Two colleges at West Virginia University signed a pathway agreement today (April 2) clearing the way for students to earn two degrees in five years.

The four-plus-one degree will allow students in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources to earn a bachelor’s degree in their selected engineering discipline and a master’s degree in business administration from the College of Business and Economics. Statler College seniors who apply after successfully completing their course of study and have a GPA of 3.0 at the time of application and graduation, and a score of 600 or better on the Graduate Management Admission Test will be guaranteed admission into the program.

“Coupling an undergraduate degree in engineering with an MBA will make for a fantastic, super-charged degree at West Virginia University,” said” Jose “Zito Sartarelli, Milan Puskar Dean, College of Business and Economics. “The combination of science and technology in an engineering degree plus managerial, financial and leadership knowledge embedded in an MBA just makes sense. Coupling these two degrees in this cooperative program is a great enabler for both of our schools.

“To work together on this initiative should yield highly successful graduates,” Sartarelli added. “Independently, our two schools have highly regarded programs, so there will be incredible value in this great combination.”

Under the details of the agreement, Statler College students will be eligible to earn tuition waiver scholarships based on high GMAT scores and may receive a scholarship to cover the cost of the GMAT prep course (approximately $200).

“We are delighted to have this program formally adopted by both colleges,” said Gene Cilento, Glen H. Hiner Dean, Statler College. “Many of our distinguished engineering graduates who have gone on to very successful business careers have benefited from working on this type of combined degree during their careers. This will also provide opportunities to our students who are entrepreneurial minded and/or interested in developing new businesses.”

The Statler College offers 12 undergraduate majors and seven dual majors in engineering specialties, computer science and biometric systems. All eligible programs are accredited by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the College is ranked among the top 60 engineering schools nationally in enrollment and graduation figures.

B&E’s MBA program was recently ranked in the top 100 MBA programs in the country (#92) by U.S. News & World Report. B&E has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business since 1954.

-WVU-

mcd/04/02/14

CONTACT: Mary C. Dillon, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
304.293.4086, mary.dillon@mail.wvu.edu

Patrick Gregg, College of Business and Economics
304.293.5131, patrick.gregg@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.