Michael Kwinn to direct Arizona’s only integrated engineering business bachelor’s degree

In fall of 2026, the University of Arizona will launch the first and only undergraduate program in Arizona that brings together engineering and business education. The Bachelor of Science in Integrated Business Engineering will combine expertise from faculty in the College of Engineering and the Eller College of Management to prepare graduates for the workforce.

“As things get faster and technology advances, it’s pulling disciplines together,” said Michael Kwinn, IBE director and professor of practice in the Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering. “Now, we need to have engineers understand business and business experts understand engineering.

The Integrated Business Engineering undergraduate program combines the expertise of two critical fields, engineering and business, preparing students to become vital contributors in global tech industries seeking leaders with knowledge in both technical concept design and business vision. Additionally, a BS in IBE can prepare students for unique entrepreneurial ventures.

“The program will offer approximately 40 percent engineering courses, 40 percent business courses, and 20 percent project-based classes that combine both,” said Kwinn.

Potential Career Outcomes 

Kwinn said the skills acquired from the IBE degree program, from engineering design to foundational business skills like presentation, leadership, and ethics, can be valuable to any industry, translating to jobs in a wide variety of fields, from finance and banking to aerospace engineering and automaking.

Grads might work for companies including: 
•    GM
•    Caterpillar Inc.
•    Eli Lilly
•    PepsiCo
•    Microsoft
•    JP Morgan Chase
•    And more

“It’s just so diverse where we anticipate they’ll be hired and what they’ll be doing,” Kwinn added.

Interested? 

Applications for fall 2026 are being accepted at https://www.engineering.arizona.edu/majors/ibe.