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Tuition set for West Chester MBA program

Editor in Chief

Miami University is making progress in developing its professional MBA program at the newly built West Chester Voice of America (VOA) Learning Center.

The Board of Trustees approved a tuition structure of $750 per credit hour at the June 20 meeting.

Brad Bays, director of the MBA program, said a degree would end up costing around $27,000 for the two-year program. He said Miami hopes to include textbooks and case materials, as well as a boxed lunch or dinner, in the cost.

"It will operate like executive MBA programs that some big cities have," Bays said. "(It will be) tailored for convenience and understanding that people are coming from work and going straight to class."

Bays said the online application should be posted by the end of the year. The university is hoping to admit 30 students who will start the program in the fall of 2009.

He said the new program is part of a restructuring of Miami's professional degrees that has taken place in recent years.

"(Farmer School of Business) Dean (Roger) Jenkins shut down all MBA programs for a couple of years (in 2003) to revamp them because they weren't performing to our standards," Bays said.

In this time period, the curriculum was completely revamped to reflect input from potential students and employers, according to Bays.

Bays said the program will benchmark itself against Xavier University's evening professional MBA program. Other programs in the area are offered at the University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University, Dayton University and Wright State.

"Xavier is the best part-time program in the area and most successful in the rankings ... that's who we're targeted to compete with," he said.

Bays said the location of the new program will create a competitive advantage due to its proximity to West Chester and Mason, two fast-growing areas in southwest Ohio.

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"Part of (students') reason for choosing us, aside form the Miami brand, will be (because the close to work or close to home," Bays said.

He said to have to drive to one of Miami's other campuses for classes is a hindrance for some people who may be more likely to take classes at VOA.