Starting this summer, the Kellogg School of Management will begin offering a new master of science degree to current Northwestern undergraduates.

Current NU seniors are invited to apply to the new Russell Fellows Program, a three-quarter, 12-credit program for a Master of Science in Management Studies from Kellogg.

“The world continues to change and evolve and Kellogg is very committed to providing a set of programs and a set of degrees that actually meets the needs of that changing environment,” said Betsy Ziegler, Associate Dean of Master of Business Administration Programs. “We think that this program in particular will help us get there.”

The program is designed to give graduating seniors “the core fundamentals of a business education,” Ziegler said. Since most MBA students come back to school after a few years in the workforce, Ziegler said they wanted to provide a program designed for recent graduates.

“A lot of things, like accounting for example, are useful to know at the beginning of your career, not after five years — so why wait?” said Kathleen Hagerty, chair of Kellogg’s Finance Department.

Hagerty, who helped design the new program, gave a presentation about the program to interested students at an information session Monday afternoon. Weinberg senior Japna Sethi, one of the students in attendance, said she was interested in the new program because of a lack of similar opportunities in NU’s undergraduate curriculum.

“I want to go into business and I want to do management in the future, but we don’t really have a great undergraduate curriculum for business here,” she said. “I’m interested in this program because I think it would be helpful to have some business experience for when I do have a job.”

Weinberg senior Katie Kim, who hopes to work for a global health non-profit, also said she thinks this program would help her reach her career goals.

“This would be a good stepping stone,” Kim said.

The program, which will be taught entirely by Kellogg faculty, will also include “dedicated career support” involving a counselor who will help students with professional development and interview preparation, Ziegler said.

Unlike Kellogg’s Certificate Program for Undergraduates, which is directed primarily toward undergraduates with strong math and statistics backgrounds, the Russell Fellows Program will be open to students from all schools and majors. Hagerty said she hopes the program’s broader focus will attract a wide range of majors.

“If I had someone from theater, I’d think that was awesome,” Hagerty said.

Ziegler said she believes the program will benefit students who choose to pursue this new degree.

“You receive dedicated career support in a way that we believe will set you up for a very long, fruitful positive career and it still allows you the flexibility to go back and earn an MBA later in your career,” Ziegler said. “Whether you do that at Kellogg or another school, this doesn’t negate you from having that additional learning experience later on after you’ve worked for a couple years.”

A second information session for students interested in the program will be held Tuesday at the Donald P. Jacobs Center.