SU’s iMBA program welcomes 200 new and returning students with residency week

SU’s iMBA program welcomes 200 new and returning students with residency weekAugust 23, 2005Carol K. Masiclatclkim@syr.edu

They come from 30 states and 10 countries. They have diverse professional experience and backgrounds. They are students of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management’s iMBA program at Syracuse University, and they’re coming to Syracuse for iMBA residency week-six intense days of classes, networking, career planning, orientation and social events to kick off their first term. iMBA residency week began Aug. 20 and concludes on Aug. 25.

According to iMBA Director Paula O’Callaghan, highlights of this residency week include a guest lecture by Don Kline ’86, senior director for global supply chain at Bristol Myers Squibb; a career planning session with Nicholas Wegman, director of the Whitman Career Center; and a preview of iMBA’s next international residency, which is scheduled for March 2006 and will take students to Shanghai, China.

iMBA is a limited-residency distance-learning program featuring the same curriculum and faculty as SU’s full-time MBA program. Students participate in a week-long residency at the start of each term, then work online for the rest of the term. Study between residencies is supported by the full-time faculty and a Web-based course management system.

The residencies, which are central to the iMBA experience, are an opportunity for students to participate in face-to-face interactions with their classmates and instructors. Instructors provide sustained support and interaction throughout the term. Final exams are taken on campus. Students work on their degrees at their own pace and complete the program in an average of 2.8 years. iMBA candidatesare required to attend three residencies in Syracuse each year in order to graduate, but can accelerate their progress by attending optional sessions in other cities.

The most recent off-site residency week took place in Dublin, Ireland, July 21-26. Dennis Gillen, associate professor and chair of the Department of Strategy and Human Resources, taught a course on high-performing organizations at the Dublin session. “Bringing our iMBA students, some of the best in the world, together with individuals who are making Ireland’s economy, also one of the best in the world, was a wonderful learning experience for all of us,” says Gillen.

Past off-site residencies have included: New York City, Washington, D.C., London and Florence. In addition to classes, residencies include guest lectures from industry speakers, career planning sessions, plant tours and networking events. There are also optional student activities such as athletic events and community service projects.

iMBA is consistently mentioned as one of the top online MBA programs in the country and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, BusinessWeek, InfoWorld and Black Enterprise.

For more information on the iMBA program, contact O’Callaghan at (315) 443-9216 or visit http://whitman.syr.edu/imba.