Classroom MBA Brings Leaders Together

One of Geneva’s strengths has been its classroom-based graduate programs – Counseling, MBA, Higher Education and recently added Cybersecurity. There is nothing quite like the 360-degree learning happening in a traditional classroom with classmates, the instructor and the learner.

This fact is particularly meaningful in Geneva’s Classroom MBA, which attracts professionals from a variety of disciplines and specialties into the same classroom. Knowledge sharing with classmates thus becomes an important learning distinctive of classroom programs.

Program Director of the Geneva College Classroom MBA, Christen Adels ‘96, MBA, stresses the interaction students have with highly qualified instructors. “All the core courses in our Classroom MBA Program are taught by full-time faculty who have extensive experience in their respective disciplines,” says Adels, who is also the Chair of the Geneva Business Department.

The real-world experiences complement the theory taught in the classroom, and there is a strong integration of faith across classes and personalized attention from professors. The distinctive goal of Geneva’s Classroom MBA is to prepare men and women to be strong, thoughtful business leaders rooted in a faith background.

Adels herself is a relatively new addition to Geneva’s faculty and a perfect example of academic and work world experience. For the past eight years, she served as the Chief Executive Officer of MAYA Group, LP, a professional services firm in Pittsburgh, offering administrative, accounting, finance, human resource and information technology services. The Boston Consulting Group acquired the assets of the company, and in the Lord’s perfect timing, the Department Chair and MBA Program Director position opened at Geneva just when Adels became available.  She was the valedictorian of the Geneva Class of 1996 and went on to earn her law degree and MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a Certified Public Accountant and Attorney for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and she expects to earn her juris doctorate degree from Temple University this year.

All students can have success in the Classroom MBA program, whether they are directly out of undergraduate studies or are working professionals. But one type of student does exceptionally well – those who recognize the need to interact with people. Adels says, “Students who are driven to engage faculty and peers to develop their leadership and interpersonal skills through experiential learning and driven to develop their quantitative and technical skills do very well.”

Melissa D’Angelo ’06, MBA ’09,  works for energy multinational Chevron as Performance Improvement Coordinator. She attests to the value of the classroom MBA program, particularly regarding the benefits of faculty and student engagement. She cites the hard skills as well as the soft skills she acquired. “My Geneva education gave me transferable skills and helped me develop a problem-solving mentality and competence in building relationships.” 

"Students who are driven to engage faculty and peers to develop their leadership and interpersonal skills through experiential learning and driven to develop their quantitative and technical skills do very well."
-Christen Adels, Geneva Classroom MBA Program Director

Due to the leadership and interpersonal skills acquired in the program, the MBA degree accelerates promotions to management as well as greater responsibilities in personnel management and project management.

The advantage of an MBA in Geneva’s classroom program is not limited to Business majors; students in other technical fields can benefit in pursuit of career advancement, as well. Engineering and computer science programs develop discipline-specific skills sets. An MBA will provide practical leadership and management skills. An MBA will also provide finance and human resource training necessary for project and personnel management. These abilities are required of leaders in any organization.

Adels comments, “I would recommend that anyone considering an MBA talk with alumni. Our alum are able to give an accurate assessment of the program. I would also suggest that they talk with me or another professor who teaches in the program to gain a better understanding of program requirements and the opportunities.”

Alumni can be a great help in creating a realistic expectation of the outcomes and the effort involved in getting an MBA and dispelling any misconceptions. Adels says it is not uncommon for prospective Classroom MBA students to assume that both workload and class time are insurmountable obstacles. Adels says this is rarely the case, despite the fact that the majority of students in Geneva’s program have full-time employment and often balance family, work and school. 

“Each course is one night a week from 6-10 p.m. for nine weeks, and some prospective students may view this as a challenge in light of their other responsibilities. However, if prospective students talk with our alum, they will find that the classes are engaging, the workload is manageable and the education is of great lifetime value.”

Beyond the preparation for career is the value of the Christian perspective. The curriculum isn’t just about a job or a career, it’s about living and working, and doing one’s best for God. When it comes down to it, that’s what’s most important.

From the Geneva Blog:
The Harlem Globetrotters: Uniting a Divided World

What better place for a professional basketball team to compete than the birthplace of college basketball? On February 5, 2019, the internationally renowned Harlem Globetrotters will hit Geneva’s courts combining athleticism, theater and comedy as they play on the historic site that set college basketball in motion (get tickets).

With a long tradition in the sport, Geneva College organized the first game of college basketball in February of 1892. Founded in 1926, the Harlem Globetrotters’ history is every bit as rich, showcasing their iconic talents in over 26,000 exhibition games in 123 countries and performing for millions of fans including popes, presidents, kings and queens. More >>