Dean’s Scholars Program

Bachelor's and Master's degrees in only 4 years!

Complete your BBA or BSBA degree in Business, and a Master's in the Area of Specialization of your choice: Business Analytics, Finance, Sustainable Business, Health Management, or International Business,* all in 8 full-time semesters at UM.

Rising second-year MBS students are invited to apply to the selective MBS Dean’s Scholars program.
Rigorous undergraduate schedule accelerates the business bachelor's degree** to six full-time semesters.
Admission criteria include an outstanding first-year UM record, minimum of 48 credits by end of freshmen year, and a successful candidate interview.
After admission, Dean's Scholars elect the specialized master’s program no later than the fifth semester, to be completed in the seventh and eighth semesters.

Now accepting applications for rising second-year students

Join top MBS undergrads in this exclusive program!

Special Benefits Include:

Pre-admission to graduate study at MBS
Deep master's-level specialization in the area of choice exceeds the typical undergraduate major
Generous MBS scholarships available for master's level study
GMAT/GRE waiver makes application process simple
Faculty-led graduate GLOBE experiential trips abroad available
Early access to Ziff Graduate Career Resource Center
Annual breakfast with MBS dean, and invitations to special events

Apply and secure your Graduate Business future now!

Preview MBS's specialized master's degrees:

Master of Science in Business Analytics

Master of Science in Finance

Master in Health Administration

Master in International Business

Master of Science in Sustainable Business

*Choice of master's program may be limited by the extent and quality of the individual Dean's Scholar's quantitative preparation.

The Undergraduate Curriculum

**To expedite the undergraduate degree coursework and because their master's level study goes well beyond—and therefore substitutes for—any discipline-specific undergraduate business major, Dean's Scholars pursue either the Bachelor of Business Administration or the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in General Business.

What is the BBA or BSBA in General Business?

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is the typical road for an undergraduate business student. The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) emphasizes the quantitative foundation. Both lead to career success, but one may be more apt for you than the other. Dean’s Scholars can choose either degree program.

BBA Curriculum BSBA Curriculum

The General Business Program

The BBA or BSBA in General Business allows students at Miami Herbert Business School to tailor their advanced undergraduate business coursework creatively and to seek and develop connections among the business disciplines in ways that will suit their own academic interests and career objectives. Building upon the strong foundation provided by the business core of required courses for either degree, students pursuing this program of study will be motivated to craft a unique business specialization that enhances their ability to respond to and compete in a dynamic economic marketplace.

In constructing the General Business coursework, the student must consult with his/her Business School academic advisor. A three‐person committee comprised of at least one faculty member and at least one undergraduate business academic advisor will be appointed by the Undergraduate Business Education Committee to oversee the student’s chosen academic program, provide feedback and assistance with course choices, and to connect the student to other relevant faculty or administrators for advice where indicated.

To fully capitalize on the Dean’s Scholars program, candidates are required to focus their General Business Major in disciplines outside their intended master’s program.

Curriculum for the BBA or BSBA in General Business:

Students, including Dean’s Scholars, wishing to pursue the BBA or BSBA in General Business must complete:

all University general education requirements, unless exempt (e.g. Foote Fellows), and
the Business Core requirements for either the BBA or the BSBA, including the international focus course, and
a minimum of 18 additional credit hours of upper-level (300-500 level) coursework chosen from among the course offerings of Miami Herbert Business School. The specific coursework selected to satisfy the General Business “major” designation may not be utilized to also satisfy the Business Core. All coursework must be taken for a grade and within the current pre-requisite structure.

Specific clusters of General Business coursework that will be approved for Dean’s Scholars depend on the Master’s program that the Dean’s Scholar selects.

Given the nature of the General Business program, a limited amount of flexibility is allowed. The General Business coursework is designed to broaden the Scholar’s overall curriculum in preparation for the deep specialization the master’s level work will involve. Thus, except in rare cases, no more than two courses in any discipline should be included in an individual Scholar’s General Business coursework, and the General Business coursework elected in anticipation of a given master’s program should not, except in rare cases, include more than one undergraduate elective in that specific discipline.

General Business coursework is not undertaken until the fourth semester at the earliest. By that time, Scholars are expected to have a good idea which master’s program they will choose, and to seek approval for and complete General Business coursework that provides each Scholar with the intended variety of disciplines.

What about electives and coursework outside Business?

Each of the BBA and BSBA degree programs requires students to complete 120 credits. Because they are leveraging their AP/IB/dual enrollment credits, most Dean’s Scholars will have at least 5-7 electives they can put to use discovering disciplines and areas of study outside of business. If combined, these courses can allow the Dean’s Scholar to complete a minor outside Miami Herbert Business School.

Explore the Academic Bulletin to discover the wealth of minors offered to bachelor’s students by UM’s eight other schools and colleges.

Depending on the precise courses earned in AP/IB/dual enrollment, on occasion, a Dean’s Scholar may have enough available elective credits to complete a major outside Business.

Rules and Policies Applicable to the Program

- Formal selection of the master’s program must be completed no later than the end of the fifth semester. Petitions to switch master’s programs early in the sixth semester may be entertained, based on available space, but are not guaranteed. Choice of master's program may be limited by the extent and quality of the Scholar's quantitative preparation.

- Dean’s Scholar designation, as well as admission to/scholarship grant for master’s program of choice, is conditioned upon the student maintaining:

a 3.5 GPA, calculated annually, and
good academic standing. Disciplinary or Honor Code violation(s) will result in revocation of Dean’s Scholar designation and admission to/scholarship grant for master’s level study.