Top-ranked Western MBA program to hold open house on campus Nov. 9

Western Washington University’s MBA program, which again has been ranked in the top 100 programs worldwide and first in the state of Washington by the Aspen Institute, will hold an information session at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, in Parks Hall Room 441.

At the event, students, faculty and MBA alumni will talk about their experiences in the program and answer questions about academics, admissions or anything else.

WWU’s program finished 75th out of approximately 600 business schools invited to participate in the Aspen Institute's recent survey, which goes beyond mainstream academic content and ranks the programs on the institution’s efforts to integrate social, ethical and environmental concerns. Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business finished atop the list; Western finished ahead of such well-known programs as Boston University, the University of Texas, Oregon State University and Syracuse University.

“I am gratified that the Aspen Institute has once again recognized the Western MBA program’s excellence in integrating social, ethical and environmental issues into our curriculum,” said Brian Burton, dean of Western’s College of Business and Economics. “Our MBA program reflects the emphasis Western and the College of Business and Economics give to the social, ethical, and environmental aspects of business, and we provide businesses throughout the state with graduates who also hold those values.”

The criteria used to formulate the schools rank focuses on how well programs integrate social and environmental issues into the curriculum by:

• MBA coursework - Written descriptions of any course offered to MBA students that includes content relating to social, ethical and environmental impacts..
• Institutional support - Extracurricular activities, internship programs, clubs, career development initiatives, institutes and centers, joint degrees and specializations that the school offers that they believe help prepare their students for social and environmental stewardship in their professional endeavors.
• Faculty research - Considers the number of relevant faculty written peer-reviewed articles that have been published on the integration of social and economic issues into business and economics.

The Western MBA Program has been offering graduate business education in the Pacific Northwest for 30 years. The program offers a part-time evening track, part-time weekend track, traditional two-year track, and accelerated one-year track to serve the needs of the increasingly diverse student population of the state of Washington. Fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) as one of the top five percent of business schools globally, the Western MBA Program seeks to provide a high quality, personal, and flexible experience for its students.

For more information contact Dan Purdy at Daniel.purdy@wwu.edu.