New Online Degree Focuses on Leadership & Emerging Markets

Dr. William L. Schurz, one of Thunderbird’s original faculty and its second president, wrote the line famous among alumni, “Borders frequented by trade seldom need sol diers” But it’s a quote from Thunderbird’s first president General Yount that is a driving force in how the School has thrived for decades.

“We made some important resolutions during the school’s first year. One was that this school would always keep itself free to experi ment (both in subject matter and in educational techniques.) Another was that the school would always keep itself wide awake to new developments and to new informa tion. Third, we decided to make the institution as practical and realistic as we possibly could . . ."

Today, in following the mindset estab lished when Thunderbird was founded, the school is pleased to announce the creation of a new degree, developed in the spirit of innovation that has always guided what we do – the Online Mas ter of Applied Leadership and Management (MALM).

The MALM is a scalable, digitally powered degree to be offered at an af fordable cost ($15K USD) in emerging market countries. The program will develop the next generation of local leaders within their respective areas and serve those who want to build en trepreneurial skills or advance in their current companies. By bringing the hallmarks of a Thunderbird education to underserved populations, the MALM program will positively impact eco nomic development and social welfare in high-growth regions of the world.

The degree has recently been ap proved by the ASU Academic Senate and will launch in January, 2018. The program is 30 credits, accredited by AACSB, and can be completed in ap proximately one year. The program is forward-thinking in both its curriculum and delivery format. MALM curriculum is based on examining leadership and management through the lens of highgrowth and emerging markets. This focus allows students in emerging mar kets to learn practical skills in a relevant context, while also providing a global view of business for non-emerging mar ket students. In addition, the curriculum is stackable in nature.

Students are introduced to the program by completing four online courses offered by Thunderbird through the edX MicroMasters. The MicroMasters courses account for eight credit hours of study (27% of the total credit requirements for the MALM degree) and when com pleted result in a stand-alone Certificate in International Business Management. After completing the certificate, students can roll their MicroMasters credits into the rest of the program on Thunderbird’s online learning platform (8 more online courses, 22 credits). The culmination of the program is a capstone course focused on the creation of either a business or strategic plan. This capstone course can be completed via an in-person experi ence at select global locations or online.

In short, the Master of Applied Leadership & Management degree seeks to advance Thunderbird’s mission of edu cating global leaders who in turn create sustainable prosperity worldwide. The program is now accepting applica tions. For questions, please contact Dr. Ted Cross, the academic director of the MALM program, at ted.cross@thunder bird.asu.edu