Penn State Redesigns Its Online MBA Program
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University has redesigned its online MBA into a new program that is more flexible for adult learners, the university announced this week.
The new Penn State online MBA is being led by the Smeal College of Business and will be offered online through the Penn State World Campus website .
Applications are being accepted through June 1, 2017, and the first courses will be offered in Penn State’s fall 2017 semester. The degree consists of 48 credits and can be completed at a pace that is convenient for the student, said Charles H. Whiteman, dean of the Smeal College.
For the first time, the online MBA will offer concentrations to help students sharpen their skill-sets specific to their career goals, he noted. The first 39 credits will focus on a general management curriculum, after which students will choose from among the seven concentration areas to complete the remaining credits of the degree.
The concentrations are in accounting foundations, advanced accounting, business analytics, finance, general management, project management, and supply chain management. Additional concentrations are in development, the university said.
“In partnership with colleagues around Penn State, we are excited to take a leadership role in the launch and ongoing administration of the new online MBA,” Whiteman said in a prepared statement. “This program provides new opportunities for students to personalize their educational experiences. It also complements our growing portfolio of professional graduate programs at Smeal, including the University Park residential MBA, the Philadelphia-based executive MBA, and a suite of discipline-specific online programs in areas such as supply chain management and business analytics.”
The new online MBA replaces the one that has been offered since 2002 and has graduated almost 1,000 students. U.S. News and World Report ranked it among its top 10 best online MBAs in 2015 and 2016, the university notes.
Students in the new online MBA will be required to attend a five-day residency at Penn State’s University Park campus at the beginning of their first semester. The residency will include an orientation to the program, training sessions, and networking opportunities with fellow students and faculty.
Pictured: Penn State’s Smeal College of Business at University Park, Pa.
SOURCE: Penn State news service.
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