To qualify for the McKenna Program, you must be an incoming first-year student, meet the direct admission requirements to be admitted to a Bachelor of Science Degree in the W. P. Carey School of Business, meet The College admission requirements, and be accepted to Barrett, The Honors College.*

* You can apply to the McKenna Program before knowing your admission status to Barrett. We will confirm your admission to Barrett before notifying you of your admission to the McKenna Program.

Yes, starting with the Fall 2027 cohort, to qualify for the McKenna Program, you must be in Barrett, The Honors College.

Students in the McKenna Program will complete a concurrent degree, with one degree being in Business (Finance, Artificial Intelligence, or Entrepreneurship), the other degree in the life sciences (Biochemistry, Data Science, Neuroscience, Medicinal Chemistry, or Biological Sciences (Biomedical Sciences)), and a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. There are four classes throughout the McKenna Program that will focus on the intersection of Life Science and Business. The final capstone course will meet the requirements for the Barrett Thesis.

The McKenna Program has an academic success coordinator who will help ensure you are enrolled in the right classes to complete concurrent degrees and a certificate.

The McKenna Program is only available to incoming first-year students who will start ASU during a Fall semester. We encourage you to keep an eye out for other ways to engage in related business/science opportunities that are already available at ASU, or that will be created as part of the McKenna Program. A good place to start is to speak with your academic advisor about other interdisciplinary opportunities at ASU that may align with your goals, including coursework, research, or certificates that bridge life sciences and business. You may also want to explore student organizations on Sun Devil Central and entrepreneurial resources from the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute.

Yes, participating in a study abroad experience while in the McKenna Program may be possible, but will require careful planning. Due to the McKenna Program curriculum, students are generally only able to study abroad during Term 4 or Term 5. If you are interested in studying abroad for a semester, we strongly encourage you to share that with your academic advisor as early as possible to discuss whether it is a feasible option based on your degree plan.

You may want to explore shorter study abroad options (summer, spring break, etc.), which can offer valuable experiences while minimizing disruptions to the McKenna curriculum. Keep in mind studying abroad during the academic year could potentially delay graduation.

The McKenna Program does not provide guaranteed admission to medical school or any other health professional program. However, it can help students build experiences, skills, and competencies that are valued by medical schools. Through the McKenna Program, students have opportunities to develop leadership, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial thinking skills while exploring the intersection of health care, science, and business. These experiences can help strengthen a student's overall preparation and professional development. Success in the medical school admissions process depends on many factors, including academic performance, prerequisite coursework, clinical and service experiences, research involvement, leadership activities, letters of recommendation, and personal qualities. Students interested in medical school are encouraged to work closely with ASU's pre-health advising team once they are a student to develop a competitive application plan.

Yes, there are scholarships available for students in the McKenna Program. Once a student is accepted into the McKenna Program, the program team will communicate the scholarships available. There are plenty of ASU scholarships available through ASU Scholarship Universe.

Due to the generous gift from Mark and Sheri McKenna, costs associated with activities in the McKenna Program will be covered by the McKenna Program*.

*If there is ever an expense associated with an activity, event, etc we will communicate well in advance.