Florida State’s College of Business offers MBA informational sessions

Tallahassee, Fla. – With an unemployment rate hovering at 10.6 percent, the downsizing of state government, and Florida’s renewed emphasis on growing jobs in the private sector, Florida State University’s College of Business wants laid-off workers to know about its Master of Business Administration program, which can prepare them for top-level positions in business.

The college will host a series of information sessions around Florida and the Southeast that will lay out options and help potential candidates decide whether to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or another advanced business degree.  Two of the five sessions will be held in Leon and Brevard counties, which have taken a big hit from Florida’s latest round of layoffs due to major reductions to the state government workforce and the demise of NASA’s space shuttle program.

The Leon session will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2, at the FSU Alumni Center, 1030 W. Tennessee St., in Tallahassee. The Brevard session is scheduled for late August in Melbourne.

“An MBA can open doors in the private sector for people who may have worked in state or federal government, but now are finding fewer opportunities in that arena,” said Doug Stevens, director of Florida State’s MBA program and associate professor of accounting. “An MBA can provide the skills and credentials they need to transition to a new career and take advantage of anticipated management opportunities in business.”

An MBA is considered essential in many organizations for individuals aspiring to management and executive positions. Through MBA programs, students learn the theory behind sound business practices, as well as strategic decision-making and management skills.  Case studies and collaborative approaches allow students to hone skills in a practical way and work closely with faculty who in many cases have successful experience in industry and invaluable business contacts. MBA students also have access to FSU’s extensive career services.

Information also will be available for the College’s other accredited master’s programs, including:

• Master of Accounting (on campus)
• Master of Finance (on campus)
• Master of Marketing (on campus)
• Master of Science in Management Information Systems (online)
• Master of Science in Management with a major in Risk Management and Insurance (online)

The information sessions, which in addition to Tallahassee and Melbourne will be offered this fall or spring in Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta, are designed to answer questions potential students have about the value of an MBA, requirements for admission, including the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), and program options, including the full-time, Accelerated MBA, the Part-time MBA and the Online MBA. For information, visit  www.mba.fsu.edu or call Melanie Yeager, director for graduate programs, FSU College of Business, 850-644-8438.

About Florida State University College of Business Master of Business Administration program

U.S. News & World Report 2012 rankings place College of Business' MBA program among the best.  The magazine has ranked the Florida State University College of Business' Accelerated Master of Business Administration program among the best in the nation, placing the school at No. 50 among all public universities, No. 11 among all public schools in the Southeast and No. 94 among all 437 schools surveyed and tied for No. 1 among all programs of similar size.