Educating
Managers
to Lead and
Succeed

hat key skills do successful leaders need today? According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report, analytical thinking is the most sought-after core skill among today’s employers followed by resilience, flexibility, agility, and social influence. Technical skills, including AI, big data, and technology literacy top the list of the fastest-growing skills, and creative thinking, curiosity, and lifelong learning will continue to rise between 2025 and 2030, the report states.

The Gabelli School’s 30-credit MS in Management program hones these skills and much more. This classic business management degree program is anchored in accounting, analytics, finance, operations, and strategy, with a unique focus on humanistic management and global leadership.

“The fundamental business knowledge and the leadership skills this program develops opens the doors for our students to step into the business world and succeed,” said Professor Dongli Zhang, PhD, director of the MS in Management program. “They build strong analytical skills, logical thinking, and a holistic view of business,” she added.

With no business background needed to apply, the MS in Management attracts students who hold undergraduate degrees across the disciplines. For those who have already entered the workforce, professionals from all career trajectories are welcome as well.

Professor Ying Hong, PhD, area chair of Leading People and Organizations at the Gabelli School, says the program is particularly appealing to those who have recently earned an undergraduate degree and wish to gain business management knowledge and skills to distinguish themselves as top-tier job candidates.

“People are seeing a higher entry point to the workplace,” she explained. “Employers are expecting more and those who are graduating don’t want to settle for very beginner, entry-level jobs. The demand for the Master’s in Management program is rising because of this. Most students want to acquire better credentials before they look for their first job.”

In addition to subject-matter skills, Hong continued, “employers are also looking for candidates who have business knowledge—human resources management, project management, team management, et cetera. This program is a sweet spot for students after they’ve earned their undergraduate degree and before they formally enter the workforce.”

The program is also ideal for working professionals seeking to upskill, pivot in their career, or advance in their current role. The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report states that the scale of workforce upskilling and reskilling needed by 2030 will be significant: among employers surveyed, 63% identified skill gaps as a major barrier to business transformation, 85% plan to prioritize upskilling their workforces, and 70% expect to hire staff with new skills.

In addition to catering to a wide audience of recent college graduates from all academic disciplines and professionals working in multiple industries, the MS in Management program can be completed at a pace and on a schedule that accommodate the needs of diverse individuals. The on-site residential program is offered full time, and the online program can be completed in either 12 or 20 months, making graduate business education accessible for students juggling personal and professional responsibilities. Zhang noted that in the not-too-distant future, the MS in Management will be available in a hybrid mode. “This means students will have the flexibility to choose to take classes fully on site or fully online or a combination of the two,” she explained.

The program is also a pathway for students seeking to pursue a Full- or Part-time MBA at the Gabelli School with the possibility of up to three courses waived, if students meet certain criteria.

Harry He ’22 MS, who pursued the program on site after earning his undergraduate degree in China, notes that he was drawn to the Gabelli School’s MS in Management program for its reputation as a “Wall Street target school,” location in New York City, and strong career guidance and support. “I was young when I started the program…not even 21, so I needed career counseling to shape myself and to understand which industry I should be focused on—one that would be of real interest to me,” He explained.

The strong support he received, along with his impressive academic accomplishments, yielded multiple job offers upon graduation and led him into the financial services sector. After a few years as an investment associate in private equity in New York City, He is now immersed in AI as a founding member of the deep-tech startup RadixArk on the West Coast. “AI is booming and I use the skills I developed at the Gabelli School every day to manage teams that are accomplishing some extraordinary work,” He affirmed, adding that the aim is to maximize efficiency. “Right now, if you don’t move fast in the AI space, someone is going to speed up and surpass you.”

The MS in Management curriculum includes a choice of three business knowledge core courses, three humanistic/global leadership courses, and four electives. Students may choose an area of focus in AI and Digital Transformation for Managers; Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation; or Global and Sustainable Business. In addition, they may pursue a management consulting practicum to put their knowledge to work and gain real-world experience in the field in cities across the country.

“AI is built into the program’s core courses and electives because our students need to navigate AI to be prepared to become the changemakers of the future,” Hong commented. “We want to train our students not to automate their work, but to augment it. We want students to become the navigators of AI who can efficiently use it to improve their performance. They need to be AI savvy and also have humanistic management skills to be successful in the job market.”

Its emphasis on humanistic management distinguishes the Gabelli School’s MS in Management program. “Good management is solving problems and that’s what humanistic management is all about,” said Professor Michael Pirson, PhD, the James A.F. Stoner Endowed Chair in Global Sustainability at the Gabelli School. “How do we solve the real problems that all of us are facing? You have to have an understanding of what we have in common and how we’re different, and bring that together in a way that is productive. And that’s what the best managers are doing.”

Pirson added that the MS in Management program’s emphasis on humanistic management is a “very Jesuit approach to leadership.” The trio of required courses focuses on what the world needs and understanding the foundations of who one is and what one can contribute to the world. “It is basically a reflection of this inspirational paradigm of the Jesuits,” he asserted. “You can say it’s ‘back to the future’ because it’s really grounded in the original Jesuit approach to formation, discernment, leadership, and education,” he explained. “Ultimately, we thrive, we live longer, and we are happier when we have meaningful contributions that we can make and when we work with people with whom we share a higher purpose.”

James McIntosh Jr. ’21 MS, director of operations for NYC Health + Hospitals, credits the MS in Management program with helping him to develop the skills and leadership approach that has enabled him to successfully navigate his team members through major health and humanitarian crises. Just after earning his degree, McIntosh immediately put his new credentials to work as he led them in safely quarantining 30,000 New Yorkers through the COVID-19 pandemic and later, leading a workforce of 500 that was providing 24/7 emergency housing operations for tens of thousands of asylum seekers in New York City. Today, McIntosh is directing a housing and wellness program for documented homeless people who experience severe mental health issues—another role in which the experience he gained in the MS in Management is put to daily use.

In his free time, he’s dabbled in social entrepreneurship as well. He launched Harlem Bred LLC last year, an initiative inspired by his desire to invest in the community where he was born and raised. One division, Harlem Bred Wellness, features the Harlem Walk Club, which brings neighbors together on weekends to socialize and walk 7,000 steps. Other divisions focus on financial literacy, mentorship, and life coaching.

“The MS in Management has totally flipped my life and my career,” McIntosh said. “I believe that humanistic management is the way to go in this new era. You have to really understand what drives people. Those human traits have helped me develop trust with my employees. The humanistic management and the business skills I gained were right on time for how I wanted to show up in this world and elevate within my career.”