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Advancement Officer for the Edwards School of Business, Jessica Wallace interviewed the Director of the Edwards MBA program, Noreen Gregor about the new MBA format.
What kind of research did you do to prepare for the change?
As a starting point I read a book called Redesigning MBA Curriculum, written by two Harvard Business School professors. This assured me that core curriculum really didn't need to change. The program re-design does not include a significant re-design in content. It is simply a change in the mode of delivery. Some courses were streamlined – but all core courses remain intact. Qualitative research was done by discussing the current program with students to find out what aspects were going well and what was not. Discussions were also had with all staff and many faculty to identify what areas of concern they had.
How does the cohort style benefit students?
You do all your classes together if you go through a full-time program. The benefits are the lifelong relationships you develop with your classmates. They become your future network in the business community. Spending so much time together and working through a rigorous program really binds people together and makes the experience richer.
How does the structure of the program benefit students and the program?
The program re-design is structured to be simple and easy to follow. Having a set schedule really helps students plan how they want to progress through the program. It allows part time students the ability to approach their employers and plan around future projects and workloads. Having set classroom times (either 3:00 – 7:00 or 6:00 – 10:00) allows for working individuals to attend the program without missing too much work time during the day. Students are still then able to enjoy most evenings and weekends off. From a program perspective the benefits are great. Having a solid core of courses which are three credit units also allows us to ensure we have the best instructors in place for the courses we do offer.
You’ve eliminated the work experience requirement. What services are offered to help less experienced students keep up with the program?
We have a new MBA Internship Program. This is similar to the co-op program we now offer the undergraduate students. This is designed to help those in the program who have limited work experience gain the experience they need to go out into the workforce when they are complete. We support students through this process by assisting them in finding a placement and providing support for resume writing, interview skills, and presenting a professional image.
What are some of the current business trends reflected in the core program?
Current trends would definitely be ethics and internationalization. Ethics and social responsibility show up in a few of our classes but is formally brought to the students in their first class, Business and Society. The international component is provided to the students in a major way through the international study tour where students get to experience firsthand another culture and get an in depth look at how to do business in that country. We also provide them with a class prior to going on their international tour called International Business and Global Marketing.
What is it about the Edwards MBA that makes graduates employable?
Selecting a graduate from the Edwards School of Business will mean you know that student has been given a good grounding in all the major areas of business –finance, accounting, marketing, strategy and human resources. We ensure that all students have a solid foundation to either start their career or enhance an existing career. We also ensure that interpersonal skills in the areas of communication, leadership and presentation are enhanced during their time in program.
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See Where an Edwards MBA will Take You!
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Thursday, February 9, 2012
5:30 - 6:30pm
KW Nasser Centre
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