UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 12, Page 1
November 18, 1993
New MBA option to meet needs of fast-track execs

     For the busy business executive already on the fast track, the pursuit
of a much-desired MBA will be a little easier with the introduction of a
new option at the University.
     The College of Business and Economics' new Executive MBA option has
been specially designed to provide an exclusive, accelerated and nationally
accredited program for executives and professionals who have already
demonstrated the ability to achieve success in their careers.
     The new program, which begins in the fall of 1994, offers several
unique features tailored to the needs of today's business people:
     * Completion time of only 19 months, about half the traditional length
of time it takes working people to complete an MBA;
     * Classes scheduled on Friday evenings and Saturdays, with generous
term breaks;
     * Dynamic interaction with classmates who share both real world
experience and academic credentials; and
     * Practical coursework applicable to students' careers.
     "The University is pleased to offer this innovative program for the
area's business professionals," President David P. Roselle said. "A program
that combines the participants' own experiences, an accelerated curriculum
designed to address current issues in business and the expertise of
top-notch faculty from the College of Business and Economics would seem to
ensure the fast track to success."
     "The Executive MBA program is designed in direct response to needs
expressed by business professionals in this region," Kenneth R. Biederman,
dean of the college, said. "Like the progressive on-campus program, it
represents our commitment to providing business education that is both
broad in scope and highly practical in content."
     The University's Executive MBA program is fully accredited by the
American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which is
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the sole accrediting
agency for master's degree programs in business administration. Of
approximately 700 schools with MBA programs in the nation, only about
one-third meet the high standards of excellence demanded by the AACSB.
Criteria for accreditation include superior achievement in curriculum,
faculty and facilities.
     "We're excited to be offering a fully accredited program in this
accelerated format, a combination unique in the area," Howard Garland,
chairperson of the Department of Business Administration, said. "We expect
to attract students who are experienced in, and committed to, their
professions and who want to obtain an MBA without interrupting their
careers."
     During the past 18 months, the University of Delaware College of
Business and Economics has been working with corporate human resource
professionals and potential students to establish what today's successful
business people are looking for in an MBA program.
     According to Peggy Bottorff, director of the Executive MBA program,
the new program incorporates many of those suggestions.
     The Executive MBA program begins with a five-day residency in Lewes,
Del., followed by five, nine-week terms, each separated by breaks. Courses
will be held in Arsht Hall.
     According to Garland, one of the program's many attractions is its
networking aspect. Students will be sharing information with other students
who also have substantive on-the-job experience and who may have solved
some of the problems others are currently facing.
     Biederman said today's corporations are looking for employees with
MBAs that combine a thorough knowledge of hard skills with a background in
human relations concepts. "This combination of skills is what the Executive
MBA at the University of Delaware will develop."
     Applications for the new program will be accepted through April 1,
1994. Class size is limited to 35. Prospective students must take the
Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) and submit two letters of
recommendation, one from the applicant's immediate supervisor, where
applicable.
     For additional information on the University of Delaware's Executive
MBA program, contact Peggy Bottorff at the MBA Programs Office, Department
of Business Administration, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716; call
831-2221; fax 831-4196; or send e-mail to e-mba@brahms.udel.edu.