Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | December 10, 2018 | wbjournal.com As applications for MBA degrees dip nationally, local colleges are refining their programs An MBA decline BY LIVIA GERSHON Special to the Worcester Business Journal A pplications for MBA pro- grams across the country fell 7 percent between 2017 and 2018, according to the Graduate Management Admissions Council, a global association of graduate busi- ness schools. e decline is not a new story for graduate-level busi- ness programs, particularly traditional ones. Over the past three years, a majority of full- time, two-year MBA programs in the U.S. have seen declining applications. To fight this national dip, local colleges and universities approach the needs of potential MBA students in new ways. Fitchburg State University saw a similar 7-percent decline as the na- tional trend from 2017 to 2018, but that one-year figure belies the surge in growth since 2016, as MBA applications jumped from 172 two years ago to 366 a year later. e growth has come almost entirely from the university's online MBA program, which now enrolls 900 students, compared to 75 who attend class on campus. "e market that we're reaching out to tends to be working professionals who cannot take that time off and do in-person programs," said Alberto Cardelle, vice president of academic affairs at FSU. "Focusing on skills that they can acquire online gives them a credential that will help them move up in their current jobs." Nichols College in Dudley has grown its MBA program an average of 40 percent annually over the past five years thanks partly to a slightly different use of technology. "We went to something we call high-flex," said Kerry Calnan, executive director of graduate and professional studies at Nichols. e idea, Calnan said, is students can do some of the coursework at home whenever they have time, but there are 90-minute live classes each week. Students can either show up on campus for these sessions or, if they're stuck at the office, connect remotely from there. "You can choose week-to- week if you want to drive to campus and participate," she said. Assumption College in Worcester offers an option where students attend classes twice a month and work online the rest of the time. "What we're finding is students today want flexibility," said Robin Frkal, director of Assumption's MBA program. "ey don't want to give up the in-person educational experience – every student I talked to finds so much value in the interactions they have with the profes- sors and other students that they get in a classroom experience." Finding the right kind of student All three schools said they serve students in a range of career situations. But Frkal said Assumption has found success in recent years with a program geared specifically to new graduates. e college's one-year accelerated MBA targets people who've decided to stay in school aer completing a bachelor's degree. e idea is early-career professionals who may not yet have family commitments are oen willing to sacrifice a year of work at a starting salary to enhance their options when they do hit the job market. "Just like at one point a bachelor's degree was the gold standard, as we are becoming more and more competitive in the marketplace an MBA is seen as a necessary degree," Frkal said. "If they spend one year and they complete their MBA de- gree it may open up doors for them." As the national decline in applications suggests, MBA programs face a certain level of headwinds. at's partly because the economy is strong, which can make it easier for many professionals to focus on their jobs rather than retooling to become more competitive. But Assumption has found the strong economy can work in its favor. Frkal said Alberto Cardelle, vice president, Fitchburg State University Kerry Calnan, executive director of graduate studies, Nichols College Fitchburg State University has seen a 7-percent decline in MBA applications this year, but that came after a 128-percent increase the year prior.

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