The academic experience at the Naveen Jindal School of Management is rich with opportunities for students looking to broaden their academic and professional horizons.
Omer Ahmed is one of those students. He knows a degree from The University of Texas at Dallas will give him a competitive advantage in his career. As he looks toward his expected graduation in December of 2025, he will be crossing the stage holding not one but two undergraduate degrees — a BS in Global Business and a BS in Marketing.
“I’ve taken advantage of all the opportunities,” he said recently of his college experience.
And now, the school continues to find ways to support students in achieving a well-rounded, career-focused education. Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and Jindal School dean, wants to make sure students are career-ready with both breadth and depth in specific areas. JSOM is doing this by strategically aligning various programs with double majors and making them more more attainable by carefully selecting approved core and elective courses. Changes to these will be available beginning in fall 2025.
“We have revamped the degree plans,” said Tanya Haden, program manager in the Jindal School’s Center for Global Business. “It offers a clearer academic route for students interested in expanding their skill sets across two disciplines.”
Within the Jindal School, a diverse group of 11 majors is offered, all designed to prepare students for success in the business world. Double majors already allow the university’s students to combine fields, permitting students to shape their education to match their individual skills, interests and career goals. In the fall though, the restructured educational plans will make it easier for students.
Advisors are promoting the idea with first-year students, counseling them to think ahead about their degree options. With thoughtful planning, students can complete select double-major programs in a timeframe that compares to a single degree, thanks to overlapping core and elective courses.
Taking the correct courses in the correct order helps put students in a position for success, Haden said. Depending on how many advanced credits students have when entering UT Dallas, they would need to decide on a double major before the end of their sophomore year.
“We need to capture them early to get the clear pathway to achieve the double major, so we need to get them as early possible,” Haden said. “We’ve been contacting parents, notifying them that a double major can enhance their student’s return on investment in higher education.”
Students are happy about the streamlined degree programs. Amhed, an Ohio native who has lived in North Texas for five years, entered college knowing exactly what his career goals were. With a father in aviation and a high school class exposing him to marketing, he was sure he wanted to combine the two areas.
“I chose UTD because it was so close to home, because I knew a lot about the global business program and I wanted to take some marketing classes,” he said. Learning that he could receive undergraduate degrees in marketing and global business was great news for him. “I always knew I wanted to work in European and or Middle Eastern marketing, so I worked that into my degree program, and it didn’t affect my graduation date at all.”
Pursuing a double major as a business student can offer graduates substantial benefits, both academically and professionally. According to Haden, combining global business studies with another field allows students to gain a wider skill set, making students more versatile and better prepared for diverse roles in the workforce. UTD’s multidisciplinary approach increases its students’ marketability, setting them apart by marking their abilities to manage complex work and expanding their expertise.
Graduating with a double major also permits job seekers to explore careers in multiple fields or positions that integrate the two areas of study. Networking can be expanded among a broader range of professors, peers and professionals.
Haden, who holds a bachelor’s degree in global business and a master’s degree in international management studies, knows a background in more than one field can be advantageous. Having worked in international sales before joining UTD, she sees the opportunity for double majors as solving problems. There is a desire from students to tailor their education while, simultaneously, corporate headquarters are searching for well-prepared employees.
“We’ve been promoting global business to a wider audience of students, for example students who study marketing and human resources.” Haden said. “They might have been missing those key skills that would help bolster them in the job market.”
Ahmed would agree, thinking his decision to obtain a double major was right for him. Among his stand-out courses was Global Market Entry Strategies (IMS4350), in which students were assigned Japanese companies that wanted to expand their presence beyond Japan. With market research, business strategies, and a detailed timeline, the students advised the company to expand within three to five years. The results were helpful to the company, and the work was a tangible experience for the students, Ahmed said.
Coursework has also included study-abroad opportunities, which Ahmed found invaluable. Hubert Zydorek, an associate professor in the Jindal School’s Instruction, Organizations, Strategy and International Management Area and director in Global Business, led a trip to Brazil where export plans were the focus. Meeting with Brazilian executives, the students were able to question key business leaders, gaining an international business perspective, activities Ahmed found worthwhile.
The Jindal School’s decision to commit to academic flexibility empowers students to pursue dual specializations that align with today’s global business demands in both diverse career opportunities and advanced academic pursuits, Double majors can expand students’ access to career options while preparing them for higher academic pursuits and provide a competitive edge in an increasingly complex global economy.
Ahmed says “Sometimes adding a double degree can make a world of difference and open doors to opportunities you’d never thought of before,” he said. “It’s been a great journey throughout, academically and socially. I found the right people to push me to become a better version of myself.”
Double-Degree Programs in JSOM:
- Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence and Supply Chain Management and Analytics (BS) — 124 semester credit hours.
- Finance and Economics (BS) — 129 semester credit hours.
- Global Business and Human Resource Management (BS) — 121 semester credit hours.
- Global Business and International Political Economy (BS) — 128 semester credit hours.
- Global Business & Marketing (BS) — 121 semester credit hours.
- Global Business & Supply Chain Management and Analytics (BS) — 121 semester credit hours.
- Marketing and Supply Chain Management and Analytics (BS) — 127 semester credit hours.
