High Achievers Wanted

‘Intensive’ new MBA program for future leaders

An “intensive” new one-year full-time MBA program at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is designed to attract a new generation of high-achievers and future leaders to Kansas City from across the nation and around the world.

Unlike most traditional two-year full-time MBA programs, this is one of a handful of top MBA programs in the U.S. that will enable high-potential young adults to complete their MBA in only one year.  The Intensive Full-Time MBA will serve as a “career accelerator” – a break that will set students on an express path to achieve their professional goals, whether that is starting their own business, taking on leadership roles in a small business, or rising to the C-suite of a Fortune 500 company.

The bar for admission will be high: Prospective students must have a bachelor’s degree, a minimum of two years’ experience in a for-profit business, and minimum GMAT score of 650. Only about 20 percent of all students taking the GMAT score 650 or higher.

The high bar comes with a correspondingly high return. Admitted students will receive free tuition in each of the first two years of the program, financed by the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation. During their year at Bloch, they will benefit from classes with Bloch’s globally-ranked faculty that blend innovation and entrepreneurship immersion experiences with classic business training. Students will be required to complete 42 hours of coursework during the year, which includes a paid internship and a three-week global experience.

“This is a perfect time to implement a full-time MBA. This program will allow the Bloch School to reach a new level of quality,” said Henry W. Bloch, longtime Bloch School benefactor and chairman and director of the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation. “We want to continue to be recognized as an outstanding school of business, so we need to grow and add new programs that will benefit the Kansas City business community. The new Bloch Intensive Full-Time MBA’s innovative curriculum will transform the way students approach challenges and prepare students to lead in today’s fast changing business world.”

Dustin Cornwell, director of MBA programs at the Bloch School, said he is excited by the prospect of what this influx of top students will mean for the Bloch School, for UMKC and ultimately for Kansas City.

“Graduates of this program will become collaborative, team-building problem-solvers who see solutions that elude others. They will be well-equipped to become the business leaders of the future,” Cornwell said.  “We can keep a lot of these high-potential young people here in Kansas City if the right relationships are built and the right opportunities develop for them. We’re eager to partner with local companies to offer internships, guest lectures, networking opportunities and sponsorship opportunities for student programs and events.”

The Bloch full-time MBA becomes one of about 20 such AACSB-accredited one-year programs in the country, joining an elite list that includes Northwestern, Cornell and Emory universities.

Cornwell believes the Bloch curriculum will provide students a strong foundation in business, communication and leadership skills.

“Employers say they expect graduates of an MBA program to have technical skills. But what really sets graduates apart is being able to give presentations, communicate effectively and manage people,” said Cornwell.

In addition to the new MBA program, the Bloch School will continue to offer traditional part-time professional MBA and executive MBA programs.


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