Baldwin Wallace will be offering a Master of Science in Finance in response to the increased need for specialized workers in the marketplace.

The School of Business is in the process of partnering with Hunan University of Technology and Business to bring international students from China to BW through the anticipated master’s degree program.

The Master of Science in Finance degree has just gotten approval from the State of Ohio, said Dr. Karen Kaye, associate dean of graduate studies.

The finance degree, along with the Master of Accountancy degree, have been created by BW as a way to follow the trend of “unpacking the MBA,” said Kaye.

The MBA program has “a collection of courses in different disciplines”, whereas the Finance and Accounting master’s programs are more specialized, said Kaye.

The demand for a degree that teaches a specialized skill set is reflected in the decreased number of people enrolled in MBA programs across the country, said Dr. Kevin Jacques, chair of the Department of Finance.

“General enrollment in MBA programs across the country have been trending downward and people are looking for more specialized master’s degrees,” said Jacques. “They’re interested in more specialized master’s degrees to complement whatever skills they already have and to give them greater expertise to help them advance in their careers.”

Students graduating with the degree will have a better understanding of the global economy, said Kaye.

“There is an interest in international study in this area also, because the world is so globally and economically tied now,” said Kaye. “So, our students that leave here and work in the business world need to understand that.”

One way that Baldwin Wallace will be establishing students’ deeper understanding of international economies is through its partnership with Hunan University of Technology and Business. Once the partnership is made official, the program will have somewhere between 30-60 students from Hunan University within the first year, said Jacques.

The students from Hunan University that will join the Master of Science in Finance program have experienced previous education in the United States.

“They’ve earned their bachelor’s degree in America,” said Jacques. “They’re simply looking for a place to get their master’s degree so we are in the process of partnering with them.”

Both American and international students will contribute to the program’s growth, said Jacques.

The degree is still in the early stages of the decision process, so the semester that it will start being offered is yet to be determined, said Jacques.

“There are so many things that need to take place in order for this program to work,” said Jacques.“We’re very excited about getting this program finalized and bringing it to BW.”