Master of Business Administration - Track I

Overview

The Endicott College MBA for the Experienced Professional is a 42-credit program designed for working professionals who are seeking to further their professional and personal growth, and energize their careers. The MBA for the Experienced Professional is for those who have a minimum of five years of relevant work experience. The program employs an accelerated model that allows for completion in approximately 20–22 months, with classes meeting once a week. Key features of the program include:

• Focus on collaborative, peer learning;
• Projects that directly relate to the students’ professions;
• Pervasive ethics component;
• Examination on the technological environment; and
• Individual research project (Master’s Thesis).
  

Students progress through each of the 13 three-credit courses (which meet once a week in a class from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.). Each course is comprised of six sessions. In addition, all students are required to register for three one-credit Business Research Seminars (one in-class meeting each, interspersed across the curriculum as part of the completion of the Master’s Thesis).

Master’s Thesis

The Master’s Thesis is a major component of the MBA program. Students conduct action-oriented research around a specific business problem or issue. Spanning 12 months of the MBA curriculum, the Master’s Thesis is designed to make the MBA experience more meaningful by integrating all the courses and topics that comprise the course of study. The Master’s Thesis adds value to the Endicott MBA experience, as students develop strong problem-solving skills.

Research is explored with a focus on problem solving, decision making, and strategic planning in organizations. This is an “action research project” designed to provide practical, valuable, and relevant solutions to an organization facing a specific challenge.

Accelerated Collaborative Learning Model: 4+4+4

It is important to note that each course employs a 4+4+4 model; that is, each course requires:

• Four hours of in class instruction;
• Four hours of out-of-class collaboration among students and their sub groups
  (of usually four to five students); and
• Four hours of individual preparation.
  

The 4+4+4 model represents a minimum guideline. Individuals in groups may need to devote more time and energy to satisfy the course requirements.

The four hours of out-of-class, sub-group collaboration is essential to this accelerated learning approach. With each course spanning just six weeks, it is critical that students engage in learning outside of the classroom. How the four hours of out-of-class time is accomplished is at the group’s discretion. Students working together in their sub-groups are often resourceful and creative, employing a combination of face-to-face, phone, email, and fax as methods of interaction, communication and collaboration. Students are required to certify that they have engaged in the required hours of collaboration outside the class.