MBA Doubles Number of Concentrations

Two new concentrations will be added to CBAPP’s MBA program in 2005. The finance concentration will debut this semester. The marketing concentration was approved by the University Curriculum Committee in December and will be launched next fall. The entire curriculum is available both on-campus and online.

“What these offerings do is provide an employer with a clear indication that this student has decided to focus his or her studies beyond the core MBA. So before stepping into an interview, an employer in the finance sector will see that a graduate with a finance concentration has the skills and has focused his or her studies correspondingly,” said Graduate Programs Director Kenneth Poertner. “That will give them a leg up in landing a job and in fulfilling the responsibilities of that job.”

The finance concentration received final university approval last spring and will offer courses in multinational finance, corporate finance, management of financial institutions and several other offerings. In total, the degree will combine 21 core MBA units with 12 concentration-specific units. The marketing concentration will integrate eight new classes into a degree of 36 total units, with course subjects including international marketing, sports marketing and new product development. Building off each other, the final class will be a competitive practicum using sophisticated simulation software for student teams to implement a hypothetical business strategy.

Adding to the existing two MBA concentrations, management and international business, Poertner says these new concentrations bolster the overall program and pave the way for additional improvements in the near future.

Roger Berry, professor and chair of marketing, has worked on the marketing concentration for the past two years and arguably the most exciting component of the new offering is the faculty who will teach the new classes. “We will have four new faculty members within marketing, and with this concentration being unveiled, we are recruiting faculty with expertise in these specific areas of study,” he said.