Siena has received state approval to offer a master’s degree in business administration.
The College will begin enrolling students in the program for the fall 2019 semester. It will feature four tracks of study: Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing, and Strategic Management. Each path was created specifically to address workforce demands in national and regional job markets, according to Charles F. Seifert, Ph.D., dean of Siena’s School of Business.
“Approval for this program was granted much sooner than we expected, so we are ahead of schedule for our fall 2019 launch,” said Dr. Seifert. “The program has been strategically tailored to address the needs of employers. It is designed to appeal to individuals seeking to return to college for their M.B.A., those seeking a career change, and current students who want to enhance their undergraduate degree with an M.B.A.”
In addition to the traditional two-year full-time program of study, Siena is offering a unique 3+1 option for students entering Siena as freshmen. They will have the opportunity to earn a B.S. in their third year and an M.B.A. in their fourth year. Not all students will choose the accelerated track, but all students will have the chance to take graduate level courses as they finish their undergraduate degree.
“This is outstanding news for Siena,” added Br. F. Edward Coughlin, O.F.M., Ph.D., president of Siena. “We foresee that our M.B.A. program will have a transformational impact on the School of Business and College enrollment.”
The M.B.A. will be the second master’s degree program offered at Siena; an M.S. in accounting, which is also available in a 3+1 accelerated format, was introduced in 2009 and currently enrolls 60 students.
Siena’s School of Business maintained its accreditation last spring through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The M.B.A. program will inherit this accreditation, which fewer than five percent of collegiate business schools worldwide have achieved.
