BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Richard C. Thompson, Ph.D.
Hello to all Business Administration students, both BBA and MBA.
It has been a while since we sent out the last newsletter. As most of you are aware, the once separate BBA and MBA programs were both brought into the Business Administration department back in the summer of 2004. While this may have appeared to be a cosmetic change, on the whole, it has been quite beneficial. Course revisions, updates, and new course developments have proven to be easier as the needs of both bachelor’s and master’s level students were considered. Also, while many faculty were already teaching at both levels, the department change has resulted in a more effective and efficient scheduling of faculty and a more appropriate use of their individual talents and skills.
BBA Finance Specialization
After some thorough research, we determined that the Finance specialization at the bachelor’s level is in high demand by students and prospective employers. As a result, it will be opened this summer as an option for both new applicants and current BBA students.
MBA Finance News
Students in the Finance specialization at the MBA level may have already heard the news, but for the sake of blanket dissemination, here it is:
By decision of the Board of Standards of the American Academy of Financial Management™ (AAFM™), AAFM will accept any graduate from the Jones International University MBA program with a major in Finance as educationally qualified for its Master Financial Professional (MFP) Designation and Board Certification.
For more details, go to www.financialanalyst.org or www.financialcertified.com to see the benefits of this alliance. All other students, please note that I am working on creating comparable alliances for all specializations.
Job Trends
Is your degree worth it? It is generally acknowledged that earnings for college graduates are higher than high school grads and that employees with a master’s degree earn more than employees with a bachelor’s degree. If you are curious as to the specific differences in your field, download the “Occupational Outlook Quarterly” from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/ooqhome.htm. BLS is also an incredible resource for employment statistics in general.
Other sources of employment trends and data can be found at the following sites: America’s Job Bank - www.careeronestop.org/lmi/LMIHome.asp America’s Career InfoNet - www.acinet.org/acinet/
In conclusion, I am sorry to have to share with you the news of the death of one of our MBA candidates, just months away from earning her degree. Amy Donovan was an Austin, Tex., police officer who had been on the job only five months when she was killed in the line of duty October 31. Her degree is being awarded posthumously and will be accepted by her husband, Terry. I know you join all of us at JIU in offering our most profound condolences to Terry and their four children.
Don’t forget to attend graduation May 20th and help us to extend our congratulations to the BBA and MBA graduates.
Enjoy your summer.
Richard C. Thompson, Ph.D.
Academic Chair
Business Administration