EDGE summer program offers business skills to students of all backgrounds

The UCLA Anderson School of Management will open its doors to non-business students for the first time this summer, with the introduction of a four-week business skills program.

The program, which is called EDGE, aims to serve students majoring in subjects such as political science, engineering and sociology, as well as anybody who is interested in applying the learning and analytical processes from their major to a business setting, said Summers McKay, the program director. It will run from July 8 to Aug. 2 and focus on business literacy, leadership and communication.

Anderson administrators created the program in response to student requests and the requests of employers looking for applicants with a broad business vocabulary, McKay said.

Undergraduate students will not be able to receive course credit for completing the program, she said.

Tuition for UCLA students and recent graduates is $6,125, and tuition for students not affiliated with UCLA is $8,750, according to the program’s website. Eight full, merit-based scholarships to the program will be offered and funded by Anderson alumnus Richard Kayne, a chairman of an alternative asset management company. The Anderson School will cover any costs of the program that are not paid for by tuition, McKay said.

Undergraduate and recently graduated students who apply to the EDGE program are not expected to be business or accounting majors, McKay said.

“The ideal candidate is somebody who is curious, has a lot of energy for hard work and isn’t 100 percent sure what career path they will take after graduation,” McKay said.

She said she thinks the program will be beneficial in the long run if students try to pursue careers that require business skills.

Similar programs are currently in place at Stanford University and Dartmouth College, and have proven to be successful, McKay said. In developing EDGE, McKay said Anderson worked closely with faculty from both schools.

Trevor Toth, a fifth-year history student, said he was skeptical about whether or not the program is worth the money.

“In this day and age, you can get anything you want from books or the internet,” Toth said. “Why would you have to go to the Anderson School of Management if you don’t get units (toward a degree)?”

Some students, such first-year undeclared student Wendy Rendon, said the program might be a good idea for students who are unsure of what career they want to pursue.

“I think it’s good for people who are interested in (business), but don’t want to major in it,” Rendon said. “It’s a good opportunity to still learn about something you’re interested in.”

Applications for the EDGE program are available on the UCLA Anderson website and are due by May 15.

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