The first program of its kind in the nation, the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Doctor of Optometry opens a new website/Master of Business Administration (OD/MBA) program exposes students to a truly interdisciplinary approach to learning. Here, the fundamental and advanced principles of both optometry and business converge to provide a greater understanding of the business of eye care.

Why an MBA? 

Some of the greatest challenges in healthcare today are business related. As optometrists find themselves in an increasingly complex business environment, many are choosing to pursue a business education in order to navigate the healthcare system with efficiency and effectiveness. Combining a business degree with an optometry degree can help future healthcare leaders learn to manage rapid change and traverse the uncertainties of management with flexibility.

Students who choose the OD/MBA option often plan careers with both clinical and administrative responsibilities, perhaps opening their own practices. OD/MBA graduates can manage group practices and clinics more effectively and efficiently. Students successfully completing the program should understand how to use innovation and strategic thinking to solve healthcare problems and become fluent in the languages of science and business — putting them on the fast track to career advancement.

Program Specifics

An integrative, four year degree that combines business courses with the OD curricula. Students start their business classes the summer before optometry school and the remaining courses are offered at key times during the remaining four years. Degree plans are also available for those students who decide to pursue the MBA after beginning their OD courses.

The dual degree is a unique offering designed for the ease of the busy optometry student, including a comprehensive all services included approach from start to finish. The dual program is structured around the OD curricula and includes a concierge approach to integration and completion of the MBA dual degree requirements. As a Collat School of Business MBA student, all participants will benefit from an array of services to manage all enrollment requirements, including:

• Administrative registration for all required MBA courses
• Professional development seminars
• Access to faculty mentors
• On-site tutoring
• Opportunities for hands-on learning

How to Apply

Students interested in pursuing the dual OD/MBA degree must complete an application through the UAB Graduate School.

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OD/MBA student selected for Schweitzer Fellowship

OD/MBA student spotlight: Nicole Roddy

Nation's first joint OD/MBA degree program opens at UAB

Program Contacts

The Master of Science in Health Administration & Master of Business Administration Program (MSHA/MBA) is offered cooperatively by the UAB School of Health Profession's Department of Health Services Administration opens a new website and Collat's Graduate School of Management. The coordinated MSHA/MBA program is a 30-month program, including 21 months of courses on campus plus a 9-month administrative residency.

The program blends academic coursework and directed experience in institutional operations and policy. Students acquire a broad base of knowledge and skills that empower them to successfully lead and manage as top-level executives in health service organizations. The administrative residency is conducted under the preceptorship of a high-level administrator in the host institution and provides the student with a top-notch applied learning experience along with a stipend.

The program has a diverse faculty with expertise in health services applications such as accounting, economics, finance, human resource management, law, management information systems, marketing, organizational behavior and theory, and quantitative methods.

Why an MBA

If your career aspirations include leadership or executive positions in healthcare organizations including startups or launching your healthcare-related business, an MBA can provide a broader set of business skills that can be valuable. Combing business skills in financial management, strategic planning and decision-making and entrepreneurship with your healthcare administration knowledge makes you a well-rounded candidate for a variety of leadership roles in the healthcare sector. 

Program Specifics

View the curriculum opens a new website for the MSHA/MBA dual degree program. 

Funding

Limited scholarship and traineeship funds are available. These funds are awarded based on need and scholastic record. The number of awards varies from year to year.

How to Apply

Students who wish to pursue coordinated MSHA/MBA degrees must apply and be admitted to the MSHA program and the MBA program independently.

Program Contact

For specific questions concerning the MSHA program, please reach out to Heather Lee, MPH opens a new website with UAB School of Health Professions.

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  Graduate Recruiter

  Brandon Cox MBA

  205-934-1651

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  Schedule Meeting

The coordinated Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program is offered through UAB's School of Public Health opens a new website and Collat School of Business. Changes in the health care delivery system in the United States have created a substantial demand for persons with both public health backgrounds and business administration skills, making the pursuit of the MPH and MBA degrees an attractive option. 

Why an MBA?

Combining an MBA with an MPH can be particularly beneficial if you are interested in healthcare management, policy or leadership roles requiring you to balance financial, organizational, and public health considerations. Having a strong business foundation with management and leadership skills, and public health expertise equips you with a competitive advantage to develop a deep understanding of complex healthcare issues and how to improve them.

Related News

MPH/MBA student spotlight: Kathryn McGriff

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  Graduate Recruiter

  Brandon Cox MBA

  205-934-1651

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  Schedule Meeting

UAB's Collat School of Business and School of Engineering opens a new website partner to empower students to combine the analytical and technical skills taught in the Master of Engineering program (MEng) with critical skills needed to lead teams, manage projects, and solve business problems. Students can concurrently pursue a MEng and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a balanced course schedule and reduced total credit hour requirement through our MEng/MBA Dual Degree.

Why an MBA?

While engineering professionals often possess analytical capability that is highly valued in the business world, they often lack the business skills to leverage this capability. Leaders need to synthesize diverse information and repackage it so that people can understand it. Management requires the ability to connect with others, collaborate on projects, and influence your co-workers to meet organizational goals. Those interested in management or starting their own companies need to be able to tackle larger and more abstract strategic problems such as project management, budgets, forecasting, cost estimation, and proposal development.

Program Specifics

In this dual degree program, students can apply two courses from the MEng program as electives towards the MBA program requirements. This leaves MEng/MBA students with ten courses to take in the MBA program. All MEng courses are taught online. MBA courses can be taken online or in the classroom, meeting once a week in the evenings.

