Jan. 24, 2014 - King’s College students will have an opportunity to participate in two master’s degree programs with the University of Notre Dame’s prestigious Mendoza College of Business beginning in the 2014-15 academic year.  King’s is the only college in the country with this unique arrangement with the University of Notre Dame.

King’s students who earn a bachelor’s degree from King’s and who maintain a required grade-point-average and Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) score will be guaranteed admission to the University of Notre Dame’s one-year Master of Science in Business or Master of Science in Accountancy programs.  The guaranteed admission status will be granted to a maximum of two King’s students per program per academic year.

“King’s is very excited to offer these graduate degree cooperative programs with our Holy Cross Congregation ‘sister’ school, the University of Notre Dame,” said Father John Ryan, C.S.C., King’s president.  “The College’s ability to partner with the prestigious Mendoza College of Business provides King’s students from a wide variety of majors a wonderful opportunity to combine their bachelor’s degree with concentrated studies in business to accelerate their professional and personal development.  An added bonus is that the University of Notre Dame curriculum mirrors the emphasis on ethical behavior established at King’s.”

The Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA) Program is for students who receive an accounting degree from King’s.  Students successfully completing the program will also earn the minimum 150 credits necessary to earn a Certified Public Accountant license following successful completion of the CPA exam.

The MSA Program at the Mendoza College of Business was rated the top master’s program for its size in America by the 2013 “Public Accounting Report” and had a 100% placement rate for 2013 graduates with 83% of those graduates placed with a Big Four accounting firm.

Accounting majors at King’s are part of the College’s William G. McGowan School of Business, which is accredited by AACSB International, - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business - which represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide.  AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education, and has been earned by less than five percent of the world's business programs, including King’s College and the University of Notre Dame.

“The education a student receives from the McGowan School of Business emphasizes an awareness of personal values, character development, and an understanding of liberal learning competencies applied in a business context,” said Barry H. Williams, dean.  “The MSA Program will build upon the successful outcomes received from an accounting bachelor’s degree from King’s with a master’s degree in accounting from the world-class Mendoza College of Business.”

The Master of Science in Business (MSB) Program will be open to King’s students who earn a bachelor’s degree in a non-business major.

The MSB program requires 44 credits over an 11-month period, with summer, fall and spring terms.  The curriculum provides students with an in-depth exposure to various aspects of business, such as finance, accounting marketing and management.  “A unique aspect of the MSB program is the ‘Bridge’ course sequence that allows students to integrate their non-business background into their business studies.  The students get to network with Notre Dame alumni with similar backgrounds, which helps them develop their own personal brand and career track,” notes Paul Lamore, program coordinator at King’s.

King’s College and the University of Notre Dame introduced a dual bachelor’s degree program in engineering which began with first-year students who entered King’s in August 2013.  The program attracted more than double its goal for student participants and continues to draw stronger than expected interest from prospective students who wish to earn degrees from both King’s College and the University of Notre Dame.

The Mendoza College of Business has been consistently ranked among the top 20 United States business schools and as the number one school for ethics and corporate social responsibility by “Bloomberg Businessweek”.