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(Jan. 24, 2012) - Kelli Crickey has been appointed as the new director of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in North Georgia College & State University's Mike Cottrell School of Business.

The two-year, part-time program began in 2008 and the first group of students graduated in 2010. This fall, North Georgia's MBA program will move to the new University Center | GA 400 facility in Cumming, Ga., from its current location in Cumming City Hall. Crickey said she's excited about the new location and about helping guide young professionals on their career path.

"I have the privilege of playing a role in people's lives as they take this step. I know what a life-changer this is, and I can appreciate the process involved in making that decision," Crickey said. "I get to talk to people as they are deciding, 'Is this the right program? Is the right time in my career and in my life?' We have a great program and it's nice to talk to people and decide if it is the right one for them."

Crickey, who came to North Georgia four years ago after spending 14 years with Nordson Corporation, had to ask herself those same questions when considering whether to pursue advanced degrees. She currently is pursuing a doctorate in business administration and has an MBA and two bachelor's degrees in management.

In addition to her role as MBA director, Crickey is an instructor in the Mike Cottrell School of Business, teaching undergraduate courses in international business, operations management and business management. She encourages her undergraduate students to work in the business world for a few years before pursuing advanced degrees.

"Our program is designed for younger professionals, and it’s particularly good for someone who has been working three to seven or more years and is ready to move up to that next level to oversee managers or take on more responsibility," Crickey said.

The MBA program is based on a cohort structure, which means that a group of students is accepted into the program each fall and progresses through the program as a group. Students take two classes each semester and classes are held on the same nights throughout the two years of the program. This structure makes it easier for working professionals to balance work, school and home life, while also encouraging student success, Crickey said.

"The structure keeps students in the program, because you feel like you're all in it together," she said. "The small class size allows professors to get to know the students and the students feel like they can have a relationship with their professors. That's a big strength of our MBA program."

MBA courses are taught by Dr. Mark Jordan, graduate program director, Dr. T.J. Gabriel, Dr. Bryson Payne and others. The two-year program also features integration events centered on the program's three themes -- leadership, teamwork and global perspective.

"These events reinforce the learning beyond the classroom and engage students in simulation exercises, coaching by executives and team-building," Crickey said. "It is part of what makes our program different."

The students working together in the MBA program's team-focused environment have different educational backgrounds and work experiences, Crickey said. While many MBA students have undergraduate degrees in business, others have degrees in fields such as science, education, communications and information systems.

"The MBA program is excellent for people who don't have the business undergraduate degree and are in the business environment. It helps them become more confident in their understanding of how the business world works," Crickey said. "The variety in the types of undergraduate degrees and work experiences students bring to the cohorts builds the richness of the program."

Crickey said she hopes completing the graduate program is only the first step in a lifelong pursuit of learning for young professionals.

"You don't get your degree and think you're finished learning. If anything, we're preparing you to be adaptive, to be receptive, and to think, to think differently because the world's changing constantly," Crickey said.