Master of Science in Management Curriculum
Customize Your MSM Degree with a Flexible Curriculum
The business world is agile, innovative, and full of opportunity. Your master’s degree should be the same.
Our MSM degree is a two-semester program that will light the spark in your business career by equipping you with business fundamentals and the opportunity to specialize in Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing, Operations, or Strategy.
A Data Informed, Human Driven Approach to Business
The Intelligent Future℠ needs intelligent leaders. What better place to become one than Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, the birthplace of the data-informed, human driven approach to decision-making?
Our curriculum reflects our analytical approach to business and provides students with exposure to emerging technologies. Here, you’ll be challenged with practical applications of your studies through project-based work.
Claudia (Shiyu) Zhang, MSM Class of 2025
"Since every industry is tied to business, I see “business” as my gateway to exploring any field. Through my entrepreneurial and internship experiences, I realized the need to strengthen my quantitative analytical skills, which led me to join the Tepper School. I’m interested in the technology industry, and Carnegie Mellon is globally renowned for its expertise in computer science. Carnegie Mellon fosters creativity and Tepper School students often collaborate with School of Computer Science peers to establish tech startups.”
Age: 22Home Country: China
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Macau University of Science and Technology, Accounting
MSM Curriculum - YEAR ONE
MINI SEMESTER 1
- Managerial Economics
- Finance I
- Probability & Statistics
- Accounting I
Experiential Learning:
- Introduction to Business
- Job Search Prep
MINI SEMESTER 2
- Operations Management
- Marketing Management
- Presentations
- Elective
Experiential Learning:
- Introduction to Business
- Job Search Prep
MINI SEMESTER 3
- Optimization
- Behavioral Strategy & Macro-Management
- Elective
- Elective
MINI SEMESTER 4
- Elective
- Elective
- Elective
- Elective
Tailor Your MSM Degree to Your Career Goals
Tailor your career path by completing a specialization in Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing, Operations, or Strategy. A specialization requires 5 content area courses (30 units):
- Three required: cover content applicable to most roles in the area
- Two elective: more advanced content or explore sub-areas
MSM Specialization Areas:
Entrepreneurship
- The entrepreneurship specialization is intended to equip MSM graduates for successful careers in business innovation roles, either in a corporation or a family business, or via purchasing and transforming an existing business. As a part of the Strategy specialization, you’ll have the opportunity to take additional courses in Franchising, Entrepreneurship through Acquisition, Family Business, and Future of Real Estate.
Finance
- Want to further your knowledge in Finance? While all MSM students take a core course in Finance, if you choose to specialize in Finance, you’ll take a deeper dive into Finance with courses in Corporate Finance and Investment Analysis. You’ll also have the opportunity to take additional Finance elective courses of your choice.
Marketing
- All MSM students will engage core Tepper Marketing courses which cover the fundamentals of creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers. In addition, Tepper Marketing courses teach students to leverage analytical techniques and skills in order to drive and make informed decisions. With a Marketing specialization, you’ll have the opportunity to take additional courses in Digital Marketing, Marketing Research, and Consumer Behavior.
Operations
- MSM students who participate in the Operations specialization will be primed for careers that support the design, delivery, and development of products and services across a variety of industries. As part of the Operations specialization, you’ll have the opportunity to take additional courses in Six Sigma, Operations Strategy, and Service Management.
Strategy
- MSM students with a strategy specialization will be equipped for successful careers in management consulting or internal corporate consulting groups. As a part of the Strategy specialization, you’ll have the opportunity to take additional courses in Trade and Investment Strategy, Managing Across Cultures, Pricing Strategy, and Corporate Restructuring.
Required Specialization Courses
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
-
Lean Entrepreneurship
-
Commercialization & Innovation: Strategy
-
New Product Management
FINANCE
- Finance II
- Corporate Finance
- Investment Analysis
MARKETING
- Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategy
- Marketing Research
- Consumer Behavior
OPERATIONS
- Six Sigma
- Operations Strategy
- Service Management
STRATEGY
-
Corporate Strategy
-
Technology Strategy
-
Strategic Management and Innovation
Specialization Electives**
As an MSM student, you can expand your core curriculum with the option to choose two electives that match your specialization. Below are some examples of elective courses for each specialization.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
- Family Business
- Future of Real Estate
- Franchising
FINANCE
- International Finance
- Debt Markets
- VC and the Finance of Innovation
MARKETING
- Technology Strategy
- New Product Management
- Consumer Brands
OPERATIONS
- Supply Chain Management
- Risk Analytics
- Sustainable Operations
STRATEGY
- Commercialization and Innovation: Strategy
- Trade and Investment Strategy
- Pricing Strategy
Additional Electives
Taking courses outside of the core curriculum and your specialization is a key component to Tepper’s MSM program. Electives build upon the foundations that are set in core courses and allow students to develop deeper knowledge of these areas. You’ll have the opportunity to take electives across Tepper’s various areas of instruction, including Communications, Strategy, and more. MSM students may choose to begin their leadership journey by taking courses in Organizational Behavior like Negotiations or improve analytical skills in End-to-End Business Analytics.