School of Business Staying Busy Under New Leadership with AI in the Classroom and First Stackable MBA in Indiana
It has been an extremely busy and extremely exciting year for the University of Indianapolis School of Business. Changes from the top all the way to BADM 100 or ACCT 210 mean that students are getting a better education than ever before, as well as better equipped after graduating.
It all starts with the announcement in November that Dr. Karl Knapp was appointed as the next Dean of the School of Business after an extensive and competitive search process. Knapp has been at the University of Indianapolis since 2006 and won Teacher of the Year in 2010.
Knapp was the focus of a ‘Meet the Dean’ event in March which was extremely well-attended with more than 80 alumni coming to the Columbia Club to meet Dr. Knapp, reunite with old friends and swap stories from their time as Greyhounds.
Among the group was Elijah and Laura Hammans, Randy and Brooke Hooper as well as Rob Mager. These five friends graduated together about 20 years ago and have remained in contact ever since. Each has gone on to have a successful career: Elijah ‘04 is an attorney and partner at Taft Law, Laura ‘05 is the assistant director of admissions at Park Tudor School, Randy ‘03 is a CPA and partner with Katz, Sapper & Miller (KSM), Brooke ‘02 is an adjunct professor of education at UIndy, and Rob ‘03 is a realtor with eXp Realty.
“The lessons I learned while at UIndy’s School of Business truly laid the foundation upon which I built my career,” said Elijah Hammans. “Just as importantly, I made lifelong friends that I remain in touch with 20 years after graduation. I was excited to meet Dean Knapp, and I’m looking forward to watching the continued rise of the school of business under his leadership.”
Under Dr. Knapp’s guidance, the School of Business has integrated artificial intelligence or AI into every single class offered by the school. It is a personal point of importance for Knapp to make sure students are familiar with the rapidly changing and emerging field of AI from their first class at UIndy. Knapp is an expert in how artificial intelligence affects employees and organizations in the business world, having studied the subject during his sabbatical in 2022.
Recently, the School of Business has unveiled a brand-new set of graduate programs, including a reimagined MBA that is expected to boost enrollment as well as meet the needs of today’s learners with more online offerings. The MBA is fully stackable, the first of its kind in Indiana.
For learners, each certificate, as well as its associated skills, can be featured or promoted on a resume or LinkedIn profile, lifting the experience and expertise beyond the traditional MBA. For businesses and employers, the stackability makes it easier to send employees back to school to gain knowledge and expertise in particular areas, even if they do not finish the entire MBA program.
The program begins with three classes of business fundamentals—resulting in a Business Fundamentals Certificate. Students can then choose from any two of the following areas: AI & Analytics, Finance, Global Supply Chain, Finance, and Marketing. Each area involves three classes, and when complete, students earn a certificate in that area. A final capstone class completes the degree.
The MSDA (Master of Science in Data Analytics) and MSM (Master of Science in Management) curricula are also being similarly reorganized into stackable certificates, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees in early April.
In the end, the goal is the same — united under the umbrella of the updated vision statement in the recently passed Strategic Plan: “The University of Indianapolis will be the institution of choice for a diverse group of learners who wish to engage with the world, enrich their lives through relevant and impactful education, and are empowered to transform the world with their knowledge and skills—Anywhere. Anytime. For life.”