Continuing to expand its academic offerings to meet the higher education needs of students from Central Appalachia and beyond, Bluefield College will launch a new master’s degree in business administration (MBA) in 2018 – the school’s third new master’s degree program in just three years.
Pending official approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the new online MBA will follow the school’s first ever master’s degree, an online master’s in education (MAEd), in 2015 and an online master’s in nursing (MSN) in 2017.
“These new master’s degree programs are indications of the broadening academic offerings at Bluefield College,” said BC president Dr. David Olive, “that are in response to the needs of the workplaces in our region and across the Commonwealth, as well as to the educational needs of students seeking to expand their knowledge base within the fields of education, nursing and business.”
Offered through the Bluefield College Department of Business within the College of Professional Programs, the online MBA will have concentrations in leadership, finance and healthcare management, and according to BC leaders will further fulfill the school’s mission to provide an exceptional educational experience that prepares students to become transformational servant leaders.
“This new MBA targets industries – healthcare and finance – where qualified people are needed that believe in serving others and transforming the world,” said Dr. Sharon Perot, chair of the Department of Business and dean of the College of Professional Programs. “It is different from others because all students participate in service learning community-based projects at either a business, community center, state agency, or non-profit organization as a laboratory to learn about management, leadership, and organizations.”
Dr. Perot also noted that its MBA will enable the college to offer the new required 150 credit hours of coursework necessary for individuals to be eligible to sit for the certified public accountant (CPA) exam in Virginia and West Virginia. She also said students in the program will gain a worldview through participation in Net Impact, a community of more than 60,000 students and professional leaders across the world committed to creating positive social and environmental change in the workplace and the world.
“Students will participate in a business simulation with other MBA students across the country in order to develop skills in leading teams, organizations, community partnerships, and societal and global management initiatives,” said Dr. Perot. “They will complete a six-credit-hour practicum that serves their organization or community needs through application of functional knowledge and academic coursework, and they will participate in decision-making that incorporates stakeholders, engages in ethical decision models, and serves to create and sustain social, environmental, and economic value.”
For more information or to apply for admission into the new MBA, visit bluefield.edu/mba , or contact Dr. Perot by email at [email protected] or by phone at 276-326-4226.