PreMBA program adds two new courses

The PreMBA program revised its curriculum in November by piloting two new dynamic classes, designed after careful research into the needs of international students enrolled in U.S. MBA programs.

A level VI Managerial Communication Skills class and an advanced level (V/VI) course in Entrepreneurship and the Business Plan were added to two previous offerings–– PreMBA Essentials, a course preparing students to take the GMAT and to apply to graduate schools, and Advanced Business Concepts, a course developing business reading and writing skills. PreMBA coursework continues to be a four-month program, targeting students wishing to enter an MBA program in the United States.

ELI faculty member Mary Long, who holds a Master of Science in Finance, developed the new courses.

“This is a rigorous program,” said Long. “Students must work hard on acquiring the linguistic skills and some of the academic content demanded by the rapidfire pace of the American MBA classroom.”

The Managerial Communications Skills course includes cross-cultural negotiating skills, decision making models, team membership and leadership behavior, time management tools, change management skills and oral and graphic presentation skills.

In the Entrepreneurship and the Business Plan course, students create a small businesses and write business plans that explain the details of the future business venture, including marketing, operations and financial strategies.

“We are excited about this upgrading of our PreMBA program and by the fine work Mary Long has begun here,” said ELI Director Scott Stevens.

“Students have already responded very favorably to the changes, with enrollment in the courses increasing significantly.We look forward to working with area universities, and especially right here at UD, to place promising candidates in programs that meet their academic interests and profiles.”