Wharton eliminates BBA program

Wharton's Evening School is discontinuing its Bachelor of Business Administration degree program, making it impossible for part-time undergraduate students to receive a Wharton degree.

While students currently enrolled will be able to take BBA classes for another four years, new students will not be able to matriculate as of today.

"The primary rationale for [the discontinuation] is that we've had declining enrollments in the BBA program," Vice Dean and Director of the Wharton Undergraduate Division Thomas Dunfee said. "At the same time, we've had increasing interest in the other things that we offer at night."

The BBA program offers an undergraduate business degree from Wharton through weekday evening classes at Penn in business and liberal arts. Courses and requirements are similar to those of full-time Wharton undergraduates, but full-time students receive a Bachelor of Science in Economics.

BBA students are required to complete 36 course units in areas such as business fundamentals, general education, business breadth and business depth. They must also take several classes in Accounting, Management and Marketing, as well as business and free electives.

Most BBA students follow a two-year plan, taking two courses in each of the fall and spring semesters and one course during the summer session both years.

However, it takes some students, all of whom work full time, longer to complete the requirements because of busy schedules and leaves of absence. These students may have to change their plans now that BBA classes will be offered for only four more years.

Dunfee stressed that Wharton will assist current students in completing their degrees and said that students will be receiving a full explanation of the discontinuation by e-mail today.

"For the students currently in the program, we are going to provide a full and fair opportunity to finish their degrees," Dunfee said. "We will continue to offer BBA courses for four more years, and we will work with the College of General Studies to allow people who cannot finish all of their Wharton requirements in the next four years to finish up in a longer time period."

According to Dunfee, anyone who is still interested in part-time undergraduate programs like the BBA courses can consider the business cluster offered by CGS, which gives students the option of taking Wharton classes.

Dunfee added that Wharton is also considering expanding its evening certificate program to fill the vacancy left by ending the BBA program, since there has been increased enrollment and interest in the current certificate programs.

Certificate programs offer college graduates more insight into specific aspects of business and help give them the foundation they will need when they enroll in an MBA program.

The marketing, management and graduate school preparation certificates are still available for new part-time students through the Evening School.

The Evening School at Wharton was founded in 1904, offering undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and non-degree classes to part-time adult students who had received their high school diploma at least four years prior to matriculation.

Any part-time students enrolled in a Wharton Evening School program must also hold a full-time job.

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