Business degree programs offered in region

By Mary Ann Beahon

director of university relations

William Woods University

FULTON -- William Woods University is offering residents of Southeast Missouri the opportunity to pursue a variety of business degrees without quitting work.

Classes leading to a bachelor of science in management (BSM), a master of business administration (MBA) and an MBA with an emphasis in human resources are ongoing in Cape Girardeau. In addition, an MBA will be starting in Poplar Bluff on June 23 and in Sikeston on Aug. 28. A BSM and MBA will begin in Kennett in the fall.

The curriculum for all of the business programs offered by William Woods has been designed to reflect the appropriate mix of business theory with real world practice.

The BSM is geared for the working professional interested in completing the baccalaureate degree with an emphasis in management. Admission into the program requires the completion of 50 to 60 semester credit hours and at least two years of work experience.

Angela Sumner-Hahn completed her BSM at WWU's Jefferson City campus. She was pleased with the program because "the flexibility of the adult studies program at William Woods has given me the opportunity to complete my BSM degree while continuing to work full-time."

She added, "One of the most notable attributes of the program is that course facilitators understand that students do have full-time lives outside of the classroom setting."

Kathy Pabst completed an MBA in Jefferson City. She selected William Woods "because the instructors are leaders in their profession and are able to share their knowledge and expertise with the students."

The MBA with human resources concentration is intended for the professional who is involved in management decisions and practices that directly affect or influence the people who work for the organization. The program focuses on Employment Law and Labor Relations; Compensation and Benefits, and Performance Management, Training and Development.

In the beginning, the Graduate and Adult Studies programs were located only in mid-Missouri. Now, thanks to the growing demand, William Woods has expanded the programs to locations across the state for the convenience of interested students.

These programs make it possible for people with full-time jobs to complete a baccalaureate or a graduate degree while remaining employed. The programs are designed to prepare students for career advancement and to enhance their marketability in the job market.

Employing a model of accelerated learning developed especially for the convenience of the working adult, educational programs are structured so that a degree can be completed in as few as 22 months.

William Woods offers degree programs that utilize a cohort model, emphasizing learning through student-directed study groups of three to five students.

"Cohort" describes a group of people who collaborate to reach a common goal. WWU's program utilizes the diversity of the individual members to broaden the learning experience of the class as a whole as they work together. The school recognizes that learning can and does take place outside of the classroom and that theoretical knowledge is only useful if applied to real-life on-the-job situations.

Classes meet once a week in the evening for four hours. Study groups meet outside of class to prepare projects and assignments before the upcoming week.

"With the teamwork approach of using study groups and projects within the cohort model, students can draw on a greater pool of ideas, and they have the opportunity to learn quickly that the effectiveness of one person can be greatly enhanced by utilizing the other members of the group," said Betty Tutt, WWU vice president.

Because of the nature of programming -- focusing effort on one course at a time -- 90 percent of all students finish their program successfully. Each course normally runs six weeks.

"William Woods University is a leader when it comes to designing quality programs for nontraditional adult students. Everything we do here at WWU in our Graduate and Adult Studies program is specifically designed to help adults succeed in reaching their goals as efficiently as possible," said Tutt.