Our goal is to promote an enhanced understanding of the nations of East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.

Academics

MA/MBA Joint Degree Program

Qualified students may earn a Master of Business Administration and an interdisciplinary Master of Arts in East Asian Studies simultaneously. In the rapidly expanding world of international business, specialized knowledge of a country of Asia, acquired through graduate-level courses in the humanities and social sciences, as well as demonstrated competence in a relevant foreign language, will clearly enhance participating students’ capabilities to manage in multinational settings.

The existing requirements for the MBA are 51 credit hours. Full-time MBA students accomplish this in an 11-month, three-term program. For the joint-degree program, all MBA course requirements remain the same, except for six MBA elective credits, which may be replaced by an equal number of credits of approved MA course work.

For the MA degree (in the joint-degree program), students are required to complete 30 credits for the MA degree instead of the usual 24 credits. As many as six of these Faculty of Arts and Sciences credits may be counted toward the MBA as well. All other interdisciplinary MA degree requirements remain the same for joint-degree candidates. As part of the 30-credit requirement, students complete a six-credit research paper. This paper must be interdisciplinary, focus on a country or world region within Asia, and incorporate source materials in the language of the area of concentration.

Students enrolled in the joint-degree program take MBA and MA course work concurrently. Existing course cycles in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and a full range of day and evening MBA courses are utilized. Up to six of the 30 MA credits may be earned in connection with a foreign internship if work done during the internship is approved as part of the basis for papers prepared for an independent study course or courses. An internship can also be used to provide input for the required research paper; however, the number of credits earned in this case is limited to the six credits for the research paper.

Students will normally be expected to complete the program in five consecutive terms, beginning in the fall term of the first academic year and ending in the spring term of the following year. Students may, however, extend their program of study in order to pursue further language acquisition or an internship.

Admissions Procedures

Prospective students must meet the full set of admission requirements for MBA study in the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and for the MA program of graduate study in FAS. Students should first apply for admission to the MBA program. After admission to the MBA program, applicants to the MA program will be assessed by review panels of appropriate FAS faculty.

To obtain MBA application forms, contact:

Office of Admissions,
Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Phone: 412-648-1700
Fax: 412-648-1659
E-mail: mba-admissions@katz.business.pitt.edu