UNC Kenan-Flagler Launches Master’s in Management Program With Eye on Student ROI
Credit: DNY59 / iStock Unreleased / Getty Images- The University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School will launch a master of science in management program.
- The program is geared toward students who didn’t study business in undergraduate.
- Tuition and fees are $45,923 for in-state residents and $53,260 for out-of-state residents for the 2025-2026 academic year.
- Master’s of management programs are on the rise at business schools across the country.
Master’s in management programs geared toward younger professionals who may not have an undergrad degree in business are gaining momentum at top business schools.
The University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School will launch a master of science in management (MiM) program later this year, the school announced Feb. 27.
It joins stalwarts such as The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, The Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, and Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, which have recently added master’s in management degrees.
Like those institutions, Kenan-Flagler’s new degree is aimed at recent college graduates who didn’t study business. The 10-month, intensive program will give students a fundamental overview of business with hands-on learning experiences.
Courtney Knoll, the associate dean of the new master’s in management program and Kenan-Flagler’s master of accounting program, told BestColleges the degree offers students a chance at a good return on investment.
“When I think about this degree, I think about the ROI, and I think that’s probably what students are looking at too,” Knoll said in an interview.
“It’s a year of time and tuition, and that’s not to diminish the cost of it of that, but in exchange for that, on the heels of of a four year degree where you’ve been studying something other than business, you can add a one year foundational business education that will open up doors and opportunities that just wouldn’t be there for the student otherwise.”
Real-world Experience Built In
Introducing non-business students to those fundamentals in 30 credits means a focus on the foundations, Knoll said.
“If we’re going to be setting them on a path to be successful in business, they need to know a little accounting,” Knoll said. “They need to understand fundamentals of finance, marketing strategy, all of those core, basic, foundational business courses.”
The new master’s in management degree will include instruction in finance, data analysis, communication, and other key topics that are in-demand with employers even amid the rise of AI. Students will also be able to select concentrations in finance and marketing.
The program will build on Kenan-Flagler’s decades of experience in introducing non-business undergraduate students to core business concepts. Knoll said the master of accounting (MAC) program at Kenan-Flagler has long been geared towards students who don’t have undergraduate degrees in the subject.
“We have students from all walks of life and all majors entering into our MAC program, and in 12 months come out and are entering entry level jobs in public accounting and industry, and CPA eligible,” Knoll said. “This is something we do really well, and have been doing really well for decades.”
The program will culminate in an experiential learning capstone, which Knoll said will feature real-world work with one of Kenan-Flagler’s partner companies.
Experiential learning is another area of expertise for Kenan-Flagler, Knoll said. The capstone builds on the school’s Student Teams Achieving Results (STAR) program that pairs business students at both the graduate and undergraduate level with employer partners to work on real business projects.
“These are real-world issues for real companies,” Knoll said, “and the students get to put to practice their executive presence, professional communication skills, as well as the problem solving, the collaboration, learning from each other, as well as fundamental business concepts that they’ve been taught in the classroom.”
A Growing Trend in Business Education
Master’s in management programs have picked up steam at some of the country’s top business schools in recent years. The University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2023 announced a 10-month MiM degree, its first new offering in nearly a century.
Like Kenan-Flagler’s program, that degree is geared toward recent college graduates who didn’t study business during their undergraduate education.
“We are excited to debut Chicago Booth’s one-year master’s in management, the school’s first new degree program in 88 years,” Madhav Rajan, dean of Chicago Booth and the George Pratt Shultz professor of accounting, said in a press release.
“We look forward to introducing foundational business skills to a new generation of Booth students, enhancing their impact in that first job and beyond.”’
Chicago Booth isn’t the only M7 business school to offer a MiM degree. The Northwestern Kellogg School of Management also offers a program for students who don’t have a background in business.
Master’s in management programs have shown good earnings outcomes for students: 2023 master’s in management graduates from Georgetown University had an average base salary of more than $80,000, with an averaging signing bonus for more than $6,000.
Knoll said the opportunities for students is part of why MiM is growing in popularity.
“Opportunities not only are in terms of job prospects, but also salary and earning potentials in that first entry level job,” Knoll said. “And of course, what follows from there, it becomes pretty limitless. So I think that’s the strongest argument to make for the value of this program. One year in and you’ve created an enormous opportunity set in terms of jobs and salary potential.”
Tuition and fees for the new Kenan-Flagler master’s in management are $45,923 for in-state residents and $53,260 for out-of-state residents for the 2025-2026 academic year.