AUA’s MBA Program Welcomes New Cohort

3 min read

YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) proudly welcomes a new cohort to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at the College of Business and Economics, infusing new perspectives into the larger academic community. The University leadership extends a warm welcome to the incoming cohort and is poised to embrace its assiduity to innovate and contribute to the sustained enhancement of the MBA program. The new cohort will assume various leadership roles, including coordination of expert guidance from MBA alumni who have graduated from the program earlier and have built successful careers since.

The MBA is a tailored program specifically suited for dedicated working professionals. It not only facilitates the development of comprehensive business knowledge but also fosters in students the essential skills and competencies necessary for adept decision-making in uncertain environments. Growing one’s strategic foresight and ability to seize opportunities and transform them into business creation and innovation are at the core of the program, duly preparing graduates to withstand today’s imperatives.

The current cycle of the MBA program reflects an impressive acceptance rate of 68% of applicants, highlighting both the program’s high admission standards and the caliber of the incoming students. Spanning an age range of 25 to 40, with an average age of 31, the new cohort brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from significant service in the public sector to experience in the private sphere.

An average of eight years of professional experience speaks volumes about the wealth of expertise graduate students bring to the MBA program. Remarkably, 38% of the incoming students possess prior master’s degrees, a testament to their dedication to knowledge and lifelong learning. The MBA program is designed to meet the needs of today’s professionals who are committed to advancing their careers or changing career paths and are drawn to AUA’s MBA program to support their professional journey. 

A review of the professional roles of MBA graduates reveals that 33% are in executive positions, 19% hold mid-level management positions, and 10% are appointed to senior management roles. The industries represented by the students attest to AUA’s influence across a spectrum of sectors: Information and communication technologies dominate at 29%, closely followed by financial services at 24%. Additionally, healthcare and governmental and nongovernmental organizations combined contribute 14% and 10%, respectively, depicting AUA’s footprint in all major domains. 

Commenting on this inspiring milestone, MBA Program Chair Mane Beglaryan remarks, “We are witnessing the emergence of never-once-thought business models in addition to technological advancements that not only dictate new ways of work but also reshape conventional professions. The presence of AI tools, machine learning, and blockchain technology in day-to-day business operations necessitates not only getting ahead of it but also paralleling our approach to doing business. It’s within this paradigm that the program identifies applicants who possess the ability to catalyze growth and exhibit adaptability while also contributing their core expertise and prior industry experience. 

The selection process for the new MBA cohort has been conducted meticulously. This cohort embodies our strategic vision — translated into action — to develop current and future executives. Their commitment to not only learning from our renowned faculty but also from one another is ingrained within the very fabric of the MBA program ideology. Our program is more than just an education; it is a platform that offers a comprehensive and deeper view, bridging various perspectives. 

Looking at incoming MBA students’ backgrounds as well as appraising the general trend over the past several years, we see that our applicants, in addition to conventional finance and economics backgrounds, are quite heterogeneous, often hard to cluster distinctively. Some are linguists, others are in healthcare and paramedical professions, while many work as engineers, hotel managers, IT experts, and even family business owners, etc. The key takeaway is that in refining and upgrading the MBA program’s curriculum, we have been able to embed in it advanced business tools and techniques as well as a corporate strategy that enhances fast-track career trajectory post MBA graduation or even while pursuing it. Our graduates are presented with multiple choices of senior leadership roles that are aligned with their individual professional aspirations and long-term vision. I wish the new cohort a very fulfilling path and look forward to celebrating new achievements within and beyond the MBA program endeavor.” 

As AUA embarks on a fresh new chapter of its MBA program, it reaffirms its strong dedication to nurturing academic excellence, fostering innovation, and growing a community of leaders.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.