Boise State will offer a new master’s degree, the executive master of business operational excellence, beginning in May 2013. The Idaho State Board of Education approved the new program Aug. 16.

A unique partnership between Boise State’s College of Business and Economics and the Kaizen Institute Consulting Group—a worldwide leader in Lean and Six Sigma training—supports the new program. Both Boise State and Kaizen Institute instructors will help managers become organizational leaders in operational improvement during the 12-month master’s program.

Participants will blend distance education, four one-week on-campus sessions, project work at their own organizations, and a study mission to Tokyo, Japan. The focus is on the leadership, change management and process improvement skills necessary for those in health care, manufacturing, service industries, education and the public sector to compete on a global basis. The emphasis on Lean Six Sigma skills will make graduates particularly well suited to drive business excellence in any organization. (more…)

Boise State’s College of Business and Economics Career Start MBA program has partnered with Boise Young Professionals (BYP), a program of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, to offer b|linked, a peer mentoring opportunity between students and BYP members. The program will kick off at the end of August with up to 40 mentors paired with 40 first-year MBA students.

The idea behind b|linked is to introduce students preparing to enter the workforce to BYP and the community by pairing them with other young professionals that have already paved the way. (more…)