The projects are practical applications of the course material based on the student s current professional work. After the classroom instruction phase, each student contacts the professors monthly to discuss the progress of the project and receive additional guidance. The project phase concludes with the submission of a written report approximately 14 weeks after the completion of the classroom instruction phase. Students attend the program with a cohort group of 25 to 30 professional colleagues. These cohorts are on the Loyola campus together for eight consecutive days three times a year for two years, and they develop friendships that extend well beyond the program.
Students help each other solve work-related problems throughout the year.
They stay in touch through telephone, fax, e-mail, and a listserv. This course introduces the concepts of total quality management. The major theories are studied through readings. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award receives extensive coverage as a comprehensive tool for effectively managing a business organization. The concepts of key business performance and evaluation measurement and the balanced score card are emphasized.