Newswise — The Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina Wilmington is listed in the 2008 edition of the "Best 290 Business Schools," published this month by The Princeton Review. It is the first time UNC Wilmington has been included in this annual publication. UNCW's listing focuses on the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.
The Princeton Review compiles its information from surveys of 19,000 business school students and school-reported data. Strengths of UNCW's program that are highlighted include:
"¢ Hands-on projects with local and regional businesses"¢ Faculty who are accessible and care about student success"¢ A high level of student participation and learning coupled with an understanding of the pressures on students who work full-time"¢ Strong student diversity in experience levels, age and industry segment
"This listing is recognition of the quality and 'real world' focus of our MBA program, which gives students the tools they need to be successful in a variety of business settings," said Dean Larry Clark. "We give our students hands-on experience in actual business situations to help them develop effective decision-making skills."
The program provides much of this business experience through the MBA Learning Alliance, which matches student teams with regional firms for a 13-month study of the firm's business processes and competitive environment. This is followed by an industry practicum, in which students take on a consulting project for a regional business, not-for-profit or public sector organization.
"Working on real projects facing real businesses distinguishes UNCW's MBA program from those of other institutions," said Vince Howe, associate professor of marketing and director of the MBA program.
The Princeton Review agreed, noting that students surveyed said "practical application with actual business" is a strength of the curriculum and also that "the program is evolving and changing as the needs of students change."
Students from any undergraduate background may enroll in the MBA program, and approximately 70 percent of students come from academic fields other than business, including engineering and science. The average age of students in the part-time, evening program is 30, and most are looking to immediately apply their graduate school experience in their current professional positions.
"This program allows students to very quickly apply what they are learning in the classroom in an actual business environment," said George Hollen, president of the MBA Association, who works at PPD in Wilmington. "We learn from experience how a textbook theory will or will not work within a variety of organizations and industries. It's an MBA program specifically designed for the working professional."
UNC Wilmington's new International MBA program, which began in the fall of 2007, is also mentioned in the Princeton Review report. This program, which offers dual degrees with several universities in Spain, Russia and other countries, requires residency abroad and is open to students with undergraduate degrees in business.
For more information about UNC Wilmington's MBA programs, go to http://www.csb.uncw.edu/mba or contact Karen Barnhill, graduate programs administrator, at 910.962.3903 or [email protected].
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