CONCRETE INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT (CIM) EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM ANNOUNCES ENROLLMENT FOR NEXT COHORT
The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program announces there is still time to submit an application for the next cohort beginning January 2014 for the unique Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in CIM, offered through the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). The Jennings A. Jones College of Business, with one of the largest faculties in the United States, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.
This customized MBA is a rigorous, highly interactive degree program that thrives on diversity of cultures with mutual benefit to participants and sponsoring companies. Its major themes are globalization, leadership, strategy, and execution. The program takes participants beyond basics to a true understanding of forces that will shape the concrete and construction industry. “Successful graduates will immediately impact their businesses with a unique global, strategic, and operational perspective and be ideally equipped to tackle the most pressing industry issues and help chart a future course of action,” commented MTSU CIM Department Chair and professor Dr. Heather J. Brown. “Participants will be shown skills needed for leadership, team building and motivational skills to create synergy and energize their teams with the aim of achieving excellence throughout the organization.”
According to Ayaz Ahmed, Associate Professor and Director of the MBA program, "The first cohort represents a wide cross section of the concrete and construction industry. The vision of having professionals from materials, equipment, operations, engineering and sales from various market segments represent the type of experience an MBA student will have going through this customized program.” Ahmed continued, “The first graduates will complete their degree in March 2014 and they have stated that the knowledge shared from the MBA faculty is translating directly into their company needs for thinking on the move."
Beginning in January, the18-month-long program will be administered in 8-week blocks. The format will include distance learning, webinars and on-campus visits to MTSU. This distinctive program will be a partner structure for networking and sharing experiences, while fostering a collaborative learning environment and allowing national recruitment with limited campus visits that are intensive and focused.
Industry professionals participating in the CIM MBA program will have a minimum of three years of experience in the industry and hold at least supervisory positions or above in their respective organizations. Academically, all participants will have at least an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution of higher education. While participants must have at least a bachelor’s degree, that degree does not have to be in business.
The cost of the CIM Executive MBA program will be $39,000 per participant. This fee represents the total academic cost of the program per participant.
If you are interested in learning more about the CIM MBA, please contact Ayaz Ahmed, Associate Professor and Director of the MBA program for the concrete industry at ayaz.ahmed@mtsu.edu, office (615) 898-5715 or cell (615) 767 4479 or Dr. Heather J. Brown, heather.brown@mtsu.edu, (615) 904-8060. Visit the website at www.concrete-mba.com to submit an application.
The CIM Undergraduate Program
Recognizing the need for people with enhanced technical, communication and management skills, the CIM program was developed in 1996. Receiving tremendous support from the concrete industry, the CIM program was the first of its kind inUnited States– a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industry Management. The business-intensive program provides solid management skills developed specifically for the concrete industry. The program gives students many advantages including entering the concrete work force with exposure to the industry early in their careers, unlike others coming in with generic business degrees. The program entails a broad range of courses, from English and history to science and mathematics. A series of required business courses such as finance, marketing, management and business law are also taken throughout the length of the program. The concrete-specific courses teach the fundamentals of concrete, properties and testing, concrete construction and more. All of these courses provide much more than what is simply in the text – they emphasize problem solving, quality assurance and customer satisfaction.
CIM currently has programs in-place at four universities including Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), the New Jersey Institute of Technology, California State University, Chico, and Texas State University. The program has been successful for both the industry and the graduates. To learn more about the program, visit www.concretedegree.com.
