Within the next couple of weeks, Trinity will undergo various changes to its academic curriculum, with the introduction of a new business school and changes to the application process for the MAT, Master of Arts and Teaching, program.

The new business school comes at a time when almost one quarter of Trinity graduates with a business degree. Richard Butler, Ph.D., interim dean of the new business school and professor of economics, said that the emergence of the school will provide students with more opportunities and form stronger bonds with the business community.

“We are looking to greatly enhance sets of internships, shadowing, site visits with the business community so that our business majors will not only have learned their skills academically but will have experience as well” Butler said.

Along with opportunities for business majors, the business school looks to provide opportunities for non-business majors. Butler said that while it is important to have well-versed, liberal  –  minded business majors, it is just as crucial to create liberal arts majors who are well  – versed in business through various courses and the Arts, Letters, and Enterprise (ALE) minor and certification.

“We are offering a course of personal finance and accounting for non – business majors”, Butler said. “We are aiming to give liberal arts majors the opportunity to be business literate and have greater opportunities at the things they are passionate about.”

Overall, the new business school will offer various changes, although nothing Butler sees as drastic or even immediately noticeable.

“One of the things that may change is that some of the concentrations may become majors of their own, although not wildly different,” Butler said. “We’ve made ourselves organizationally more efficient and effective, and initially students will not notice much of a difference.”

Alongside the introduction of the business school, the application for the MAT program is undergoing change as well. The MAT, one of the three programs offered in the department of education at Trinity, is popular among undergraduate students looking to go into teaching.

Junior Michael Ventresca looks forward to the real-world experience along with the academic curriculum offered by the MAT program.

“In order to apply to the MAT program, you have to take a few education classes which must include two practicums and a field study,” Ventresca said. “These are classes that place you in actual schools around San Antonio for observation as well as some actual teaching experience.”

Shari Albright, chair of the department of education, stated that previously, the process was not entirely conducive to other graduate programs across the country, and that that is something the changes are addressing.

“We have students here at Trinity that apply not only for the MAT here, but other graduate programs as well”,  Albright said. “The way we’ve been doing it –  the application process – was not aligned with other programs.”

With these other programs in mind, the department is hoping to offer students a more straightforward approach to the application process with a single admissions process.

“We are now using a single admissions process for the MAT and the Teacher’ Ed. Program,” Albright said. “We are also enhancing our admissions process so there will be a required interview this year and an essay to really get to know our candidates better.”

The department of education will offer an information session for interested students on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. in Northrup 040.