PreMBA Program: Thinking globally, learning locally
	ThePre-MBA group visited the Philadelphia Stock Exchange with program administrator James Slater (center) in summer 1998

The launching of ELI's PreMBA program in July 1997 coincided with the debut of the Asian economic crisis. As the current global economy fuels the need for better trained managers, demand remains high for the skills, including English language skills, necessary to restore prosperity.

Interest in ELI's 16-week PreMBA program, designed for international students who plan to pursue an MBA in the United States, increased in 1998. Classes in Advanced Business Communications and Advanced Business Concepts were offered during four out of the six sessions to more than 50 students.

Participants visited the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Charles Schwab and MBNA in connection with their coursework.

"One unique benefit of the program," teacher James Slater said, "is the assistance we provide students in understanding the various MBA options and their own career goals, and in selecting and applying to an appropriate graduate program."

Graduates of the program have entered MBA programs at Dartmouth,
La Salle University, New York University, the University of Delaware, the University of Denver, the University of Illinois and Western Illinois University.

Advanced Business Communications emphasizes team-building, self-evaluation, business presentations, case studies and meeting management. This class is taught by Naomi Migliacci, who is currently completing her doctorate in Linguistics and Education at the University of Pennsylvania and who has done graduate coursework in business at Harvard University.

Advanced Business Concepts focuses on advanced reading comprehension strategies and vocabulary, with readings selected from contemporary business publications. Participants also select equity investment portfolios and follow their selections online. In addition, the class prepares participants for the Analytical Writing Assessment section of the GMAT.

This class is taught by James Slater, who holds an MIM (MBA) from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) and an M.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the American University in Cairo.

For more information on this program and other special business programs, see

<http://www.udel.edu/eli/premba/
premba.html>
and
<http://www.udel.edu/eli/pfa.html> or

call James Slater at (302) 831-3612.