July 06, 2011
Business college sets MBA Foundation Workshops
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A new program from the College of Business at Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers a jump-start toward your goal of obtaining an MBA.
The college will for the first time this fall offer the MBA Foundation Workshops. During a two-week session just prior to the fall semester, the foundation workshops will provide incoming MBA students with the basic knowledge of core business subject areas. This can substitute for 31 hours of undergraduate prerequisite coursework otherwise required if a student wants to earn an MBA but has not acquired a degree in business from an institution with accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
“We thought this would be a very effective way to remove enrollment obstacles for incoming MBA students. The goal is to concentrate the material for students so they are prepared to move on to our core curriculum in the MBA program,” said Suzanne Nasco, director of MBA programs and associate professor of marketing in the College of Business.
Moreover, Nasco said many others could benefit from the workshops as well. Business professionals and anyone with an interest can participate and earn a business fundamentals certificate. At the completion of each workshop, participants will take a skills test to assess comprehension of learning objectives and those earning scores of 70 percent or above on all four skills tests will receive a College of Business Certificate in Business Fundamentals.
The fall 2011 MBA Foundation Workshops are set for Aug. 8-12 and 15-19. The schedule each day provides intensive classroom instruction 9 a.m.-noon and 1:30-4:30 p.m. The four workshops include accounting foundations, finance foundations, Excel/information systems/statistics and MBA Foundations. The first week offers accounting in the morning and MBA during the afternoon while the second week features finance in the morning and computer information systems in the afternoon.
Here’s an overview of each workshop:
• Accounting covers the basic principles of financial and managerial accounting including budgeting, working with financial statements and the planning and review of accounting data.
• General MBA Study and Research covers strategies and best practices for MBA students relative to studying and performing successful research.
• Finance offers an introduction into the world of financial markets, investments, and the issuance, distribution and purchase of financial claims.
• Excel/IS/Statistics provides an overview of business statistics, computer information systems and data management.
Students who wish to pursue an MBA must either participate in the Foundation Workshops and pass a skills test in each workshop or complete the 31 hours of undergraduate prerequisite coursework if they don’t hold an undergraduate business degree. The MBA admissions committee will determine, based upon a student’s application, which of the four workshops the applicant must complete for MBA program admission.
Instructors will provide all materials students need for the workshops except students should bring a financial calculator for the finance workshop. The fee also covers breakfast with the morning sessions and lunch with the afternoon sessions. The cost for each workshop is $500 and a $75 deposit is payable upon registration with full payment due by Aug. 3.
To find out more about the MBA Foundation Workshops and how they can help you realize your dream of earning your MBA or improving your business skills, contact the College of Business Graduate Programs Office at 618/453-3030 or by emailing mba@business.siuc.edu. Or look online at http://mba.business.siuc.edu/workshops.