Success came to Delta State University’s Executive Master of Business Administration program (EMBA) in July as the first class of graduates completed the ground-breaking program.

The EMBA program, started through the School of Business in 1996, is designed to provide an opportunity for business professionals to obtain a master’s degree in business administration through a program which provides components tailored to the busy professional.

In designing the program, Delta State University recognized that many working professionals couldn’t come to campus on a daily basis, or even at night, for course work due to work or family obligations. But many in the new graduating class traveled from as far away as Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana to take advantage of the weekend offerings in the EMBA program.

Positive features of the program are:

· classes offered on alternate weekends to minimize work disruptions.

· a quality educational experience that is affordable, convenient and enriching.

· allowing for the interaction among professionals from a variety of business backgrounds.

· a business faculty who use a variety of teaching methods.

· a "lock-stepped" course of study and pre-determined electives.

· approximately 24 months to complete the program, unless foundation courses are required.

To be considered for the EMBA programs, students must be managers, administrators, engineers, health care professionals or vice presidents with at least five years of experience. Also, the person must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school.

And key to the application process are individuals with a strong desire to advance their management skills, or to grow professionally or personally, with a desire to enhance their knowledge of theory and application for tomorrow’s business environment.

Following on the success of the EMBA program, the School of Business will initiate the new Executive Bachelor of Business Administration (EBBA) program in the fall of 1998.

Using some of the same foundation material and programming in the EMBA program, the EBBA program is targeted toward the increasing number of working adults who want and need a bachelor’s degree in business.

Other considerations in the program are to extend the time and course availability required to earn a degree during the regular evening program with the need to adapt the curriculum design and support services to be more adult-friendly.

The EBBA programs differs from the EMBA program in that the program covers 36 months of course work, unless foundation courses are required and maximizes learning while minimizing time spent on campus.

Acceptance into the EBBA program is based on the applicant being over the age of 26 and employed full-time, having five years of work experience and having an Associate (AA) in Business Administration or the required 64 lower-level credit hours.

"This is an exciting opportunity for working professionals to start an educational program or continue one at the master’s level," said Dr. Mary Jean Lush, Coordinator of Graduate Studies and Nontraditional Programs in the School of Business at Delta State University.

"We are pleased that our first graduating class in the EMBA program has completed their work and received this degree. The university recognizes the many needs of nontraditional students, many of whom are working professionals with families, through programs like the EMBA which addresses many of those needs," said Lush.

"We are already accepting applications for the new class and the calls and letters have really been coming in expressing interest in what we are trying to do," Lush said.

In some cases, employers are checking into the program on behalf of employees whom they want to support for the degree program.

"For working professionals who want to start their education or continue at a higher level, the EMBA program is worth considering because of the convenience in scheduling, its affordability and the varied and enriching offerings built into the program," she said.

A major benefit Lush has noticed is the "wonderful networking that has gone on between and among the students in the program. Students from Greenville working with someone from Arkansas or Tennessee who come from other business or professional settings. Or a student from Louisiana interacting with one from Clarksdale on one of the many group projects."

"As the program progresses and the students get to know each other better, it becomes like a family - a group of people from diverse backgrounds who look forward to spending every other weekend with each other. This is very important to not only the student, but the program as well," Lush said.

And now with the start of the Executive Bachelor of Business Administration degree program, "we can expand the offerings to another segment of the nontraditional student population who may want to start a degree program in business, but up till now, haven’t been able to because of work or family constraints," said Lush.

"The EBBA program is designed much like the EMBA program but with greater emphasis on the core or foundation course work in business administration. Again, utilizing the weekend format, students spend less time on campus, but have a more intense educational experience in the weekend setting. Many of the students appreciate having the opportunity to learn and grow this way. We’re very glad as a university, and through the School of Business, to provide just this kind of opportunity to the nontraditional student," she said.

Lush also points out that both the EMBA and the EBBA programs can be a great help to business and industry in the Delta.

"Both of these programs benefit the employer by allowing the employee to enhance his or her education and knowledge base which over the long run, should help make for an even better employee. Employees are more likely to stay where they are and be of better service to the employer which is so important in retaining good, quality employees in the Delta business environment," Lush said. DBJ

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