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Time right for many earning their MBAs in the Magnolia State.

Article Excerpt
When times are tough, it may be an opportunity to invest in upgrading skills by obtaining a master of business administration (MBA) degree. At least, that is apparently what is happening in Mississippi as MBA programs report enrollment gains.

"The current economy is probably helping us overall as many smart and hard-working professionals have been down-sized out of their companies and are using the break as a good opportunity to 'tool up' through an MBA degree," said Dr. Charles Noble, director of the MBA programs at the School of Business Administration, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). "Total enrollment in the Ole Miss MBA program has increased over 70% compared to last year."

One of the bigger trends influencing the Ole Miss program is more working professionals with busier lives than ever are interested in getting an MBA. The university is responding to that in several ways.

"First, we offer a Professional MBA program, which uses technology in many creative ways to allow students to interact with each other and faculty in a stimulating learning environment, yet work on a very flexible schedule that suits their lifestyles," Noble said. "Our campus-based program has also recently experienced many changes to appeal to these working professionals, in addition to traditional full-time students. The campus program now holds all classes in the evenings, allows part-time participation and allows admission during any semester of the year. None of these changes has sacrificed the quality of an Ole Miss MBA, which is of critical importance to us."

Noble thinks a significant trend is that more than ever an MBA degree will be required to rise...

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