The College of Engineering and the E.J. Ourso College of Business announced last Thursday that they will offer a dual
degree program beginning in fall 2015.
The combined degree program will grant students a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in business administration, according to a University news release.
Dana Hart, interim director of the University’s Flores MBA Program, said he and the College of Business are looking forward to this new offering. He said having the program will add “intellectual richness” to the University, making its students more competitive post-graduation.
“Undoubtedly, the presence of a program like this will make our students more marketable and competitive because they will have the balance of two
degrees,” Hart said.
The opportunity will most directly benefit students pursuing an undergraduate
degree in industrial engineering after graduation, Hart said. Those enrolled in the program, however, still will face the challenge of gaining experience through
internships, he said.
Installment of the program has been in the works for some time, even before Hart was named interim director in March.
“Dr. Craig Harvey with the College of Engineering was a big advocate for this,” Hart said. “He was a very eloquent exponent of the cause, as with Dean Richard White.”
The program, Hart said, is a “natural footprint” for the
University, and though it is not a new idea, it will set the University apart from others and
encourage more interdepartmental partnerships on campus.
“We’re going to see lots of synergies through this program that connect colleges and better engage faculty,” Hart said.
MBA candidate Melanie Smith said the program gives students a better understanding of both the business and engineering world, especially given the type of jobs offered in Louisiana, like those with oil and gas companies. 
“You have a better understanding of how the world works,” Smith said. 
Hart agreed, adding that he
expects the program to enhance enrollment numbers in full-time students and heighten the quality of students entering the college.
“We’re going to see an influx of high-achieving students come through these doors trying to get their MBA while finishing their undergraduate degree,” Hart said.
Smith also said all new
students will be able to reap the benefits of experience at internships through connections made at the Flores MBA
Program. 
The dual degree program will not just cater to industrial engineers, Hart said.
“This program has the potential to serve the entire engineering enterprise, though it does fit nicely with the industrial engineering concentration,” Hart said. “In the future, it may even promote other dual degrees like at Harvard, who already
offers MBA, MED and MPA
opportunities.”
This, however, is not yet an effort underway, Hart said.