Once again students from the School of Business & Economics MBA programme will be taking up the challenge of competing in the 2008 Cranfield Regatta, an international sailing event which is designed to allow MBA students and alumni from all over Europe to meet their counterparts from other business schools. The regatta will take place around Port Solent and Cowes on the last weekend in July and Exeter’s eight-strong crew are working hard in the hope of a high placing for the University. The crew is made up of part-time and full-time MBA students and alumni who have a broad range of sailing skills and experience but are dedicated to doing their best for Exeter. This year’s crew consists of current students Nadia Nikolova, Simon Baird, Nagyb Shah, Stuart Harris, Richard Dawson and alumni Jonny Malcolm, Mark Roberts and Wade Tipton. The race will consist of four head to head races with the various business school teams taking part. The team has is being sponsored by Vospers South West Motor Dealership, Jam Creative, The Birmingham Assay Office and House of Marbles.

More : atom.ex.ac.uk

A report has suggested that it is likely that British students considering taking MBA courses in the UK will find it increasingly hard to find loans to cover the cost of their post-graduate studies.

According to a report in the Financial Times, the appeal of MBA courses in the US had recently been increasing among British students, thanks to the weak dollar.

However, the paper has now learnt that the credit crunch has dramatically reduced the number of student loans available for those considering such post-graduate courses.

It pointed to research carried out by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators that showed that 50 lenders have suspended their post-graduate student loan deals.

“The cost of loan repayment is particularly high for students from outside the US who apply for loans from US institutions,” the paper explained.

“This is because credit references are not required and also the lenders find it harder to track down students on graduation if they return to their home countries.”

As a result, a British student looking for a post-graduate student loan in the US can expect to have to pay interest of around seven per cent.

With US MBA courses typically costing around $150,000 (£75,000) to complete, the rising price of loans could put many British students off, even though they know they will be able to secure high-paying jobs after graduation.

Source : gaapweb.com

Aaron F. Cooper II, a self-described worrywart, never thought his penchant for devising foolproof backup plans could translate into a calling. But that all changed when he signed up for an elective in risk management while at the University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business executive MBA program last fall. “It entails pretty much everything I’ve always been interested in my entire life, even before I knew risk management existed,” said Cooper, 27, a telecommunications engineer at AT&T (T).

Cooper is part of a new wave of students hitting business school campuses. For years, risk management—the process of analyzing exposure to risk and determining how best to handle it—occupied a sleepy corner in business schools, a subject mainly of interest to those who want to enter the insurance field. But with the recent turmoil in the financial markets and a push for more accountability, risk management has rocketed in status at business schools.

In the past decade, a growing number of B-schools have added concentrations in the subject, ramping up the number of classes they offer. Executive MBA programs are also incorporating risk management electives into their curriculum, responding to increased demand from executives and companies. In some instances, schools such as Georgia’s Terry are developing custom programs on the topic for top executives and boards of directors.

More : businessweek.com

A unique opportunity for higher education aiming to prepare future leaders of the community is coming to Pickaway County this fall.

Berger Hospital is teaming up with Ohio University in Athens to offer OU’s professional Master of Business Administration in Circleville.

“We’re constantly meeting to talk about what we might do to expand educational opportunities for the community,” Berger President Tim Colburn said. “Why an MBA program? Because health care is a business, and we need to make sure we’re building and developing future leaders.”

Berger already has a partnership with OU at its Chillicothe branch to train nurses in Circleville, and Colburn said the success of that program gave Berger an inroad for more educational offerings locally.

The program, which takes about 22 months to complete, consists of one evening a week of classroom activities held via video conference with instructors in Athens and a weekend course once every six weeks on the Athens campus.

OU has been offering the professional MBA through outreach programs for the last five years, according to Dr. Ed Yost, OU’s director of executive graduate education and development, and he said it’s been very successful preparing students for the business world.

“This program is aimed at working professionals to complete an MBA in a non-full time environment,” Yost said. “It’s designed for people that who maybe don’t have a business degree to give people a background to turn into a managerial career step.”

Yost said the course is delivered with more group projects rather than class work, and that was part of the appeal for Berger, according to Suzanne Welker, Berger’s human resources director.

“We’re excited about the synergy the group will have and think the teamwork will benefit the hospital and community,” Welker said. “Business management develops over time and we want to maximize skill development.”

Students in the program will learn about analytical decision making, which focuses on making good business decisions and professional development, including managing people and resources, teamwork and leadership, according to Yost.

He said the course also gives professionals the opportunity to meet people in other businesses and build on local networks.

More : circlevilleherald.1upmonitor.com

The second golf outing to benefit Fairmont State University’s MBA program will be held next Sunday at White Day Golf Course.

Organizers Jeff Jacobs, Dan Everly and Terri Markle are hoping for a full field of 36 participants, compared to the 18 golfers at the first tournament.

“Our last one was on a football Saturday with WVU playing a home game, so I think we were as successful as we could hope with 18,” Jacobs said.

The format of the tournament is a two-person scramble. Registration starts at 7 a.m., with a shotgun start at 8 a.m.

Markle recommended registering early for the tournament at the course or by phoning Jacobs at 816-6370 or Everly at 838-3075.

Cost is $35 per golfer, which includes 18 holes of golf, cart and sandwiches provided by East Side Subway. Mulligans are also available to purchase.

“We are very pleased with the results to date,” Jacobs said. “We locked down quite a few sponsors and some great prizes as well.”

Some of those prizes include a new driver from Allegheny Power and putter from Pets Plus. Golf USA has offered some door prizes as well as two rounds of simulation golf, free rounds of golf at White Day and various other golf supplies.

Each player will also receive a gift bag of accessories for the tournament.

