MSU-Meridian announces downtown Business Expo next week

MERIDIAN, Miss.- Officials at Mississippi State University-Meridian say their business graduates have the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the growing needs of business and industry in the region.

To demonstrate that point, the campus' Division of Business, which adjoins the MSU Riley Center downtown, is announcing a Tuesday (June 17) Business Expo, both for area business leaders and potential students interested in earning a degree. Free and open to all, the event takes place 2-5 p.m. at the 2212 5th St. location.

"This is a come and go event," said Candy Adams, recruiting coordinator for MSU-Meridian. "We want to offer the business community an opportunity to meet with our professors and learn more about how they are preparing students in their respective fields to be the future business leaders in our region."
 
Adams said the expo also is designed to assist "those who might be interested in transferring to our campus from a community college or those who want to go back to school to have the chance to find out more about MSU-Meridian, the degrees we offer, and get familiar with our downtown campus."

William Hill, division head, said MSU-Meridian is excited about being in the heart of the downtown business community. "We want to use this expo as a way to continue the partnerships we've begun with area businesses and develop new ones," Hill said.

He noted the division provides a flexible teaching schedule, with classes offered in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Small and informal, courses are taught both through traditional face-to-face and hybrid-face-to-face and distance learning-formats.

As with the College of Business on the Starkville campus, the division is fully accredited by AACSB International, which represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Less than 5 percent of the world's 13,000 business programs have earned AACSB Accreditation, according to the organization's website.

Since the division relocated to the former Newberry Building in 2012 from the main campus on state Highway 19 North, several businesses have used its facilities for meetings or to conduct computer training for employees.  Also, Meridian Main Street utilizes one of its business majors as an intern each semester.
 
Hill said internships currently are available for summer, fall and spring semesters, thanks to support provided by the local Phil Hardin Foundation.
 
Carlton Young, associate professor of healthcare administration, said all students pursuing a business administration degree with a concentration in healthcare administration also must complete a semester-long internship.  

Young said healthcare "is one of the core areas of the strategic plan of MSU's College of Business," adding that, "On average, 10 students a year do internships with our local healthcare facilities. Internships give our students practical experience in the field to put on their resumes and exposure to executive responsibilities as healthcare managers."
 
He noted that "area healthcare employers also witness first-hand the caliber of our business students, many of whom are placed in jobs where they intern, including Rush Health Systems, Anderson Regional Medical Center, East Mississippi State Hospital, Vital Care, Inc. and others."

Young said the division is especially proud of its graduates "who increasingly are taking the lead in providing leadership in healthcare services to the people of Mississippi and Alabama."

For more about the Division of Business at MSU-Meridian, visit www.meridian.msstate.edu/academics/business.

For more information about Mississippi State University, see www.msstate.edu.