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24 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 13, 2023 FOCUS: BUSINESS SCHOOLS pushed for classrooms to have features such as easily movable furniture, so instructors can quickly change configurations to match lessons and teaching styles. "The new School of Business will be really great, with a lot more classrooms and study space," Ellsworth said. Higher demand Quinnipiac's business school has seen growth both long term and recently. As of September 2023, the School of Business had 1,900 students enrolled, including 1,423 undergrad- uate and 477 graduate students. That is up overall from the fall of 2022, when it had 1,853 students enrolled, including 1,342 undergrad- uate and 511 graduate students. Raider said she anticipates continued growth and demand for business courses. "Business education is relevant, of course, to business majors, but we also have students from majors all across the university who double major or minor in business," Raider said. Students in other fields, from higher education to health care and government, often take business-re- lated courses at Quinnipiac to boost their managerial skills and financial acumen, Raider noted. "Someone in our physician assis- tant or physical therapy program — if CENTRAL TO EXTRAPOLATING THE POSSIBILITIES MS in Accounting (MSA) • Ideal for working professionals • Flexible, 30 credit, 10 course program • Aligned with CPA academic standards • Curriculum capitalizes on emerging technological trends and analytics • Graduates hired by local, regional, national, and international firms, as well as large public corporations • No GMAT/GRE required in most cases SCHOOL OF BUSINESS The CCSU School of Business is an accredited member of AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. LEARN MORE ccsu.edu/hbj/msa Rendering of the new School of Business building at Quinnipiac's South Quad. RENDERING | CONTRIBUTED they are going to open a practice, they need to know how to run a busi- ness," Raider said. "Business educa- tion is relevant across the university." The School of Business also has executive education programs targeting full-time working profes- sionals who want to learn about evolving business-related topics such as artificial intelligence, data analytics and blockchain. That's another growth area, Raider said. A new fintech major is slated to launch in 2024. The accounting curriculum is being updated to reflect the evolving CPA exam. When employers' preferences for computing and information systems change, Quinnipiac's coursework evolves, Raider said. Now, students have a chance to learn Python programming language, for example, she said. Another evolving curriculum area has been in industry certifications, such as in entrepreneurship, project management, Google Analytics, supply chain, Six Sigma and search engine optimization. The goal is for the School of Busi- ness building to have LEED (Lead- ership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification as a green building. It is designed to optimize energy use, including using ener- gy-efficient LED lighting for interior and exterior lights. It will have wood panels certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Quinnipiac's broader $244 million campus makeover is being funded through the university's endow- ment, philanthropic efforts and debt financing, the school said.