New Jersey Institute of Technology and SDU University in Kazakhstan have established a partnership that will enable eligible SDU students to pursue graduate degrees from both institutions through a coordinated program of study in Kazakhstan and the United States.
The memorandum of understanding, signed Sept. 22, outlines two “1+1” pathways: students complete one academic year at SDU, followed by a year of full-time study at NJIT toward an MBA or a Master of Science in Management. Students who fulfill both institutions’ academic and financial requirements will receive separate graduate degrees from SDU and NJIT.
The programs connect SDU, located in Kaskelen in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region, with NJIT’s Martin Tuchman School of Management in Newark. By aligning coursework and transfer credits, the agreement gives participating students a defined route to continue their business education across the two universities.
“This partnership gives SDU students a clear pathway to build on their studies in Kazakhstan with a technology-focused business education at NJIT,” said Oya Tukel, dean of NJIT’s Martin Tuchman School of Management. “We look forward to welcoming their perspectives into our classrooms and helping them develop the skills to lead across industries and international borders.”
Under the agreement, eligible students may transfer the equivalent of 18 credits toward NJIT’s 36-credit MBA or 12 credits toward its 30-credit MSM. Students in either pathway will complete the remaining 18 credits at NJIT, generally over two semesters. Coursework completed at NJIT will also transfer back to SDU toward students’ graduate degree requirements there.
The agreement’s curriculum outlines opportunities to study areas including finance, marketing, innovation and entrepreneurship, business analytics, fintech and global project management, depending on the degree pathway. The coursework connects business decision-making with the management and use of technology.
“This partnership creates an opportunity for our students to begin their graduate studies at SDU and continue them at NJIT, earning degrees from both universities,” said Arman Zhumazhanov, Rector of SDU University. “We chose NJIT because its strength in technology-focused business education aligns with our goal of preparing leaders who can work across management and emerging technologies. We look forward to developing these pathways together and opening new opportunities for our students.”
SDU will nominate students for the programs, with admission subject to NJIT’s academic and English-language requirements. The universities will coordinate first-year course selection and help participating students prepare for the transition to study at NJIT.
The five-year agreement also identifies broader academic, research and institutional cooperation as goals of the partnership, providing a foundation for the universities to explore additional joint initiatives.
