Home » Topics » Academics » DCOB approves more flexible FLEX MBA program

DCOB approves more flexible FLEX MBA program

To meet rising demand from working professionals who seek higher degree of education, the Davis College of Business is creating a more flexible part-time FLEX Master of Business Administration program.

Starting in fall 2016, nighttime FLEX MBA students can expect to benefit from a different type of educational model.

The FLEX MBA will become a “hybrid” program, which will encapsulate the face-to-face interaction with internationally accredited faculty members, while also allowing students to continue to work full-time by completing some coursework in an online format. Consistent student interaction is still the primary focus, despite the change in delivery format. The MBA program values interaction with professors with business experience as a keystone for the quality of business education they receive at JU.

This conversion is a result of the Technology Enhanced Design & Delivery (TEDD) initiative begun in 2013 after a $1 million investment was made to support the enhancement and transformation of all business programs. TEDD was formulated to supply resources and training to faculty to utilize existing and emerging technological tools to enhance student learning. Dr. Angela Mattia, Associate Professor of Decision Sciences, has led this initiative since its inception.

Dr. Angela Mattia
Dr. Angela Mattia

“The hybrid format we developed offers more flexibility to students while maintaining the quality of our MBA program.  It will be properly facilitated and grounded with a broad range of multimedia learning materials, tools and collaborative learning opportunities,” Dr. Mattia said. “It will continue to shift the MBA classroom from a traditional lecture-recitation format to using case studies, hands-on and peer-to-peer learning that is more dependent on a student’s active participation in the learning process.”

The DCOB is hoping to encapsulate the positive aspects of a distance learning program while maintaining interaction with students by faculty. This new delivery format has been developed as a basis for reshaping the graduate business education environment at JU. The application of the model will be utilized for future innovations in the DCOB.

Davis College of Business Dean Dr. Don Capener
Davis College of Business Dean Dr. Don Capener

“We are receiving MBA candidates who are controllers and CEOs who have worked their way up in their own companies. Our hope is to verify the competencies in areas of business within their MBA degree,” said Dr. Don Capener, Dean of the DCOB. “We are hoping to attract more students who have full-time commitments and need a more flexible class schedule.”

For more information about the JU Graduate Business Programs, visit http://www.ju.edu/dcob or contact AnnaMaria Murphy at amurphy8@ju.edu or (904) 256.7426.