“It’s running smoothly,” Jacobs said. “We were a little nervous about the sponsors, but it looks like we will get what we needed.”

The tournament is more than just a fundraiser.

It is also the MBA program’s project management course, and Jacobs said they hope the program can continue after he graduates this year.

“We are compiling some documentation for future students to keep this up,” he said. “Eventually we’d like to grow it into something a little larger, but White Day and Marty Morgan have been a big help to us.”

The school is also looking to continue fundraising in the future for the MBA program, Jacobs and Markle said.

That means the golf outing could become a permanent fixture of the summer season.

“The fact that we got enough sponsors will help future golf outings for the program,” Jacobs said.

More : timeswv.com

You don’t have to have an MBA to know the value of basic business skills. Just ask Greg Shaw, 22, and the 54 other recent graduates of the Carolina Business Institute at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

These new biologists, psychologists and arts majors added the business course to their resumes before stepping out into the real world. Many think it will give them a competitive edge in the workplace. Some think such skills are necessary if they want to one day run their own businesses. And others want the confidence of knowing how to manage personal finances.

UNC’s Friday Center has offered a 41/2-week business boot camp to non-business students for 16 years. The intense course covers basic business practices including marketing, accounting, finance and operations management.

More : sentinelsource.com

Samford University’s Brock School of Business is changing the schedule of its evening MBA program.

The graduate program - taken often by working professionals - is being revamped into two semesters that are nine weeks each with a 10-week summer semester, the school reported Thursday.

The program used to have five, nine-week terms in a year.

Under the new schedule, each course will meet for a two-hour class each week, giving students more time to study and learn the material, school officials said.

“We have retained the flexibility and convenience for working professionals through the option of attending one evening a week,” said Larry Harper, director of Graduate and Executive Education Programs at the Brock School of Business in a news release. “In addition, students can complete the degree in as little as 12 months by attending full-time or 22 months by attending part-time.”

The new curriculum covers all business functions and is designed to offer a more complete general management experience. Students also learn to exercise ethical business practices.

“Managers need comprehensive skills and sound values in order to achieve the disparate goals of their investors, customers, employees and the public at large,” said Beck A. Taylor, dean of the Brock School of Business. “At the Brock School, our charge is to help current and aspiring managers to discover solutions that meet these goals.”

The evening MBA program is the oldest in the state of Alabama and takes applications year round. Students can enter the program in January, June and August.

More : bizjournals.com

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business is once again offering help to businesses in the Triangle who are seeking consulting services.

MBA students are available to work with firms that can’t afford to pay consulting fees. Students will receive course credit for their efforts.

Fuqua students have worked with more than 300 companies over the 25 years of the program.

To be eligible for the program, businesses must meet certain criteria:

More : localtechwire.com

The scandal is affecting everyone at West Virginia Univerity from students, to faculty, to alumni.

With more calls for President Mike Garrison’s resignation coming in on Thursday such as a full page advertisment running in The Dominion Post.

The College of Business and Economics has been doing some advertising of its own, with the purpose of recruiting a successful new class and moving the school forward.

Elizabeth Vitullo is the Associate Director of the Executive MBA program at West Virginia University.

While the ads say they are still accepting applications, she says enrollment is already up.

“Our inquiries have been up the last couple of months,” said Vitullo, “and we think we’re going to have a great class this upcoming August.”

Vitullo says the eight location, two-day-a week schedule attracts busy professionals.

As do the study abroad opportunities and future classmates.

“It’s the folks sitting beside you in the classroom,” she added, “Everyone bring their own expertise so you learn as much form your classmates as you do from your professors.”

While administrators say they are working hard to attract new students, current students say they are also working hard, to earn their degrees from a school they still believe in.

“Getting an Executive MBA degree from WVU is pretty prestigious,” said Kayla Baranowski.

Baranowski is currently an accounting and finance major.

She has been working toward her dream of earning an EMBA since she was sophomore in high school.

“It means the world to me,” she explained, “it means a prospective future, I’ve reached my goals, it’s going to be a really good feeling.”

Which is exactly what the EMBA program is all about.

“Why choose WVU?” Vitullo said, “Specifically this program because it’s set up so folks can succeed.”

The school will be accepting applications right up to the beginning of classes in August.

More : wvnstv.com

The first class of employees from the Greenlawn facility of BAE Systems, a global defense and aerospace company, has graduated from an on-site Stony Brook University Executive MBA program.

The 29 BAE Systems management employees - from such departments as engineering, human resources, subcontracts, finance, program management, program finance, government property, accounts payable, and procurement - completed the 30-month program in December. Stony Brook University specifically tailored the program to meet the needs and goals of BAE Systems employees.

To make it convenient for employees enrolled in the MBA program, Stony Brook University professors held classes at BAE Systems’ Greenlawn campus every other Tuesday evening and Friday. During each semester, students were taught advanced methods, applications and theories used to grow businesses in such areas as Marketing, Finance Management, International Business, Investment Analysis, Technology Innovation, Leadership & Teamwork, Business Ethics, Business Strategy, Financial Accounting, Building High Performance Teams, and Entrepreneurship.

Students and professors used a blend of traditional and progressive learning mediums, including on-line blackboard tools, in-classroom learning and even a simulated business environment. Over a ten-week period, students were charged with running a company for eight simulated years and were responsible for costs associated with research and development, human resources, marketing, production, pricing, promotion, and all financial areas.

“The BAE Systems-tailored executive MBA program resulted from a productive partnership between the company and the business school,” said Joseph W. McDonnell, interim dean of Stony Brook University’s College of Business. “BAE Systems is investing in its middle management employees, and at the same time, investing in the future of the corporation with proactive succession planning.”

More : newsblaze.com