Cal Poly To Offer MBA With Focus in Document Systems Managements

Cal Poly's Orfalea College of Business is teaming up with the Graphic Communication Department in the College of Liberal Arts to offer a Master of Business Administration degree program with an emphasis in document systems management.

The degree was created to fill a need in the document industry for knowledgeable managers, according to Harvey Levenson, Graphic Communication Department head.

"The MBA with an emphasis on graphic communication document systems management prepares graduate students to understand the dynamics of the document industry while effectively identifying and integrating change into critical business processes to provide the highest possible value to the customer," Levenson said. "The new business of document preparation, production and distribution demands new management procedures if present and start-up companies are to survive in this increasingly competitive market."

The document industry has come to encompass traditional print and non-print imaging such as World Wide Web authoring, Internet publishing and electronic imaging, including on-demand and variable-imaging digital printing and related new-media technologies.

"New media are increasingly merging with traditional print under the operation of mature printing and publishing companies," Levenson said. "With this comes the need for new and sophisticated management practices to lead companies in the face of rapidly changing technologies, new competition for existing customers, and the economic pressures for more-rapid production, higher quality, lower prices and less waste. This unique program aims to fill this need."

Ram Krishnan, director of graduate programs for the Orfalea College of Business, said, "This program continues the Orfalea College of Business's efforts to partner with other colleges at Cal Poly to offer high-quality, technical educational experiences. The Cal Poly MBA builds on the rich tradition of learn-by-doing, close student-faculty interaction, teamwork and a focus on career development.

"The first-year business foundation courses provide an excellent base for student growth," Krishnan said. "Coupled with second-year courses in key management skills --including negotiations, managing change, project management and human resource management -- and graphic communication functional courses, this program will accelerate the interested student's career potential."

The idea of the MBA program is supported by the Electronic Document Systems Foundation, an association with membership that includes some of the world's leading developers of digital printing technology.

In the first year of the program, students will take a core of MBA courses in finance, quantitative analysis, organization behavior, economics, information systems and marketing. They will also take courses in production and operations management, organizational design and international business.

During their second year, students will take courses specific to the document industry, including industry segments, processes and products, document publishing systems, new technologies, digital content management, document pricing, costing and estimating, digital document media, and imaging systems management. This will include an internship in industry and faculty-directed research courses.

Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department pursues excellence in education through theoretical and experiential methods that discover, apply and articulate fundamental print and imaging technologies, applied aesthetics, and management in graphic communication, Levenson said. Founded in 1946, the department is one of the largest in the nation. With approximately 33,000 square feet of modern laboratories, the department has more than 2,500 alumni working in all facets of the graphic communication industry.

The Orfalea College of Business challenges highly motivated students to become tomorrow's socially responsible business leaders through a learn-by-doing, technology-oriented education, Krishnan said. Its programs are designed to help students achieve maximum personal development, prepare them for entry into the business world, and foster good citizenship, leadership and constructive community living - values that are emphasized throughout the college's and the university's curricula. The design of its programs allows the college to meet its mission of "excellence in the learning process" and achieve a unique niche in California's higher education business programs.

For more information contact Krishnan at (805) 756-2637 or mba@calpoly.edu, or Harvey Levenson at (805) 756-6151 or (805) 756-1109 or hlevenso@calpoly.edu.