TAMIU’s Sanchez School of Business Going Online

This Spring, Texas A&M International University’s A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business is staking its claim on the future by supplementing its degree programs with online programs with wide appeal for both local and global graduate students.

Dr. Stephen Sears, A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business dean, said the move was made in response to student requests and international interest in online graduate business degrees.

“The School has always prided itself on monitoring the pulse of the international business world and students and potential students have asked that we explore online degree offerings, expanding our online courses to present complete, immersive online degree programs.   We spoke with some of our international partner schools who also confirmed that our offer of online degrees was an attractive and viable option,” Dr. Sears explained.

This Spring, the School will offer online MBA programs with an International Business concentration in both English and Spanish, he said.  The online Spanish MBA will take the place of the current on-site program, which will be phased out after Spring 2013. The online English MBA supplements the on-site English MBA program, which continues.

“These programs, online versions of current programs, attracted the most significant interest and also allow us to capitalize on strong collaborative initiatives that are already in place with foreign institutions, including a number in México -- traditionally one of our largest sources of TAMIU graduate business students,” Sears said.

He said that the online format affords students a number of advantages.

“Today’s students are already accustomed to the digital frontier and are eager to explore educational opportunities online.  The advantages are numerous:  they can complete their coursework online on their own time and in a timeframe comparable to traditional program offerings. The cost of the program is basically reduced by the absence of travel to the campus and on-campus living considerations, among other cost reductions,” he noted.

There are also, he said, some variables that make the online option especially attractive for select populations, such as Mexican national students.

“There’s no denying that all Texas border institutions that previously enjoyed substantial Mexican student populations have been affected by the instability in México. While we’re all hopeful that this situation will change, online education options, especially those offered in Spanish, are of considerable appeal. As an accredited member of the AACSB International, we’re honored to offer a high-quality option for graduate business education that has global appeal for students from Spanish-speaking countries,” Sears said.

While the Sanchez School moves forward, it has also reassessed some of its traditional offerings and will be phasing out one of its evergreen programs, the MBA in International Trade (MBA-IT), which will no longer be offered effective Spring 2013.  Students enrolled in the program will be able to complete their degrees by August 2013. The MBA-IT  has been a source of ongoing concern for us, but in speaking with local and international practitioners, they have alerted us to the changes in the profession that have actually eliminated the need for a masters degree in the field,” he explained

Sears said the mood at the Sanchez School is energetic as faculty press forward on to the new digital education frontier.

“While we’ve offered online classes for some time, the chance to deliver an online version of our accredited MBA program is an exciting new chapter in the School’s history. We’re excited that our students and faculty are a part of this new history and will help drive graduate business education to its next level,” he concluded.

The A. R. Sanchez, Jr. Business School offers three graduate degrees delivered by a global faculty, 92% holding doctoral degrees in their field.  The program has earned the acclaim of The Princeton Review, which named it to the nation’s Top 300 Business Schools and singled out the School out for providing great opportunities for minority students.

For additional information about A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business graduate business offerings, please contact the Office of the Dean at 956.326.4622 or 956.326.2480, email ssb@tamiu.edu, click on www.tamiu.edu/ssb or visit offices in the Western Hemispheric Trade Center, room 203 from 8 a.m.  – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu