December 10, 2003 - For Shilpy Taneja of Milford, NH, the decision to pursue an MBA was based on her interest in building on her management and information technology education and using her work experience to advance to a management position at Fidelity Investments.

"The timing was right," she said, adding that she liked the cohort model of Daniel Webster Colleges 20-month MBA program, where each group of students or cohort progresses through the curriculum together.

"The cohort model really helps all the members go through the same experience, and we all help and encourage each other," said Taneja, a 2001 Daniel Webster graduate. "Were a close-knit and dynamic team of individuals, and we all work extremely hard and support each other through our personal challenges."

According to Daniel Webster's A. Reza Hoshmand, associate dean for graduate and continuing education, the colleges MBA in applied management provides busy professionals exactly what they are interested in: "hands on" experience in a cohort format with a curriculum sequence that has been carefully crafted to create classes grounded in traditional management theory and relevant to the problems and trends facing business leaders. At the core of the program, said Hoshmand, are three fundamentals of business management: leadership, communication, and decision-making.

"Our applied management MBA builds a strong, integrated foundation as students progress as a group through the curriculum of 13 classes," he explained. "Each course builds upon what was previously mastered, and, more importantly, provides students tools that can be applied immediately to their work environment one of the reasons our students are so enthusiastic about the Daniel Webster program."

Flexibility is another reason students look very hard at the colleges MBA program. Its 20-month, one-night-a-week format is very attractive to those with family, work, and other responsibilities. With the one-night-a-week curriculum, said Taneja, "I knew I would be able to balance my job and studies."

A business professional of many years, DWC Professor Neil P. Parmenter noted that corporations today are trending toward work groups where employees are organized into functional teams that rely directly upon each other to complete assignments. "Daniel Webster's cohort model reflects these business environments and prepares students for situations they are likely to face in their careers," he explained.

As an MBA program that may be completed in 20 months, rigorous is not too strong a word to use to describe the curriculum. With a January 2004 cohort starting in both Nashua and Portsmouth, students will complete two 3-credit classes in each 12-week term. Courses touch on every phase of business management, including communication, leadership, forecasting and demand analysis, organizational behavior, and global management. "Students can take what they learn and put it to practical use through case studies and role-playing as consultants to business," said Parmenter. Each program concludes with a "capstone" project, where students act as consultants to a real business, analyze a problem or opportunity at that business, and develop a consultants report and recommendation for action.

Taneja's advice to others considering an MBA program? "If education is in your top priority list and you're willing to work hard, then the accelerated program at DWC is a great opportunity for developing your career."

Not every institution offering an MBA can be a "Wharton" or a "Sloan," noted Dr. Hoshmand. For those 95% who don't go to a nationally recognized school, Daniel Webster College, which is making a name through its consistent quality of education, is a highly worthwhile alternative. "See what it is we are offering the working professional," said Dr. Hoshmand. "At Daniel Webster College, were not just giving students the initials (MBA) at the end of their name."

The next DWC MBA cohorts begin both at the colleges main campus in Nashua and at the Portsmouth  campus at Pease International Tradeport in January, 2004. For more information, visit http://www.dwc.edu/gcde/mba/index.shtml or call 603-577-6507 in Nashua or 603-430-4077 in Portsmouth.