UoG mulls graduate degree program on Saipan

Plans are underway for the University of Guam to offer a graduate degree program in business administration on Saipan.

Last week, a UOG official visited the island as part of a mission to assess local interest in the university’s Professional Master of Business Administration, a 12-month program designed for managers, professionals or entrepreneurs seeking to improve upon their business and management competencies.

Anita Borja-Enriquez, administrative chair of the UOG School of Business and Public Administration, said the level of local response to the program would be incorporated in an application being prepared by UOG for federal accreditation of the graduate degree program.

UOG wants to start offering the program through the Northern Marianas College in January 2006.

“The PMBA program is not your traditional MBA program that a number of folks are familiar with; this program is actually a level above the regular MBA degree program. It’s mid-part between MBA and the executive MBA program,” Borja-Enriquez explained.

“The PMBA program is designed for those who want to improve upon their strategic level of competency in either running a business or perhaps, in being a more effective manager in the mid to higher levels. By attending this program, one can improve upon capabilities in financial analysis, feasibility studies, case analysis, market research, and economic analysis and research,” she added.

Applicants are required to have at least two solid years of management or administrative or entrepreneurial experience. While individuals who normally get interested in the program have a business bachelor’s degree, holders of other bachelor’s degrees could qualify for the program provided that they satisfy the prerequisite courses such as accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management, and statistics.

These courses are offered at the Northern Marianas College.

To accommodate students who have full-time jobs, classes are held on weekends: from 5:30pm to 8:20pm Friday; from 9am to 11:50pm Saturday; and from 12nn to 5:50pm Saturday.

“Because we run on 8-week terms, instead of regular 16-week semesters, it is an accelerated phase and every class needs approximately six hours per week. Because of the intensity of this accelerated approach, we only offer two courses per 8-week term,” Borja-Enriquez explained.

UOG needs at least 10 students for the program to run. However, the university may accept 15 up to 20 students, depending on demand and the number of qualified applicants.

Aside from the PMBA program, the Guam university, in cooperation with NMC, is also looking at offering a bachelor degree program in business administration.

Interested individuals may get more information by visiting the UOG website, www.uog.edu, by writing Borja-Enriquez at abe@guam.uog.edu, or by calling the UOG School of Business & Public Administration at 671-735-2520.

Information are also available at the UOG International Program Development’s office at the NMC campus in As Terlaje. The contact person, Jamie Mason, can be reached at 234-5498 ext. 1003, or at 671-898-8287. His email address is jmason@guam.uog.edu.