Press Release

Eller Evening MBA program offers working professionals new curriculum

Part-time business students to benefit from program tailored to real-world business environment

TUCSON, Ariz. – November 30, 2006 – As the world of business becomes increasingly dynamic and competitive, business schools too must adapt. To continue providing a high quality MBA education, the Eller College of Management now offers an improved evening MBA program that will have far-reaching application and value.

Capitalizing on the proven success of the Eller Executive MBA, a 14-month program for mid-career executives, Eller College has enhanced the Evening MBA program to align with the real-world business environment in which working professionals must compete. The program will now provide students with integrated curricular modules, an Integrative Project, as well as student experiences that build a collegiate community network.

Beginning in May 2007, the Evening MBA kicks off with a 3-day intensive pre-term session focused on ethics, leadership, negotiation and teamwork, along with a quantitative skills refresher co-taught by Eller College faculty in an integrated format. This portion of the program is residential in that all students, even those from Tucson, will reside and work in a hotel for the duration. The residential component builds connections among the students from the outset, preparing the students for the team-based learning that occurs throughout the two-year program.

Another hallmark of the real-world business environment is the “business dinner,” where many deals are sealed. Weekly classes, held Tuesday nights, will include a catered group dinner at McClelland Hall, where students will discuss business topics with fellow classmates and faculty while honing their networking skills. Dinners are included in the cost of the program.

“We believe that working professionals in an MBA program can learn a great deal from each other in addition to what they learn from their professors,” commented Brent Chrite, associate dean and director of Eller MBA programs. “Additionally, we know that managers do not make business decisions in an isolated environment in which problems are addressed sequentially from the perspectives of marketing, finance, or accounting. The successful business person taps an integrated well of resources in order to solve multifaceted business challenges. So too, business schools must look at the entire picture in order to best serve students. This program is designed to offer an integrated curriculum in a learning community format, helping students to more effectively coalesce their learning and ultimately become more effective professionals.”

In addition to the pre-term session, students will benefit from an integrated curriculum with a term that brings together marketing and business strategy with business innovation, taught by Eller College faculty from multiple academic departments. The program concludes with a final term, ”Special Topics in Business,” designed to explore timely topics like Customer Relationship Management, Creativity and Innovation in Organizations, Power in Politics, and Cyber Security.

The Evening MBA is a two-year program comprised of six terms. To be considered for the program, students should have a minimum of three years of work experience and complete the application process. The deadline for evening program applications has been extended to February 15. Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Classes start in May 2007.

An open house will be held on campus at McClelland Hall on Saturday, February 3. To RSVP for the open house, prospective students should contact Keyshia Conner at 520.626.9455, or by email at kconner@eller.arizona.edu. For more information on the Eller Evening MBA program, students may call 520.621.4008 or visit www.mba.eller.arizona.edu/evening.

The Eller College of Management at The University of Arizona is internationally recognized for pioneering research, innovative curriculum, distinguished faculty, excellence in entrepreneurship, and social responsibility. U.S.News & World Report ranks the Eller undergraduate program #12 among public business schools and five of its departments are among the top 25 — Entrepreneurship, MIS, Marketing, Management and Organizations, and Accounting. The MPA program in the School of Public Administration and Policy ranks in the top 50. Financial Times ranks the Eller MBA full-time program #27 in the U.S. and #57 in the world, and Forbes ranks the program among the top 50 nationwide. The College leads the nation’s business schools in generating grant funds for research. In addition to a full-time MBA program, the Eller College offers an evening MBA program, and the Eller Executive MBA. The Eller College of Management supports more than 5,100 undergraduate and 600 graduate students on the UA campus in beautiful Tucson, Arizona.

Press Contact:
Liz Warren-Pederson, Eller College of Management
520.626.9547, news@eller.arizona.edu