The Markets and Management certificate program has managed to find a market among business-oriented students at Duke.
Enrollment has grown by leaps and bounds-from 24 students in 1990, its first year, to 618 in 2006-and the program is now the University's most popular certificate.
"We pride ourselves in doing the theoretical and the applied," said Kenneth Spenner, professor of sociology and director of the MMS program.
Designed with an interdisciplinary focus, the program stands out in a university that intentionally lacks a business major.
"If I had to pick the top five classes [of my college career], four would be MMS," said Devin Bean, Trinity '06.
The certificate offers three tracks focusing on technology, the global economy and entrepreneurship and leadership, as well as classes on finance, marketing and other skills.
"Being able to come fresh out of college with knowledge that most people won't have until after 30 years on the job-that was invaluable," Bean said.
Some other students said the certificate is not entirely about getting a job.
"It's not about having something nice on your resume-it's about learning something," said senior Tyler Brock, president of the MMS student group that interacts with faculty and plans social events.
Still, taking MMS classes does improve students' future career prospects, said Malcolm Riley, Career Center advisor for business, finance, consulting and entrepreneurship.
"Students that have earned the certificate will be more competitive in the job search process because employers will view them as having the knowledge base necessary to join their organization and make immediate and significant contributions," he wrote in an e-mail.
Classes teach skills such as how to make a presentation and how to analyze a business plan.
The program has a number of corporate sponsors, and companies regularly approach Duke looking to get involved, Spenner said. "They want access to good students for employment," he said. "No question about it."
The program also facilitates internships-in past summers, students have worked at ESPN, RCA Records and Goldman Sachs, among other places.
"Most of our students not only want the education, they want that set of contacts into the business world and non-profit world," Spenner said.
The program attracts a number of athletes and is known for having easy courses, junior Serwaah Agyapong said.
"As a general rule, everyone goes into an MMS course knowing that they're going to get a good grade," she said.
Agyapong noted that the coursework is not necessarily easy, but the lack of competition among students makes the classes less intimidating. "If you wanted to sit in the back and be a 'veg,' you could get away with it," Bean said.
Students who are passionate about the program find the classes more enriching, he added. "It's one of those 'you get out of it what you put into it' situations," Bean said.
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