ORLANDO, Fla., Feb 09, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Rollins MBA at the Crummer Graduate School of Business today announced that it is offering an advanced management program, called the Key Executive MBA (KEMBA), designed for senior executives and business leaders. The program is modeled on key elements of the most progressive executive MBA programs in the country and is structured to provide an MBA degree through an innovative approach focused on strategic leadership.

The Rollins KEMBA program’s curriculum is team-taught and integrates various business disciplines to give executives a deep understanding of all aspects of business — from accounting and finance to marketing and the global environment — in a way that enables graduates to effect change in organizations and society. The program uses blended learning, and takes advantage of the valued interaction with faculty and peers to emphasize strategic thinking, leadership and global content. This experiential learning, combined with limited class size and focus on real business challenges, enables the development of skills and connections required of executives in times of rapid and significant change.

The Rollins KEMBA program enables students to develop cross-functional problem-solving skills that can be immediately useful to their organizations. It features an interactive online component where students learn the program fundamentals. This knowledge is further applied when students meet once a month, on campus, to engage with professors and peers in a classroom setting. The result is a practical learning experience that makes the most of valuable classroom time and student interaction with high-level peers.

“The Key Executive MBA program at Crummer has been developed specifically to address the skill development needs of today’s business leaders,” said Craig McAllaster, dean of the Rollins MBA at the Crummer Graduate School of Business. “Executives participating in the program will be able to share ideas, learn from their peers and immediately apply these skills to their organizations.”

The Rollins Key Executive MBA program will commence on August 25, 2010. For more information on the Key Executive MBA program, got to: mba.rollins.edu/kemba.

Rollins College

Founded in 1885, Rollins College is Florida’s oldest recognized college, and is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s best colleges.” The College of Arts & Sciences offers full-time undergraduate programs in the liberal arts. The Hamilton Holt School serves the Central Florida community by offering exceptional undergraduate and graduate degree programs during evenings and weekends to students diverse in age, experience and professional development. The Crummer Graduate School of Business is ranked a top MBA program by: Forbes,Entrepreneur and the Financial Times. For more information, go to www.mba.rollins.edu.

SOURCE: Rollins College

For Rollins College
Lisa Langsdorf, 212-651-4239
lisa.langsdorf@fusionpr.com

marketwatch.com

By the My MBA Career Content Team – Find Top MBA Degree Programs

Because an career.com/mba-schools/mba-degree-programs.html” target=”_self”>MBA program teaches students the fundamentals of ethics and leadership in business, the MBA degree is prevalent among executive position holders.

A number of successful chief executive officers (CEOs) hold MBAs, according to BusinessWeek. This trend could be an indication that companies seek individuals who take the extra initiative to further their education and gain more knowledge in the field.

The news source examined more than 1,100 CEOs from around the world and looked at their education background. Although less than one-third of the executives held MBA degrees, it was noted that graduates from an MBA program placed 40 places higher in ranking in terms of success.

Additionally, half of the top-10 ranked CEOs had attended business school in pursuit of an MBA, leading the authors to believe that an MBA degree may help in performance.

BusinessWeek asserts that many companies view MBAs as a favorable degree, which could potentially make it more likely that an MBA will be hired over a bachelor’s degree holder.

Reports show that MBAs also have a higher chance of becoming employed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for MBAs is at 2.4 percent, whereas bachelor degree holders have a 2.8 percent jobless rate.

mymbacareer.com

MALIBU, CA — 02/22/10 — To apply in Round Three or not to apply in Round Three? That is the question facing many business school applicants as this year’s MBA admissions cycle nears its conclusion. In an effort to help prospective applicants make appropriate Round Three application decisions that result in the highest likelihood of admission, Veritas Prep, a leading MBA admissions consulting firm, today released the commentary of admissions directors from elite business schools detailing their perceptions of Round Three and the applicants therein.

“Many students mistakenly assume their chances of admission are significantly lower at the later stages in the admissions cycle,” explains Scott Shrum, Director of MBA Admissions Research at Veritas Prep. “The following sentiments, captured through recent proprietary research conducted among admissions directors from top schools, reinforce our advice to prospective Round Three applicants and underpin the notion that thoughtful, compelling applications will stand out at every stage of the admissions cycle.”

– Applying in Round Three is not a bad idea, but rushed applications in Round Three are. Many “last-round” applications are also “last-minute” applications. Unsuccessful late applicants often attribute their results to Round Three when, in reality, their applications were rushed and therefore ineffective. “Last-minute applicants give Round Three a bad name,” explains one Director of Admissions. “The majority of Round Three applicants are well-prepared and have compelling reasons for applying later in the admissions cycle, and we review each application starting from the assumption that the applicant will be strong.”

