Executive MBA in Commercial Fitness to Launch in May 2009

American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts is set to launch the world's first Executive MBA program in Commercial Fitness in May.

Courses will be taught by the AIC graduate faculty and commercial fitness industry experts from around the country, according to Marc Onigman of Stone Hearth Fitness who is consulting with AIC on the project.

"The faculty at AIC is very excited about this new program," says Onigman, who has met with industry leaders at the SIBEC, Club Industry, and Athletic Business conferences to introduce the program to the industry.

At the industry's last major conference, the Club Industry show last quarter, one of the highlights of the annual financial forum was a discussion of the need for industry-wide credentialing, and "this exciting new program is a large, positive step in that direction," says Onigman. "We are certain that the industry will support this initiative."

"There is a growing need for executive talent, and while certification in the pure fitness aspects of the profession is critical, we have discerned a growing need for skill sets in the managerial and business aspects of the field, he continued."

Students will take five courses during the late spring and summer of 2009, three online courses during the 2009-2010 academic year, and finish up the program in 2010 with four courses and a Capstone Research Project focusing on a particular aspect of each student's job-specific segment of the industry.

"The core of the program will be very similar to a core MBA program; however, in addition, we have a number of courses that focus on current topics in the commercial fitness industry, and these will change from semester to semester in order to stay abreast of what is going on the field.

The initial class size will be small - 20 or under - says Onigman, and all students will attend all of the classes together.

The program is designed for middle- to senior-level managers from all segments of the commercial fitness industry.

Application forms, the curriculum, and more information can be found at www.aic.edu/fitmba. For more information, contact Dr. Magdalena Grudzinski-Hall at AIC at (413) 205-3238 with any questions.