It’s one thing to imagine the future of business, but over the last year, students in the University of Maryland’s Interdisciplinary Business Honors Living-Learning Program have been busy shaping it.
Launched in fall 2022 with a cohort of 60 freshmen, approximately half of which majoring in business, the two-year IBH program has served as a unique opportunity for honors students across all majors to experience a cutting-edge business education and apply knowledge toward social issues and grand challenges that intersect with business in the 21st century.
The program marks a partnership between the Robert H. Smith School of Business and UMD’s highly acclaimed Honors College while also receiving support from the Division of Student Affairs. It features renowned faculty members from Maryland Smith and various schools across campus.
During the inaugural year and in addition to their other coursework, students enrolled in HBUS100: The Future of Work and HBUS105: The Future of Analysis, where they learned to think critically about topics including markets, equitable growth, artificial intelligence in the workplace, healthcare affordability, social justice, and social and climate risks, among others.
The business curriculum and overall participation in the program proved extremely valuable for biological sciences major Akash Marakath ’26 to hit the ground running on his UMD experience.
"The biggest lesson I learned as part of IBH is that the amount of effort you put into your activities corresponds to the value of the experiences you receive,” says Marakath. “I’m most excited to start the next year with a solid friend group and support structure as I enter more rigorous coursework."
As sophomores, the students will take three other honors-specific courses, focusing on advanced interdisciplinary topics and experiential learning opportunities in the form of internships, research projects with faculty members, business-related study abroad options or a capstone project.
For Krushi Shah ’26, studying finance and computer science, year two in the program involves continuing to step outside of comfort zones, honing the skills gained so far and getting more involved in student organizations.
"The strong community I’ve built with my peers throughout the program and the plethora of opportunities we have received have allowed me to grow immensely throughout my first year on campus,” says Shah. “Continuing to build upon the foundation of what we have built as a program. It was such an honor being part of the first cohort, and I can’t wait to see what year two and cohort 2 has in store."
Students interested in applying to the IBH program can be automatically considered for invitation to the Honors College when they submit a completed undergraduate application by the early action deadline of Nov. 1, 2023, and receive admission to UMD.
For more information about the program and how to apply, visit the IBH website.
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.