Deborah Merrill-Sands, dean of the Lokey Graduate School of Business. “It is essential for professionals to understand the practices of private, public, and nonprofit entities as a way of relating to the diverse social and political dynamics in any business environment and to further their own careers.”

By combining public policy training with business acumen, the program is well suited for graduate students who want to serve in nonprofit and social enterprise areas; organizations needing to work in partnership with business or governments; nonprofits that aim to operate more like corporations; businesses with strong corporate citizenship initiatives; or government agencies seeking people with business skills.

About Mills College

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity in approximately 950 undergraduate women and more than 600 graduate women and men. The College ranks as one of the Best 377 Colleges in the country and one of the greenest colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. U.S. News & World Report ranked Mills one of the top-tier regional universities in the country and lists it among the top colleges and universities in the West in the “Great Schools, Great Prices’’ category. For more information, visit www.mills.edu.