The Virginia-based William & Mary - Mason School of Business has announced that it will launch a new online MBA program later this year.
The program's curriculum was developed around the themes of Renaissance thinking and revolutionary leadership, which were popularized by American Founding Father and third president Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson's principles are reflected in the program in that he is "prototypical of the person we wanted to produce in the 18th century and that we still want to produce in the 21st century: well-rounded, adept at solving problems with the paradigms and ways of knowing gleaned from every discipline of human knowledge,” Todd Mooradian, Mason's associate dean for faculty and administration, told the school's alumni magazine late last year.
As such, the first class that students must take is called "Renaissance Manager," and will center on identifying and working through "wicked problems," which can be difficult to solve because of insufficient or evolving information. Other courses will focus on more traditional MBA functional areas, such as "Accounting," "Marketing," and "Integrated Technology.
Although most of the program will be delivered online, the school will also require to attend at least one on-campus, "conference-style" residency session during the MBA.
To apply for the program, interested candidates should have at least two years of work experience and a bachelor's degree or equivalent from a regionally-accredited college or university. A GMAT score of at least 500, or a comparable GRE score, is also required, although GMAT waivers are available for applicants with certain academic and professional qualifications.
W&M - Mason's online MBA is set to launch in August. The priority application deadline is April 7th; the round two deadline is May 5th; and the final deadline is July 7th. January and May intakes will also be offered, but not until 2016.
For more information, please see Mason's online MBA program webpage.
