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02-15-05
Penn State Produces First Online MBA Graduates
When the first Penn State iMBA class began its two-year journey toward an online degree in 2002, they knew they were groundbreakers setting a course for future classes to follow. Today they are graduates, each holding an MBA that will forever change their career paths.
"In December 2004 our first class of twenty-four graduated," said Dr. John K. Fizel, iMBA program chair and professor of economics at Penn State Behrend. "They included managers, physicians, biologists, chemists, engineers, vice presidents and analysts from such companies as Weyerhauser, JP Morgan Chase, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boeing, AT&T and Dow Corning, as well as the U.S. Navy. I was pleased to see that the graduating class survey responses indicate that they would recommend the iMBA to a personal friend or colleague at work."
"Now we have two new classes in place," he added, "one class of forty-five and another class of fifty. Over three years the iMBA students represent thirty-four states and eight countries.
"Taking iMBA classes from overseas has been fantastic," said Randy Ferguson, an officer with the U.S. Navy's Air Exercise and Attack Office in London. "I have four teammates and one of them frequently travels to Asia, so we are doing work spanning five time zones. Quite often, we even work over the international dateline."
Headquarters for the Penn State iMBA is in Knowledge Park at Penn State Erie, but don't look for a big suite of offices. Fizel and program specialist Dusty Hasselman are the only staff, and they each have an office. The 'i' in iMBA stands for "intercollegiate," meaning that the program is a virtual collaboration among the Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend, Smeal College of Business at Penn State University Park, Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies, and Penn State Harrisburg.
"With the flexibility of an online program, students can get a high-quality Penn State MBA and continue working," said Fizel. "It's a good choice for mid-career professionals with family responsibilities, too. It works for those whose jobs require extensive travel. They can complete their classes from anywhere in the world."
The iMBA program focuses on four core business areas: domestic and global economic environments; human behavior in organizations; creation and distribution of goods and services; and financial reporting, analysis, and markets.
For more information on the Penn State iMBA, go to www.worldcampus.psu.edu/pub/imba/ or call Project Specialist Dusty Hasselman at 814-898-6527. |
