Emerging Leaders MBA, accounting certificate create new opportunities for Class of 2010

Seniors and recent grads who are eager to boost their credentials before entering the business world have a new option for advanced business education—the Sellinger School’s Emerging Leaders MBA (ELMBA).

The program, a 12-month, full-time, accelerated program for students with exceptional undergraduate records, will enroll its first class in August 2010. Applications are due Feb. 1, and admission decisions will be made by March 15. The curriculum will blend traditional MBA coursework with significant experiential learning, including engagement with area businesses, business plan development, domestic and international field studies, and live case consulting. Classes will take place at Loyola’s Columbia Graduate Center.

"Most MBA programs, including Loyola’s existing offerings focus on people with at least several—and in some cases many—years of professional experience, but we know that there are many high-achieving undergraduates and recent graduate eager to begin the next phase of their business educations as soon as possible," said Karyl B. Leggio, Ph.D, dean of the Sellinger School of Business and Management. "They have the academic skills necessary to tackle the high caliber of graduate work associated with the Emerging Leaders MBA, and completing it will give them a considerable advantage in the job market in just a single year."

Prospective students must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) to be considered for the program. Program leaders expect most successful applicants to have GMAT scores of 550 or higher and a strong undergraduate grade point average. Students are expected to have completed a slate of foundational business courses before classes begin, so the ELMBA may be most suitable for undergraduate business majors and minors. There will be a boot camp prior to the beginning of the coursework for those without a background in business.

Information sessions will be held on the Evergreen campus on Dec. 8 and on the Columbia campus on Jan. 9. For more information on the program, visit www.loyola.edu/elmba or call program director Ann Attanasio at 410-617-2308.

In addition to the Emerging Leaders MBA, the Sellinger School has also created an 11-week certificate in accounting program which will begin in May 2010. Designed for students graduating in May 2010 or earlier, the program is intended for those who need to meet the 150-credit-hour requirement to sit for Maryland’s certified public accountant exam.

Many accounting majors complete their degrees in about 120 credits, leading many to piece together the remaining 30 credits with an assortment of courses that do not necessarily advance their knowledge of accounting. Loyola’s certificate, developed with guidance from key accounting employers, will offer aspiring accountants a means of obtaining up to 18 additional credits in a timely manner and in a way that contributes to their career preparation.

For more information on the accounting certificate, click here.