Certificate Credit Also May Be Applied Toward MBA Degree at DePaul Business School

This fall, DePaul University’s Management Development Center (MDC) will offer a new certificate program that will allow working professionals to test drive that sought-after vehicle for career advancement – the MBA.

Taught by faculty from DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and industry practitioners, the 15-week MBA Primer will provide a broad-based introduction to key concepts, tools and techniques covered in traditional MBA programs. Participants who earn this certificate are eligible for a waiver of one course elective toward an MBA degree if they subsequently enter Kellstadt’s highly ranked evening MBA program.

“The MBA Primer is a high-quality program that offers multiple benefits to professionals seeking a competitive advantage,” said Gayle Landuyt, director of the MDC. “Students who complete their certificates will gain practical knowledge for immediately improving their managerial decision-making abilities and overall effectiveness within their organizations. And those who decide to continue their studies and are accepted into the part-time MBA program at DePaul’s business school will have a head start on obtaining that degree.”

To accommodate the busy schedules of working professionals, MBA Primer classes will meet on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on DePaul’s Loop Campus. The first session of the MBA Primer begins Sept. 7.

As part of the program, students will receive a managerial skills assessment that tests their mastery of people skills in various work scenarios through role-playing exercises. Students also will use Blackboard, an Internet-based classroom technology that allows students and faculty to interact between in-person class sessions.

For information and registration, contact Eilish McDonagh at (312) 362-5295 or emcdonag@depaul.edu, or visit the MDC Web site.

DePaul’s Management Development Center is a leading provider of management programs for individuals in need of focused learning and organizations wishing to increase the knowledge and skills of their employees. These pragmatic programs include both open enrollment and customized on-site programs covering a variety of traditional and current business topics.

The center is part of DePaul’s Continuing & Professional Education (CPE), which offers more than 100 certificate programs and tailored company training that educates more than 3,000 students from approximately 1,100 area employers annually. Other programs offered include defense investigation, dispute resolution, financial services, human resources, management development, marketing communications, mediation training, organizational development and project management. CPE plans to launch new certificate programs in business continuity management, professional investigations, personal fitness training and paralegal services in the fall of 2006 and Spanish-to-English translator training in the spring of 2007. Many of CPE’s certificate programs are available online.