Why Bentley’s Master’s in Management Opens Doors for Graduates Who Need Business Skills

The gap between what most undergraduate programs teach and what employers actually need from new hires is well documented. A 2025 survey by Hult International Business School and Workplace Intelligence found that 96 percent of Human Resources leaders believe schools need to do more to prepare graduates for the workplace, with communication, leadership and people skills topping the list of what is missing. 

Bentley University’s new Master of Science in Management was designed with exactly that gap in mind. 

“We asked top recruiters what they look for in entry-level leaders,” says Effie Stavrulaki, program director and professor of management. “Then we built a program to deliver exactly that.” 

The program is an 11-month, cohort-based degree for recent graduates and early-career professionals from any undergraduate background. No business experience is required. The curriculum moves quickly from foundational business knowledge to real-world application through two STEM-designated majors: People Management and Leadership and Managing with Data and Technology. 

Graduates enter early-career roles with the strategic thinking, business fluency and management frameworks that most people spend years developing on the job. That preparation is what gets them noticed, trusted with more responsibility and positioned to advance sooner. 

“This program will position the graduates to hit the ground running because it will teach them how to be adaptable and build the confidence needed to launch their careers from day one,” says Stavrulaki.  

That confidence is built through experience, not just coursework. A global business experience course sends students abroad to learn about business in a global context. A capstone pairs students with actual organizations. And career development is woven into the curriculum itself through a dedicated career course co-developed with the Pulsifer Career Development Center, ranked No. 1 in the country by The Princeton Review. At Bentley, career services is not an add-on to the degree, but rather a main focal point.

Why People Skills Matter More in the Age of AI 

The program’s emphasis on people skills is increasingly relevant in a workplace reshaped by AI. McKinsey research finds that as AI absorbs more routine tasks, judgment, relationship-building and critical thinking become more essential, not less. Mateo Cruz, assistant professor of management and a researcher in leadership and organizational behavior, helped inform the design of the program and sees this directly in his work. 

“I don’t believe AI can replace the human side of what is required to be successful as a leader,” says Cruz. “We are going to need human skills and people skills to partner with AI successfully, now more than ever.” 

Cruz’s point carries a clear implication for anyone considering graduate school right now: the professionals who will thrive in an AI-shaped workplace are not those who know the most about the technology. They are those who bring what AI cannot replicate: the ability to read a room, build trust across a team, communicate with conviction, and lead through ambiguity. Those are human skills.  

What the Two STEM-Designated Majors Teach 

The two STEM-designated majors — People Management and Leadership and Managing with Data and Technology — were shaped by direct conversations with the employers who hire early-career professionals. Those conversations revealed a consistent gap: smart, talented graduates who had deep knowledge in their field but lacked the business context to apply it at the organizational level.  

Both majors close that gap in different ways. People Management and Leadership teaches the science of how people work together and lead, covering team dynamics, emotional intelligence, organizational culture and coaching skills. Managing with Data and Technology builds the frameworks that turn data into decisions, including AI applications in forecasting, operations and supply chain management.  

How This Degree Can Build on Any Undergraduate Major 

Whatever you studied, you already have something employers want. A biology background brings rigorous analytical thinking. A history degree builds the ability to synthesize complex information and construct a narrative. Psychology, engineering, economics, English — every discipline develops transferable strengths. The Bentley Master’s in Management does not ask you to set those aside. It asks you to build on them, adding the business vocabulary, the leadership frameworks and the organizational fluency that turn a strong undergraduate background into a genuinely powerful professional profile. 

Since career development is built into the curriculum rather than offered as an optional service, students leave knowing not just what they can do, but how to articulate it. They practice positioning themselves to employers, sharpening a professional narrative that connects their specific undergraduate background to what organizations actually need. The result is a graduate who can walk into an interview and make a compelling case — not despite what they studied, but because of it, paired with the business fluency to put it to work on day one. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Bentley’s Master’s in Management 

Do I need a business background to apply? 

No. The program was specifically designed for graduates without a business background. Students come from liberal arts, STEM, social sciences, the arts and any other undergraduate discipline. The curriculum builds business fundamentals from the ground up alongside your chosen major. 

How is this different from an MBA? 

An MBA is designed for mid-career professionals with over two years of work experience who want to accelerate into senior leadership. The Master’s in Management is designed for recent graduates and early-career professionals who want to build a business foundation before entering the workforce, or shortly after. It is faster and specifically structured for the early-career stage. Some Master’s in Management graduates go on to pursue an MBA later in their careers, using the Master’s in Management as a strategic first step and launch pad. 

Is a Master’s in Management worth the investment?

For early-career professionals without a business background, the program offers a strong return in graduate education. It accelerates entry into management-track roles, builds skills that compound in value over an entire career. At Bentley, the degree includes career infrastructure from the ranked No. 1 career development office in the country that stays with graduates for life. The question is not whether the skills are valuable. Employers consistently say they are. The question is whether you want to spend years developing them on the job or arrive already having built them. 

How long does the program take?

Eleven months, full time, on campus at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. 

What does all-inclusive tuition mean? 

Bentley's $55,000 all-inclusive tuition covers the full cost of the degree, including the international travel component of the global business experience course. There are no hidden fees or additional costs for program requirements.