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Since the early 1940s, innovation has been indispensable to economic growth and productivity. Today, that correlation continues. Digital platforms like Amazon and Shein have taken e-commerce platforms from obscurity to become an indispensable part of global retail, one with an estimated market size of US$6 trillion. Meanwhile, emerging technologies like AI are creating new customer experiences and optimising operations.
In this tech-driven world, it’s business schools with innovation-focused programmes that stand out – the kind that prepares you to lead the digital transformation awaiting virtually every sector. These programmes blend the fundamentals of business with a deep understanding of data analytics, AI, cyber security, and other cutting-edge technologies. The result is an interdisciplinary expertise that empowers you to seize the many opportunities that await in a globalised and technology-dominated job market.
Source: University of Maryland, Smith School of Business.
The University of Maryland
The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business never stops moving “fearlessly forward.” Always staying ahead of emerging technologies as they pertain to business, it has incorporated artificial intelligence (AI) into its teaching, research, and the practice of business. Taking place at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Business, a robust research enterprise delves into AI’s work impact, governance, and balancing interests. What they learn guides industry and government in the responsible and effective use of these new tools.
In the classroom, highly ranked faculty members teach bias navigation, data tracking, and effective human-AI job design. It’s a level of understanding of AI that most business schools currently aren’t equipped to provide, but the Smith School’s 10 STEM-designated master’s degree programmes are. Accounting, Finance, Marketing Analytics, Supply Chain Management, Quantitative Finance, Information Systems, Business Analytics, and Management Studies are offered as both in-person and online courses.
Whichever programme you choose, Smith’s faculty – which includes 21 professors ranked among the top 2% most-cited scholars worldwide by Elsevier – will equip you with the competence and confidence to meet the rising tide of AI in various business applications. For example, the MS in Business Analytics and MS in Information Systems include courses such as “Data Mining and Predictive Analytics” and “Enterprise Cloud Computing and Big Data.”
If these programmes set you up to become a leader in the new future of business, then Smith’s location in a verdant, centrally located Washington, D.C., suburb lets you connect to a gateway of unparalleled professional opportunity. The nearby Tech Corridor of Northern Virginia, the myriad supply chain and enterprise opportunities at the Port of Baltimore, and the thriving local finance industry all provide attractive career options for Smith graduates. Where better to gain an inspired business education? Apply to Smith School at the University of Maryland now.
The University of California, Davis Graduate School of Management prepares future leaders to be inspired, innovative, and collaborative, dedicated to making a positive impact. Source: UC Davis Graduate School of Management/Facebook
University of California, Davis
What sets the University of California, Davis apart from the rest of the universities in the US is its emphasis on collaboration rather than competition. This is evident in the Graduate School of Management where you will work with more than 75 internationally renowned faculty members to come up with solutions for problems in and out of the country. Here, you will go through theoretical lessons, practical work, and research projects with industry experts from the likes of Silicon Valley and San Francisco.
Aside from the MBA, there are three other master’s degrees that you can enrol in. The first is the STEM-designated Master of Professional Accountancy, where you will go through a rigorous curriculum that emphasises quantitative analysis and data-driven decision-making. The other is the Master of Science in Business Analytics, where you will engage in a project integrated into your curriculum, covering opportunity identification, problem-solving, client persuasion, and implementation. Lastly, the Master of Management, modelled after the MBA, equips you with a strong foundation in every part of business including accounting, economics, finance, marketing, and strategy.
Step beyond campus and you will find yourself in the business centre of California. From the international innovation hub of San Francisco to the fifth largest economic capital in the world in Sacramento, you are surrounded by opportunities to advance your career in business. Whether you do it by networking with key players, interning in firms, or simply exposing yourself to the business culture here, you are sure to find something that will enhance your learning experience.
There are six areas of business specialisations at the Naveen Jindal School of Management. Source: Naveen Jindal School of Management – UT Dallas/Facebook
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas‘s Naveen Jindal School of Management is keenly aware of today’s corporate and industry needs. Management education here is high-quality and aims to empower future entrepreneurs and innovators to become community leaders and global-minded citizens.
The school has 13 master’s programmes, most of which are STEM-designated. These programmes focus on six areas of business specialisations including Accounting, Finance and Managerial Economics, Information Systems, Marketing, Operations Management, and Organisations, Strategy and International Management.
One standout programme is the MS in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It is ranked 12th worldwide, 11th overall in the US (among similar graduate programmes) and eighth (among similar graduate programmes in US public universities) by The Princeton Review (2025). Its core course – Technology and New Product Development – tackles the strategic and organisational issues confronted by firms in technology-intensive environments. The course reflects six broad themes: (1) managing firms in technology-intensive industries; (2) forecasting key industry and technology trends; (3) linking technology and business strategies; (4) using technology as a source of competitive advantage; (5) organizing firms to achieve these goals; and (6) implementing new technologies in organizations.
As the school is in Richardson, Texas, there are various places around the city for you to seek opportunities that could enhance your career advancements. The Telecom Corridor, for example, is where the nation’s telecommunications industries are represented by consulting firms, service providers, telecom equipment manufacturers, and more. With these companies practically at your doorstep, you’re set to have some of the smoothest transitions from university to industry.
*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International
