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Belmont Abbey College Graduates First-Ever Master’s Level Cohort

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Belmont, N.C. (December 17, 2022) – For the first time in college history, Belmont Abbey announces the graduation of its inaugural graduate level cohort. The Master of Health Administration launched in August of 2021 is the first graduate program offered by the private liberal arts college. The five graduating students display exemplary understanding of healthcare disciplines and will make a valuable impact on the industry at large.

The MHA program is asynchronous and online, with expected completion in less than 18 months. “We developed this program to meet the needs of busy working professionals who desire to deepen their understanding of the healthcare industry and enhance their career opportunities,” says Dr. Gwyndolan Swain, Founding Director of the MHA program at Belmont Abbey College. “It’s with great joy that I announce that our first cohort has completed their requirements for graduation and will now continue the exceptional work they’ve started as part of the workforce.” Due to the flexibility of the program, students are able to advance their skills without putting their current occupations on hold. Graduates from the program have careers in health policy, hospital administration, and insurance.

As a Catholic, Benedicitine institution, Belmont Abbey is committed to offering academic programs that address societal issues. The MHA program creates a pipeline of qualified healthcare leaders that emerge ready to lead. “Going through a global pandemic tested the durability of our healthcare systems. Several factors contributed to the healthcare shortage, but COVID-19 reminded all of us how important it is to have ethical, well-trained healthcare leaders working in the field”, says Dr. Travis Feezell, Provost at Belmont Abbey. “There’s a great demand for leaders in this space and we are doing all we can to answer this call, specifically in Gaston County.” In addition to the MHA, Belmont Abbey recently launched new BSN, RN-BSN, and MSN degree programs to meet the needs of aspiring healthcare workers.

As part of the inaugural graduate cohort, Belmont Abbey celebrates several undergraduate alumni who came back home to complete their Master’s degree. Grace Bruno ‘17, is part of that group. “Going back to the Abbey was an easy decision for me because I knew what I was going to get in terms of education. I knew I would have a hands-on experience, guided by dedicated faculty who know what it’s like to balance Graduate school and a full-time job,” Bruno says. “I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.” For more information on joining the Master of Health Administration program at the Abbey, visit bac.edu/mha.

Press inquiries can contact Rolando Rivas, AVP of Marketing and Communications, at rolandorivas@bac.edu. For information on all of the Graduate degrees offered at Belmont Abbey, visit bac.edu/academics/graduate-studies/.

Download the press release.

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New Social Media and Digital Communications Minor

Author: Dr. Erin Jensen (Crusader Faculty Advisor), Associate Professor of English

The Social Media and Digital Communications minor just started this semester. Please contact erinjensen@bac.edu if you are interested in this minor.

The Social Media and Digital Communication minor is an interdisciplinary minor focused on providing students with increased understanding of and practical experience with using social media and digital communication. Students will have options for classes in English, Business, Digital Humanities, Computer Science, and Digital Art. As part of the coursework, students will create and run social media campaigns and engage in application assignments within their various classes. Upon completion of the courses necessary for this minor, students will have the skills necessary to find jobs in a variety of positions, including social media writing, social media management, graphic design, digital design, content creation, content strategy, digital communication, and many others. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this minor, students from all majors would be welcome and would find that the minor complements their major studies and increases their employment opportunities.

Minor in Social Media and Digital Communication: 15 credits
Students will complete five courses (15 credits), including one required course (EN 361) and four additional courses.
Required for all students:

  • EN 361 Writing for Social Media (3 credits) (Taught Spring 2023 and Summer 2023)

Students will choose any four of the following courses:

  • EN 106: Introduction to Digital Art and Multimedia Art
  • CS 110: Introduction to Video Game (3 credits)
  • CS 243: Web Site Development (3 credits)
  • DH 301: Introduction to Digital Humanities (3 credits)
  • DH 400: Methods in the Digital Humanities (3 credits)
  • EN 363: Professional and Technical Writing (3 credits)
  • BU 315W: Business Communication (3 credits)
  • BU 319: Advertising and Promotion (3 credits)
  • Digital Communication (to be added)
  • EN 453 Internship or Department Internship class (3 credits)
  • Additional social media and digital communication-based courses as they are added to individual departments

This article was originally posted in the Fall 2022, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue.

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New Minors in Accounting

Author: Toni Berbick, Associate Professor of Accounting

Belmont Abbey College has approved two new Accounting Minors to compliment the revised Accounting Program Curriculum: The Cyber Audit Minor and the Fraud Minor.

The new curriculum reflects the new format and content of the CPA exam and is based on the ACIPA’s Evolution Module Curriculum and the content on the CPA exam effective 2024. The first minor is in Cyber Audit Risk and Compliance (Cyber Audit) and the second is Fraud and Forensic Investigations Minor (Fraud Minor). In addition to providing students with the skills and competencies required of a newly licensed CPA, both minors address the global skills gap in these two areas. These two new minors complement existing minors available to Accounting Majors including a Minor in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Information Security, Cyber Security, Criminal Justice and Pre-Law.

The Cyber Audit Minor is designed for Business and Accounting students who want to complement their major by adding the valuable and highly sought-after skill set of IT Audit. The Cyber Audit Minor compliments the existing Cyber Security Minor offered by the Computer Science Department at the Abbey. While the existing Cyber Security Minor focuses on data risk from and technical perspective, the Cyber Audit minor focuses on operating and control risk based on a foundation of Accounting Information Systems. This was a joint effort between the Accounting and Computer Science Departments.
The Cyber Audit minor was developed with the guidance and support from members of the Charlotte Chapter of ISACA, including Mr. Steve Spittler, CPA, CISA – Senior Audit at LPL Financial and Charlotte ISACA Academic Relations Committee Chair; Ted Wolff, CISA – IT Audit and Risk Management Professional, recently retired from a position as a Senior Leader in Vanguard’s Global IT Risk & Control; and, Kyle Conn, CPA, CISA – IT Divisional Risk Advisor at Vanguard. Their experience and insight were invaluable and I am most grateful for their time and support.

The Fraud Minor is designed for Criminal Justice and Accounting majors interested in pursuing a career in Risk Assurance, Compliance, Internal Audit, Criminal Investigations, and Anti-Money Laundering. Students will learn the skills necessary to identify financial fraud, how to assess and mitigate the risk of fraud and understanding the criminal investigative procedures. The required coursework is designed to meet the hiring demands of accounting, banking, investment and insurance institutions as well as federal and state regulatory agencies and law enforcement authorities.

The Fraud Minor was developed with collective guidance from members of the Charlotte Institute of Internal Auditors, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, federal, state and regional law enforcement agencies and major banking, investment and insurance firms in the region. This minor was a joint effort between the Accounting and Criminal Justice Departments at Belmont Abbey College.

I am grateful for the support and guidance from Dr. David Williams, Vice Provost and for the vote of confidence from Dr. Travis Feezel, Provost, Dr. Brad Frazier, Dr. Julie Beeman, Mr. Gupta, and Dr. Alessandro Rovati. It is truly a pleasure to work in a such a collegial and empowering environment.

This article was originally posted in the Fall 2022, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue.

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