MIT Sloan

History

The history of Massachusetts Institute of Technology dates back to 1861 with the incorporation of the “Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston Society of Natural History” due to the efforts of William Baron Rogers, a natural scientist. The first MIT building was constructed in Boston’s Bay Back in 1866 and was called Boston Tech. The MIT Sloan School of Management evolved from Course XV, which was established in 1914. The Alfred P. Sloan School of Management donated $5 million to establish the School of Industrial Management in 1950. In 1964, the School was renamed as the Alfred P. Sloan School of Management.

MISSION STATEMENT

To develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice.

Core Strengths of the School

The MIT Sloan curriculum provides a host of opportunities for the students to absorb the broad concepts of business management and understand the intricacies of the real-world business challenges, thus, equipping them with the relevant knowledge to analyze the big picture and take calculated decisions. An array of electives allows the students to have the flexibility of pursuing their individual aspirations. The Sloan Innovation Period SIP that occurs at the mid-point of every semester for a week provides experiential learning opportunities to the students with intense focus on topics such as ethics and leadership. Students can further customize their SIP course by choosing the topics of their interests. The Independent Activities Period IAP is a four-week term comprising of lectures, films, recitals, treks and tours on a wide array of topics. Sloan graduates undergo a vast and diverse set of challenging team building exercises to realize the importance of synergy in solving complex business problems that spill out chaotically across various disciplines of business. Collaborative learning is introduced right from the first semester where students are distributed into groups of six or seven, with each team having individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, so that the students can leverage upon the knowledge of their team members and develop a holistic perspective on business issues.

Uniqueness in MBA Pedagogy

Action Learning is core to Sloan’s MBA curriculum, where classroom learning is merged with practical application with the intention to refine the knowledge of the students through an iterative process of theory, practice and reflection. The China Lab C-Lab projects allow the Sloan MBA students to collaborate with Chinese International MBA IMBA students to consult for Chinese partner companies, where they brainstorm over issues such as market entry, globalization, financing, etc., and deliver solutions to host companies by the end of the project. The Enterprise Management Lab EM-Lab is an opportunity for students studying Enterprise Management to work in small teams on tightly scoped projects focused on marketing, operations and strategy for host companies, who are leaders and innovators in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Students with entrepreneurial dreams can delve into the fine nuances of launching and running a startup business through the Entrepreneurship Lab E-Lab. With the intention to provide global experiential learning opportunity to the students, the Global Entrepreneurship Lab G-Lab partners the students with global entrepreneurs of high-profile organizations from a diverse range of industries. Students work on-site for three weeks and learn about the immediate challenges faced by the startups in areas such as commercialization, internationalization, finance and marketing. The India Lab I-Lab engages the students on a three-month long project, where they visit the host company and delve into the organizational challenges faced by the host company. After conducting intense research for two weeks in the company, students start working remotely at the MIT campus, where they conduct further analysis. The Innovation Teams I-Teams course brings together the students from MIT Sloan with those of MIT School of Engineering for a semester long project that culminates with a full go-to-market analysis report prepared by the students. The Leading Sustainable Systems L-Lab allows the student teams to partner with organizations that are at the forefront on systematic change and sustainable systems, thus, connecting them to business leaders who guide them in assessing complex situations throughout their project. The Sustainable Lab S-Lab allows the students to consult for partner companies, where they can apply sustainable business practices and translate challenges into opportunities by reinventing past products or implementing new products.

CONCENTRATIONS OFFERED

LOCATION ADVANTAGES

The School is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts- north of the city of Boston proper, across the Charles River. Several technology firms such as Analog Devices, Akamai, Bolt, Polaroid, Lotus, etc. have their headquarters in Cambridge. Though, manufacturing was a major industry in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the city got dominated by technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms over a period of time. Boston demonstrates a rich culture in performing arts and music. The Washington Street Theatre District houses numerous popular theatres including the Boston Opera House, the Cutler Majestic Theatre and the Citi Performing Arts Center. Popular bands such as Boston and Aerosmith, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, etc. have their home in Boston.

CAREER SUPPORT

The Career Development Office CDO supports the students in building effective skills and strategies that are crucial to achieve their career goals. Building of essential career management skills begins in the first semester with the comprehensive Career Core course that focuses on career planning, networking, persuasive communication, interviewing and negotiation skills. The CDO plays an active role in helping the students connect with corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and top-notch executives from various industries through Career Treks, Career Fairs and Club activities. The CDO organizes seminars for students to help them polish their communication and negotiation skills and hone their interview skills.