– Applicants are often overly pessimistic about their chances in Round Three. While applicants have come to see applying in Round Three as somewhat of a MBA admissions death sentence, admissions offices try to communicate that great applicants are often accepted in the late stages of the application cycle. “I suspect that potentially good candidates do not apply because they are overly pessimistic about their chances for admission,” says another Director of Admissions at a top-ranked business school. “As always, however, the successful late-stage applicants have taken sufficient time to submit a well-crafted application.”

– Students are waiting longer to apply in general, meaning more Round Three applicants. Given the uncertainty in the market, top schools have found that many applicants are waiting longer before making big decisions like what job offer to accept and whether or not to go to grad school at all. “We believe that accepting applicants in later stages gives us an advantage in attracting applicants who want to wait for legitimate reasons,” explains a leading MBA program’s Admissions Director.

– Some schools are more open to Round Three applicants than others. Policies for evaluating late-stage applicants vary by school; in fact, some top MBA programs have gone on record saying that applicants are better off applying in Round One or Two. “I think we are more open to Round Three applicants than other schools are,” comments one Director of Admissions on their institution’s approach. However, another Admissions Director at a different top-ranked MBA program concedes that applying in Round Three poses heightened risk at their institution. “We can usually find room in the class for strong applicants, regardless of the application stage,” he explains. “Although it does depend on space, which is what makes Round Three significantly riskier from an applicant’s perspective.”

– Round Three allows U.S. schools to compete for top students with international programs. At many leading international MBA programs, the admissions deadlines are significantly later than at top U.S. schools. “We compete for applicants not only with U.S. schools, but also with schools from around the world,” explains one Admissions Director. “We want great candidates to also consider our school, and not just apply to international programs because that is their only option at the later stages of the admissions cycle. And that means competitive schools must be open to March applicants.”

“Round Three is a melting pot of attractive applicants with legitimate reasons for waiting to apply, as well as last-minute applicants who — whether due to poor planning or unforeseen circumstances — hastily throw together ineffective applications,” continues Shrum. “The key takeaway for a prospective Round Three applicant is that great candidates can be admitted in the last round, but their applications must effectively position their candidacy to rival those of applicants admitted in Rounds One and Two.”

For more information about Round Three application strategy or for assistance in creating a compelling Round Three application, contact Veritas Prep at 1-800-925-7737 or visit http://www.veritasprep.com/mba/.

About Veritas Prep

Veritas Prep is the world’s largest privately-owned GMAT preparation and admissions consulting provider, offering industry-leading programs to help applicants improve their test scores and gain admission to the world’s best graduate schools. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management, Veritas Prep now offers live GMAT prep instruction in more than 80 cities worldwide, as well as interactive online courses available everywhere. Additionally, Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most competitive business schools, law schools, and medical schools in the world.

Contact:
Lisa Weiner
303 433 7020
Email Contact

The Anderson School of Management is hosting an open house for anyone interested in pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree. The informational open house will be held on Tuesday, March 2, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., in the Jackson Student Center located just west of the Anderson School on the UNM Campus.

Anderson faculty and advising staff will be on hand to answer questions and explain the ten different MBA concentrations offered by the Anderson School. Participants can find out more about entrance requirements and everyone who attends the open house will receive an “Application Fee Waiver” form. Prospective students can turn in the form with their application to waive the $50 Anderson application fee.

Anderson’s Full-time MBA program is ideal for those with a non-business undergraduate degree who are looking to begin or advance a managerial career. The 22-month program focuses on building fundamental business skills while still allowing students to specialize in one or more areas. For more information about Anderson MBA programs visit mba.mgt.unm.edu/future.

Free parking is available in the lot to the north of the Anderson School on a first-come, first-served basis and additional parking can be found in the structure next to Popejoy Hall or at paid meters along Las Lomas.

Job Placement #4, Women #3, and International Students #6; DBA Rankings Leap

Financial Times has released its Global MBA Rankings, and Boston University School of Management has retained its international reputation overall (placing 61st worldwide and 34th in the U.S.) and made a significant gain in the category of doctoral rank (up 32 places to 43rd internationally).

This MBA ranking is determined largely through a survey of MBA alumni on topics related to career progress and salary (the alumni survey accounts for 55% of the ranking).

