Campus News
New MBA Program to Focus on Ethical
and Sustainable Business Practices
S
iena Heights University announced it is starting a
Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program.
The first classes begin in January 2018, and will be completely
online.
SHU Dean for Graduate and Professional Studies Dr. Cheri
Betz said before designing its MBA, Siena Heights first asked
employers and business leaders about their current and future
needs. Using their input, SHU developed a curriculum focused
upon ethical and sustainable business practices.
“We have designed Siena’s MBA program to train strong,
ethical business leaders who can leverage the markets in a
manner consistent with our Dominican values,” Dr. Betz said.
“Siena's reputation for developing students who genuinely live
its mission of being more competent, purposeful and ethical
makes for a distinction among existing business programs.”
“It made sense to offer the MBA as an online program, since
we have built an outstanding reputation nationally in online
education,” said SHU President Sister Peg Albert, OP, PhD.
“Our online program is ranked first in Michigan and tied for
24th nationally. We also rank as one of the best in the nation
in student engagement, according to the U.S. News and World
Report. That speaks to its quality. Adding the MBA to our on-
line offerings will be a winning combination. We look forward
to showing what the ‘Siena Effect’ can bring to the MBA.”
Dr. Betz said some other key points about the Siena Heights
MBA include:
• Flexible: Our MBA is open to not only those students with
a BBA, but also to students and many other majors, includ-
ing nursing and engineering. No prerequisite entry courses
are required.
• Convenient: Online eight-week courses can be completed
in as early as 18 months and complement the busy sched-
ules of our students.
• Effective: SHU’s online programs have been ranked first
in Michigan and in the top 25 nationally based on student
engagement and retention.
• Focused: Courses include business topics like: Ethics in a
Global Environment, Sustainable Business Management
and Business Strategy and Planning.
• Relevant: Students will be able to share their work experi-
ences in the classroom and apply their coursework in their
career field.
• Recognized: SHU’s MBA program is accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission.
26 | Reflections Summer ’17
“Learning is not just about acquiring knowledge,” Dr. Betz
said. “The Siena MBA will require students to apply their
knowledge in order to hone skills and better develop their
talents as ethical business innovators. Having this ability to ap-
ply knowledge in a variety of situations is attractive to today's
employers. The Siena MBA is designed to prepare students to
face the many challenges present in our world today. That’s
what ‘The Siena Effect’ is bringing with our MBA program.”
Program outcomes include:
• Demonstrating creative problem-solving and implement-
ation through strategic planning, innovation, justice, ethi-
cal and sustainable practices to support exceptional deci-
sion-making and social responsibility.
• Demonstrating analytical skills through the integration
of various business tools and techniques to solve complex
business problems and evaluate business opportunities.
• Demonstrating leadership and management skills needed
for implementing positive organizational change by treat-
ing all stakeholders with dignity and respect.
• Understanding and effectively communicating quantita-
tive and qualitative information professionally through
exceptional written, verbal and analytical skills.
• Fostering collaboration by leading and working effectively
in a team-based environment demonstrated through self-
awareness and respecting the differences in others.
Dr. Betz said she expects the classes to fill quickly. For
more information, go to start.sienaheights.edu/mba. u