UPEI Launches Master of Business Administration
The University of Prince Edward Island officially launched its executive-style Master of Business Administration (MBA) today in the new UPEI School of Business. Designed to meet the needs of full-time working professionals, the new program will welcome its first 36 students in September. The class represents a very diverse group of students, which will encourage valuable peer-to-peer learning throughout their time in the MBA Program.
“Our inaugural class of MBA students is very much in line with the vision we had when developing the program. We have almost equal representation from the private and public sectors, the class is almost evenly split between males and females, and half of our students hold undergraduate degrees in a discipline outside the realm of business. The composition of our first class suggests an MBA is of value to working professionals in a wide range of careers,” noted Roberta MacDonald, Dean of Business.
Dean MacDonald introduced three new faculty members who have joined the UPEI School of Business to instruct at the graduate level. They are Wendy Carroll, Juergen Krause, and Gerry Mahar. Carroll and Krause will also work together as Co-Directors of Graduate Business Studies to provide direction for the program’s evolution, and to ensure students’ needs are met.
The launch was also an opportunity to congratulate UPEI’s first MBA scholarship-winners.
“We are extremely pleased to be able to award these scholarships in the inaugural year of our MBA program,” said Dean MacDonald. “Our students are busy professionals, many of whom are balancing career, family, and community responsibilities while pursuing their MBA. Scholarships provide financial relief and, in turn, give students more time to focus on their studies.”
Five students were awarded entrance scholarships valued at $5,000 each. Liz Dobbin, Manager of the PEI Cancer Treatment Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, was one of the award-winners.
“Like most young families today, we are faced with increasing costs for everything. The costs of enrolling in the MBA program are not insignificant and require sacrifice by my husband and children to make it happen. Scholarship support will go a very long way in easing the burden,” said Dobbin.
Recently seconded to The Wait Time Pilot Project, Dobbin is pursuing her MBA to apply cutting-edge business tools and strategic thinking to her daily work. Her classroom studies will help develop innovative processes, human resource models, and inter-provincial working agreements that affect radiation therapy wait times for Island cancer patients.
Glenn Gallant, Amber Jadis, Susan Anderson, and Brenda Worth were also awarded entrance scholarships. Their professional accomplishments, community involvement, and enthusiasm were deciding factors in the selection process.
“Higher education is a privilege, and I plan to give back to society whatever I am fortunate enough to receive,” said Glenn Gallant, a single father of two, who is pursuing his MBA to further his career aspirations within the provincial government and to satisfy his own personal growth.
The sixth scholarship winner, Scott McEwen, received the newly established George E. Howatt Scholarship, also valued at $5,000. The scholarship recognizes an incoming MBA student who has demonstrated academic excellence and entrepreneurial initiative, as well as a commitment to giving back to his/her community. A business owner, and father of three, McEwen exemplifies “an entrepreneurial spirit and ambition that will serve him well in the MBA program which focuses on developing entrepreneurial and innovative thinking for success in today’s globally competitive business world,” said Dean MacDonald.
“We have an extremely strong cohort of students beginning the MBA program in September,” she said. “The scholarship applications were very revealing of how involved our students already are in the betterment of their workplaces and communities. It’s encouraging to know that these leaders are dedicated to further developing their skills, knowledge and thinking, and I have no doubt they will continue to make significant contributions going forward.”
MBA BACKGROUNDER
UPEI’s School of Business is launching its Executive-style Master of Business Administration program, which is designed to suit the needs of full-time working professionals, with classes set to begin in September 2008.
The school has received a very strong response, with 36 students admitted for September 2008. The local business community and employers have also shown enthusiasm and support for this exciting graduate program in business studies, which is the first of its kind on PEI.
Students choose from specialized streams of study in Biotechnology Management & Entrepreneurship and Innovative Management. The program can be completed in a minimum of two years or taken over a longer period, up to six years.
The emphasis is on integration, innovation, entrepreneurial thinking and the development of global perspectives.
The School has hired new faculty, who will instruct at the graduate level. Wendy Carroll, Juergen Krause, and Gerry Mahar joined the faculty at the School this summer. Each comes to the School with an impressive career and academic background:
Wendy Carroll comes to UPEI with 20 years of work experience in senior leadership and executive positions, primarily in the areas of human resource management, employee relations, operations management and negotiations. Wendy has made several contributions to research in the area of strategic human resource management, workforce strategies for the future, and the effects of technology on employees.
Juergen Krause holds a PhD (Magna Cum Laude) in Chemistry from the University of Konstanz, Germany. He has an extensive career in research and development, and has held senior level positions within the pharmaceutical industry. Most recently he worked with Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. as Vice President of Research and Development Strategy and Operations.
Before joining the faculty at the School of Business, Gerry Mahar was a National Sales and Marketing Manager, responsible for accounts with several multinational IT firms. After a lengthy career, he returned to graduate school to obtain his PhD in Management Sciences. His research interests include communities of practice in software development, and field service operations in national accounts marketing management.
Wendy Carroll and Juergen Krause will work together as Co-Directors of Graduate Business Studies to provide direction for the program’s growth and evolution, and to ensure students’ needs are met.
Five incoming students have been awarded MBA entrance scholarships, valued at $5,000 each. They are: Glenn Gallant, Liz Dobbin, Brenda Worth, Susan Anderson and Amber Jadis. All five have demonstrated leadership, excelled in their academic pursuits, and made impressive contributions in their chosen careers.
Scott McEwen, an entrepreneur with two businesses and a young family, has been awarded the George E. Howatt Scholarship, valued at $5,000. This scholarship was established in 2008 to recognize an incoming MBA student who has demonstrated academic excellence and entrepreneurial initiative, as well as a commitment to giving back to his/her community.
The School is now accepting applications for the 2009 MBA class.
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MBA Student Profile
UPEI’s MBA program has attracted a strong cohort of students representing diverse academic backgrounds, work experiences, and life stories. The composition of the MBA class will encourage valuable peer-to-peer learning and opportunities to gain new perspectives. The class profile is as follows:
Gender: 19 Males, 17 Females
Average Age: 39 years
Education: 50 per cent hold a Bachelor of Business Administration, 50 per cent hold an undergraduate degree in another discipline. Three students have professional designations. Three students have master’s courses/PhD designation.
Current Employment: Twenty-one students are employed in the private sector, including five who are self-employed and two who work with non-profit organizations. Fifteen are employed with government at municipal, provincial, and federal levels.
Average Years of Full-time Work Experience: 15 years
For more information about the MBA Program please visit www.upei.ca/business or contact Shannon Courtney, MBA Program Co-ordinator, at 566-6474 or scourtney@upei.ca
