Smart Business Magazine, January 2016

Kent State Universitys accelerated MBA program is designed in part on the needs of todays professionals What did Kent State learn from these findings and how did the findings inform the creation of this program DS We learned that our MBA program was rather lengthy in terms of the credit hour requirement relative to other modern MBA programs We also discovered that for working professionals MBA programs that offer flexibility and allow a professional to complete a degree in a timely manner were major priorities Based on our findings weve developed an MBA program with an accelerated format and updated coursework including fewer electives to take Also students now have the power to choose whether to add concentrations or not The streamlined model is more in line with what a modern MBA program should look like After conducting an assessment of the market looking at accredited MBA programs in the region and institutions that are considered peer or aspirant we found that many of these programs are based in highly competitive environments that are in or near urban areas We also examined our Universitys historical data to understand the people who weve attracted with our MBA program previously and those who have inquired about our program but went elsewhere We factored in who we won who we lost and where those we lost went We also explored national trends SB What does Kent States accelerated MBA program offer DS The accelerated MBA program will be mostly two credit hour courses offered in modules over an eight week period versus an entire semester Using this format students can complete the curriculum more quickly SB How does the new accelerated program compare to Kent States previous MBA program DS Because were decreasing the credit hours the time it takes to earn a degree is much faster The program can be finished in a year which brings down the cost The pricing wont change It is still based on credit hours but it can be completed in half the time SB Why should someone who would like to pursue an MBA consider Kent States accelerated MBA program DS We are an accredited program both in business and accounting Not all MBA programs are We rank among some of the top programs in the country according to the Princeton Review With this format change well also be less expensive and offer a shorter time to degree completion SB What will students get with the accelerated program that they cant get elsewhere DS This is an opportunity to earn an accredited MBA degree in an accelerated period of time In our current market we will now provide the MBA degree with the quickest time to completion We have very qualified faculty who come from all over the world 16 countries to teach here Our instructors bring a global perspective to their classrooms Many faculty in addition to holding Accelerate your professional developmentKent State Universitys MBA program is now accelerated offering an accredited postgraduate degree in about half the timea Deborah F Spake dean of Kent State Universitys College of Business Administration recently announced the accelerated MBA program that will allow students to complete an accredited postgraduate degree in about half the time of traditional programs Through its extensive research Kent State discovered the time and money savings the accelerated program will bring are a big draw for busy professionals trying to balance work and family life while advancing their careers Spake talked with Smart Business about the program how it differs from other programs and the research that went into its development