MBA in business for doctoral students
The Innovation and Growth MBA programme at the University of Turku offers doctoral students knowledge and business competence as well as connections to the business world. The first student graduated from the international programme in August.
After graduation, more and more doctors find employment in industry or on the public sector. The Business and Innovation Development (BID) unit at the University of Turku has organised business training for postgraduate students from autumn 2009.
Aleksandra Karimaa was the first student to graduate from the programme in August 2011.
Education Manager Sari Stenvall-Virtanen, Aleksandra
Karimaa (in the middle) and Professor Antti Paasio.
- The programme gave me new perspective to my own work and research. I learned to think about the practical and business side of innovations in addition to the technical details. This has given me new focus and motivated me in my research, tells Karimaa who is a doctoral student at the Turku Centre for Computer Science (TUCS).
The Innovation and Growth programme focuses on business competence and the dynamics of innovation and growth. The MBA students collaborate with enterprises in research projects and get the opportunity to expand their professional networks. In addition, the students receive support in the realisation of their own business innovations.
- The courses gave me the essential basic knowledge, but the networking opportunities were what I found most valuable in the programme, Karimaa says.
An international programme to supplement your doctoral degree
An MBA in business is a valuable asset on the international job market. The Innovation and Growth programme is highly international in its contents as well as in the selection of students. International partner universities include the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden), the University of Cardiff (Wales) and the University of Dublin (Ireland).
Studying in the Innovation and Growth programme is free of charge. The expenses are covered by the participating departments and programmes as well as the supporting interest groups. The duration of the programme is 1.5-2 years depending on the student’s experience and earlier studies. The part-time programme can be completed alongside doctoral training, and parts of the programme can be included in the doctoral degree.
- I was able to combine work and studying during the programme. Scheduling was naturally a challenge sometimes, but it was no more difficult than with the doctoral training, says Karimaa who works as a Product Manager at Teleste.
Karimaa recommends the MBA programme especially to doctoral students at the beginning of their careers. However, business competence and new contacts are valuable to experts in all stages of their careers.
Eleven students started the Innovation and Growth programme in 2009, and all of them are expected to graduate by May 2012. The programme, first aimed at ICT students, will be expanded to include students of Life Sciences as well. Institutions working on the development of the programme include the Business and Innovation Development (BID) unit at the University of Turku, TuBS (Turku Doctoral Programme of Biomedical Sciences) and the international partner universities.
Suvi Kauppila