Silicon Valley Mod-Away Program gives students the edge in the business of technology

Google Headquarters, Mountain View, CA. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

The University of Notre Dame MBA students gain first-hand professional experience in the technology industry and work directly with some of the industry’s leading companies in the ND Silicon Valley Mod-Away program.

Housed at Notre Dame’s California facility in Palo Alto, the program provides MBA students with a rare opportunity to live and work in the heart of Silicon Valley. The cohort — which includes students in the One-Year program and those in the second year of the Two-Year program — participates in four innovative courses over seven weeks between fall and Christmas breaks. The curriculum includes activities with tech industry trailblazers and ND alumni at companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, IDEO, LinkedIn, Adobe, VMware, and JD.com.

Launched in 2021, the program was so successful in its first year that applications doubled in the second year.

“The program prepares students to be tech ‘insiders,’ whether at tech companies or as consultants,” said Nick Berente, Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations and one of the faculty members leading the program. “Today, there is no business that’s not a tech business. Firms are all investing heavily in digital strategies, so Notre Dame MBA graduates are poised to fill companies’ need for digital leaders.”

Classes are taught by faculty with extensive tech industry experience, including two tenured Notre Dame professors who live in the Bay area. The four classes include Data and Digital Innovation, Smart Supply Chain Innovation, Digital Product Management, and Digital Innovation Project, in which students present their proposals to solve a company’s problem or seize an opportunity. For example, one group helped a major tech company use influencer marketing to capitalize on its large, existing customer base.

Silicon Valley Mod-Away reflects the MBA program’s strong digital focus so graduates are better prepared to succeed in today’s tech-minded businesses. Visit MBA Technology Pathway to learn more about the Notre Dame MBA Silicon Valley Mod-Away program.