Indian students joining LTU this fall for MBA program

SOUTHFIELD-The initial cohort of 10 students from India's Pune Institute of Business Management will arrive at Lawrence Technological University's Southfield campus soon for a year of learning under a joint LTU-PIBM Master of Business Administration program.

The program was the product of a longtime friendship between LTU President Tarek Sobh and Raman Preet, founder and board chair of the PIBM. Under the program, PIBM MBA students attend their first year of classes in India, then take the second year of their master's degree program at LTU.

"We are giving these students a special scholarship; they'll live on campus, and they'll receive all the student support LTU has to offer," said Minakhi Jena, director of business programs in the LTU College of Business and Information Technology.

LTU provides extensive support and resources to international students, including extracurricular activities and F1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) after completion of their two full academic semesters and F1 Optional Practical Training (OPT), approved by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), after successful completion of their academic program. Students can work anywhere in the United States during their approved period of OPT.

LTU President Tarek Sobh said the program "reaffirms the global reach of Lawrence Technological University, offering these students from India the advantages of an LTU MBA, and offering them the chance to get a first-hand look at American business through work experience. This is yet another example of how LTU's motto, 'Theory and Practice,' is embodied throughout our academic offerings."

Matthew Cole, interim dean of the LTU College of Business and Information Technology, Lisa Kujawa, vice president of enrollment management, and Jena virtually attended the first-year MBA students' onboarding in Pune last year. Earlier this year, Jena and Jim Ritz, career services advisor, presented two professional development workshops for first-year PIBM students via Zoom: "How to Build Your Personal Brand for A Professional Career" and "Life in the USA: An Intercultural Awareness Workshop."

Lawrence Technological Universityis one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932 and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation's top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation's top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report list it in the top tier of the best Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, "theory and practice" education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech's 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.