Business College Explores MBA

 

Northern’s College of Business is exploring the possibility of adding a graduate program in business – most likely a master of business administration (MBA) degree.

 

“We are assessing existing interest in the local population for such a program that could be delivered either face to face, online or in a blended form,” said Raj Sanyal ( Business). “The MBA is a highly sought after and widely recognized professional degree. Northern’s proposed program will be designed in a manner that will allow it to be completed either on a full-time basis (12 months) or on a part-time basis. At the initial stage, this will be a general MBA program with eight courses of four credits each.” 

 

An anonymous, seven-question survey is posted online to gauge interest and help design the program. Respondents can also send their input by e-mail. The survey has been promoted to regional business professionals via newspaper advertisements and through member mailings from the Lake Superior Community Partnership and the Escanaba Chamber of Commerce.

 

Establishing a program would be contingent on both a sustainable level of support from prospective students and faculty approval. Charles Rayhorn (Business), a member of the faculty committee studying this proposal, said early responses to the survey indicate “a great deal” of interest in the community for an MBA program.

 

“There is also interest among our graduating students,” Rayhorn said. “The university is getting more serious about increasing the number of graduate programs. Given the emphasis on graduate education, the dean and some of the faculty thought it would be wise to give this a closer look,” Rayhorn said. “Establishing an MBA would change the research expectations for faculty because we are accredited through [the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business]. Other than that and changing our student population to include more professionals and older students, it won’t change the College of Business a whole lot.”

 

Sanyal said he anticipates a decision late this semester.

 

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Updated: February 1, 2008

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