SMU Cox Executive Education to Offer Month-Long
Summer Business Program for Non-Business Majors

DALLAS — SMU Cox Executive Education will offer an innovative, month-long certificate program to give non-business majors instruction in accounting, marketing, finance, Operations Management/IT, business law, career planning and other topics June 1 – June 25. The program is designed to give college juniors, seniors and recent graduates a competitive edge when competing for jobs with other non-business majors.

The Summer Business Institute (SBI) includes classroom instruction on the SMU campus as well as field trips to Dallas area companies so students can see for themselves how what they learned in the classroom translates to the real world.

Students may attend SBI on either a residential (single occupancy on-campus housing that includes a breakfast and dinner package) or non-residential basis. SBI applications and additional information are available by phone (214-768-2918, 866-768-1013), e-mail (exed@cox.smu.edu) or online.

SBI is specifically designed to enable participants to:

• Improve qualifications for career opportunities in business.
• Receive a credential from one of the top-ranked business schools in the nation.
• Demonstrate to potential employers that the basics of business have been mastered.
• Gain the skills necessary for quick initial success on the job or entrepreneurial development.
• Network with other students from top-ranked schools throughout the region and nation.

“This program is designed to provide an exposure to the conceptual foundations of the major business disciplines,” said Hemang Desai, associate professor of accounting at SMU Cox.” The field trips and company visits allow students to see how some of the concepts learned in the classroom apply in a real world setting. As a result, it increases their business savvy, as well as gives the student an edge when competing with other job candidates.”

Classes meet Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with generally one three-hour class in the morning and another three-hour session in the afternoon. The classes are held in the state-of-the-art, tiered, amphitheater-style classrooms, as well as in breakout rooms, computer labs and social areas of the Cox School of Business.

“The value of SBI is not only in the accounting, finance and marketing programs taught, but in the fact that it includes such career planning activities as resume writing and interviewing skills,” said Frank Lloyd, associate dean of SMU Cox Executive Education. “Students will leave SBI armed with the critical business skills, tools and credentials to help them shine in the workplace and reach their goals.”

“Of all the extracurricular and volunteer activities I was involved with during my undergraduate years, choosing to participate in the SMU Cox Summer Business Institute was by far the best decision I made for my career,” said C. Halle Smith, a recent SBI graduate who majored in political science.

 “My son graduated with majors in comparative politics and Chinese.  After graduation he enrolled in SBI to get a better sense of the corporate world,” said Gordon Walker, parent of an SBI ’08 participant.  “He was very happy with what he learned and how he learned it.  I would recommend this program to any recent college graduate who felt the need to ramp up their knowledge about business before pursuing a career.”

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About SMU Cox Executive Education

SMU Cox Executive Education offers new, innovative and flexible programs – both open and custom – that provide a relevant and dynamic learning experience for professionals, managers, and executives.  Executive Education programs are offered in Dallas and Plano, as well as in-house for corporate clients.  Programs provide skills development in areas such as management, leadership, sales and marketing, and accounting and finance.  By developing these skills, managers are able to make better decisions, resulting in positive business results.

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