Managing in the Future: UofL’s Online MBA Prepares Students for the Future of Business [Video Q&A]
Prepare to Manage the Future of Business
UofL Online MBA: Elective Course "Managing in the Future"
“Managing in the Future” is a UofL MBA elective course designed to help students broaden their mindset and managerial expertise in order to overcome the ambiguity and theoretical nature of what may, can or will happen—and the impact of those possibilities on the future of business.
For the first time, this course will be offered in a fully-online format as an elective for the UofL online MBA program. The Spring 2021 focus for the course will be about managing in a time of global pandemics, and will take a in-depth look at the effect that COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is currently having and will continue to have on the business industry.
The course is designed and taught by Dr. Nat Irvin, UofL College of Business Professor and Assistant Dean. Hear from Nat in our video Q&A to learn about the takeaways of the course, how it helps business managers of today and tomorrow find new ways of seeing the future of work.
Where did you get the idea for "Managing in the Future," the MBA elective course?
Nat has been teaching this course for over 20 years—yet never teaches a section of the course in the same way. As he says, “How can you?” After all, there are always different developments and variables that come into play when we think about the future.
Nat shares that “Managing in the Future” was developed to help students learn to see all the possibilities that can impact the future of business and learn to identify relationships between business and evolving trends in society. The course is designed to complement the traditional information learned in an MBA program such as the fundamentals of accounting, marketing, leadership, CIS, etc., in order to create better, more well-rounded managers, ready for the future of business.
The course description talks about developing a “new way of seeing the future.” Tell us a bit more about that.
Seeing the future is more about eyesight. Nat aspires to help MBA students expand their perspective and open their minds in order to identify what is happening around them, and how those happenings (such as advancements in artificial
intelligence and social media) are impacting the future of business, as well as our daily lives.
Was there a particular MBA student segment or business-level manager that this course is targeted toward? Or do you feel it’s applicable to business leaders at varying levels?
MBA programs are sought after and applicable to students across various levels of business—small business owners, managers at private companies or non-profits, middle managers, people managers, CEOs—this course is no different.
Nat designs course material and lectures to align with the people that are in his class, focusing more on areas of interest for his students.
Business leaders everywhere are looking to adapt their management and leadership skills to adjust to unforeseen challenges. What sort of takeaways will students completing this elective as part of their MBA leave the program with?
As Nat puts it, “students get different things from a course like this.” His greatest hope for what students will achieve in the “Managing in the Future” elective? Great insights into themselves.
The MBA has only been offered at UofL for little over a year now, and this is the first time Managing in the Future is being offered as an online elective.
What excites you most about bringing this great, innovative elective course option to online students?
Online education opens up possibilities for UofL to reach more students than ever—from outside our local area—extending our high-quality, research-based education to those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to enroll due to other priorities, location, etc.
Nat is personally excited about the 100% online delivery for this course providing the opportunity to bring this course to more MBA students and allowing him to bring in experts and speakers from the business industry, regardless of where they are in the world, to share their knowledge.
The Spring 2021 topic for the course is focused around managing during and after COVID-19—which is obviously on the top of everyone’s mind as we navigate these unprecedented times.
What will students learn about the pandemic in this course?
COVID-19 is rocking the business world everyday, putting managers in extraordinary situations, facing unprecedented challenges. The coronavirus pandemic has required businesses everywhere to operate with greater
adaptability than ever before, especially as so many of our businesses shifted to flexible work from home operations. Naturally, when planning his Spring 2021 online section of the “Managing in the Future” course, Nat was drawn to helping student consider the short- and long-term implications of how this disease is shaping business and operations.
SPRING 2021 COURSE DESCRIPTION
Imagine living in a time when the very foundations of the world are being upended by one single event, COVID-19. An event so powerful that it has literally touched every single human on the planet. How does one prepare to manage and lead in this new world? What would you read? What new skills would you need to learn and what beliefs would should leave behind? Whom will you trust when there is so much uncertainty about the future, and the efficacy of sources of information? What questions will you ask when the world of “Black Mirror”, Black Lives Matter, Black Swans, Machine Learning, AI Nationalism, CRISPR, Climate Change, Aging, and Social Media all converge? This course is designed for the curious mind; to help you your way into a new way of seeing the future. You will be challenged to reach beyond your comfort zone in a journey to discover new emerging broad social, political, economic, technological, and environmental trends and events that will impact your effectiveness as a manager in a post-pandemic world.
Offered through the College of Business, UofL’s online MBA is more than your typical MBA degree. Students will gain an understanding of the proven business theories, practices, and leadership skills expected of an MBA while also developing specialized expertise needed to stand out in today’s competitive business world. The program includes an optional 10-day business study trip, innovative electives like “Managing in the Future,” and the opportunity to earn a certificate in areas like Managerial Analytics or Distilled Spirits Business at no extra time or cost. Prepare for the future of business with UofL.
MORE ABOUT NAT IRVIN
Dr. Nat Irvin, II, is an author, innovator, futurist, teacher, composer, and former radio and television commentator. Dr Irvin serves as Assistant Dean of Thought Leadership and Civic Engagement, Woodrow M. Strickler Chair and Professor of Management Practice for the University of Louisville’s College of Business. He teaches graduate courses in the future of management, leadership, and team dynamics. Dr. Irvin has engaged the leadership and management teams of several groups and organizations, including Fortune 100 companies in strategic conversations focused on the significant social, political, economic, technological and environmental trends and events that will drive the mid-to-long term future. Dr. Irvin is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and a Master’s degree in Media Arts. An accomplished composer, he also holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Music Composition from the University of North Texas and is a graduate of the Institute for Educational Management, Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
