Sellinger School announces new leadership oriented MBA program

After planning and developing ideas for the last several years, Loyola University's Sellinger School of Business and Management has announced its brand new Emerging Leaders Masters in Business Administration graduate program, the first of its kind in the Baltimore area, to begin fall 2010.

This full-time, 12-month-long, 18-course and 46-credit program will combine the traditional MBA learning components with experiential learning that will immerse the graduates in field experience throughout the 12-month program.

Unlike the typical MBA programs offered at Loyola and other universities nationwide that many people decide to undertake after several years of work experience, the ELMBA is targeted at recent undergraduates who have little to no work experience and are seeking a graduate degree that will give them that extra experience while trying to begin their careers.

With the enrolled student having little work experience, it was crucial for the curriculum of the program to blend together the basics of a traditional MBA program with the Jesuit core values and missions that Loyola is built upon. Additionally, the program designers felt it necessary that they incorporate real business interaction that the traditional programs do not offer.

"I am especially excited about leading and supporting the experiential components of the curriculum, which will highlight engagement in the business community, international study, consulting projects and more. I also look forward to leading and supporting the program's academic content that reflects the University's Jesuit mission. Courses will explore ethics, social responsibility, sustainability and global citizenship," says Andrea Giampetro-Meyer, the first academic director of ELMBA and current chair and professor of the department of law and social responsibility in the Sellinger School.

In addition to Professor Giampetro-Meyer's responsibility of planning and implementing the curriculum, other designers of the program are Ms. Ann Attanasio, the new ELMBA Program Director, and other Sellinger professors, including Paul Tallon, Charles Scott and Harsha Desai.

The professors designed the program as a cohort so that each year the 25 to 40 students enrolled will begin and end together. As an exceptionally interactive program, this is beneficial to the students, giving them "very practical skill sets professionally, personally and within their communities," says Director Attanasio.

Dr. Karyl Leggio, dean of the Sellinger School of Business and Management, is very pleased at the progress and development of the program thus far. As college and graduate degrees are becoming almost necessary in order to hold most corporate jobs in the U.S., more undergraduates are seeking a competitive edge to stand out.

"This program will offer them an integrated, accelerated, experiential education that will better prepare them to launch a successful career," says Dr. Leggio of the new Emerging Leaders MBA program.

With an enthusiastic leading staff supporting the new program, Loyola University and the Sellinger School are eager to get their new program underway. As an institution that is constantly looking to improve and enhance their programs, Loyola wanted to be able to offer the best education possible to their postgraduate audiences.

The Emerging Leaders MBA program is insistent on enrolling highly motivated and well-prepared students who are willing to dedicate themselves full-time to improving and expanding their leadership roles and business experiences. As the program is targeting an audience of recent undergraduates, the directors are looking for applicants who have a strong grade point average and have scored 550 or higher on the Graduate Management Admissions Test.

Even though this program is best suited for those with basic business knowledge, it is not solely restricted to business majors and minors. Since a series of foundational business and management classes are required for those who are accepted and enroll, those who do not have experience are required to attend a "business boot camp" that will be held prior to the beginning of the program in the fall.

With the program including experience and engagements in the business community, international projects and mentoring, the tuition of the programs, $55,000, is all-inclusive, covering the cost of courses, fees, books, residency and international and domestic travel associated with the program.

This AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accredited and accelerated MBA program at Loyola University is one that all involved are anticipating the start of. With the cumulative efforts of an enormous amount of scholars and professors, the ELMBA program is one that Loyola sees flourishing as recognition increases within the local and nationwide community of upper level education.