Innovative Spirit

At SMU Cox, we don’t just keep up with the latest business theories and trends — we define them. From analytics degrees to startup incubators, we set the pace with unique resources and programs that future-proof your education.

Innovation permeates everything we do: from how we teach, to how we connect you with the booming corporate and start-up worlds of Dallas. Here are a just a few highlights of the Cox commitment to innovation:

SMU Cox At The Leading Edge

The Brierley Institute

SMU Cox is home to the first academic institute in the nation devoted to the study of customer engagement. MBA students join peers, professors and business practitioners to crack the code: How and why do people engage with brands? Through its partnerships with top corporations, the Brierly Institute is pioneering new research, uncovering new insights and outfitting Cox students with the tools for successful careers in marketing, business analytics and consulting.

Cox Master of Science in Business Analytics

The Cox School created the country's first Master of Science in Business Analytics program to prepare students for this burgeoning field. Our MSBA is unique in that it combines the work of the Marketing and ITOM Departments to provide both a business and an IT view of analytics. As students learn to harness the power of data, they also gain real-world insights into roles and opportunities from analytics professionals at more than 50 companies.

Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship has become a viable alternative to a corporate career, and the SMU Cox Caruth Institute is where startup-minded students gain the essential skills to launch and manage their own ventures. Cox students also get hands-on investing experience in the Cox MBA Venture Fund, and meet with potential investors at the Southwest Venture Forum.

Latino Leadership Initiative

This national center of excellence connects SMU Cox students with companies that are committed to recruiting, developing and retaining high-performance Latino executives. Although Latinos constitute more than 17 percent of the US population — and a powerful market segment — they are largely absent from corporate boardrooms. In order to address the pressing need to reconfigure and diversify the executive talent pool, the Latino Leadership Initiative focuses on leadership development for high-potential Latino managers, and organizational development to build multicultural competence.

Cox Global Leadership Program

SMU Cox was among the first business schools to mandate global immersion for Full Time MBA students, whose year-long intensive global program culminates in an expenses-paid, 10-day trip to business hubs in Asia, Europe, India or Latin America. Tours of corporate headquarters and meetings with C-level executives bring your on-campus studies to vivid life. Powered by the worldwide Cox alumni network, this is an international experience like no other.

IBM Watson Analytics Workshop

Students get hands-on experience with a revolutionary approach to analytics: smart data discovery. Working with guidance from industry experts, they wield cutting-edge software to discover the power of collaborative analysis that combines data from Twitter, Cognos Enterprise Reporting systems, standard relational databases and cloud data storage sources. Facility with Watson Analytics is a must-have skill for students pursuing a career in the burgeoning analytics field.

Specialized Training in Leadership and Communication

While master's programs traditionally focus on classroom lessons, textbooks and case studies, the Business Leadership Center at SMU Cox develops graduate students by fostering conversations and addressing leadership challenges through seminars, executive round tables, applied leadership programs, and coaching. The Cox BLC is one of a kind.

Kitt Trading Center

MBA students get hands-on experience at this in this state-of-the art simulated trading room, which boasts industry-standard data feeds and financial software, along with an LED stock ticker, three video walls, 24 high-end work stations and 12 Bloomberg Professional terminals.