DAHLONEGA - To address the needs of the regional business community and professionals, the Mike Cottrell College of Business at the University of North Georgia (UNG) will expand its Cottrell Master of Business Administration (MBA) program to the Gainesville Campus beginning in fall 2015.
"The Cottrell MBA is built in such a way that it develops students' leadership and team-building skills," said Kelli Crickey, director of the Cottrell MBA. "This is why we are working to ensure that the addition of the Cottrell MBA on our Gainesville Campus provides the same experiences that existing Cottrell MBA students and graduates receive on UNG's Cumming Campus."
With this expansion, classes will be offered two nights each week on the Gainesville and Cumming campuses. However, instruction will be delivered one of those two nights via a live video feed from the alternate campus. This enables students from both campuses to participate in class, while also getting to know their peers in both locations.
"Prior to consolidation, there was a great deal of discussion and interest regarding an MBA degree program on the Gainesville Campus," said Dr. Donna Mayo, dean of the Mike Cottrell College of Business. "We see this expansion as an opportunity to meet the needs of our region and execute the vision of our college in developing strong graduates and strong communities. The Cottrell MBA, like our undergraduate degree programs, is accredited by the AACSB, an honor less than 5 percent of the world's 13,000 business programs have earned."
According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) 2014 Corporate Recruiters Survey this past year, 80 percent of companies planned to hire an MBA graduate in 2014, up from 50 percent in 2009 and 73 percent in 2013. GMAC also stated that employers are seeking graduates with communication and leadership skills, strategic focus and business acumen.
"New technology makes it possible for us to expand the MBA program," Mayo said. "With this format, Cottrell MBA students will have direct, in-person access to faculty on a weekly basis. Personal attention and peer support have been a hallmark of the Cottrell MBA since its inception, and we will maintain this focus and quality of delivery on the Gainesville Campus."
During their second year, Cottrell MBA students complete a capstone consulting project in which student teams consult with regional organizations on a strategic business need. Each team is provided a professional mentor as a coach to help them apply their learnings to real-world situations.
The Cottrell MBA, which is a cohort-based program, is the second graduate degree offered on UNG's Gainesville Campus, following the Master of Education degree in early childhood education. Since January 2013, UNG has doubled the number of bachelor's degree programs available on the Gainesville Campus.
To apply for the Cottrell MBA, interested parties must first attend an information session, and at application, must have two years of experience in industry and provide their résumé, two professional recommendations, official transcripts, and either their GMAT or GRE scores. Applications are due by May 29, 2015 to be accepted for the fall. For more information on the Cottrell MBA, individuals may register for an information session athttp://www.ung.edu/mba or call 470-239-3030.
