Dual-Degree Program Offers New Global Opportunities For Participating Students

Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the University of Porto’s Business School (EGP-UPBS) in Porto, Portugal, will offer a new dual-degree graduate program in engineering and business this fall.

The two-year program will give participants the opportunity of studying one year in Portugal at the University of Porto and another year in the U.S. at Carnegie Mellon. Students will be required to meet academic requirements from both universities to receive a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon and an MBA (“The Magellan MBA”) from EGP-UPBS.

“This is a new paradigm for two very compatible fields as more and more companies seek the problem-solving, technical skills afforded through engineering studies and the business tool set from an MBA experience,” said Ed Schlesinger, the David Edward Schramm Memorial Professor and head of CMU’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

Over the past decade, increasing numbers of engineering students have found innovative career opportunities from startup companies to venerable consulting firms and Wall Street. Industry analysts and recruiters report that engineering students find unique opportunities in business because of their sharply honed technology skills and team-building experiences.

Jorge Farinha, vice dean of the University of Porto Business School, said the new dual-degree program fits nicely with the global reach so essential for all successful business leaders. “We are pleased to join with Carnegie Mellon to offer a new, dynamic program to meet the challenges of an ever changing workplace,” Farinha said. The University of Porto’s business school also offers a set of one-year graduate courses, short and mid-duration executive programs and upper management seminars.

Pradeep K. Khosla, the Dowd University Professor and dean of CMU’s top-ranked College of Engineering, said the new program reflects the longstanding relationship already under way through the successful ICTI program (Information and Communication Technology Institute) with virtual poles in Portugal and the U.S.

“We applaud this program as it gives both our students and professors increased access to both the global marketplace and international companies anxious to employ tomorrow’s savvy tech leaders,” Khosla said.