Students select from the following MEng specialized concentrations: Construction Engineering Management, Information Engineering Management, Sustainable Smart Cities, Structural Engineering, and Advanced Safety Engineering Management. Learn more about the MBA dual degree curriculum requirements and see the MEng program website opens a new website for details on the related MEng program of your choice. 

How to Apply

Students who wish to pursue the MEng/MBA dual degree program must apply and be admitted to the MEng and MBA programs separately.

Program Contact

• 

  Graduate Recruiter

  Brandon Cox MBA

  205-934-1651

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  Schedule Meeting

The program is an integrative, four-year degree which combines 10 business courses (30 semester hours) with the MD curricula. Students start their business classes the summer before medical school. The remaining courses are offered at key times after the second year of classes and after finishing the USMLE Step 1 exam.

Degree plans are also available for students who decide to pursue the MBA after beginning their MD courses.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine opens a new website and Collat School of Business offer a dual MD/MBA degree in medicine and management to high-achieving healthcare leaders. A dual MD/MBA degree can open opportunities for physicians and lead to greater management responsibilities within their organizations.

Why an MBA?

The industry is increasingly characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity. Combining a business degree with a medical degree can help future healthcare leaders learn to manage through rapid change and traverse the uncertainties of management with flexibility.

Students who choose the MD/MBA option often plan careers with both clinical and administrative responsibilities. MD/MBA holders can operate their clinics more efficiently, manage a healthcare organization, head a research project, or advocate for their patients and work to improve the healthcare system. Successful students should understand how to use innovation and strategic thinking to solve healthcare problems and become fluent in the languages of science and business — putting them on the fast track to career advancement.

Program Specifics

The dual degree is a unique offering designed specifically for busy medical professionals. Structured around the MD curricula, the dual program includes a concierge approach by sequencing and integrating the MBA requirements to fit within the medical program. As a UAB School of Medicine student, all dual degree participants will receive a wide array of added benefits, including:

• Automatic MBA course registration
• Professional development seminars
• Access to faculty mentors
• On-site tutoring
• Opportunities for hands-on learning

Class Schedule

How to Apply

Students interested in pursuing the dual MD/MBA degree must complete an application through the UAB Graduate School.

Program Contacts

The DMD/MBA program is an integrative, four-year degree that combines business courses with the DMD curricula. Students start their business classes the summer before dentistry school. The remaining courses are offered at key times during the remaining four years.

The UAB School of Dentistry opens a new website and the Collat School of Business offer a dual Doctor of Dental Medicine/Master of Business Administration (DMD/MBA) dual-degree that exposes students to a truly interdisciplinary approach to learning. Here, both fundamental and advanced principles of dentistry and business converge to provide a greater understanding of the business of dentistry.

Why an MBA?

Some of the greatest challenges in healthcare today are business related. As dentists find themselves in an increasingly complex business environment, many choose to pursue a business education in order to navigate the healthcare system with efficiency and effectiveness.

Students who choose the DMD/MBA option often plan careers with both clinical and administrative responsibilities, perhaps opening their own practice. DMD/MBA graduates can manage group practices and clinics more effectively. Successful students should understand how to use innovation and strategic thinking to solve healthcare problems and become fluent in the languages of science and business — putting them on the fast track to career advancement.

Program Specifics

The dual degree is a unique offering designed for the busy dentistry student, including a comprehensive all-services-included approach from start to finish. The dual program is structured around the DMD curricula and includes a concierge approach to integration and completion of the MBA dual degree requirements. Collat School of Business MBA students will benefit from an array of services to manage all enrollment requirements, including:

• Administrative registration for all required MBA courses
• Professional development seminars
• Access to faculty mentors
• On-site tutoring
• Opportunities for hands-on learning

How to Apply

Students interested in pursuing the dual DMD/MBA degree must complete an application through the UAB Graduate School. 

Related News

Hear from one of the first students to graduate from UAB's DMD/MBA Dual Degree program

Program Contact

• 

  Graduate Recruiter

  Brandon Cox MBA

  205-934-1651

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  Schedule Meeting

• 

  Director of Student Recruitment & Engagement, UAB School of Dentistry

  Wendy Scripps MPA

  (205) 934-3387

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At UAB Collat Professional Education, we design custom programs to address unique business challenges and drive measurable results. By understanding your organization’s culture and development needs, we collaboratively create tailored learning experiences aligned with your goals to move your organization ahead.

Partner with Us for Your Organization’s Success

UAB Collat Professional Education partners with organizations and companies of all industries and sizes to solve business challenges.

Programs can be delivered on-site, off-site, or at our Founders Advisors Professional Education Suite in the UAB Collat School of Business, spanning several days, weeks, or months. While our team of faculty and industry experts curate content specific to your group, current topics in high demand include:

• Leadership
• Alignment & Strategic Thinking
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• Emotional Intelligence
• Project Management
• Sales Training & Negotiations
• Data Visualization & Storytelling
• Finance & Business Decision Making
• Innovation & Design Thinking

"The Collat team developed a first-class project management academy that captured exactly what I wanted to address with customized content for our specific needs. Thanks to their professionalism, support, and great job all around, our team is equipped to provide a high level of service to our clients."

Mike Kemp President/CEO, KMS

“I had always heard about UAB's project management team and contacted them to schedule a training session for our communications team. Cori and her team developed a custom experience that was educational and entertaining. The training continues to help us in our roles at HudsonAlpha and I highly recommend it to others.”

Adam Kelley Director of Communications
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL

Whether you're a recent graduate looking to gain marketable skills, a seasoned professional wanting to advance or change careers, or someone trying to rejoin the workforce after an absence, UAB Collat Professional Education can help get you where you want to be. Select from the categories listed below to view available Career Advancement Courses. Additional courses are on the way.