Benedictine University to begin offering graduate programs in China
12/21/2004

Phil Brozynski, Media Relations Manager
(630) 829-6094
pbrozynski@ben.edu

Students pursuing a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) or Master of Science in Management Information Systems (M.S.M.I.S.) degree from Benedictine University may want to pack one more item before heading off to class – a passport.

The North Central Association has approved a proposal by Benedictine University to offer M.B.A. and M.S.M.I.S. programs in China beginning January 1, 2005. The University earlier received permission from the Chinese Central Board of Education to partner with two universities in Shenyang, a city of about 4.8 million people in northeast China.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the University, our faculty and our students,” said John Cicero, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business, Technology, and Professional Programs at Benedictine University. “We are the only American university approved by the Chinese Central Government to offer these programs in northeast China.”

The courses will be taught by both Benedictine and Chinese professors using Benedictine’s curriculum. Students will progress through the curriculum in groups of 30-40 students and attend class four hours per day for two weeks. They will also be expected to spend an additional four to six hours per day studying the material.

Each group of 30-40 students, or “cohort,” will complete the entire course of study in 16 months.

“We will send some of our own professors to China for two weeks at a time,” Cicero said. “Eventually, we would like to be able to send some of our own students to China to take a class for two weeks.”

Benedictine University is extending its graduate programs to China in response to new restrictions that make it difficult for foreign students to attain U.S. visas. Those restrictions have dissuaded many students from applying. According to a survey of the Council of Graduate Schools released in September, the number of students from China applying to American graduate programs for the Fall 2004 term plunged 45 percent.

Nevertheless, the Chinese believe that American business programs can best train their future employees to meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated and complex society.

“Chinese teaching methods are still more quantitative than behavioral,” Cicero said. “Chinese students must learn to think in critical and creative ways. China needs mid- and upper-level managers who are familiar with Chinese culture and business practices yet can interact and compete with their international counterparts.”

Benedictine University also has a history of providing education opportunities for students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, and University officials view this partnership as an opportunity to build a strong bond between Benedictine and the universities in Shenyang.

“This partnership will provide Benedictine University an opportunity to impact China’s future, to provide our faculty with international teaching experience and to create an opportunity for our students to visit China while pursuing their degree,” Cicero said.

The Benedictine M.B.A. program will be offered through Shenyang University of Technology while the M.S.M.I.S. program will be available through Shenyang Jianzhu University (formerly Shenyang Architectural and Civil Engineering University).

The M.B.A. program at Benedictine University has prepared students for managerial roles in corporate and human service organizations for more than 25 years by conveying practical knowledge and essential skills in such areas as management, accounting, economics, finance, strategy and marketing.

The M.S.M.I.S. program at Benedictine University prepares professionals for rapid advances in technology, intense global competition and more complex business environments by emphasizing the practical application of various business management theories and technical tools to a variety of hypothetical and real-life information problems.

For more information about the Benedictine University M.B.A. and M.S.M.I.S. programs, call (630) 829-6300.

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