Programs > Executive > Neighbor Island MBA > Overview

Overview

The Neighbor Island MBA program offers participants a challenging, relevant and integrated course of study designed to meet the demands of a changing global business environment. The 48-credit hour program is geared toward individuals who have shown leadership or management potential. The goal of this program is to provide participants with a competitive edge in analytical and decision-making skills for a managerial position within today's dynamic global economy.

Equally important, the program is designed to enable students to pursue a graduate degree with limited interruption to professional obligations and family life. Travel to the Manoa campus in Honolulu is not required.

Shidler College of Business at UH is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premier international accrediting agency for schools of business. This prestigious accreditation assures that participants of the Neighbor Island MBA program receive a quality and internationally-recognized degree. The Shidler College of Business was recently ranked among the top 25 graduate schools in the nation for international business by U.S. News & World Report.

Learning Goals for the MBA

  • Demonstrate and apply knowledge of the functional areas of business (best business practice)
  • Communicate effectively in writing and oral presentations
  • Understand and apply management skills to the Asia-Pacific business environment
  • Identify and analyze complex ethical and legal issues
  • Demonstrate understanding of the impacts of technology on business

Structure of the Program

Unlike other online and distance learning programs, the Neighbor Island MBA classes are highly interactive and are broadcast in real time so that students on the receiving sites will receive instruction simultaneously as their Manoa counterparts. Neighbor Island MBA participants take classes in designated classrooms on the receiving sites at the same time Manoa students take classes in the Shidler College, and will be able to ask questions, offer comments, conduct project presentations, and participate in other dialogue in real time. In the past, the program has been offered on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.

Courses of the program are taught by regular Shidler College faculty as well as by practitioner experts from the community. The faculty members come from diverse disciplines and are selected on the bases of expertise, teaching excellence, and commitment to the goals of the program and sensitivity to participants' needs.

All NIMBA participants are required to attend the Residence Weekend August 22 - 24 on Oahu, which enhances class cohesion and identity. This would be an opportunity to meet with the Faculty Director, staff and your fellow participants from the other islands. Tuition does not include travel or accommodation. p>

Participating Organizations

  • Bank of Hawaii
  • Boeing Company
  • C & H Saipan, Inc.
  • CNMI Government
  • Department of Public Lands Earl & Doris Bakken Foundation
  • Glen Dairy Queen
  • ITT Corporation
  • Kauai Community College
  • Kauai County Fire Department
  • Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
  • Maui Land & Pineapple Co.
  • Shell Marinas
  • Starwood Hotels & Resorts
  • Textron Systems
  • USGS Biological Resources