Women of the MBA
Our Focus
Introduced in 2023, the Women of the MBA initiative is a collaborative effort led by the Master’s Programs and Executive Education Office alongside student and alumni representatives. This initiative is dedicated to building a strong, supportive community of women across the MBA program and its alumni network. Through events such as networking brunches, mentorship opportunities, and professional development workshops, the Women of the MBA community creates space for meaningful connection and shared learning. Whether you’re looking to build confidence, expand your network, or navigate new professional challenges, this initiative offers a space to engage, grow, and thrive together.
Our Events
Community Connections
Brunches and informal gatherings to stay in touch and build lasting relationships with fellow women alumni.
Meaningful Networking
Opportunities for connection and mentorship across current students, alumni, and emerging professionals.
Career Growth & Development
Panels and workshops designed to support professional advancement and navigate key career milestones.
SEM 653 Women in Leadership Course
The purpose of this course will be to explore past and current trends in women's leadership. Drawing on historical developments, academic research and actual leadership practice, we will examine women's leadership in the context of barriers and facilitators to women's development as leaders. An examination of the historical developments in women's leadership will provide a useful basis for understanding not only how the relevance of gender has changed leadership opportunities over the last century, but also how vestiges still impact today's challenges for women leaders. An emphasis will be placed on helping students hone, increase and develop leadership skills. Through readings, analyzing case studies, teamwork and sharing students' own stories and experiences, we will collectively learn and indeed illuminate how organizations, their senior leaders and indeed each of us can support and encourage gender diversity and inclusion.
"Gender diversity and inclusiveness in the ß÷ßäÉçÇø MBA program is not only important, but it is essential to us. We recognize that the representation of women in corporate leadership roles is connected to positive outcomes for women, families, organizations and society as a whole. Academic institutions play a vital role in developing and inspiring women, and we take this seriously in the ß÷ßäÉçÇø MBA program through a number of initiatives. Our course on Women in Leadership as well as the Women of the MBA initiative are just some of the areas in which we focus our efforts on female leadership development."
Dr. Michael Maier, Associate Dean, Master's and Executive Education Programs
"Organizations around the world increasingly recognize the value and importance of developing female leaders. Our course on women's leadership has two goals: to support aspiring leaders in identifying the skills, networks, and mindset needed for success, and to spark essential discussion about how we build more gender diverse and inclusive work cultures. With a dynamic mix of students, our discussions are always rich, thought-provoking, and productive."
Dr. Karen Hughes, Professor, Women, and Leadership Strategic Management and Organization