The Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis, is launching a fully online Master of Management degree program, the first of its kind in the UC system.

The MM program is designed to be shorter and priced less than a typical MBA program and would expand access to high-quality graduate business education to recent college graduates as well as working professionals.

The program was approved by the University of California Office of the President on July 24. The program is taking applications now for an April 2024 start date. 

The program is being launched in partnership with 2U, the company behind leading global online learning platform edX.

The new graduate degree offering, to be developed under edX’s flexible degree model, will build upon the existing 2U and UC Davis partnership, which includes MBA@UCDavis, a top-ranked online MBA program, as well as executive education courses, tech boot camps, and recently announced professional certificate programs. Since the 2U and UC Davis partnership began in 2017, over 3,600 learners have been welcomed into these innovative online programs.

“The Master of Management is emerging as a solid graduate management degree for those who have an undergraduate degree in a non-business field,” said H. Rao Unnava, dean of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. “It is a versatile degree that fits the needs of a wide audience, from those who are finishing their undergrad degree to those who are entering the management field within their companies. We are delighted to once again be the first UC to launch yet another innovative program.”

The new UC Davis online MM program is designed to give new professionals the skills they need to excel in the professional world in a condensed format, allowing them to quickly take the knowledge gained and apply it to a job in the private sector.   

“UC Davis shares our goal of making high-quality online education more accessible to learners around the world. With the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, we are enabling those in the earliest stages of their careers to learn from the foremost business management experts,” said Andrew Hermalyn, president of partnerships at 2U. “Students graduating from this program will be prepared with a unique set of skills to help them make an immediate impact in the world.” 

Many recent college graduates want to jumpstart their careers by learning critical management skills but don’t yet have the necessary professional background to qualify for an MBA program. In fact, 49% of undergraduates believe they were unprepared for jobs after leaving college, according to a 2022 survey.

The online MM curriculum is modeled on the highly successful online MBA@UCDavis with the same core courses providing a foundation in the functional areas of business, such as accounting, economics, finance, marketing and strategy.

This part-time, 15-month online program allows students the time to continue building their professional experience while still benefiting from the interactive live online classes and self-paced coursework.

Courses will be taught by the same faculty that also teach in the UC Davis MBA program, who are accessible, diverse thought leaders with whom students will develop lifelong connections.