30 January 2006

Longwood to launch Virginia’s first MBA program in retail management

Longwood University will launch Virginia’s first Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program with a concentration in Retail Management this fall.

The program, the only one of its kind in the mid-Atlantic region, will be offered not only on campus but also in Richmond. Evening, weekend and online classes will be offered at Longwood’s Richmond Center at the Retail Merchants Association building, 5101 Monument Ave., as well as on Longwood’s main campus. Students may enroll at either location.

No other MBA program at a Virginia college or university, public or private, addresses education and training for management personnel in the burgeoning retail industry. The only other MBA retail program on the East Coast is the University of Florida’s David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research.

“Retailing is one of the largest and fastest growing business sectors not only in Virginia but worldwide,” said Dr. Evelyn Hume, dean of the College of Business & Economics. “We want to prepare students for high-level management positions in retailing through cutting-edge curriculum and experiential learning opportunities.”

The retail industry is increasingly seeking people with MBA degrees to fill leadership positions. Employment opportunities for sales managers and marketing managers are expected to increase by 35.7 percent and 31.5 percent, respectively, between 2002 and 2012, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. In the Richmond area, more than 4,000 retailing positions, mostly in mid- and upper-management levels, were reported unfilled in November 2004.

Longwood’s Retail Management MBA addresses the unique needs of retail professionals and the challenges they face with merchandising and buying, corporate management, inventory control, logistics, distribution, finance, accounting, marketing, sales, public relations, information systems, e-commerce and human resources. To help retail professionals take their careers to the next level, Longwood offers MBA students experienced faculty and world-class partners including some of the biggest names in retail: BB&T, CVS, Dillard’s, Enterprise, JCPenney, Long & Foster, Nordstrom, Owens&Minor, Sprint, Strange’s Florists, SunTrust, Target, Walgreen’s, and Wal-Mart.

Longwood’s program, approved Jan. 10 by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, is expected to enroll 20 students this fall. Longwood will offer a prerequisite program this summer for students who don’t have an undergraduate business background.

Longwood’s College of Business & Economics is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the premier accrediting body for business programs.

For more information on Longwood’s MBA program, visit www.longwood.edu/business/mba/ or email mba@longwood.edu.