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Early Career & Career Change MBA Program

Take your next step. Jumpstart your career with an Early Career & Career Change MBA from Oregon’s top MBA program.

Program Snapshot

MBA

Graduate

60-65

2 years

Salem Campus, Portland Center

Student sitting at conference room table with a laptop

Our Early Career & Career Change MBA Program

Build your resume, network, and professional experience with a Willamette MBA. The full-time Early Career & Career Change MBA program is designed for students pursuing their first professional position or a career transition. Through experiential learning opportunities and unparalleled resources, students gain vital skills and industry insights that set them up for success. With our full-time MBA program, you will prepare for a thriving career. 

Why choose the Early Career & Career Change MBA Program at Willamette? 

  • Our accreditation is your reputation. Our program is dually accredited for business by AACSB International and for public administration by NASPAA. This distinction sets our students apart when applying for jobs and provides flexibility to move from sector to sector. 
  • Connections to industry leaders. With campuses in both Salem and Portland, MBA students have access to major companies like Intel, Nike, Hewlett Packard, and Columbia Sportswear. 
  • A future-proof education. The MBA for Life program allows graduates of Willamette MBA to enroll in MBA courses tuition-free – for life. This means that our graduates can stay up to date on the latest industry knowledge throughout their careers. 

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Curriculum

Our curriculum is built around a strategic combination of required courses that develop a broad understanding of management, the unique first-year PACE program, electives that develop in-depth expertise, experiential learning opportunities, and up to three semesters of internships. The approach helps students develop well-rounded skills and knowledge they can apply throughout their careers.

  • GSM 5108 PACE: Practical Applications for Careers and Enterprises

    The course begins with a series of broad questions about management and organizations, with direct career and personal applications. As the semester progresses, students form small teams and begin planning a project for real non-profit or public client organizations. The service/consulting project provides a valuable opportunity to put ideas from the first part of PACE into action and to work on your career goals in a more practical situation.

  • GSM 6121 Politics and Public Policy for Managers

    Public, private, and not-for-profit organizations operate within a framework of rules at the global, national, state, and local levels. This course looks at the impact of customs, policies, laws, regulations, technologies and trends on these rules, how interests in society influence rules informally and formally, and how organizations respond to opportunities and threats these rules create. Students will explore common and disparate features that impact management in a global economy and polity, incorporating the perspective of public service values – including efficiency and objectivity, fairness and respect for the individual, accountability and transparency, and public trust.

Concentrations

To ensure that your degree prepares you for the career you aspire to, you have the option to choose an area of concentration:

Why an MBA from Willamette

Program Values

At Willamette, we emphasize the importance of a multi-faceted education. Our MBA program focuses on developing students’ knowledge of leadership strategies and decision-making while also prioritizing soft skills such as communication. With real-world learning opportunities, students are prepared for the challenges of the workplace.

Image of the Mudd Bulding where AGSM classes are taught.

FAQs

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