Foster TMMBA Celebrates 25 Years of Launching Tech Leaders
The 18-month Technology Management MBA program offers the fastest path to a Foster MBA for working professionals.
On January 8, 2025, the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business proudly welcomes the official start of the 25th class of the Technology Management MBA program.
From its humble beginnings in a Bellevue strip mall to its dedicated Kirkland office space featuring three executive classrooms, the Technology Management MBA has continuously evolved in pace with the fast-moving tech industry. What hasn’t changed in the past quarter-century is the program’s commitment to teaching the rigorous Foster School of Business MBA curriculum through a lens of technology and innovation.
“Our particular focus is serving students who are in engineering or technology that want to round out their education,” said Technology Management MBA Director Erin Duran, who also is a 2010 alumna of the program. “Our goal is to help them gain both the understanding of the technical expertise of whatever they’re working on but also the business decisions that go behind that.”
Accelerated, 18-month MBA Program
As the Foster School’s fastest path to an MBA for working professionals, the Technology Management MBA program offers an accelerated curriculum that takes just 18 months. Designed for working professionals, classes meet for six consecutive quarters on weekday evenings and limited Saturdays.
To help students balance their studies with work, family and other obligations, the program follows an executive format that includes catered meals before each class, free parking, and access to all course materials – textbooks, simulations, case studies and class recordings – at no additional cost.
Watch the Technology Management MBA Information Session video.
Each of the Foster School’s six unique MBA programs offers the same award-winning core curriculum with comprehensive coursework in accounting, finance, marketing, economics and operations management. The Technology Management MBA course curriculum also adds in a more defined focus on entrepreneurship and leadership that kicks off in the second year of the program with a three-day Leadership Immersion.
“Going into Leadership Immersion, we have instincts and ideas about leadership that we instinctively know and operate on,” said Technology Management MBA student Bianca Huff during Leadership Immersion in September 2024. “But the immersion gives us an understanding of a framework for what those instincts are and where they’re coming from, and then how to operate off of them.
“It’s very enlightening, but also it gives you ideas on how you’re going to utilize that leadership in a real-world application, which is the most valuable part.”
Inspiring Entrepreneurship
The second half of the UW Foster Technology Management MBA also takes a deeper dive into entrepreneurship with both its required coursework and elective options.
Business Consulting Practicum, Women in Entrepreneurship and Environmental Innovation Practicum are among the electives that also inspire and prepare students to compete in the diverse business plan competitions offered by the Foster School’s Arthur W. Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship.
In 2024, Technology Management MBA students were among the competitions’ many award recipients, including a first-place win by Mike Costales (TMMBA 2024) and his team AgroFilms at the Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge.
“I’ve had the opportunity to see how my background and experience can help a business whose main driver isn’t just how to make money, but also how to improve the environment or innovate for health,” Costales said about joining the AgroFilms team after hearing their pitch at the Environmental Innovation Practicum.
A Nurturing Alumni Network
The final capstone project that brings it all together is the Startup Pitch Competition, where student teams compete for the top title after spending their final two quarters developing a startup from the ground up.
Technology Management MBA faculty and alumni not only judge the winning teams, but also provide constructive feedback in a supportive environment.
With 1,500 alumni in its network, Technology Management MBA alumni are among the most active and engaged in the Foster School of Business. Each year, alumni and students come together for annual networking events such as the Summer Picnic, the Winter Mixer and the Bettin Cup Charity Golf Tournament, in addition to student-focused events including the Startup Pitch Competition, a Welcome Mixer for each new class and more.
These events provide invaluable opportunities for students to gain tips and tricks from those who have walked in their shoes, while also allowing alumni to stay connected with the Technology Management MBA (TMMBA) community and continue to grow their networks.
Many of the alumni also give back their time through a structured Mentorship Program coordinated by the Career Management team.
“I find that the new TMMBA students are excited,” 2014 alumnus Mike McCarter said about why he gives back as a mentor. “They have big ambitions, and they should. And it really energizes me to hear how they are approaching the program, how they are looking at their careers.”
Growing Your Career Beyond the Classroom
In addition to coordinating the mentorship program, the Technology Management MBA program’s dedicated Career Management team also offers one-on-one coaching along with optional programs designed to help students grow their careers.
Workshops offered throughout the year feature topics such as effective networking, LinkedIn strategies and professional communications. The team also coordinates opportunities to connect with diverse companies of all sizes through its speaker series, career fairs and Foster MBA treks.
“Our treks give students the chance to expand their professional networks while experiencing the distinctive business landscapes of places like Seattle and San Francisco,” said Career Management Director Susie Buysse. “Through engaging in discussions with senior leaders, students gain insights into business operations, strategy, innovation and culture.”
In fall 2024, Technology Management MBA students participated in a trek to the Bay Area that included a stop at NVIDIA to visit with 2010 alumnus Matthew Hull, Vice President of Global AI Platform Solutions.
“The Bay Area Trek was a game-changer, providing unparalleled access to industry leaders and innovators, and forever shifting my perspective of what’s possible in my career,” said Technology Management MBA student Gloria Bosson.
Building International Relationships
Technology Management MBA students also have the opportunity to take their studies global through the International Study Tour. Each class chooses the destination for its seven- to 10-day scheduled tour visiting businesses and experiencing culture.
We spent so much time in the classroom talking about how business is done in Japan,” said Diana Iftimie (TMMBA 2024) about her cohort’s International Study Tour to Japan in 2024. “Getting to see how it happens was very insightful, but seeing it with a cohort of people who were learning the same things – getting to have those conversations and see the parallels – was so valuable from a learning standpoint.”
With the International Study Tour scheduled the final spring break before graduation, the experience also provides an opportunity for students to strengthen and solidify friendships.
“It’s a total bonding experience,” said Paul Weeks (TMMBA 2024), who also participated in the 2024 Japan tour. “Traveling – let alone traveling internationally – is always an experience, but doing it with a group of people who all have families and jobs and responsibilities at home is an experience you may never get again.”
Join the Journey to Tech Leadership
Are you ready to take your tech career to new heights with a prestigious MBA degree from the University of Washington Foster School of Business? The UW Foster’s Technology Management MBA program will start accepting applications on January 15, 2025, for the Class of 2027, which begins its 18-month journey in January 2026.
To learn more about the program and the application process, consider attending one of our upcoming admissions events. You can also watch our short Technology Management MBA Information Session video.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or book a 30-minute consultation with the Technology Management MBA Admissions Team. We look forward to helping you start your journey!
