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BETHANY, W.Va. – Bethany College is launching a new opportunity for students that would give Bethany graduates a competitive advantage as they enter into the workforce — the MBA 4+1 program. This program will fill a critical need in our region and interest among our students.

With the announcement, Bethany College becomes one of the only institutions offering a 4+1 MBA program across the tri-state area— which includes W.Va., Ohio, and Pa. Studies indicate that students who graduate with an MBA on average are more likely to get hired, start at a higher salary, and advance faster in their careers than with any other graduate degree. While there are a myriad of institutions that offer MBA programs, they do not offer an accelerated option like Bethany College.

“Bethany College’s new 4+1 MBA program is an important moment in the expansion of Bethany’s graduate school offerings,” says Bethany President Dr. Jamie Caridi.  “Families today are appropriately focused on the overall value of higher education. With Bethany’s 4+1 MBA , students will receive exceptional value by obtaining both an undergraduate and graduate degree in just five years. In doing so, they can reduce their overall costs and more quickly enter the job market as full-time professionals earning impressive incomes. This is the first in what we anticipate to be a series of new academic programs that bring substantial value to our students and the region.”

Also open to students from other institutions, Bethany’s MBA 4+1 program is designed for students pursuing any major, so long as they complete a minor in business administration. Students who have been accepted into the program will complete one course during their senior year and 12 credit hours of course work for three semesters following graduation: summer, fall, and spring. This program will provide its students with real-world experiences through case studies, while giving them the opportunity to apply for graduate internships while working on campus and completing their masters.

“An MBA has a long history of providing one of the best returns on investment when it comes to education expenses,” says Director of Graduate Studies Dr. Ted Pauls. “By continuing their undergraduate program directly into a graduate degree, students can improve their marketability in an accelerated timeline. Further, history has shown students from virtually any undergraduate major can benefit by adding an MBA to their credentials because every workplace has a business component to it.”

The MBA 4+1 program format will also enable students to gain competitive marketability, as it is designed with an emphasis on ethical decision making throughout the program in order to shape students to become thoughtful, compassionate, and ethical business leaders.

“We are excited to provide this educational opportunity to our students,” says Provost and Dean of Faculty Dr. Anju Ramjee. “Bethany is developing additional entrepreneurial opportunities for our students so that they can continue being connected with their professors, coaches, and friends while also completing a graduate degree. The program provides students with real world experiences, and will give them a competitive advantage as they pursue their careers in business upon graduation.”

Students with a 2.75 or higher GPA at the end of their junior year would be directly admitted into the program upon application so long as they are pursuing either a major in accounting, finance, management, or marketing and international business, or a minor in business administration. Students must apply to the program in the spring semester of their junior year.

ABOUT BETHANY COLLEGE

Bethany College, founded in 1840, is the oldest private college in West Virginia. The Bethany experience focuses on academic excellence in the area of liberal arts and prepares students for a lifetime of work and a life of significance.