Recently, St. Gregory’s University approved the Master’s in Business Administration in Tribal Enterprise Management. A group from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and SGU have
worked tirelessly to develop this tribally-focused MBA, and we are pleased to announce that SGU will launch their first group of students through this program in the fall of this year.
The mission of the MBA-TEM is to “synthesize a tribal perspective with contemporary business practices to create ethical, sustainable, innovative techniques for leading and managing enterprises in Indian Country and beyond.”
This program will be open to all students in order to create a valuable professional learning community. We hope that this program will enable students to apply what they learn to businesses within Indian Country and give back to their tribal communities.
The 39-credit program integrates a tribal perspective with traditional MBA material into a six-module curriculum that will be completed in one year. The program will be held on-ground in Shawnee, Oklahoma. If successful, an online version will be considered in the future. Each module has been designed for students to take two classes per module, with one of the courses specifically focusing on tribal issues.
For example, in Module 2: Sovereignty and Business Concepts, students will take Legal Environment & Tribal Sovereignty at the same time they study Managerial Economics. This will ensure that a tribal perspective infuses all learning and discussions. Courses not specifically designed with a tribal component will use examples, articles, current events and cases relating to tribal issues and entities.
This model is distinctive in the United States and fulfills a dire need in Indian Country to develop leaders and employees who are well versed in the unique complexities of tribal business. We are proud of our role in developing this innovative program and look forward to watching its success.
To apply to begin in fall 2017, students must meet a July 1 deadline. Qualified CPN students are eligible to apply for full-tuition scholarships. Non-CPN and non-tribal students are also encouraged to apply. For more information, please contact the CPN Department of Education at college@potawatomi.org or 405-275-3121.
We’ve included a photo of a Citizen Potawatomi graduation stole, which are available through the CPN Gift Shop at giftshop.potawatomi.org and bring proceeds to tribal scholarships. For those graduating in December or next May, keep them in mind!