Wake Forest program introduces business concepts to underrepresented undergrads

Thirty students from 18 colleges have gathered on the Wake Forest University campus to participate in the annual It’s All About Business program, offered jointly by Wake Forest’s Babcock Graduate School of Management and the Calloway School of Business and Accountancy.

The Wake Forest business schools are hosting rising seniors from underrepresented groups for a three-week program designed to prepare students for the transition from college to the business environment.

Students with diverse backgrounds—culturally and educationally—have assembled on the Wake Forest campus for the opportunity to develop business skills and study in an intense, challenging, personalized learning environment.

The program includes students from foreign countries, including Nepal, Nigeria, England and China. More than half of the students enrolled speak a foreign language. Eleven U.S. states are represented, including those as far away as California, New York and Texas.

“The key to the success of this program is the quality of the students we are able to attract,” says Assistant Dean MBA Student Development Nat Irvin. “Of course, the students enjoy learning new business concepts from high quality faculty and outstanding speakers. But over the years, it’s been the faculty and speakers who have benefited most from the experience of working with these highly motivated students.”

Classroom activities in the program are focused on giving students broad exposure to nine areas of business. Through classes on finance, accounting and quantitative methods, students are presented with the basic formulas and analytical techniques needed to be literate in certain aspects of business. To complement this quantitative education, students are further exposed to aspects of entrepreneurship, information technology, organizational behavior, operations, marketing and strategy to gain an understanding of how businesses are constructed and how business leaders make decisions.

The students take field trips to major corporations in the area, including Dell, and spend half a day at the Center for Creative Leadership. Guest speakers include international business and government leaders, as well as experts who discuss small business development, preparing for the Graduate Management Admission Test and social responsibility.

The program exposes students to core concepts that may spark their interest in pursuing an MBA or complement their past coursework to make them more marketable to corporations.

It’s All About Business classes are taught by Wake Forest University faculty and include case analyses, lectures, and industry and career opportunity experts. Full scholarships were provided and include tuition, fees, and room and board.

This year’s program is being held through June 15 at the Wake Forest campus in Winston-Salem, N.C. For more information about the program, go to www.mba.wfu.edu/iaab or call 336.758.5422.

IAAB Class of 2006 / Slide Show