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#FirstLook: AIM launches new double degree pairing data science and business management

Julian Cirineo

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#FirstLook: AIM launches new double degree pairing data science and business management
Students will earn their respective degrees from AIM and University of Houston

Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by the Asian Institute of Management and was produced by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the production of this piece.

After decades of offering only master’s and more recently, doctoral degrees, the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) is now finally opening its doors to senior high school graduates. In their first foray into this level of education, they are introducing a program that gives students two degrees: one from AIM and another from the University of Houston. Yes, that’s right, students get a diploma from the two international institutes.

This double degree program contains curated courses that blend data science with business and leadership skills to turn students into future leaders.

“If you look at the most innovative companies – they refer to these as GANDALF: your Google, Amazon, Netflix, DBS, Alphabet, LinkedIn, Facebook, for example – you will see that the general ingredients, the general recipe for these visionaries is that they know how to manipulate data because a good number of their founders of them have STEM backgrounds as well as the business acumen and entrepreneurial mindset. This is the kind of future that we would like to build in AIM together with the University of Houston,” said Christopher Monterola, head of AIM’s Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (ASITE).

To create this double degree program, ASITE partnered with the C.T. Bauer College of Business from the University of Houston. Upon completion, students will get a Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Business Administration from AIM, and a Bachelor of Business Administration, Major in Management Information Systems from the University of Houston.

AIM is among the most prestigious schools in Asia, and is the first school in the region to receive an accreditation from the US-based Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Meanwhile, the University of Houston is the largest public research university in the city and third largest in the state of Texas. The 95-year old university has an outstanding reputation for student success, teaching, research, and innovation. 

The four-year program will mostly take place here in the Philippines. For the first three years, students will get a chance to enjoy AIM’s state-of-the-art facilities right at the center of the Makati central business district. This includes tech spaces and classrooms built especially for hybrid setups (as some classes will be taught by University of Houston professors in the US), as well as some fun facilities found in-campus like a dormitory, a pool, a library, and more. But what really takes the cake when it comes to campus perks is the supercomputer found within the school.

“We are the only business school in the world that has a supercomputer inside the business school. Typically, supercomputers will be housed at a computer site, or maybe the national computing center of the country. But here, one of our board of governors donated an AI supercomputer to AIM, the fastest to date, it’s at 1.2 petaflops, and among the fastest in the ASEAN region. [Students] will have access to this,” shared Monterola.

For the final year, students can opt to complete the program and their paid internship in the US, which Monterola shares can pay handsomely.

“If you decide to go to the US for your fourth year, we will help you obtain your visa for school and possibly undergo your practical training there. It’s almost a guarantee that you can be hired by institutions based in the US for your practical training. And the remuneration is quite generous. We checked intern pay in that area. It can be all the way up to $2,000 or $3,000 per month. That’s for an internship. 8 hours per day.”

Emoluments only increase once a data scientist is properly trained. Monterola expounds on this, saying that in the Philippines, data scientists now earn more than doctors and lawyers and at a generally younger age too. The demand even goes higher once data scientists go global.


The double degree was made for people who like to solve problems. It touches on values and skills needed for digital transformation while teaching minds how to be on par with C-suite executives and board members. It also prepares students to contribute to nation-building and use data for good of business and society.

AIM will be accepting fifty students for their first cohort which begins on August 21, 2023. Interested applicants can check out the AIM website for requirements, and can send applications until March 17, 2023. – Rappler.com

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Asian Institute of Management

The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) is the Asian pioneer in management education. Founded in 1968 by the Harvard Business School and academics as well as prominent business leaders of the Philippines, AIM has been committed to contributing to sustaining the growth of Asian businesses and societies. AIM’s education and training meet the global accreditation standards of the US-based Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The Institute is also highly recognized for open enrollment and custom executive programs for business as well as non-business organizations.