The University of Michigan recently announced their new Integrated Business and Engineering Program, a collaboration between the Ross School of Business and the College of Engineering to prepare students for careers in technological fields such as biotechnology. The program aims to combine business coursework with any of the 18 existing engineering disciplines that already exist at the University.
The program is a joint admissions effort between the two schools, requiring applicants to meet admissions requirements and be accepted to both the Business School and College of Engineering. The program is currently only available for incoming freshmen and will not be accepting cross-campus or external transfer applicants. It is expected to start accepting applicants during the fall 2026 admissions cycle.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Stephen Leider, professor of business administration and technology and operations, said combining the two programs will give students unique educational opportunities.
“The new integrated program allows students to have a better blending between the curriculum of each school, a combined cohort and dedicated capstones and co-curriculars,” Leider said.”
In an interview with The Daily, Bryan Enochs, director of undergraduate recruitment at the College of Engineering, said he expects the program to be competitive and have a small cohort of students.
“Applicants should meet the academic requirements for both (the Business school) and the (College of Engineering) and be highly proficient in both quantitative and natural science coursework,” Enochs said. “High school business coursework is not required, but the admissions team will look for business-related involvement in extracurricular activities.”
Enochs said he thinks the program will help students interested specifically in the evolving fields of artificial intelligence and technology.
“Graduates of this program enter the job market with a unique skill set, ready to lead across a wide range of industries, from tech startups and consulting firms to manufacturing and finance,” Enochs said. “This program provides a range of opportunities for students to tailor their educational focus to their interests, whether that is in emerging fields or more established ones.”
In an interview with The Daily, Dan Adler, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, said this new program could be demanding considering the existing difficulties of studying either engineering or business at the University.
“Some students might find such a program challenging because it requires both technical and business acumen,” Adler said. “In addition, because AI technologies are changing so rapidly, I could imagine that students might feel like it’s difficult to keep up with the latest and greatest technology.”
Students have also expressed hope for the program. In an interview with The Daily, LSA senior Archana Chandran, who is studying both computer science and business, said she is excited to see what kinds of new courses could be developed from the program.
“I think it would be cool if they could develop this program into having courses that literally have overlap,” Chandran said. “Using programs to predict stock market trends or quantitative things like that are more exactly integrated between (business) and engineering.”
Daily Staff Reporter Drew Ebner can be reached at dmebner@umich.edu.
