Your chance to earn an MBA at NMC

If you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree without having to leave the CNMI to attend courses, your wish is about to be granted.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is currently collaborating with Northern Marianas College to offer its Neighbor Island MBA program, also known as the NIMBA program, at NMC’s Saipan campus starting in January 2006 if at least 10 individuals from the CNMI apply and get accepted into the program.

The tentative deadline to apply for the program is Nov. 1, 2005, but an extension will be granted to individuals living in the CNMI. For more information about the UH Neighbor Island MBA program you can visit the website at www.cba.hawaii.edu/students/grad_nimba.cfm or contact Eric Plinske at the NMC Small Business Development Center (phone 235-1551 or email ericp@nmcnet.edu).

WHY THE UH NEIGHBOR ISLAND MBA PROGRAM?

The 48-credit hour NIMBA program is geared toward individuals who have shown leadership or management potential. The goal of the program is to provide participants with a competitive edge in analytical, human resource and decision-making skills for a managerial position within today’s dynamic global economy. A variety of delivery modalities will be used, including video over IP, the Hawai’i Interactive Television System and the worldwide web.

Throughout the program, several learning formats will be used such as video, lectures, seminar discussions, case analysis, expert panels, individual and networked class projects and WWW research and learning assignments. The courses will be taught on the UH-Manoa campus in Honolulu while they are broadcasted live to Maui, Kauai and Saipan. The Polycom teleconferencing system will allow for real time interaction between the professor and all students, regardless of location.

The UH Graduate Distance Programs for the Neighbor Islands, including Saipan, are the only business programs in the State of Hawaii and the Western Pacific that are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The AACSB is the premier national accrediting agency for schools of business and accounting. This prestigious accreditation assures that participants receive a quality, nationally recognized degree. The UH College of Business was recently listed among the top 25 graduate schools in the nation for international business by U. S. News & World Report.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The courses in the NIMBA program are generally three credits each, and students will be required to take two courses per semester (spring, summer and fall). The courses will be taught in Honolulu from 6pm to 8:45pm on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, which will translate into actual class time in Saipan on Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 2pm to 4:45pm during the Spring and Fall semesters; and Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 2pm to 5:45pm during the summer semesters.

This cohort MBA program is set up so that students will take 18 credits per year (six credits per semester), resulting in each student completing their MBA degree within three years. The cost per credit will be approximately $550, or $3,300 per semester plus books. The total cost of the three-year program is estimated at $26,400 ($550 x 48 credits) plus books. This rate is one of the most economical in the country, since many MBA programs cost twice as much to complete and require participants to travel to the university campuses to attend some or all of the courses. The UH Neighbor Island MBA program is set up so that participants in Saipan will never have to travel to Honolulu to attend courses, even though they will earn their MBA from UH-Manoa.

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA

In order to qualify for acceptance, an individual must already have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and the individual will be required to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). NMC is currently looking into getting approval to administer the GMAT test on Saipan in the near future. However, if NMC is unable to administer the GMAT test, the best alternative will be to travel to Guam to take the test at the Pro-Metric Testing Center located in Room #407 in the Bank of Hawaii Building across from Chamorro Village on Marine Drive (phone: 671-475-5000). The cost of the GMAT test in Guam is $250.00. Applicants will not have to take the GMAT before applying to the program so get your applications in now. A minimum score of 500 on the GMAT is generally required for acceptance, but UH may be flexible based upon an individual’s undergraduate academic performance and work experience. UH prefers that applicants have at least two years of professional work experience and have at least a 3.0 GPA from their undergraduate studies. There is a $50 non-refundable application fee payable to the University of Hawaii.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

The distance learning program format enables students to pursue a graduate degree with limited interruption to professional obligations or family life. The program is cost effective and does not require travel to Honolulu. The program offers you the opportunity to work with fellow students and UH Manoa’s award-winning faculty, which will help build and expand your professional network.

COURSE INFORMATION

The MBA Program for the Neighbor Islands has the same curriculum and academic standards as the other UH MBA programs. As such, it requires the completion of 48 semester credit hours of graduate level courses divided into two parts: the required core and elective courses.

The MBA Core is as follows:

BUS 610 – Analytical Tools for the MBA (6 credits)*
BUS 613 – Organizational Behavior and External Environments of Asia-Pacific Business (6 credits)
BUS 616 – Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
BUS 617 – Managerial Finance (3 credits)
BUS 618 – Marketing Management (3 credits)
BUS 619 – Information Technologies (3 credits)
BUS 660 – Business Policy and Strategy (3 credits)
BUS 696 – Field Studies (3 credits)

Electives will be determined by the students as a group based on collective needs. These electives will comprise 18 credits. (Up to nine credits may be transferred from other graduate programs with permission or be taken from outside the College of Business.) *BUS 610 may be waived for those who enter the BBA with an undergraduate business degree from an AACSB-accredited program.

The UH-Manoa Neighbor Island MBA program is only offered once every three years. There are a maximum of 16 slots available for CNMI participants so don’t miss this opportunity to further your education without having to leave the CNMI. To apply, or to obtain more information about this unique educational opportunity, please contact Eric Plinske at the NMC Small Business Development Center (phone 235-1551 or email ericp@nmcnet.edu).