Statement of Mission

The Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University provides a quality education to future leaders in the profit, not-for-profit and public sectors. The School offers an in-depth education within a framework that includes a major field of specialization and a focus on decision making and management in a culturally, politically, socially and demographically diverse environment. A major objective of the curricula is to provide students with a perspective on the integration of the functional areas of business, while maximizing the use of analytical skills and knowledge for decision making in a contemporary global business environment.

Within a University dedicated to the liberal arts and sciences as the foundation of education, the Zarb School is committed to developing in its undergraduate students an appreciation for those disciplines. The Zarb School emphasizes to all its students the importance of lifelong learning and the social and ethical responsibility of managers toward all stakeholders in a diverse global workplace.

The academic organization is designed to foster student learning through close student/faculty interaction. Faculty are primarily concerned with excellence in teaching and are strongly committed to research and scholarship. They are also committed to service to the School and to the community at large.

The vision of the Zarb School of Business is to expand its national and international reputation for excellence by building on its strong regional reputation as a leading school of business.

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Educational Philosophy to Achieve Mission

The Zarb School is committed to maintaining and increasing the quality of its educational programs through:

1. Viewing the Mission Statement as a living document to be reviewed regularly and revised as warranted.
2. Assessing its programs on a continuing basis by communicating with all of the School’s stakeholders.
3. Providing an environment of fellowship among faculty, students and administrators that encourages collegiality and interaction through which a diversity of contributions are welcomed. Student advisement is an important component of this close association among faculty, students and administrators.
4. Maintaining as its priority the recognition and reward of faculty achievements in teaching excellence. Recognizing and rewarding faculty achievements in research and scholarship is deemed critical. A balance among basic scholarship, applied scholarship and instructional development is essential. Encouraging and recognizing University and community service is emphasized as well.
5. Attracting and retaining students with a strong commitment to learning, a sense of responsibility and the skills and academic preparation necessary to pursue a rigorous academic program.
6. Developing in both undergraduate and graduate students a sense of the special responsibilities incumbent upon them as future leaders by stressing the value of ethical behavior and diversity in all of its forms in the global workplace.
7. Promoting and encouraging the professional and personal development of students through sponsorship of a broad variety of student organizations, providing students with opportunities for formal and informal interaction with business practitioners and organizations. The School utilizes its proximity to New York City to better implement these interactions.
8. Seeking active linkages with local, national and international business organizations, agencies and other appropriate partners to provide service to a variety of communities and constituents and to afford opportunities to others to benefit from participation in Hofstra’s academic community.

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Educational Objectives to Achieve Mission

General Objectives

At both the baccalaureate and master’s levels, the Frank G. Zarb School of Business is committed to promoting quality teaching that requires rigor, relevance, and a thorough exploration of the application of business knowledge in an ever-changing business environment. Simultaneously, the School must impart to its students:

1. Strong functional knowledge integrated across business disciplines.
2. Proficiency in oral and written communications.
3. Analytical and critical thinking skills for effective decision making.
4. Appreciation for the sociopolitical, demographic, economic, and environmental issues that characterize the contemporary global business environment.
5. Understanding of information systems and other technologies and their use in both domestic and global environments.
6. Understanding of ethical principles and social responsibility.

Beyond service to traditional students, the Frank G. Zarb School seeks to increase its base of service to the business and not-for-profit communities through a variety of delivery systems such as certificate programs, consulting services, conferences, workshops, research and new course/program development for working executives, among others.

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Specific Objectives of Each Program

In addition to the general educational objectives listed above, each program in the Zarb School of Business has the following specific objectives:

Objectives of the Bachelor of Business Administration Program

• Offer curricula that are grounded in both the principles of a general, yet challenging, liberal arts curriculum and the fundamentals of business in contemporary practice.
• Serve qualified students who enter into the program directly from secondary schools, other four-year institutions and two-year colleges.
• Offer a wide range of B.B.A. concentrations.

Objectives of the Master of Business Administration Program

• Provide qualified students (who already hold baccalaureate degrees) with a professional perspective, broad exposure to the functional areas of business, specialized instruction in the leadership aspects of business, integrative capstone courses, and an opportunity to gain expertise in a specific field of business.
• Serve individuals with a strong commitment to managerial careers in business, government or the not-for-profit sector who exhibit the potential for leadership in the global business community.
• Offer a wide range of M.B.A. concentrations.

Objectives of the J.D./M.B.A. Program

• Offer qualified students a joint program leading to both M.B.A. and J.D. degrees.
• Give people with legal backgrounds a knowledge of business practice, the economic ramifications of the law and a foundation in business problem solving. Areas of law and business that especially benefit from such an approach include tax law, corporation law, real estate law, and antitrust law.

Objectives of the Executive M.B.A. Program

• Provide a graduate management education leading to the M.B.A. degree for those qualified students who possess at least seven years of managerial (or equivalent) experience and for whom a more appropriate venue for pursuit of the M.B.A. would be the structure and environment of the executive mode of delivery.
• Provide an appropriate professional perspective, broad exposure to the functional areas of business, specialized instruction in the leadership aspects of business, integrative capstone courses and an international residency component to foster global skills.
• Serve the particular needs of E.M.B.A. students through a lockstep program that encourages interaction among students.

Objectives of the Master of Science Programs

• Provide qualified students who already hold baccalaureate degrees with a professional perspective and an opportunity to gain expertise in a specific field of business. These programs are targeted at those who seek to develop expanded bases of knowledge in a particular area of business, as well as those who may seek career change from one business discipline to another.
• Serve individuals with a strong commitment to managerial careers in business, government or the not-for-profit sector who exhibit the potential for leadership in the global business community.
• Offer M.S. degrees in several functional areas of business.

Objectives of the Undergraduate Certificate Programs

• Enable qualified individuals holding baccalaureate degrees (in any field) to have the opportunity to earn certificates of achievement by completing 18-19 additional credits of undergraduate work in business.
• Offer these certificates in several specialized areas.
• Stimulate interest in business careers and encourage lifelong learning opportunities.
• Provide appropriate counseling and advisement.

Objectives of the Advanced Graduate Certificate Programs

• Enable qualified individuals holding M.B.A.s or other professional graduate degrees to earn certificates of achievement by completing 18 additional credits of graduate work in business. These programs are of value for those seeking to update skills in a particular field or to learn more about other functions of a firm.
• Offer these certificates in several specialized areas.
• Stimulate interest in business careers and encourage lifelong learning opportunities.
• Provide appropriate counseling and advisement.

December 2002