In addition to these unique programs, Haas students can also select technology as an area of emphasis, choosing from a wide assortment of courses including everything from high-tech marketing management to the signature Lean LaunchPad methodology pioneered by Haas Lecturer Steve Blank. And last spring the school launched a new partnership with Accenture to develop a curriculum around big data.
With so many major tech firms within a stone’s throw, Haas also easily draws industry experts to campus for its speaker series, to serve as guest lecturers and to partner on research projects. And current Haas Executive Fellows include Twitter’s Biz Stone, IDEO General Manager Tom Kelly, and Guy Kawasaki, former Apple evangelist and now chief evangelist of Canva.
Student clubs complement the rich technology curriculum, providing valuable networking opportunities; organizing events, conferences and workshops; and preparing students for tech career searches. They include the Haas Technology Club, the Digital Media and Entertainment Club (DMEC), the Haas Innovation Design Club and the Berkeley Entrepreneurs Association.
As for where recent Haas grads have gone to work, the list includes Intuit, Genentech, LinkedIn, Facebook, Intel, Amazon and Google. The average starting salary for the most recent crop of graduates was $120,000, with an average signing bonus of $25,000 on top of that.
UCLA Anderson School of Management
Next up in terms of the percentage of graduates heading off into tech jobs is UCLA Anderson School of Management, which sent 31 percent of its most recent graduating class into the industry. (Consulting drew just 19 percent of Anderson grads.) Anderson is home to the Easton Technology Management Center, an institute devoted to “developing leaders who shape the future of technology.” Easton offers technology courses and field studies; hosts conferences, workshops and lectures and supports technology-related research. Anderson students can also choose to pursue a specialization in technology leadership, taking electives that include technology management, intellectual property and new product development.
The school’s Decisions, Operations and Technology Management (DOTM) area has 15 faculty members whose research focuses include technology management, high-tech marketing, computer science applications and new product and service design. DOTM faculty teach two technology-related core MBA courses—Data and Decisions and Operations Technology Management—and more than a dozen related electives. Students can also pursue a “primary sequel” in technology management, which offers a deeper dive into the management of high-technology firms, including acquiring, creating and using technology and knowledge assets. Beyond that, they can also opt for several more highly specialized courses.
Outside of the classroom, the student-led High Tech Business Association organizes Tech Treks, a career night and a case competition, as well as multiple conferences and workshops. Anderson’s combination of technology coursework, experienced faculty and student activities helped Class of 2015 graduates land jobs at companies including Amazon, Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, VMware, Google, Ebay and Apple. The average starting salary for Anderson grads heading into tech was $117,000, with a $25,000 starting bonus.
