Providence, R.I.--The Providence College School of Business has revamped its Master of Business Administration Program to promote experiential learning and focus attention on the values-based education it offers.

Dr. MaryJane Lenon, associate professor of economics and the new director of the MBA Program, said the driving force behind the many changes to the program is the desire to provide students with a cutting-edge, 21st century graduate business education, as well as the School of Business' application for accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.

AACSB is the premier accrediting agency of collegiate business schools and accounting programs worldwide. It grants accreditation for undergraduate and graduate business administration and accounting programs.

The School of Business is on track to complete all aspects of the AACSB accreditation review process by 2012, Lenon said.

Lenon explained that among the notable changes to the MBA Program is an added emphasis on experiential learning. To meet this criterion, an MBA internship is now required for all students who have not had significant career experience.

Across the curriculum, MBA courses are being revised to better reflect real-world decision making and hands-on learning, she said. Additionally, elective concentrations in Nonprofit Organizations, Entrepreneurship, and International Business now supplement the program's traditional concentrations in accountancy, finance, marketing, and management.

"We have added new courses and revised old ones. This fall, a seminar course, Leaders on Leadership, will be co-taught by the dean of the School of Business, Dr. Sue Lehrman, and Dr. Matthew Eriksen, associate professor of management, and will integrate presentations by prominent business executives who will discuss their view of the essential elements of leadership," Lenon said.

The presentations will be open to the public, and Lenon sees this as the beginning of a closer relationship between the School of Business and the business community.

Values-based program reflects PC mission
Responding to the recent criticisms of business education, Lenon said the MBA Program has rededicated itself to providing a values-based education. Reflecting the mission of the College, the new MBA curriculum will have a required business ethics course, and faculty members are already developing components in their courses across the curriculum to focus on ethical issues.

Dr. Patrick Kelly, assistant professor of accountancy and department chair, recently attended an AACSB Conference on ethics in business curricula and will lead the effort in the MBA Program to incorporate this dimension into the MBA curriculum.

The program also has revised its student advising services to offer more individual attention and more flexibility with course loads. Lenon said with rolling admissions and a flexible plan of study, students can complete their degree either full time or part time.

She said with an added focus to individual attention and strong academic advising, the revised program allows students to reach their own goals at their own pace and to provide help with internship placement and career placement.

"There's a palpable sense of change and excitement in the new School of Business," Lenon said. "Our goal is to position the MBA Program as the premier program among our competitors."

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