Carnegie Mellon's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to Form Partnership With Portuguese Business School

Dual-Degree Program Offers New Global Opportunities For Participating Students

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Apr 10, 2012, 09:00 ET

PITTSBURGH, April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the University of Porto's Business School (EGP-UPBS) in Porto, Portugal, will offer a new dual-degree graduate program in engineering and business this fall.

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The two-year program will give participants the opportunity of studying one year in Portugal at the University of Porto and another year in the U.S. at Carnegie Mellon. Students will be required to meet academic requirements from both universities to receive a master's degree in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon and an MBA ("The Magellan MBA") from EGP-UPBS.

"This is a new paradigm for two very compatible fields as more and more companies seek the problem-solving, technical skills afforded through engineering studies and the business tool set from an MBA experience," said Ed Schlesinger, the David Edward Schramm Memorial Professor and head of CMU's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

Over the past decade, increasing numbers of engineering students have found innovative career opportunities from startup companies to venerable consulting firms and Wall Street. Industry analysts and recruiters report that engineering students find unique opportunities in business because of their sharply honed technology skills and team-building experiences.

Jorge Farinha, vice dean of the University of Porto Business School, said the new dual-degree program fits nicely with the global reach so essential for all successful business leaders. "We are pleased to join with Carnegie Mellon to offer a new, dynamic program to meet the challenges of an ever changing workplace," Farinha said. The University of Porto's business school also offers a set of one-year graduate courses, short and mid-duration executive programs and upper management seminars.

Pradeep K. Khosla, the Dowd University Professor and dean of CMU's top-ranked College of Engineering, said the new program reflects the longstanding relationship already under way through the successful ICTI program (Information and Communication Technology Institute) with virtual poles in Portugal and the U.S.

"We applaud this program as it gives both our students and professors increased access to both the global marketplace and international companies anxious to employ tomorrow's savvy tech leaders," Khosla said.

About Carnegie Mellon University: Carnegie Mellon (www.cmu.edu) is a private, internationally ranked research university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business, to public policy, the humanities and the arts. More than 11,000 students in the university's seven schools and colleges benefit from a small student-to-faculty ratio and an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. A global university, Carnegie Mellon's main campus in the United States is in Pittsburgh, Pa. It has campuses in California's Silicon Valley and Qatar, and programs in Asia, Australia, Europe and Mexico. The university is in the midst of "Inspire Innovation: The Campaign for Carnegie Mellon University," which aims to build its endowment, support faculty, students and innovative research, and enhance the physical campus with equipment and facility improvements.

About the University of Porto: The University of Porto (U.Porto) is 100 years old and is currently the largest and best-ranked education & research institution in Portugal. Over 31,000 students and 2,400 faculty members attend its 15 schools and 60 scientific research units, spread across three campuses located in the city of Porto. Every year, more than 2,000 international students choose this university to complete their higher education. U. Porto is accountable for over 20 percent of the Portuguese academic papers indexed each year in the ISI Web of Science. EGP-UPBS is the business school of U.Porto, created in 1988 with a unique governance model that involves top business leaders and 25 large corporations, ensuring a practical approach to management teaching. The school is a member of both AACSB International and UNICON Executive Education consortium. It is currently listed on the Financial Times Customized Executive Education worldwide ranking and its MBA programs have been internationally accredited by AMBA and EFMD/EPAS.

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