Preparing Future Business Leaders for North Carolina: A Certificate in Applied Biology for the MBA Degree

North Carolina has actively facilitated the development of robust biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and environmental industries within the state as a means to ensure economic development. Continued success of these industries demands people who are appropriately trained in both business and biology. Recently, the Department of Biology and the School of Business at East Carolina University teamed up to develop a 4+1 BS Biol/MBA degree option. This degree is unique in allowing biology majors to complete an MBA one calendar year after completing the BS. Our aim here is to design and develop four courses that will provide MBA students who did not pursue any undergraduate work in the sciences with the biology background necessary to be successful in science-based industries. This four-course program, serving 10 MBA and 4 other students per year, will constitute a Certificate in Applied Biology for the MBA. We plan to engage regional businesses as we delineate what is to be included in the courses, and include interested business partners as instructors in the final capstone course that will also be taken by our 4+ 1 Biology/MBA students. The new program will address the industry-stated request for well-trained professionals, versed in both biology and business.

Scholars @ ECU