Stanford Sloan Program Relaunched as Stanford MSx in 2013
Photo by Elena Zhukova
The degree program evolved to a full-year format with expanded enrollment.
Stanford GSB renamed its Sloan Master’s Program to the Stanford MSx Program (Master of Science in Management for Experienced Leaders) to reflect its evolution and its unique position in the higher ed space. Changes to the program — designed for mid-career professionals with at least eight years of work experience — included a shift from a 10-month to a 12-month format and a 57% increase in enrollment.
The name change accompanied several important enhancements in the program’s design and curriculum, including re-imagined core courses with a stronger focus on teaching leadership skills and innovation. The program also expanded the range of electives to courses like Generative Leadership and Executive Communication strategies.
Stanford MSx Program differs from other MBA and master’s programs in three key ways. While most full-time MBA students typically have three to four years of work experience, MSx Fellows average 10 or more years, according to Mike Hochleutner, then director of the Stanford MSx Program.
“Second, unlike Executive MBAs or EMBAs, which are part-time degree programs [for more experienced students], this is an immersive, full-time experience,” said Hochleutner. “Finally, unlike many Master in Management degrees, which are usually focused on an industry or function, this is a degree in general management.”
Established in 1957 with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the original Stanford Sloan Master’s Program was intended as company-sponsored education for American executives. Over the years, more people without corporate sponsorship have applied to the program.
The 2013 changes were a response to a diversifying cohort: many of the fellows in the Stanford MSx Program now hail from outside the United States. Fellows live and study together, creating a vibrant intellectual community that thrives after the program.
Read the full, original story to learn more about the evolution of the Stanford MSx Program.
