Potential MBA students can try and buy at Regis

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Dec 18, 2006 by BRIAN NEWSOME THE GAZETTE

A master's degree in business administration can easily cost as much as a a new car.

So why not take it for a test drive?

Regis University has started a "try and buy" program for prospective students considering its Denver- and Colorado Springs- based MBA programs. Students who have shown an interest in Regis but haven't made up their minds can choose from about a dozen courses to sit in on for a day, said Michael Goess, chairman of the division of business graduate programs.

Although it's not unusual for colleges and universities to informally offer students a chance to sample classes -- sometimes it's even encouraged -- Regis is actively marketing the idea as a way to snag possible recruits.

"The light bulb finally went off," Goess said.

Under the program, prospective students can choose from roughly a dozen courses in finance, policy, marketing and operations to sit in on.

Officials at the college, a private Jesuit school, hope the tryand-buy program will help win over students deciding between two or more schools.

Tonya Hill, 31, plans to start at Regis this spring and has been dabbling in the try-andbuy classes. She works full time at a financial company and said the classes gave her a feel of what she was getting into.

"If you're serious about going, it's going to make or break the deal," she said.

Graduate business courses at Regis cost about $1,600 a class. "That's a lot of money to not know if this is something you really want to do," Hill said.

The program is not a freefor-all open house. Students who have been working with Regis marketing and recruiting officials are invited to attend specific classes at a set time, Goess said.

MBAs are popular among working adults who see graduate school as a ticket to promotions or other career goals, and schools such as Regis are looking for new ways to reach them. Competition has grown in recent years, especially with the introduction of online programs.

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