MCBS inaugurates Franklin MBA programme

MUSCAT — The Modern College of Business and Science officially opened its new Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme under the auspices of the American Ambassador to the Sultanate, Richard J Schmierer, accompanied by the college founder and Executive Chairman, Dr Muneer bin Mohammed al Maskery, and Dean, Dr Badr El Din Ibrahim, in Bausher yesterday.

Franklin University’s President David Decker, Provost and Vice-president for Academic Affairs Christopher Washington, and Godfrey Mendes, Dean of Global Programmes, joined the guest of honour, senior government and private sector officials and MCBS staff for the opening ceremony.

The Observer spoke to some of the students who are all in full-time employment and are among MCBS’ first MBA batch — consisting of a total of 18 students, who had begun their first classes earlier that day:

Manal bint Said al Busaidiya is a graduate in accounting from MCBS, having graduated in 2010. She said she chose to go for the MBA with MCBS because it is the only college offering an MBA with specialisation. Further, she added, having already been a student at MCBS, she recognises that the quality of education offered by them is good.

Although the studies can be stressful, the one-and-half-year duration of the programme is a trade-off for that, she added.

Manal noted currently the job market is very competitive and if you want to have a good career you need a good qualification for it. She is employed as a Financial Auditor for the Royal Court of Diwan.

Talal bin Mohammed Harrasi is a graduate from the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). He also appreciated the choice of specialisation that MCBS offers for its MBA programme and the course timings, from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, are convenient for him as he is in fulltime employment at Occidental Oman.

Besides this, he said, as an intensive course he has the chance of completing the MBA in one year, compared with other colleges where it takes two years to complete.

Murthad bin Rashid al Kharusi is also an SQU graduate in Accounting and has similarly

al selected to study for his MBA at MCBS because it is the only college that offers a specialisation. He said his specialisation will be in Finance, which will enrich his ac- counting background and give him the skills for career development in marketing.

He is ready to face the challenges of the programme over the next year and a half and with an MBA he will be in a better position to serve his company, Oman Oil, where he is working as a Business Developer in the company’s Marine Sector.

The MBA Programme has specialisations in Finance and Human Resources Management and will be run jointly with Franklin University in the US and MCBS in Oman.

It is the first American MBA Programme in the Sultanate with certificates being dispensed by Franklin University.