Suffolk University to Offer New Global MBA; Degree program combines globally focused coursework and international experiences.

Business Editors/Education Writers

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 6, 2003

Suffolk University's business school, the Sawyer School of Management, announced today that it will offer a Global MBA program beginning in September 2003, using an accelerated format that allows students to complete the degree in 15 months.

The Sawyer School constructed an entirely new curriculum for the GMBA, integrating global business principles into traditional business coursework. The specially tailored graduate degree program combines globally focused coursework, overseas study and a three-month professional internship in an international setting.

"Global leadership is at the center of the Sawyer School's curriculum," said William J. O'Neill, Jr., Dean of the Sawyer School of Management at Suffolk University. "Our goal is to create influential global business leaders who can communicate effectively across cultures. We are dedicated to providing students with the highest quality business educational experience possible to prepare them to compete more effectively in the global economy."

Business schools around the world have implemented international alliances and courses that bring real-world global business issues into the classroom in response to an increasing need for effective global business managers. Suffolk's business school, committed to establishing itself as a cutting-edge, globally focused academic institution, established an Office of International Programs, headed by Dean Shahriar Khaksari. Initiatives include globalization and enhancement of undergraduate and graduate curriculum, establishment of more strategic alliances with overseas universities and multinational corporations, expansion of students' global internship and employment opportunities, and creation of the GMBA degree program.

"Every successful business is either global or will be global. Effective managers must have the know-how and ability to forge global strategies and appreciate cultural and political differences," said Khaksari. "They must have a keen understanding of how culture can shape business decisions. The Suffolk GMBA is specially designed to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to effectively manage, compete and advance in global business. We prepare men and women to lead successful businesses."

The core GMBA curriculum enables students to build a solid knowledge base in key functional areas of business and continuously challenges them to apply their knowledge across cultures. Once the core is completed, the emphasis of the curriculum changes to in-depth study in the student's choice of International Finance or International Marketing. In addition to the global academic experience, students participate in intensive, real-world international study and work experiences - including a one-week international orientation and a one-to-two week overseas regional study seminar. In the final three months of the program, students earn credits as they work in a business environment outside their native country. GMBA students may intern in a variety of industries, including consumer products, e-commerce, economic development, energy, finance, industrial manufacturing, pharmaceutical, professional service, high technology, telecommunications or travel. Employers may include start-ups, joint ventures or global corporations.

Admission to the GMBA program is highly selective and competitive. Candidates for the program are middle managers preferably with at least three years' professional work experience, ideally in an area pertinent to the international course of study.

For more information about Suffolk's GMBA program, visit us on the web at www.sawyer.suffolk.edu, or contact us by e-mail [e-mail], or by phone - Jodi Baier, Associate Director, International Programs, 617-305-1707.

Dean Shahriar Khaksari has agreed to make himself available as a resource for reporters on international business, international finance, and business education. He can be reached at [phone], [e-mail]

Shahriar Khaksari, Ph.D., CFA is an Associate Dean/Dean of International Programs; Sawyer School of Management at Suffolk University Professor of Finance.