In addition to the survey, the ranking examines several other criteria, including doctoral program success, employment rates, and student demographics. Those data provide us with the following ranks:

• Due to DBA graduates receiving faculty positions at top schools, our “Doctoral Rank” increased 32 places to 43rd internationally.
• Our employment rate within 3 months of graduation (90%) tied us for 4th best in the U.S. and 16th internationally.
• Our percentage of women students (40%) tied us for the 5th highest percentage internationally and 3rd in the U.S.
• Our percentage of international students (44%) tied us for 6th highest for U.S. schools.

“Our unique approach to management education attracts a broad diversity of top students and scholars. Our emphasis on fusing the art, science, and technology of business produces exceptionally qualified graduates at both the MBA and the doctoral level,” said Louis E. Lataif, the Allen Questrom Professor and Dean of the School.

Top 15 Part-Time MBA Programs in the US

1. Worcester Polytechnic, Worcester, Massachusetts
2. UCLA (Anderson), Los Angeles, California
3. UC Berkeley (Haas), Berkeley, California
4. Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
5. Michigan (Ross) Ann Arbor, Michigan
6. Elon (Love), Elon, North Carolina
7. Carnegie Mellon (Tepper), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
8. Rice (Jones), Houston, Texas
9. Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, Indiana
10. Drexel (LeBow), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
11. Emory (Goizueta), Atlanta, Gerogia
12. Chicago (Booth), Chicago, Illinois
13. Loyola Marymount, Los Angeles, California
14. Case Western (Weatherhead), Cleveland, Ohio
15. SMU (Cox), Dallas, Texas

via BusinessWeek.com

Harvard Business School is the place where the chief executive officers, hedge fund stars and Goldman Sachs partners of tomorrow learn their craft. Now, in a break from tradition, a new course is focusing on the troubles of everyday consumers.

Consumer Finance, as it is known, will look at topics ranging from the best ways to boost the savings rate to how banks can deliver better products for low-income customers. Instead of proceeding along the conventional HBS path and delving into corporate case studies, students will focus on the financial lives of real middle-class families. In one exercise, they create a budget for a Boston family of average means, figuring in costs for such everyday staples as food, transportation and insurance.

“By the time our MBAs graduate, they will have looked at financial statements for hundreds of companies,” said Peter Tufano, the professor who teaches the course along with Howell E. Jackson, a faculty member at Harvard Law. “Other than in our course, they would have never looked at the financial statements of a single household.”

via www.Forbes.com

Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion
by Gary Vaynerchuk

Do you have a hobby you wish you could indulge in all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take that passion and make a living doing what you love. In Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion, Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. Then one day he turned on a video camera, and by using the secrets revealed here, transformed his entire life and earning potential by building his personal brand. By the end of this book, readers will have learned how to harness the power of the Internet to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Step by step, Crush It! is the ultimate driver’s manual for modern business.

Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust
by Chris Brogan

How to tap the power of social software and networks to build your business
In Trust Agents, two social media veterans show you how to tap into the power of social networks to build your brand’s influence, reputation, and, of course, profits. Today’s online influencers are web natives who trade in trust, reputation, and relationships, using social media to accrue the influence that builds up or brings down businesses online.

The book shows how people use online social tools to build networks of influence and how you can use those networks to positively impact your business. Because trust is key to building online reputations,, those who traffic in it are “trust agents,” the key people your business needs on its side.

Delivers actionable steps and case studies that show how social media can positively impact your business
Written by authors with over ten years of online media experience
Shows you how to build and wield influence online to benefit your brand
Combines high-level theory with practical step-by-step guidance
If you want your business to succeed, don’t sit on the sidelines. Instead, use the Web to build trust with your consumers using Trust Agents.

The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly (Amazon’s Kindle Edition)
by David Meerman Scott

Though it may not yet have affected the value of 30 seconds of Super Bowl advertising, PR insider Scott argues that understanding the growing irrelevance of marketing’s “old rules” is vital to thriving in the new media jungle. Already apparent in newspapers and magazines (with sharp downturns in circulation and ads), radio (on the losing end of the iPod revolution) and direct mail (digitally replaced by spam), the imminent fall of traditional mass media marketing means new opportunities for legions of smaller companies and independent professionals who need to reach niche markets cheaply and effectively. The way Scott sees it, this is also good news for consumers: the online culture of integrity and information tends to produce quality content for less, as opposed to the vapid, one-sided and pricey advertising of print media and television. Scott provides the technical novice a thoughtful and accessible guide to cutting-edge media arenas and formats such as RSS, vodcasts and viral marketing, without neglecting the fact that technological wizardry can’t substitute for a well-thought out marketing program. Besides emphasizing fundamentals like defining one’s audience, Scott also drills home the ethos and etiquette of the web, encouraging content that’s both useful and unobtrusive. This excellent look at the basics of new-millennial marketing should find use in the hands of any serious PR professional making the transition.

