National Accreditation
Southern States University (SSU), a private school with six campuses in Southern California and more than 650 active students from over 25 countries has just been awarded its initial grant of national accreditation. The news came to the SSU Administration this week from The Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) – a national accreditation body recognized by the United States Department of Education. Robert Tepper, Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer at SSU, remarked that obtaining national accreditation has been a challenging but rewarding process for the faculty, administration and the students. “Our mission at SSU is to provide a solid, high quality business education at an affordable price,” said Chancellor Tepper. “We have worked hard for the past four years to become worthy of accreditation, and it is a wonderful achievement to have reached this plateau. Going forward our focus will be to continuously improve every aspect of the University, which ultimately is what accreditation is all about.”
Southern States University focuses its Bachelor and Master of Business Administration programs on a combination of solid business fundamentals that allow its graduates to join existing companies or start their own businesses. Course curricula include extensive hands-on experience. Before completing the Master of Business Administration program at SSU, every student must complete a project to demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired. For example, students may choose to write a thorough business plan for a specific business or enterprise, and then to demonstrate the practicality of this plan to a committee. Harold Hoang, a 2010 graduate, wrote his final project on his experience working as a wireless engineer at Qualcomm. Hanna Kim, a student from Korea, devoted her final project to the organization of a day care center with an Intensive English Language program in her native city of Seoul.
One unique aspect of Southern States University is its student population. More than 300 students currently attend classes in the BBA and MBA programs, representing over 25 countries. In addition to its BBA and MBA programs, SSU offers an Intensive English program for students of all skill levels, including preparation for the TOEFL exam. Over 350 students, mostly studying with F-1 student visas are currently enrolled in SSU’s Intensive English programs. Many International students, after advancing their English skills to a college level, choose to continue their education and study in SSU’s BBA or MBA program.
Both foreign and American students are attracted to SSU because of its high quality instruction and beautiful Southern California locations, combined with tuition prices that compete with state schools (no out-of-state or International Student tuition difference) and convenient payment plans. The affordability of SSU’s MBA program (tuition cost slightly exceeds $11,000 for the complete program) has proven attractive to a diverse cross section of the population.
The majority of SSU faculty members hold PhD degrees, and SSU’s programs are constantly evaluated by its Graduate and Undergraduate Program Committees. The BBA and MBA degree programs combine theory with case studies and real-life business applications, and have proven useful for students from around the world who need a background in Business Administration in order to advance their careers. SSU’s coursework is structured to meet today’s busy lifestyles and work schedules: its BBA and MBA classes are offered on weekday evenings, as well as Saturday mornings and afternoons, while its Intensive English program is offered weekday mornings, afternoons and evenings.
In May of 2010, Southern States University had its second MBA commencement ceremony since beginning its MBA program in 2006. Eighty three graduates received their MBA diplomas this year, and over 200 have earned MBA diplomas since 2006. Tatiana Student, a 2009 graduate, was invited to this year’s ceremony to accept SSU’s “Outstanding Alumnus of the Year” certificate. After graduating from SSU, Tatiana is back in her native Brazil, and is employed by one of the world’s leading professional recruitment consultancies, Michael Page. She considers her MBA degree earned at SSU as a very important step in her professional growth.
