Centrally located in Southern California is one of the premier private Christian colleges and universities: California Baptist University. CBU offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and qualifying programs both on its campus and online. Each aims to empower students to discover their talents and find their purpose.
But what sets it apart is its Christ-centered ethos and excellence in teaching—the kind that equips students with the skills, integrity, and sense of purpose that will glorify God and distinguish them in the workplace and in the world.
This is evident from the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business. Here, students develop into honest businessmen thanks to a curriculum that upholds the idea that business can be conducted in a way that honors God and people while making a profit.
Along the way, the programs empower students to achieve their personal and professional goals. The MS Information Technology Management (MSITM) in the merging of information technology with God-honoring values. The goal? Promoting moral innovation that benefits all. MSITM students have this at the forefront as they acquire competencies and skills that give them a competitive edge in today’s rapidly changing IT environment.
By addressing 21st century concerns in the fields of law and ethics, organizational leadership, conflict resolution, project management, cybersecurity, emerging technologies and disaster preparedness, MSITM equips students to become professionals in the field, ready to excel at all levels of management provide .
Lenard Verde is one of them. “I have been involved with IT since I was a junior in high school working for a Riverside computer company until I decided to start my own business in 1999. While running the business, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Information Management from CSUSB in 2001,” he shares.
In 2019 he chose the MSITM. “It was close to my home and I grew my business beyond supporting small businesses [wanted to] have the credentials to prove it,” he says.
And he did. “The program at CBU has enabled me to look at IT management more strategically than from an ad hoc or reactionary standpoint. It gave me the confidence to pursue larger accounts and proved to my customers that I have the knowledge and experience to properly address their IT needs,” says Verde.
Verde now uses the knowledge he gained at CBU to provide IT support services for PCs and networks, as well as Microsoft 365 consulting services for medium and large companies. He is currently President of a company called Advance IT Corporation.
The campus has the perfect location near the mountains, ocean and desert.
Source: California Baptist University
Such skills are typical of Jabs School of Business graduates. They have an 82% full-time employment rate for optional on-the-job training (OPT). For further help with career goals, professional development, internships, writing resumes and finding a job, they can contact a dedicated careers center.
Ranked #3 in the top MBA programs in California (Best Value Schools, 2021), the Jabs School MBA is equally prolific in helping students achieve their career goals. This program examines finance, marketing, economics, strategy, and organizational leadership in classes that model real-world work environments. Available online or on campus, the courses are small and interactive, providing the ideal setting for anyone to improve their networking, team building and interpersonal skills while defining their unique business vision.
Lessons like this ultimately train students to think, react, and function like managers and leaders—and if you’re a CBU student, it takes you around the world, too. With global business travel or international internship opportunities included in tuition, MBA students can combine theoretical concepts with practical experience outside of the United States and their home countries.
As part of the program, students learn from professionally accomplished faculty members, including successful entrepreneurs, managers, consultants, researchers, authors, business owners, and executives.
The aim of the university is to support students in their professional and personal development.
Source: California Baptist University
One student who benefited from her guidance was Vanessa Perez. She was doing an internship at a local radio station when God inspired her to pursue an MBA. “I didn’t know it then, but God put this desire in my heart to do an MBA so I would have the knowledge and background to help develop programs that empower low-income women to start their own.” support the company,” she says.
The Jabs School MBA helped her with that – and a lot more. One of the most valuable things Perez took away from her time at CBU was “gaining the confidence it took me to accept that I don’t need to know everything,” she says. “When I entered the program I was concerned that I didn’t have a business background but I was able to learn new things and be good at it. I loved that the program was God centered and included prayer and the Word of God.
Jabs School’s MBA paved the way for her to become executive director of the Time for Change Foundation, an organization that provides housing and support services to homeless women and children and encourages them to be self-sufficient.
Today, many MSITM and MBA graduates have fond memories of their alma mater’s stunning campus throughout their careers. The university ranked third for Best College Campuses, fifth for Best College Food, and 24th for Best College Dorms in the Niche 2023 College Rankings.
What are you waiting for? Click here to start your journey at Jabs School of Business.
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