Thiel College Launches Accelerated M.B.A. program
GREENVILLE, PA – Thiel College’s new Master of Business Administration has been approved by its Board of Trustees and will begin enrolling students in July 2020.
Through Thiel’s innovative, intensive and accelerated residential program, students will earn an M.B.A. in just 12 months. The Thiel M.B.A. program is designed to give students a head start on their careers by capitalizing on their momentum as students to transition from undergraduate work to post-graduate work. Many M.B.A. programs require work experience before students are admitted, by design Thiel M.B.A. students will acquire experience through experiential learning and programmatic activities.
The Board of Trustees’ approval of the M.B.A. creates the second graduate program at Thiel College. A Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology was awarded provisional accreditation in August. The first students will start classes in that program this May.
The M.B.A. program is designed to send graduates into the work force in five years with the experience and business credentials to immediately be an ethical leader in the professional world.
Students enrolled in the M.B.A. program at Thiel College have the opportunity to learn by doing. Every student will complete 400 hours of career-focused work as a graduate assistant. As part of the required credit-bearing coursework each student will work in a paid internship for a private sector business for a minimum of 120 hours. In addition, each student will work in a team-based environment acting as consultants to a non-profit organization. Throughout the program, students will work with faculty and businesses to solve real problems as part of the required coursework. Specific programmatic experiential learning experiences will be required of all students in settings that extend the learning environment beyond the classroom.
“The modern workplace is competitive and moving in a direction where an advanced degree is going to be, not just preferred, but essential,” Chair of the Arthur McGonigal Department of Business Administration and Accounting and M.B.A Program Director Anthony Kos said. “Thiel is in a great position to offer this style program. We are fortunate to have a wealth of faculty with great academic credentials and in addition they have worked in the business world and bring that experience to the classroom.”
The Thiel College program is a rare offering in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, Kos says. Most programs are designed for working professionals. Thiel’s residential program will benefit both graduates and employers, Kos says. Students will not have to put careers on hold once they enter the workforce to get their M.B.A., and employers’ will not have to wait or work around an employees’ schedule to gain the value of an M.B.A.
Initially, the program will be a one-year intensive program, but plans are also being considered for a working professionals program that would last longer than a year.
“We are doing something unique,” Kos adds.
Kos was special assistant to the Dean of the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University. He also served two stints as the M.B.A. Director of the Williamson College at YSU and also held the rank of Professor in the Management Department. In addition, Kos taught internationally within the M.B.A. program at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Kos received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Williamson College of Business Administration. He earned his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Management at Kent State University in the area of macro-organizational theory (strategic management).
About Thiel College
Founded in 1866 as a coeducational institution in western Pennsylvania, Thiel College is an independent liberal arts college rooted in the Lutheran tradition. Offering distinctive programs in the arts and humanities, social and natural sciences and professional studies, together with engaging co-curricular and athletic opportunities, Thiel provides an accessible and inclusive learning environment that emphasizes service to society. Thiel’s residential campus offers a safe and supportive setting in which to grow and learn. Learn more at www.thiel.edu.