ASU's First MBA Students!

Krystal Trone (class of 2016) is part of the inaugural MBA class at ASU (contributed).

Inaugural MBA Students Complete Program - Formally Graduate in December 

By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU 

A group of 37 talented Alabama State University graduate students will make history in December as the inaugural cohort of graduates from the University’s new Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree program offered in the Percy J. Vaughn, Jr. College of Business Administration (COBA). The students completed all of their requirements for the degree during the summer semester but will “walk” during ASU’s Fall Commencement ceremony.  

COBA's dean, Dr. Kamal Hingorani, oversees the MBA program, which is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of business principles and practices while equipping them with the skills necessary to excel in today's dynamic business environment.  

"With the brand new MBA, we are bringing a whole new set of academic strengths to our College and to the University, and I am proud to say that the students in this program benefit from a college where 100 percent of the MBA faculty have either academic or professional doctorates. Another advantage is that the program can be completed in one year with the vast majority of it being accomplished in a virtual format which is a real benefit for those students who are already in the workforce." 

Krystal Trone earned her undergraduate degree at ASU in 2016 and is among the 37 who have just fulfilled the MBA degree requirements. 

"It is amazing to be a member of ASU's inaugural class of MBA's, especially with my undergraduate background as an English Literature major," said Trone. "Obtaining the degree over the past year was a journey because I had to work harder since I did not have the undergrad business school foundation as many students had; but it was not unbearable, and anything worth having is worth working hard to obtain." 

The Montgomery native is happy for herself and for her alma mater. 

"This new graduate degree is great for ASU's reputation as a world-class university and for the students since it may be obtained in just one year. I chose it because it allows me to have the academic tools to expand my horizons and have a better career in any number of fields," Trone said. 

A CELEBRATION OF HISTORY AND IMPACT

On August 4, COBA held a special celebration to honor the students’ successful completion of the MBA program. 

"In celebration of both their individual educational accomplishments and the history they have made for both the University and COBA, we held an event at The Nest (an on campus upscale restaurant) as a small token to express to them how proud we are of what each has accomplished," said Hingorani, who worked closely with President Quinton T. Ross, Jr., who interfaced with the ASU Board of Trustees, to make the degree possible. 

Hingorani believes the event and the upcoming Fall Commencement will serve as catalysts to inspire the graduates to be ASU ambassadors who will help COBA recruit other students for the program. 

"Most importantly, no business college can be successful without an MBA program for its students. Now that it is here, we have the task of increasing its rigor, enrollment, and the degree’s reputation. I would like to see additional tracks created in Finance, Business Data Analytics, and CyberSecurity," Hingorani said. "By now offering an MBA, we help elevate and improve the stature of the University. Our MBA program will open new career doors for our students, many of whom will be the first in their family to earn a graduate degree, and help build up our enrollment and make America more diverse." 

News media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104. 

###ASU###