Business school starts venture

The IU Kelley School of Business and the American Banking Association are working together to allow students of the ABA's Stonier School of Banking to transfer credits toward a masters in business administration at IU's business school. \nStonier is a three-year executive management program operated by the ABA and is located at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Since its creation in 1935, Stonier's aim has been to develop leadership, managerial and analytical skills within the field of banking. \n"The venture between IU and the ABA will allow students (Stonier grads), if they meet IU requirements, to enroll in IU's online degree program," said Bruce Jaffe, associate dean of academics at the business school. "This will essentially transfer credit from one program to another." Jaffe also taught for 10 years at Stonier. \nSince 1999, Kelley School Direct, IU's online business program, has been allowing working professionals to earn degrees while continuing their employment. It was the first nationally ranked top-20 business school to offer an online MBA. The Kelley School has developed similar specialized programs for General Motors, United Technologies and John Deere. Along with offering MBAs, Kelley Direct offers master degrees in finance, global supply chain management and strategic management. \n"The Stonier Banking entity is an excellent institution," said Meghan Boston, marketing director of Kelley School Direct. "If you want to move up in banking, Stonier is the place to be."\nThe Stonier banking degree is comprised of two week classes taken over the course of three summers and various projects that are to be completed between the summers. The degree is worth nine credits and applies to the acquirement of an MBA at Kelley School Direct, which is a cumulative 48 credits. \nThe Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts also has agreed to participate in the program. Like IU, Isenberg offers online transfer MBA programs. \n"Typically, electives in our MBA program have been similar to those taught at Stonier," said Thomas O'Brien, dean of the Isenberg School. \nO'Brien said he was pleased that the program was being instituted at IU's business school. \n"We think their courses are top notch and we're proud to be first cousins," O'Brien said.