Georgetown Master’s in Management Program Introduces Modular Themes to Enhance Student Learning

The Master of Science in Management program at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business has introduced themes for each academic module that aim to complement the program’s learning goals. The program is divided into four modules, each focused on a different theme — grit and resilience, discernment, global mindset, and gratitude — that is chosen to help students learn more about themselves and grow as leaders.

Within each module, students have the option to participate in co-curricular activities that add to the student experience and promote the school’s Jesuit values. Brian Cain, director of student services for the Master’s in Management program, designed the activities to augment student learning inside the classroom. The themes were added to enhance the student experience but do not replace or change the curriculum.

The modules allow students to participate in more activities than in a typical graduate program, said Pasha Mostaghim (MiM’20). “Simply by its nature, modular organization allows us to engage in a wider variety of subjects than would otherwise be offered, and so we have greater opportunity to expand our knowledge,” he said.

Ernesto Camacho (MiM’20) believes the modules both increase the efficiency of the program and add to students’ curiosity. “I’m always looking for different resources to inform me of what’s going on in my courses,” Camacho said. “The fast-paced modules are taught by world-class faculty who ensure that students learn together.”

This year, student activities range from grit and resilience training during Module 1 to community service opportunities and Python/Excel training during Module 2.

Cain says each has proved popular so far, and student feedback will inform how the activities in each theme evolve in the future.

Mostaghim is excited for the future of the Master’s in Management program, which is in its first year. “The beauty of anything in a developmental phase is its inherent impressionability,” he said. “The youth of the Master’s in Management program allows its constituents to affect change in a much more organic and effective way than if it was aged and inflexible. The administration has made it abundantly clear that feedback is not only encouraged, but it is also acted upon.”