Leaders from Oklahoma City University announced they have signed agreements with four international schools to provide pathways for foreign students to earn graduate business degrees at OCU.
The agreements were signed during an international goodwill trip by OCU President Kenneth Evans and business school Dean Sri Beldona, with stops in India, Malaysia and Taiwan.
During the trip, Evans and Beldona signed memorandums of understanding (MOU) with four schools: Presidency University in Bengaluru, India; International School of Management Excellence (ISME) in Bangalore, India; Yuan Ze University in Taoyuan, Taiwan; and Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei, Taiwan.
All four agreements codify academic pathways that enable students to earn a number of credit hours through their domestic undergraduate studies that can then be applied to graduate business degrees at Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business, thus shortening the runway to an OCU degree.
At Presidency, ISME and Yuan Ze, the pathways apply to a number of graduate business programs within Meinders. At Fu Jen, the pathway is targeted on OCU’s Master of Business Administration program.
“Today’s global economy requires a global outlook on workforce supply and development,” Evans said. “We’re committed to producing future generations of business leaders to help deliver the workforce the world needs.
“We’re also proud to work with our new partner institutions and to continue our history as a destination for international students seeking to broaden their horizons in our thriving city.”
The trip to southeast Asia was part of OCU’s continued work to attract a diverse set of students to campus.
As part of that effort, OCU’s business school recently expanded its offerings to include four graduate programs designated as STEM areas of study. Beldona said these offerings are in high demand with international students.
“Students with STEM-related degrees may qualify to live and work in the United States for three years following their graduation, as opposed to the standard one year offered to non-STEM-related graduates,” Beldona said. “This post-graduate period is known as optional practical training, and it certainly is an important consideration for international students looking to study in the United States.”
OCU’s STEM-related business offerings include Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees in both data analytics and financial analytics. OCU also offers a Master of Science in Computer Science degree through its Petree College of Arts and Sciences, although that program is not a part of the recently signed MOUs.
More information about business programs at OCU can be found at okcu.edu/business.
