Anderson School of Management’s Executive & Professional Education Center (EPEC) recently launched a new degree program aimed at developing strong educational leaders in the state of New Mexico. The program, known as the MBA in Education Leadership (MBA-ED), was developed in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. This interdisciplinary program leverages resources from both the Anderson School of Management and the College of Education to equip students with best practices in management and education.
The MBA in Education Leadership focuses on developing organizational management skills within an education framework. “EPEC’s mission is to develop, educate, and empower leaders,” says EPEC Director Audrey Arnold. “New Mexico is full of passionate, dedicated educators who want to make a difference in their communities, their schools, and their students’ lives. Our job is to find these individuals and help them build the leadership skills that create positive change.”
The program spans two years. Students progress as a cohort and work in teams to solve problems and learn from one another. Assignments are designed to teach students to apply organizational best practices in an educational setting. Topics include: leadership, budget development, strategic planning, marketing, data analysis, ethical decision-making, and more.
Candidates who apply for the program are also considered for the Woodrow Wilson MBA Fellowship in Education Leadership. If selected, the fellowship pays for all of the student’s educational expenses with funding from the New Mexico Public Education Department and the Daniels Fund. After graduating, Fellows commit to working in a leadership position in a New Mexico school district for three years. During this time, students are offered executive coaching through the Executive and Professional Education Center.
“The research is clear on the impact excellent teaching has on student achievement,” said Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. "Excellent teachers need exemplary educators leading their schools and districts. The Woodrow Wilson Foundation is honored to have the University of New Mexico as part of its MBA Fellowship network. We welcome UNM's inaugural cohort and are confident it will help set a new standard for principal and superintendent education in the state and across the nation.”
In June of 2015, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation and New Mexico Public Education Department officially announced New Mexico would join Indiana and Wisconsin in offering the Woodrow Wilson Foundation's MBA in Education Leadership program. The New Mexico program includes UNM and New Mexico State University.
For more information about the program, please contact Krista Savoca by e-mail (atsirk@unm.edu) or by phone (505.277.2067).
