W. P. Carey School offers innovative new business programs

In an effort to help more people access knowledge about business, the nationally ranked W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is offering several innovative new degree programs. These new programs will make students more valuable to companies during the economic downturn, and all mix a high-quality business education with knowledge about other career fields.

The school began offering its popular new Bachelor of Arts in Business program last year. It combines traditional, high-caliber business degrees with concentrations in sustainability, tourism management, communication or urban policy, giving students an interdisciplinary experience from top experts at the business school and other areas of the university. The program has been so well-received that this year, two new concentrations in law and global politics are being added.

"We've had strong interest in these interdisciplinary degrees, which already have more than 2,500 students participating," said Tim Desch, assistant dean for undergraduate admissions at the W. P. Carey School of Business. "We expect a large number of students will want the new business degree with the law concentration. They can use this degree to eventually help them open or run a business and to learn the legal issues relevant to any career. They will be prepared to use their skills in a variety of industries from new business ventures to corporate or agency compliance."

Another new W. P. Carey School program, the Master of Science in Commerce, gives students an opportunity to combine their non-business undergraduate degrees with a master's degree in business. The one-year accelerated program is designed to give graduates a competitive advantage in the workforce. It is the only program of its kind in the Western United States.

"Many students may be wrapping up their current degrees and realize they need more business know-how in order to get the best possible position in their fields," said W. P. Carey School of Business Executive Dean Amy Hillman. "The new program will not only teach them the basics of business, but will also give students important leadership skills, which will be highly valued in any industry."

Earlier this year, the school also announced a new Master of Public Health program designed to address many of the issues coming to the forefront because of the health care reform movement, such as access to affordable health care, mental health and homelessness. With it, the W. P. Carey School of Business becomes the first business school in the country to offer a Master of Public Health program specifically focused on urban health.

All of these new programs start in August 2010, with application details currently available at www.wpcarey.asu.edu.