Formulate and execute strategy to achieve goals through visionary and inspiring leadership.
RensselaerStudio Tour
The RensselaerStudio is a digital learning environment that gives you access to your coursework anytime, anywhere.
This 3-minute video explains how it functions.
Advance Your Leadership Capacity and Achieve Objectives
Learn to lead from every aspect of an organization with a real-world MBA experience. The program is designed to give you the abilities – and the experience – of making organization-level decisions in real-time under today’s market conditions. In this program, you are not just taking courses or reviewing case studies – you’re honing your abilities to solve real-world problems within the context of your organization.
Engage, involve, motivate, and lead others to reach their fullest potential. Employ data analytics as a decision augmentation tool in every course to ensure desired results are obtained. Master the ability to lead, plan, and execute strategy through real, lived scenarios.
Supplement your experience with targeted ability sets built in crucial areas by completing a graduate certificate of your choice in Systems Engineering, Machine Learning & AI, Lean Six Sigma, or Supply Chain and Logistics.
MBA for Professionals Courses
Deepen capacity as a leader by planning and executing strategy to achieve organizational goals. Build frameworks for decision making that enhance the value creation process. Demonstrate full commitment to ethical decisions and outcomes while deploying mentorship as a tool to lead and inspire others. In preparation for the third project in this course, attend a two-day intensive Rensselaer Leadership Experience (RLE). Start with an individualized leadership assessment. Participate in choreographed individual and group scenarios. Complete a benchmark analysis of effective leadership types and explore how leaders make things happen at work.
Analyze markets and client needs using quantitative and qualitative frameworks. Develop market strategies for an organization that communicate value using effective messaging and channels. Formulate an approach that anticipates the future state of end user needs. Build budget and sales forecasts that accurately reflect market conditions.
Evaluate financial reports and metrics to draw recommendations for improvement using intertemporal and cross-competition analysis. Practice optimization and simulation techniques to model the impact recommended changes can make on an organization’s performance. Develop budgets for new products and ventures while evaluating capital sourcing options and costs.
Set, evaluate, and improve achievement of key performance indicators. Use benchmarking and analytic techniques to determine how performance can be optimized. Evaluate and transform operational paradigms to improve performance, planning, and execution to ensure the organization performs on time, on budget, and on scope.
Influence hierarchies and cultures in an organization by coaching and mentoring others. Create employee evaluation frameworks and develop programs to improve an organization’s performance. Lead strategic plans and policies that value the human element as the catalyst to attain an organization’s desired goals.
Forge a plan that optimizes people, platforms, and products for a new venture or opportunity in a specific market. The final version includes strategies for budget, operations, and marketing. Prepare and present the plan to a panel of evaluators for viability and fundability.
MBA for Professionals Degree Structure
| Courses | Credits | |
| BUSN 6300 | Leaders and Strategy | 6 |
| BUSN 6305 | Leaders in Dynamic Markets | 6 |
| BUSN 6310 | Leaders Making Financial Decisions | 6 |
| BUSN 6315 | Leaders Planning and Executing | 6 |
| BUSN 6320 | Leaders Leading People | 6 |
| BUSN 6325 | Leaders Charting the Course | 6 |
| Six fundamental courses (6 credit hours each) | 36 | |
| Certificate of Choice (three courses/3 credits each) | +9 | |
| Total degree credit hours: | 45 | |
Rensselaer Leadership Experience (RLE)
During the first semester of the program, students are required to attend a 2-day Leadership Seminar which is held in the sixth or seventh week of the first course. RLEs are scheduled to be held at convenient major cities. RLEs are scheduled to be held on Fridays/Saturdays, allowing for optimal personal arrangements around work and other commitments. Participants pay for their own travel/hotel accommodations for the RLE. The recommended plan is to arrive Thursday and depart on Sunday. All participants are provided with travel information and schedules 30-45 days in advance of the RLE.
Elective Requirements
Students may choose an existing Rensselaer at Work Graduate Certificate – each of which consists of 3 courses (9 credit hours) concentrated in a specific area. Alternatively, they may work with their advisor to choose three existing courses with which to complete elective requirements.
Note: MBA students may not choose the following certificates as part of their elective requirements: Business Intelligence, Managing Technical Organizations, Leading Change and Innovation, or Production Analytics.
Other Program Highlights
- Data analytics as a decision augmentation framework is embedded in every course
- Real-world projects incorporate strategic decision-making, planning and execution
- Appropriate for professionals from all backgrounds and industries
- 15 hours per week on average time commitment
- 2.5 years on average to complete - go at the speed that fits your life
Early in my career, I could see how advanced technical projects were difficult to move beyond the engineering realm. I experienced a big awakening from the Rensselaer at Work MBA program that proved beneficial as I advanced into several senior civilian positions in the Navy. Not only did I learn to master best practice in leadership from every angle of the organization, I also developed an effective approach leading projects through people — many of which I remain proud of today.”
Faculty Spotlight: Chanaka Edirisinghe
Given the legacy of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, we understand global technical organizations and the challenges they face. With this MBA you will learn to see, address and solve complex business problems.
Learn More About Chanaka Edirisinghe