ALLENTOWN, PA – February 16, 2015  – Professionals interested in advancing their careers by earning an MBA degree but who haven’t yet found a program that is flexible enough for their busy work and family schedules will have a new option starting this fall.

Flexibility is the word that best defines the new Masters in Business Administration program being launched this fall at Cedar Crest College. Four 10-week sessions will be offered each year in the fall, winter, spring and summer. Since students are not cohorted like they are at some colleges, they are able to progress more freely.

The 36-credit degree program can be finished in as few as 18 months, or at a slower pace based on work and family schedules. Plus, rolling admissions means students can apply at any time and begin at the start of any of the four 10-week cycles, not just in the fall or spring like at other schools. Classes are held one night a week, but students can take more than one class at a time. The program is open to men and women who have an undergraduate business degree, as well as those who have a degree in another field.

Cedar Crest will formally announce the program during a networking cocktail reception event on Thursday, February 26 at the new Renaissance Hotel Allentown from 5 – 7 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. A Wednesday, February 18 information session will be held from 5:45 – 7 p.m. in the Tompkins College Center at Cedar Crest to introduce the program to potential students. 

“The primary reason that adults pursue an MBA is to advance their career and earning potential,” said Mary Ellen Hickes, Director of Admissions at SAGE. “An MBA is one of the best ways to enter the management level at a company. Some companies have even started requiring it for upper level positions.”

According to a 2013 report by the Graduate Management Admissions Council, a third of a student’s investment in an MBA degree is recouped immediately, primarily due to an increase in salary, with four years being the time it takes to fully recoup their return on investment. In a 2014 survey of recent MBA alumni, students felt their degrees helped them to better prepare them for their chosen career, as well as for leadership roles, and to better manage their work/life balance.

“Cedar Crest College understands the special needs of the adult student,” said Gaetan Giannini, Dean of the SAGE program. “The success of our SAGE program lead to the creation of the MBA program. Our students actually requested that we start it. Our adult student population is the second largest in the Lehigh Valley in part because students enjoy the accessibility to our classes and professors, and the flexibility our program structure offers.”

GLVCC members and their families receive a 15 percent discount on MBA program classes.

“Both the Chamber, and, in particular, its Young Professionals Council are excited about this partnership with Cedar Crest College,” said Dan Diaz, Vice President, Business and Diversity Councils. “Education is the great equalizer and the opportunity to offer a discount on an MBA program that will surely give our members, and their family members, a leg up in the business community is a positive for everyone.”

The college has also formed similar partnerships through its Pathways to Professional Excellence program with Lehigh Valley Health Network, Lehigh County, and Fisher Clinical Services, as well as other local businesses, school districts, and non-profit agencies.

To learn more about the new MBA program, visit http://mba.cedarcrest.edu or call 610-740-3770.

Located in Allentown, Pa., Cedar Crest College was selected as a “Top Regional College” and “Best Value” in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges rankings for 2012, 2013 and 2014. The liberal arts college is committed to the education of women leaders in an increasingly global society. Founded in 1867, Cedar Crest currently enrolls approximately 1,500 students—full-time, part-time and graduate—in more than 30 fields of study. Cedar Crest also provides opportunities for non-traditional and graduate students through its co-educational School of Adult and Graduate Education (SAGE). For more information, visit http://sage.cedarcrest.edu.

 

Press Release Provided By:

 

Tracey Werner, Blabbermouth Communications

610-730-4515; tracey@blabbermouthcommunications.com