School of Management to Launch New Part-Time MBA Program

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Management will launch a new part-time MBA program next fall designed to be highly compatible with the lives and schedules of Western New York's working professionals.

Called the Professional MBA (PMBA), the 48-credit program will be a streamlined revision of the school's current part-time MBA curriculum. It will be designed to make it easier for working professionals to obtain their MBA degree in a shorter time than it takes in other part-time programs. The PMBA program will replace the current part-time MBA program.

Designed specifically for middle managers, or those who aspire to middle-management positions and beyond, the PMBA will offer the "very best in real-world business education, with minimal interruption to students' work or family lives," said Katherine Gerstle, assistant dean and administrative director of the school's MBA program.

"While pleased with the results of our current part-time program, the school's MBA committee felt we would better serve area professionals by crafting a program that eased registration and enrollment processes and that provided a clearer path for earning an MBA degree." she added. "Businesses that sponsor the professional-development activities of their employees should also appreciate the structure of the program."

All students accepted into the PMBA will progress through the program as members of a cohort, or team, and will be required to enroll in two pre-determined classes per semester (six credits) held twice a week during fall, spring and summer semesters. According to Gerstle, this structure will make scheduling of courses an easier task for students and will enable them to earn an MBA degree in three years, instead of the five years usually needed in most part-time programs.

The curriculum design will be based, in part, on a marketing survey of prospective and current students conducted by the School of Management to determine a model that would be most accessible and user-friendly for fully employed students.

The program's structure is similar to the management school's successful Executive MBA program, created for more-experienced executives who possess the potential to assume top management positions in their organizations.

PMBA students will be required to possess at least three years of work experience, Gerstle noted.

Students completing the PMBA program will receive a full-fledged UB MBA, the most prestigious graduate-business degree available in Western New York.

The curriculum will be designed to produce superior analysts and problem-solvers, excellent team players and effective communicators.

In the first semester, next fall, classes will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, but in all subsequent semesters students will vote on which evenings of the week classes should be held. The program also will purchase all books for students and arrange for students' parking permits and e-mail accounts to alleviate additional visits to the campus.

Students will participate in specialized one-credit "mini-courses" at the beginning of each semester that will cover development of important career skills -- like teamwork and communication skills -- and will help students achieve a better understanding of emerging corporate trends, such as international business strategy.

Eventually the program will utilize "Lotus Notes," a state-of-the-art communication network used by the nation's top business schools to facilitate communication and discussion outside of the classroom among students and professors.

The management school is currently accepting applications for the PMBA. Enrollment will be limited to 60 students in the first year. A greater number may be accepted in subsequent years.

Within the next two years, the school plans to make the PMBA more accessible for regional business people by offering the program through teleconferencing at Jamestown Community College.

Acceptance into the PMBA program will be as competitive as the school's present part-time MBA program and will be based on applicants' score on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), as well as the length and quality of the applicants' work experience.

According to Gerstle, these admission requirements will ensure that UB's part-time MBA program will remain the most competitive in WNY among a growing number of programs in the region.

The management school's full-time MBA program currently enrolls 274 students, while the Executive MBA program has an enrollment of 63.