The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell More Stuff
by Clara Shih

The ‘90s were about the World Wide Web of information and the power of linking web pages. Today it’s about the World Wide Web of people and the power of the social graph. Online social networks are fundamentally changing the way we live, work, and interact. They offer businesses immense opportunities to transform customer relationships for profit: opportunities that touch virtually every business function, from sales and marketing to recruiting, collaboration to executive decision-making, product development to innovation. In The Facebook Era, Clara Shih systematically outlines the business promise of social networking and shows how to transform that promise into reality.

Shih is singularly qualified to write this book: One of the world’s top business social networking thought leaders and practitioners, she created the first business application on Facebook and leads salesforce.com’s partnership with Facebook. Through case studies, examples, and a practical how-to guide, Shih helps individuals, companies, and organizations understand and take advantage of social networks to transform customer relationships for sales and marketing. Shih systematically identifies your best opportunities to use social networks to source new business opportunities, target marketing messages, find the best employees, and engage customers as true partners throughout the innovation cycle. Finally, she presents a detailed action plan for positioning your company to win in today’s radically new era: The Facebook Era.

Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time
by Joel Comm

“For months I saw and heard the buzz about Twitter, but it wasn’t until Joel told me details about it that I fully understood its marketing implications. Now I can clearly see how this free site can help me further build relationships with my customers, and I am going to be ‘tweeting’ frequently! In fact, I have already started, thanks to Joel. So thanks for writing this book, Joel. It’s going to help a lot of people grow their business!”
Stephen Pierce (www.MakeRealMoneyOnTheInternet.com)

“Arguably, one of the best tomes…Twitter Power is jam-packed with clever ways to start and dominate a marketplace.” (Brandopia.typepad.com, March 23rd 2009) “…good comprehensive overview…Comm is at his best when discussing how to use Twitter as a marketing, PR or promotional tool.” (B2B Marketing, July 2009)

“I’ve been following Joel on Twitter for a while now and I’ll be frank—he annoys me . But in a good way. He always manages to grab my attention in Twitter, despite the limited words availablle within the microblogging platform. This clearly demonstrates that Joel understands how this new and powerful social media tool should be used. If you want to unleash the power of Twitter for your business, Joel is someone you should pay attention to.”
Yaro Starak (www.entrepreneurs-journey.com)

Understanding Digital Marketing: Marketing Strategies for Engaging the Digital Generation
by Damian Ryan and Calvin Jones

The world of digital media is changing at a phenomenal pace.  Constantly evolving technologies, and their evolving uses, are transforming how we access information and how we interact and communicate with one another on a global scale.

Understanding Digital Marketing looks at the world of digital marketing: how it got started, how it got to where it is today, and where the thought leaders in the industry believe it is headed in the future. The book shows readers, in a practical and comprehensive way, how to harness the power of digital media and use it to achieve the utmost success for their businesses.  It explains how to choose online marketing channels in order to get products and services to market.  It explores in detail such areas as search marketing, affiliate marketing, e-mail marketing, creative online executions, and digital marketing strategies.

Including real-world examples of digital marketing successes and expert opinions, Understanding Digital Marketing will give readers the tools to utilize the power of the internet to take their businesses wherever they want them to go.

www.MBAOutlook.com

The Aspen Institute published the 2009-2010 edition of Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a biennial survey and popular alternative ranking of full-time MBA programs.

This only MBA ranking that looks beyond reputation and test scores to measure something different: how well schools are preparing their students for the environmental, social and ethical complexities of modern-day.

TOP 10 MBA Programs in the US

1. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
2. Yale School of Management, Yale university (New Haven, Connecticut)
3. Graduate School of Business, Stanford University (Stanford, California)
4. Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, Indiana)
5. Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley (Berkeley, California)
6. NYU Stern, New York University (New York City, New York)
7. Columbia Business School (New York City, New York)
8. Darden School of Business, University of Virginia (Charlottesville, Virginia)
9. The Johnson School, Cornell University  (Ithaca, New York)
10. The George Washington University School of Business (Washington, D.C.)

via www.beyondgreypinstripes.org