There are a number of universities across the country who offer Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees to meet the growing industry demand for dynamic leaders with solid management skills. Industry changes such as modifications to financial regulations, technological improvements and political movements for social improvement often prompt updates to university curricula. In addition to the traditional business management related coursework, many programs provide students with more flexible formats, interactive courses and experiential projects. These updates tend to develop leaders who are great at problem solving and quick to engage their colleagues, managers and clients. A university that excels at providing rigorous coursework, dynamic faculty and a learning environment that encourages critical thought is the University of North Texas (UNT). Here are some particulars about the school’s business department, its MBA program and post-graduate, career support.
College of Business
UNT is a public research university whose College of Business provides students a variety of updated programs at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree levels. Featured traditional undergraduate business degree programs include those in accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, marketing, human resource management and economics. Students enrolled in the school’s accounting program expect to learn about accounting information systems, technical competence, the role of accountants in today’s society and business ethics in accounting. Finance undergraduate majors learn about capital budgeting, the time value of money, international financial markets and financial statement analysis. Marketing undergraduate students focus on learning about pricing mathematics and concepts. Other non-standard undergraduate business concentrations include real estate, decision sciences, financial services and aviation logistics. These examples of available specializations and the types of expected learning outcomes reflect the quality and depth of UNT’s College of Business.
UNT’s graduate degree programs are just as extensive as the ones offered at the undergraduate level with traditional offerings like an MBA, Master of Science in a variety of business concentration areas, dual degree options and some graduate level certificate programs. Besides the types of concentration areas available to graduate students at UNT, the school also provides students with many different degree formats that include online and traditional classroom study with evening and weekend meeting options. Besides degree granting programs, students may also participate in graduate level certificate programs that focus on accounting audits, business intelligence, information technology security and six sigma lean manufacturing processes. UNT’s College of Business offers undergraduate and graduate level degree programs that are designed to prepare students with the framework for successful business careers.
MBA Programs
Some of the most popular options for graduate business students is one of UNT’s many MBA programs. The core curriculum for MBA programs focus on developing skilled managers with outstanding leadership abilities. However, the topics covered in the specialization courses give students the opportunity to develop technical competencies and specific problem solving skills needed for success in the corporate environment. Some of these programs include concentrations in finance, health services, decision making, marketing, supply chain management, human resource management and strategic management.
The business concentration area of finance prepares students to approach financial problems analytically and to guide corporate investment decision-making. The Finance MBA program is offered both in a traditional classroom setting as well as in an online option. The online option contains all the relevant elements of a traditional MBA curriculum. For example, the coursework starts students off with some foundational level classes pertaining to accounting, finance, and marketing. The curriculum then builds up to traditional topics like leadership, management, business strategy and project management within the core MBA coursework. Specific finance courses include ones pertaining to financial markets and institutions, financial management, and investment analysis. All of the business school programs are accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. By the time students finish their coursework, they are exposed to more challenging financial management topics like advanced financial statement analysis, organizational risk and public finance policy.
Internships,Study Abroad and Career Development
Some special characteristics of UNT’s MBA programs include the opportunities for internships, study abroad trips and help from experienced career advisors at the school’s career development center. UNT faculty recognized the need to reinforce theory with practical application so they incorporated an internship requirement for students participating in graduate business degree programs. Normally, internships are competitive in nature, and many people do not participate in these programs at the right time. However, the UNT internships take advantage of industry partners who are leaders in the marketplace and are committed to helping future business professionals develop the skills required in today’s workforce. Accounting MBA students especially benefit from internships because a requirement for certified public accounting licensure in most states includes supervised work experience pertaining to relevant topics.
Study abroad options are great opportunities for students to experience other cultures while learning specialized skills. UNT has a comprehensive study abroad program that encompasses nearly every academic major including the College of Business concentrations. While nearly all business degree majors benefit from immersion in another culture during their school years, it is those who have enrolled in the international business degree concentration who benefit the most from study abroad programs. Not only do internships and study abroad programs allow students to gain valuable work experience, but they also provide unique opportunities to network in person with hiring managers and other key business decision makers.
After UNT prepares MBA program participants with comprehensive coursework and distinctive real world work experiences, it goes the extra mile to help recent and soon to graduate students prepare for entry into the workforce. Students meet with experienced career advisors to draft resumes, create business cards, locate career fairs and conduct mock interviews. The career center at UNT is an especially valuable resource for students because it incorporates employment requests and networking opportunities with alumni.
Conclusion
There are many graduate level degree programs available to students. Those who want a broad-based graduate business degree that focuses on developing excellent strategic management skills often consider a Master of Business Administration degree over a Master of Science in a business concentration area.
For information on earning your online MBA degree, please see “The Top 15 Best Affordable Online MBA Programs“.
