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Penn State aligns with QVC for new i MBA program By Melissa W. Kaye
	The first group of students from the Penn State World Campus Intercollege Master of Business Administration program (i MBA) arrived at West Chester, Pa.-based QVC Inc. last spring for a one-week stay to satisfy the residency component of the i MBA’s curriculum.   The i MBA program, launched in September 2002, provides online delivery of an MBA degree to experienced managers in fields such as business, engineering, health care and technology. One-week residencies in the third and last terms of the eight-term program, offer students an opportunity to integrate a cross-functional analysis of a prominent company into their course work.   “The residency component of i MBA offers a unique graduate business opportunity,” Dr. John Fizel, lead faculty member for i MBA, said. “Students work on-site at QVC and interact with QVC executives as they develop strategic alternatives for the company.”   Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies hosted the i MBA residency at QVC. Students toured the company to observe its business operations. QVC executives spoke to the students about their functional areas, such as information technology, human resources, customer relations, supply chain management and quality control. And a company vice president shared the mission, vision and culture of the company with the students. They then critiqued that culture and internal operations and analyzed the market position of QVC relative to its key competitors.   “We are pleased that a nationally recognized university such as Penn State has chosen to launch its new i MBA program with QVC as a critical component to its curriculum,” Tom Clardy, QVC senior vice president of human resources, said. QVC, a $4.3 billion company, markets a wide variety of products in such categories as home furnishings, fashion, beauty, electronics and jewelry.   Fizel promised students the residency would be one of the best educational experiences of their lives. Student Jason Eger was quick to attest to that statement, saying, “We were given an opportunity to learn about not just a very successful organization, but also a culture in itself. With the guidance of our professors, our group utilized the information we gained during the week to create a final project: developing strategic alternatives for QVC.”   “This type of evaluation is a critical skill for business managers who must understand and integrate across all functions of the business in order to develop successful strategies,” Fizel noted.   Student Jim Kasperik added that the residency proved to be a perfect opportunity to meet his fellow classmates after only knowing each other online. “That in itself was worth it,” he said. “The project was very involved and extensive, so doing this online would have been possible, but not very easily done. Being together in one room was very helpful.”   Kasperik said he has already recommended the i MBA program to others, including a colleague from where he works at Latrobe, Pa.-based Kennametal, a company that makes metal cutting tools.   Eger, a project manager at medical software-maker invivodata, inc., based in Pittsburgh, Pa., describes his experience with i MBA as “top-notch. I am able to apply the different theories and concepts in my everyday life at work. The flexibility of the program allows me to work full time, study full time and maintain a family life.”