University of Phoenix competency-based MBA helps prepare business professionals to lead in their organizations -- faster

News provided by

Jun 02, 2020, 08:01 ET

PHOENIX, June 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Phoenix is offering a new competency-based education (CBE) Master of Business Administration (MBA) program designed to help prepare business professionals with industry experience to lead in their organizations faster.

Today's business leaders must act swiftly to support the needs of organizations within a constantly changing global business environment. The competency-based MBA aims to equip graduates with advanced business skills to use in the workplace in approximately 12 months.

Instead of measuring comprehension through written assignments, the competency-based MBA assesses knowledge of real-world skills through theoretical analysis aligned to the work of current MBA professionals, such as creating sustainable organizational competitive advantages and developing value-creation global strategies, among other key leadership responsibilities.

Kevin Wilhelmsen, dean of the University's College of Business & Information Technology, said the competency-based design helps enable graduates to demonstrate a mastery of core competencies and accelerate their professional development and apply this toward a competency-based MBA.

"The competency-based MBA is ideal for the mid-level professional who can leverage their experience and knowledge in business to demonstrate competencies to help lead their organization during these unprecedented times," Wilhelmsen said. "The program is structured to help prepare professionals for leadership roles within their organization, and at a faster pace."

In addition to learning skills that can be applied immediately, graduates will have the ability to build a digital portfolio that includes coursework materials that demonstrate knowledge of workplace skills they've performed throughout the program. Portfolio materials could include examples of analyzing global supply chain management processes or examining statistical patterns to highlight performance and drive strategic planning.

The program is structured with working professionals in mind, enabling students to pursue their degree while having more flexibility to balance life and school. The CBE MBA is modeled around a self-governed learning structure that allows students to progress through the competencies at their own pace within the program's structure.

Through the guidance of practitioner faculty, students can work on completing courses concurrently, doing a bit of work on each at a time, or can opt to pursue content in a more focused manner, competency-by-competency. Faculty provide learning opportunities with interactive learning components related to each competency.

Throughout the program, students will have regular and substantive interaction with practitioner faculty, who are subject matter experts with professional experience in the field in which they are teaching and advising students. Faculty will provide performance-based assessment of competencies and learning outcomes to monitor the professional business skills students know and can perform. Credits are earned by demonstrating to faculty an acceptable level of proficiency and understanding of a core competency.

To aid successful progression through each of the four 16-week blocks, each student will be assigned a faculty mentor, who will contact students weekly to provide support. Students will also have access to University resources, such as career coaches and University-organized networking opportunities and employer career fairs.

Qualified applicants must possess an undergraduate degree or higher in business or business management, a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and a minimum of three years of experience in a business environment. The CBE MBA consists of 11 courses containing 33 competencies (three competencies per course) and costs approximately $10,000.

For details about the degree program, visit https://www.phoenix.edu/degrees/business/mba-cb.html.

Information on the jobs an MBA can help prepare graduates for and projected job growth can be found on the program website under the "Careers & Outcomes" tabs.

University of Phoenix offers associate through doctoral programs, as well as professional development and individual courses that help working adults stay ahead of workplace trends and enhance their careers. To learn more about the University's program offerings, visit http://www.phoenix.edu/programs/degree-programs.html.

About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is innovating to help working adults move efficiently from education to careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant and engaging courses, and interactive learning can help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs from select locations across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

SOURCE University of Phoenix