Beginning in Fall 2013, aspiring graduate students can look forward to the newest program from the Department of Human Development and Consumer Sciences.
The Master of Science in global retailing will offer students the chance to examine the dynamics of worldwide impact multicultural consumer behavior, retail analytics, profitability and financial models, according to a UH College of Technology release.
Shirley Ezell, graduate coordinator for the program will help students in the application process, counseling, working out their schedules and serving as a general coach for students enrolled in the program. She said time was a factor in the program’s debut.
“We wanted time to develop all the media for the courses, work with our executives jointly on each course, share ideas throughout the program with the faculty and have a state of the art program,” Ezell said.
The 36-hour program offers a thesis and non-thesis track, both challenging students with 18 hours of core courses and at least 12 credit hours approved electives by a graduate advisor.
As an incentive, interested UH undergraduates can apply for the accelerated program giving them a head start with six hours of graduate courses toward their undergraduate degree, potentially reducing their hours to 30 once accepted post-graduation. They must have a 3.25 GPA in their major and a 3.0 in all technology courses.
Barbara Stewart, chair of the Department of Human Development and Consumer Sciences, was a member of the faculty team who developed the curriculum and will teach in the program.
“Today’s global retail environment is changing the skill set needed by professionals in retailing,” said Stewart. “The Master of Science degree in global retailing prepares students by facilitating their development by exposure to professionals engaged in worldwide locations and retail enterprises.”
Students can look forward to executives from Macy’s, Target, Univision, Wal-Mart and J.C. Penney Co. to accompany UH professors in teaching.
“The program is perfect for creative thinkers who want to better understand the new and expanding opportunities in the global marketplace,” said Ezell. “The job market is expanding and these skills are critical as retailers across the U.S. expand into global markets with e-commerce, storefronts and have to extend their retail environment into new cultural retail environments.”
The applications will open in January 2013.
New Global Retailing M.S. starts in Fall 2013. Read about it in the Daily Cougar