The Neeley School of Business at TCU and the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth (UNTHSC) have signed an agreement allowing students in both graduate programs to take courses to better prepare for leadership and management careers in health care. Students register with their own institution and then take the classes at the partnering campus.  The partnership is effective immediately, with the start of summer classes this year.
 
TCU MBA students will be able to take courses in health management and policy at UNTHSC, while graduate public health students at UNTHSC will be able to take select MBA courses at the Neeley School.
 
For TCU MBA students interested in health care careers, the opportunity brings an additional, unique perspective to their TCU MBA degree.
 
“Health care is consistently rated as one of the top industries for job opportunities over the next decade, so this new emphasis gives our MBA students an additional edge in a popular field,” said O. Homer Erekson, John V. Roach Dean of the Neeley School of Business at TCU. In addition to the new health care emphasis, the Neeley School provides MBA emphasis in energy, real estate, consulting and entrepreneurship.
 
TCU MBA students may take UNTHSC classes in insurance and managed care, health care law and health economics. UNTHSC students may take TCU MBA classes in financial reporting, accounting for managerial planning, marketing management, engaging and empowering people, and leading and guiding organizations.
 
“Today’s society must focus on financial issues in health care. With this new partnership, students in the Master of Health Administration degree program add additional business expertise to their studies, while TCU MBA students interested in health care careers gain a unique health management perspective to their business degree, all in preparation for health care leadership and management careers,” said Richard Kurz, PhD, dean of the School of Public Health at the UNT Health Science Center.
 
“An important dimension of graduate education involves learning from other students and developing deep professional networks,” Dean Erekson added. “Students in this distinctive program will develop those long-lasting professional relationships and gain from their respective experiences in business and health care.”
 
“TCU’s Neeley School is renowned for its business education,” Kurz noted. “This cross-town education enhances the learning experience for students in both schools and adds value to their degrees. It’s a definite win/win for both schools and our students.”
 
The Neeley School of Business is nationally ranked and recognized as a premier business school for both undergraduate and graduate programs by Bloomberg Businessweek, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Parade magazine’s College A-List and The Princeton Review. The TCU MBA program is ranked No. 4 by U.S. News & World Report for MBAs with the Most Financial Value at Graduation. The Neeley School is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the highest standard of accreditation for business schools internationally.
 
The UNT Health Science Center (http://unthsc.edu/) comprises the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Public Health, the School of Health Professions and UNT Health, its multi-specialty group practice. Key areas of strength include aging and Alzheimer's disease, applied genetics and primary care and prevention. This year, the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine was named a top-50 medical school in primary care by U.S. News & World Report for the tenth consecutive year. The Health Science Center contributes more than $500 million to the Tarrant County and Texas economies annually.