The School of Business, which has accreditation in business (since 1979) and accounting (since 1986), adds another notch of success with the approval of the Master’s of Science and Management (MSM) program. The UNC Board of Governors approved it last November. According to Dr. Sivanus Udoka, associate professor and chairperson of the graduate steering committee, the road towards approval for the MSM program began almost three and a half years ago when parents, students, businesses, the advisory board and alumni began asking about a master’s program. Dr. Quiester Craig, dean of the School of Business, said that the goal of the MSM program is: “to develop a program that would be responsive to the needs and characteristics of the community, student body and most importantly the needs of many of our external stake holders, local corporations and businesses that have indicated a need for additional management education.” Dr. Wanda Lester, assistant dean of the School of Business, said that the MSM program will be beneficial for the university and the community.”What a master’s program does for you is it provides growth opportunities for your students and for your alumni who want to advance,” said Lester. “It also provides growth opportunities for people in the community who want to continue to improve their skills or maybe improve their positions in their jobs.” Although the MSM program must compete with master’s programs at universities such as UNCG, High Point and Wake Forest, Udoka says that the more concentrated program will prevail over its competitors. “We have a more focused master’s program,” said Udoka. “Instead of the traditional general coverage of management. We think this will attract people.” The MSM degree program focuses on two specific areas: Transportation and Business Logistics and Management Information Systems (MIS). The Transportation and Business Logistics concentration will provide professional knowledge and skills relating to effective supply chain management, safety standards in transport systems, and procurement and distribution in a global market place. The MIS concentration will provide grounded theoretical study in the development of creative business solutions through the management and application of information systems. Both programs will offer integrative courses that respond to expanding e-commerce business initiatives. Students participating in the program are required to take 30 to 33 hours for each course. A traditional master’s program would require a student to take 60 hours in addition to having work experience. Students interested in entering the MSM program must have a bachelor’s degree or its international four-year equivalent from an accredited college or university in any area of concentration, with a minimum grade point average of 2.75. Applicants will need to submit an application along with a $35 application fee, official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies and three letters of recommendation. All applicants must report Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores to the university. The School of Business is in the process of finalizing all requirements for the MSM program. They expect to enroll 20 or more students for the fall of 2001. There will be an interest session for the program later on this spring. Faculty and staff in the School of Business are pleased with the MSM program. “I have a very good feeling about the program,” said Udoka. “We are about to offer a long overdue service to the Triad area.” “I am delighted with our progress,” said Craig. “The important thing is to have this program online, well thought out and so that the university can be proud.”