Mendoza Reimagines the Master of Science in Management for the Next Generation of Business Leaders

The University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business is enhancing the Master of Science in Management (MSM) program to expand opportunities for students while building on the College's strong portfolio of specialized master's degrees.

Beginning in the 2027–28 academic year, the MSM program will offer three areas of specialization as concentrations: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Technology and Management, and Strategic and Financial Leadership.

MSM is a STEM-designated, 10-month program intended for students with less than two years of work experience. Students often undertake the specialized degree program as a “fifth” year after completing their undergraduate degree. A specialized master's degree allows students to gain new skills, develop expertise, sharpen their leadership and enter the workforce prepared to make an immediate contribution.

The program will also transition from a summer to a fall start, aligning more closely with the traditional graduate academic cycle. In addition, the redesigned MSM will expand access by welcoming students with undergraduate business degrees, creating new opportunities for recent graduates to build specialized expertise that complements their business education.

The new MSM will welcome its first fall cohort in the 2027–28 academic year. Applications for the program are currently open.

As part of the redesign, the one-year residential Notre Dame Master of Nonprofit Administration program will transition into the MSM as the Nonprofit Management and Leadership concentration. Mendoza’s longest-running graduate program, the MNA has a longstanding legacy of preparing leaders to serve the nonprofit and faith-based sectors. The new concentration will carry that legacy forward, preserving the program’s distinctive focus on mission-driven leadership within the MSM.

The change does not affect the Notre Dame Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration (EMNA), Mendoza’s hybrid graduate program for experienced nonprofit professionals. Alumni who earned the residential Master of Nonprofit Administration degree will continue to hold that degree, with no change to its status or recognition.

"Specialized master's degrees play an increasingly important role in how Mendoza prepares students for meaningful careers," said Martijn Cremers, dean of the Mendoza College of Business. "This evolution of the Master of Science in Management strengthens one of our flagship specialty programs by giving students greater flexibility to tailor their education to their aspirations while preserving the distinctive strengths that have long defined our nonprofit leadership curriculum."

The changes reflect the continued evolution of the MSM program to meet the needs of today's students and employers while remaining firmly rooted in Mendoza's mission to educate leaders who grow the good in business. The redesigned curriculum provides all students with a rigorous business foundation while allowing them to develop specialized expertise aligned with their career goals.

“The re-envisioned MSM offers students greater flexibility, expanded opportunities for specialization and stronger preparation for today's evolving career landscape,” said Kristen Collett-Schmitt, associate dean for Undergraduate and Specialized Master’s Programs. “Welcoming students with undergraduate business degrees, introducing three specialized concentrations, and integrating the residential Master of Nonprofit Administration into the program broadens our talent pipeline and positions the MSM as a bridge between traditional business careers and mission-driven leadership.”

For more information about the Master of Science in Management, email msm.business@nd.edu.  

Redesigned Notre Dame Master of Science in Management Highlights

• Three specialized concentrations: Technology and Management, Strategic and Financial Leadership and Nonprofit Management and Leadership.
• The residential Master of Nonprofit Administration degree program becomes the Nonprofit Management and Leadership concentration, preserving its specialized curriculum within the MSM.
• Business majors are now eligible to apply, expanding opportunities for students seeking advanced, career-focused graduate study through the concentrations. Students who earned an undergraduate business degree from the Mendoza College of Business will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
• The program will begin each fall, aligning with the academic recruitment cycle and providing a more traditional graduate experience.
• A shared business core combined with specialized coursework gives students the flexibility to develop expertise in areas of growing employer demand.