Chamber of Commerce

IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE UNIVERSITY'S GOAL IS TO HAVE 300 GRADUATE STUDENTS, ACCORDING TO THE OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND EFFECTIVENESS. following statistics for the 2011-12 school year: there were 196 graduate students in various phases of their two-year programs. Fifty-eight percent of the graduate students are females, compared with an undergraduate population that is 48 percent female. The scales are tipped to female go-getters in the PA, MBA and M.Ed. programs. The total student population – undergraduate and graduate students – was comprised of 2,476 students, with 38 percent calling Cumberland County home. In the Physician Assistant program, the 105 students for the 2011-12 year varied in demographics. Some went to college right after high school, finished their four-year degree then went immediately into their PA studies. "We also have quite a few students who use the PA program as a second career, including retired army colonels," Brookman said. "And we also have plenty of students who apply for the PA program from outside of the region and many parts of the country." Physician assistants practice medicine with a supervising physician. Those services can include diagnosing common illnesses, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, setting fractures, assisting or performing minor surgeries, and counseling patients. The MBA program had 53 students in the 2011-12 school year. "We've had quite an assortment of folks," Brookman said. The program has included MU undergraduates and employees, as well as businesspeople from the community. The program has two focuses: Organizational Management and Health Care Administration. The Master of Justice Administration degree had 38 students in the 2011-12 school year. "That program includes a number of MU justice students as well as quite a few non-traditional students who are already in law enforcement," Brookman said. Retired (effective July 1, 2012) Fayetteville City Police Chief Tom Bergamine is a graduate of the program. Law enforcement officers from other cities are also in the program. "This course usually attracts the non-traditional age student," she said. The program is geared to "focus on the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to effectively address complex problems and issues currently facing the criminal justice system," the Univer- sity's website stated. To learn more about any of the programs at Methodist, and to apply online, go to methodist.edu or call 910.630.7000. www.FayettevilleNCChamber.org | 29

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