Earning a business degree remains a strong option, as business degrees provide students with a myriad of skills that prepare them to enter the competitive job market. The Thomas College of Business and Economics at Pembroke is located as part of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Between the college’s undergraduate and graduate programs there are about 2,000 students enrolled which represents about a quarter of the total student population at UNCP.
The College of Business has been serving students and fostering their entrepreneurial spirit for more than a decade, and Dean Dr. Mohamed Jarjouri and Dr. Rebecca Gonzalez-Ehnes, professor of finance and director of the MBA program, spoke with the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal to provide insight into
Essential elements for college success.
“I think one of the most important times for the Thomas College of Business and Economics came in 2013 when we achieved AACSB accreditation,” said Dr. Gonzalez-Ehnes. “AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation is the number one accreditation worldwide. It is a designation given to about 5 to 6 percent of the best business schools in the world. We were able to achieve this in 2013, and we re-evaluate every five Years and we just got through it. Dean Moe led the charge in the fall of 2022, and we got it back and renewed our accreditation, and that’s something we’re really proud of.”
The college offers two undergraduate degrees: Accounting and Business Administration. The Business Administration degree includes seven different specializations that students can choose from: Analytics, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Business, Management, and Marketing. Dr. Jarjouri noted that they are working on launching another focus in supply chain management as well.
At the graduate level, the college offers a general MBA with a focus on one of the following subjects: business analytics, finance, financial services, forensic accounting, healthcare management, and supply chain management. According to Dr. Gonzalez-Ehnes, they are also bringing up the idea of earning a master’s degree in accounting as something they would like to add in the future.
“One of the things we’re really proud of in the MBA program is that we have something called the MBA Pathway. What we do through the MBA Pathway is we get promising students who are getting ready to finish college who might want to get a head start on the MBA, and we allow They have to take 12 hours of graduate-level courses that will count toward their MBA degree, but they will take credit toward their MBA degree but also credit toward their bachelor’s degree. So when they finish their bachelor’s degree, they take what It amounts to four semesters in the MBA, and to complete the MBA you need 12 semesters, so they can finish four semesters in this way, and this means that they only have eight semesters left to complete and this is an opportunity “Great.”
All classes at the MBA level are currently offered online. However, Dr. Gonzalez-Ehnes shared that they are looking forward to potentially starting a face-to-face MBA in the fall of 2024.
“We are currently assessing the demand. We have been surveying undergraduate and postgraduate students to determine the demand for a face-to-face MBA, which is definitely there. “It is something we used to do and have stopped doing. For a while there has been increasing demand for online MBAs, but we are seeing an uptick in demand for face-to-face MBAs again.
While earning a college degree is of great importance, both Dr. Gurdjuri and Dr. Gonzalez-Ehnes recognize that providing students with practical and employable skills is also a top priority. The college focuses on experiential learning and service learning. Students are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities such as internships and study abroad programs to further their education.
One of the programs inculcated by the college is called Passport and it helps students learn personal and professional skills.
“One of the events [the students] True love is dinner etiquette. We have a business etiquette dinner, and they absolutely love it. It’s a three course meal. They sit down and learn all the basics about which fork is the right fork to use and which glass is your water versus your neighbour’s water, and above all they also learn at what point during a meal you should start talking about business and this is ‘It’s always been a big hit with our students’. Dr. Gonzalez-Ehnes said.
In order to continue moving forward and develop the program further, the Thomas College of Business and Economics has developed what they call the Sustainable Development Goals. Two of these goals they are currently prioritizing are community engagement and economic well-being.
“More recently, we have one of our faculty members, Dr. Scott Cohen, who started the VITA program and will continue to develop it but what VITA does is volunteer income tax assistance. What they will do is [the students will] Prepare tax returns for free for individuals in the area.
Financial literacy is a topic that Dr. Gonzalez-Ehnes is passionate about championing in the classroom and in the greater community.
“We have held workshops and seminars on credit management, budgeting, and consumer protection laws. For students, we typically talk to them about student loan debt and the risks of carrying too much student loan debt. So making sure we cover these topics and concerns is important to us. We have Recently received a grant so we can study financial literacy and awareness in the American Indian community in the region. “So, this is a big push toward promoting financial literacy and financial awareness,” said Dr. Gonzalez-Ehnes.
The intersection between business and society is crucial and it is important for young entrepreneurs to recognize this fact.
“I personally believe in working for good. So we want to influence the new generation of leaders by teaching them morals and ethics [how to] Using business for social impact. Entrepreneurship is not just about profit…You can earn a living, make money, but you can also help the community [and] “It has a good effect,” Dr. Al-Jardjouri said.
This focus on social responsibility in business plays a large role in shaping business education. As students continue to study in the Thomas College of Business and Economics, they may be confident that the value and responsibility of business leaders will continue to be seen as important.
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, it is essential for aspiring entrepreneurs to receive a comprehensive education that equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. UNICEF’s Thomas School of Business and Economics stands out as a leading institution that provides a strong foundation for future founders. By offering a diverse range of courses and programs, the school ensures that students are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of the business world. With a focus on innovation, leadership, and ethical business practices, the school empowers its graduates to make a positive impact in their respective industries. This closer look at the Thomas School of Business and Economics will explore the ways in which it prepares students to become successful entrepreneurs and leaders in the business world.