What Sets UT’s Aerospace and Defense MBA Program Apart?

ANSWER: We know the business of aerospace and defense!

The Aerospace and  Defense MBA program at the University of Tennessee was started in 2004 in response to suggestions from senior executive leaders from across the aerospace and defense industry. For years, the University of Tennessee College of Business Administration has offered numerous custom-designed education and training programs to serve the aerospace and defense industry. To help the college define requirements and maximize support and service to the industry, college leaders meet annually with an Aerospace Advisory Committee.  These advisors provide a continuous, real-time feedback loop that keeps University of Tennessee education and training programs for the aerospace and defense industry current and effective.
The College of Business Administration’s Aerospace Advisory Committee is made up of presidents and vice presidents from major aerospace and defense corporations as well as executive leaders from   aerospace and defense goverment organizations.  In 2003, the committee pointed out the unique business challenges faced in aerospace and defense and identified the need for an executive MBA program custom-designed for high-potential professionals from all across the aerospace and defense industry. The University of Tennessee started the Aerospace and Defense MBA program less than a year later.

The Aerospace and Defense MBA program’s original design and subsequent updates have been influenced by input from these leaders as well as from students and alumni of the program. Some of their recommendations have led to key features of the program’s design:

• An Executive-development (modular) scheduling format to keep work programs managed by students on track, to minimize job and life disruptions, and to enable attendance from anywhere.
• High compression learning to enable rapid assimilation and application of new knowledge with a degree earned in one year.
• A robust and rigorous curriculum with an emphasis on quantitative methods and operations excellence
• Residence-oriented delivery to support student-to-student learning and network development.
• Student enrollment balanced between commercial and government/military sponsors to facilitate increased understanding between customers and suppliers.
• Recruitment of students and employer sponsors from all segments of the industry – government and commercial; civil and military; aviation and space; commercial airlines and business aviation; OEMs; MROs; and suppliers.
• Students from a wide range of disciplines – engineering and maintenance; program management and resource management; procurement and acquisition; human resources and business development.
• Strong emphasis on the global business environment and the opportunities and challenges it presents
• Work-related assignments to allow students to link theory and practice and to apply new knowledge to their job in near real-time.
• A year-long Action Research Project in lieu of a thesis to deliver high-value change in each student's sponsoring organization.

Extraordinary learning takes place during the six, week-long residence periods when faculty members present concepts in all business disciplines. The delivery setting can be either a traditional classroom with seminars, interactive simulations and team breakouts, or at the site of leading commercial and government organizations. Each residence period culminates in a “synthesis project” that allows the students to work in teams and  apply the concepts they have learned in a highly challenging and competitive environment. Faculty observation and feedback are hallmarks of this event to maximize the learning experience.

During residence periods, students have a wealth of opportunities to interact and network with classmates and faculty inside the classroom and out. One of the advantages of undertaking an executive MBA program is having access to successful professionals from around the world. Students have the opportunity to learn  from the faculty as well as each other. Discussions that take place during lunches and dinners and time spent just hanging out with classmates  also are vital components of the program. It is the whole experience that counts.

Between residence periods, students complete assignments based on information and concepts that have been learned during residence periods or through distance-learning classes. Many assignments are directly applied to business practices within each student’s own company. Putting lessons to work, at work is a key way new knowledge is transferred and retained.

There are no electives or subject-specific courses in the program. The curriculum integrates all core business disciplines into one holistic set of learning experiences known as the Executive Core. All students begin and proceed through the one-year, lockstep program together.

Assignments for the year are based on the following framework:
 

• Action Research Project (ARP)
• Business Knowledge Demonstrations (BKD)
• Leadership Development Program (LDP)
• Global Business Seminar