The 2014 onsite MBA cohort at Medline in Mundelein, Ill.
New onsite graduate programs are bringing DePaul through the door at some of the area’s most prominent employers. This summer, two corporate onsite cohorts began with the delivery of a Master of Business Administration degree program at Medline, a major manufacturer and distributor of healthcare supplies, and a Master of Public Health degree program at Lurie Children’s Hospital—resulting in 70 new graduate students and $3.2 million in revenue over the duration of the program.
These partnerships were spearheaded by EMM’s Corporate and Employer Outreach (CEO) initiative. CEO delivers targeted enrollment growth through outreach to large Chicago corporations and employers by identifying and customizing degree and certificate programs that help employers further develop their workforce. CEO staff partnered with admission staff from LAS and KGSB to cultivate these student cohorts through customized communications and onsite information sessions.
Hosting degree programs onsite provides employers numerous benefits. Curricula are tailored to meet the particular needs of the industry; for example, Medline selected two MBA concentrations they feel would be most beneficial to their business. Further, students progress through the programs in lockstep cohorts, which strengthens employee teamwork. Another significant benefit is that employees don’t have to commute to campus after a full workday, a particular benefit for Medline employees; the company is headquartered in Mundelein. In addition, Medline is viewing the onsite MBA program as a tool to attract and retain talented employees—another business benefit for employers.
CEO targets companies for onsite programs based on a number of factors, including: company size and number of prospective students; a tuition reimbursement program for employees; and company headquarters in the Chicago area.
In addition to the onsite program agreements, CEO has generated education partnership agreements with 10 corporations, including HCSC (parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield), Northern Trust, United Airlines, Advocate Health, and Presence Health. The partnership agreements provide a tuition discount to employees participating in their company tuition reimbursement program.
To learn more about CEO, contact
Dara Crowfoot, director for Corporate and Employer Outreach.
*This story originally reported that the Master of Public Health (MPH) program is within the College of Science and Health (CSH). The program is in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (LAS). This article has been corrected to reflect the correct college.