What's New in 2023 at Cornell?
Discontinuing the one-year Accelerated MBA Program
Saying farewell to a program is never easy. Cornell University's Johnson School stated last autumn that it will be discontinuing its one-year Accelerated MBA program. This highly regarded program would have been in operation for more than two decades in May.
In an interview with P&Q, Andrew Karolyi, dean of Cornell's SC Johnson Faculty of Business, stated that they have never felt capable of achieving their high ambitions. Nonetheless, Karolyi concedes that closing down a well-established MBA program, even one with declining enrollment, was a difficult decision. Yet, he feels it was done for the greater benefit in the long run.
More than that, the decision indicated a purposeful re-allocation of resources. Rather than maintaining two full-time MBA programs, Johnson decided to place a substantial investment on its five-year-old Tech MBA (also known as Cornell Tech) - a one-year full-time residential MBA program in New York City.
Relocating funds to Cornell Tech
The discontinuation of the Accelerated program has benefitted Cornell Tech, which has expanded from 50 to 85 students in the last five years. Cornell Johnson's Cornell Tech program operates on two campuses. The STEM-designated Cornell Tech program starts on the Ithaca campus, where students spend 14 weeks learning the foundations of business. They then proceed to Johnson's facilities on Roosevelt Island. They collaborate in a multidisciplinary laboratory with graduate students from engineering, law, design, and computer science. These teams work together with companies ranging from startups to Google to create and market products, as well as build their own enterprises. Because of its closeness to Manhattan, Cornell Tech MBAs can explore a wide range of internships and projects related to New York. MBAs from Ithaca, on the other hand, can take courses on Roosevelt Island as well. Students can get the best of both worlds by attending one of the world's great institutions in a beautiful college town as well as a newly built tech-focused campus in the center of New York City.
Relocating funds to the full-time MBA program
Following the termination of the Accelerated MBA program, resources such as faculty will be directed toward the full-time program. However, the school has been in full-growth mode. After hiring 20 new faculty members last year, the institution will hire another two dozen this year. The school is also considering creating a two-year MBA program in which students spend one year in Ithaca and the other in New York City.
The EMBA Americas program is thriving
Cornell Tech isn’t Johnson’s only innovation. Since 2005, the school has operated the EMBA Americas program in partnership with Canada’s Queen’s University. It relies on remote instruction and employs distributed classrooms in 20 North and South American cities. These include, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and San Francisco. In short, distributed classrooms host 8-12 students in each location. The classes are taught live so students can interact directly with other students. This format, according to senior director of Cornell Johnson’s EMBA programs, Manoj Thomas, is the “gold standard” for online education. According to Thomas the distributed classroom model brings together executives from different geographies and different backgrounds, allowing them to learn from each other’s rich experience, all facilitated by an expert faculty from a remote location.
full-time MBA applications increased by 21%
During an application season when other colleges saw a reduction in applications, Cornell Johnson had a 21% increase in full-time applicants. Additionally, the Class of 2024 is even more diverse than ever, with students from 43 countries. According to the Financial Times, their ranks have also risen ten places in the last five years. Additionally, Johnson received the second-highest points for Teaching Excellence and the top scores for Family Friendliness and Campus Environment in the most recent Princeton Review assessment. Lastly, in June, the school received a $30 million donation to establish a real estate program.
Dean Mark Nelson will step down in the summer
Unfortunately, the positive news is tempered by Mark Nelson's announcement that he will step down as dean this summer. Following his arrival in 2016, he has been instrumental in the establishment of Cornell Tech and the Breazzano Family Center for Business Education. This raises the question of how Johnson's goals will shift when new leadership joins the institution.
Johnson's renowned Immersion Program regarded as one of the best
Johnson University's finance program is regarded as one of the best in the country, with a unique immersion program. To prepare for their internships, first-year students take industry-related courses and do field work. Another advantage is Johnson's proximity to the Finger Lakes. Ithaca symbolizes the values of a slower pace and a simpler existence, with its deep gorges, rolling woods, and stunning waterfalls. Students can go hiking, boating, skiing, golfing, swimming, or even to farmers markets and festivals. According to first-year student, Maria Claudia Rengifo Cabanillas, “I would argue that being in Ithaca forges a closer bond between our student body as most of our activities revolve around being with each other.”
Want to apply to Cornell Johnson? Here are Cornell Johnson’s MBA application breakdowns and tips for 2023.