AU announces MBA program changes
Mar. 13—ANDERSON — The path to a Masters of Business Administration degree from Anderson University is about to become more diversified.
The university has announced a revamped lineup of options for its MBA program. Starting this fall, the updated program will offer evening and online formats in addition to traditional daytime classes.
"The updates to our MBA program continue the Falls School of Business's 30-year history of delivering high-quality graduate business education to support the next generation of leaders for a life of faith and service," Dr. Lonnie Leeper, dean of the Falls School of Business, said in a news release.
University leaders said that as the world emerged from the pandemic and online learning became more mainstream, an urgency to adapt one of the school's flagship curriculum areas to better fit students' life choices began to take hold. Scheduling flexibility was a key consideration, they said.
"That's exactly what we were thinking when we revisited the program," said Celesta Bates, AU's MBA program director and a professor of accounting. "People now, their lives are a lot different. They have different expectations than what we had before the pandemic, and people just need more flexibility in order to get things done."
The evening MBA, according to the university, is a 36-credit-hour degree that can be completed in two years. In-person classes will be held at Fishers Forum Credit Union with start options in the fall, spring or summer.
The online format will feature six semester start dates to allow for more flexibility, and the program can also be asynchronously completed in two years to accommodate school, work and personal life demands.
Bates said university recruiters have been actively promoting the changes at career fairs and other gatherings around the state.
"Without a doubt we have competition out there, but one of the things we feel like we build into our program, it's small and mighty," Bates said. "We work really hard building relationships with our students so the students get to know us, we get to know the students, so we know where their strengths and weaknesses are and we can tailor the program to meet the needs of the students."
The daytime MBA option for those continuing their education after obtaining an undergraduate degree can be completed on a full-time schedule in 10 months. With an annual fall start, those classes will be held at the Flagship Enterprise Center.
"Housing it there at the Flagship was just ideal because we had built that relationship before when they did a residential program," Bates said. "The students would stay there or with other housing near campus."
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