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Maryville University’s John E. Simon School of Business has developed new degrees, concentrations and certificate programs to provide students with in-demand skills sought by future employers. The programs are all currently enrolling students.

“We continually review and reengineer our programs to ensure students are learning the skills necessary to excel in the current job market,” says Melissa Griswold, PhD, dean of the Simon School of Business. “Each of the new programs has been developed in close consultation with prominent practitioners in the field and corporate partners. Our goal is to meet marketplace needs by educating graduates who have skills relevant in today’s market—not the market of ten years ago.”

As an example, Griswold points to the University’s new cybersecurity major, which has seen tremendous growth as an undergraduate major since being offered in Fall 2014. “This is a perfect example of the Simon School of Business responding quickly to a market demand that only a few years ago was negligible,” she says.

New MBA and Management/Leadership Concentrations

For students who wish to focus their coursework in a particular industry or area of business, Maryville has created new MBA and Management/Leadership concentrations in Cybersecurity, Financial Services, Healthcare Practice Management, Human Resources Management, Information Technology, Project Management and Supply Chain Management/Logistics.

New Certificate Programs

For individuals who want to build on their skills in sales, Maryville University has created two, one-year certificate programs—Sales Professional and Sales Management. Other new certificate programs at the graduate level include: Financial Services, Healthcare Practice Management, Human Resources Management, Information Technology, Project Management and Supply Chain Management/Logistics.

“The programs may be of particular interest to professionals seeking additional skills in order to make a career change, or those who want to explore new career opportunities,” says Assistant Professor Jason Williams, EdD, director of the sales certificate program and the Rawlings Sport Business Management program.

“I am very impressed by the approach taken by Maryville University with regards to the Sales Professional and Sales Management certifications,” says Dennis Hummel, president of Maritz Holdings, Inc. “I have said many times that for this profession, sales, to have so little formal college curriculum is truly a miss in the overall effort to serve the business world.” Hummel worked closely with Maryville to create the sales program coursework.

Employers Affirm Value of Maryville Programs

In developing new programs across disciplines, Maryville University faculty members are in constant communication with industry representatives. Programs are created and updated in response to the current and future needs of hiring managers.

For example, the sales certificate programs will prove invaluable to students, but also to their employers, Hummel says.

“This curriculum allows current professionals and those preparing for their sales or sales management careers to get both classroom and hands-on field experience,” he says. “It is sure to offer to the employer of these graduates a much quicker path to results as these certified professionals garner more customers and drive greater market penetration.”

Maryville Meets Needs of Busy Students

Maryville strives to offer flexible, accessible programs for busy students. “As a School of Business, we understand the challenges associated with being employed full time while completing a degree,” Griswold says. “In response to that challenge, we’ve developed flexibility in our delivery of programs to allow our students to design their own educational journey.”

Classes are offered onsite, online and in blended programs so students are able to learn at their own pace and through their preferred educational format.