Design Leadership MA/MBA
This unique dual degree develops leaders unafraid to think differently. Master creative approaches to strategic decision-making and apply your learnings to complex business challenges across industries and sectors.
This the only degree of its kind where students study at both a world-renowned research institution, Johns Hopkins, and a premier art and design school, Maryland Institute College of Art. Leverage this powerful partnership and graduate with two degrees in less time. The unique integrated curriculum creates leaders unafraid to think differently, producing creative visionaries capable of transforming companies, marketplaces, and human welfare.
Program Details
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Program features
Online flexibility
Learn at the pace and style that works best for you with traditional and project-based courses offered in an interactive online format.
Lead in design
The unique integrated curriculum creates leaders unafraid to think differently, producing creative visionaries capable of transforming companies, marketplaces, and human welfare.
Two world-class institutions
The only degree of its kind that leverages a world-class research institution, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, and a premier art and design school, Maryland Institute College of Art.
Build a network
Cohorts consist of students with a broad range of backgrounds. Students have access to both Johns Hopkins and MICA alumni networks, allowing students to build powerful professional networks spanning industries and disciplines.
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- 65% female / 35% male
- 3.41 average undergraduate GPA
- 7.3 average years of full-time work experience
- 30 average age
Curriculum
In the Design Leadership MA/MBA, you will master creative approaches to strategic decision-making while also learning how to apply these skills to complex management challenges and business opportunities.
The latest edition of the Carey Business School University Catalog is available.
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This two-year lock-step program gives these unique students the tools they need, when they need them, to make the most of the time in the program. Our curriculum blends traditional and project-based courses that are delivered in an online format with the same rigor you'd expect from in-person classes.
This program begins with a MICA-run, three-credit summer intensive called Foundations of Design Leadership. In the fall, students enroll in classes available through Carey Business School’s Flexible MBA program and in MICA's MA in Design Leadership curriculum. Students can choose an MBA specialization, but are not required to.
The Design Leadership MA/MBA program does not qualify for F-1 or J-1 student sponsorship.
MBA Business Foundations (22 credits)
- Accounting and Financial Reporting
- Business Analytics
- Business Communication
- Business Microeconomics
- Corporate Finance
- Leadership and Organizational Behavior
- Marketing Management
- Negotiation
- Operations Management
- Statistical Analysis
- Strategic Management
MBA Business Electives (20 credits)
You are welcome to take any elective courses you like. Specializations are simply a way to help organize your electives by content area. Elective courses may count toward more than one specialization, when applicable.
MBA Specializations Offered
- AI for Business
- Business Analytics and Risk Management
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Health Care Management
- Leadership
- Marketing
- Real Estate
MA in Design Leadership (24 credits)
- Collaboration
- The Competitive Advantage I
- The Competitive Advantage II
- Creativity and Innovation
- Cultural Relevance and Awareness
- Forecasting and Realization
- Foundations of Design Leadership
- Intersections of Business and Design I
- Intersections of Business and Design II
- Prototyping
- Sustainability and Social Responsiveness
Program comparison
- Online, flexible format
- Complete both degrees in two years
- Optional in-person experiences
- Asynchronous and/or fully synchronous courses
- In-person
- Complete your degree in two years
- In-person courses in Baltimore, MD
- STEM-designated curriculum
- Online, flexible format
- Complete your degree in two to three years
- Optional in-person experiences
- Asynchronous and/or fully synchronous courses
Experiential learning
Gain experience putting your skills to the test solving your client’s business challenges while honing your analytic and leadership skills along the way.
Of course, your MBA isn’t just about skills learned— but also the networks you build. Whether you are taking courses online or on campus, experiential learning is your opportunity to connect with your classmates while developing complex problem-solving skills.
From CityLab, where you can partner with existing economic and community development projects to position yourself for a career in urban innovation and entrepreneurial business with social impact, to Discovery to Market, where you can transform scientific discovery into a viable commercial enterprise, the MA/MBA program offers multiple opportunities for experiential learning.
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Design Leadership MA/MBA students become trailblazers across industries. Here is a sampling of some of the employers who have hired graduates of this program
Companies
- Amtrak
- CapitalOne
- Dell
- Deloitte Consulting
- Dick’s Sporting Goods
- FedEx
- IBM
- Johns Hopkins Medicine
- JP Morgan Chase
- KPMG
- Marriott International
- Salesforce
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- United States Postal Service
Titles
- Senior Design Strategist
- Consultant
- Project Manager, Service Design
- User Experience Strategist
- Senior Consultant
- Software Designer
- UX Strategist/Designer
- Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
- UI/UX Interaction Designer
Employment outcomes
Average base salary
Average signing bonus
Student and faculty spotlight
career outcomes
Alumna uses MA/MBA to design a career at Deloitte