The University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business has entered a new partnership with Xavier University of Louisiana to admit students to the college’s graduate business programs.

The partnership will provide new career pathways to Xavier students with the shared mission of developing leaders who contribute to the global society through business. The agreement guarantees admission of four qualified Xavier students to each of the following specialized master’s programs offered by Mendoza: Master of Science in Accountancy, Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Science in Management and the Master of Nonprofit Administration.

“We’re pleased to partner with Xavier to prepare talented students for the next step in their careers,” said Martijn Cremers, the Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business. “As Catholic universities, we share a common goal to develop leaders who contribute to the human community.”

Xavier University of Louisiana, founded by St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, is the nation’s only Catholic and historically Black university. Xavier’s mission is “to contribute to the promotion of a more just and humane society by preparing its students to assume roles of leadership and service in a global society.”

“Xavier University of Louisiana appreciates the opportunity to partner with the Mendoza College of Business, which will provide Xavierites the chance to pursue a postgraduate degree at another Catholic institution,” said Anderson Sunda-Meya, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Xavier.

Xavier has a current enrollment of 3,181 students. Its major academic units are the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Pharmacy. Degrees awarded include baccalaureate degrees as well as master’s degrees in education, counseling, public health sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, health informatics and speech-language pathology. The university also offers doctorate programs in educational leadership and pharmacy, and awards a Master of Theology degree through its Institute for Black Catholic Studies.

“At the Division of Business, our mission is singular: to prepare tomorrow’s socially responsible leaders,” said Cary Caro, chair of the Division of Business at Xavier. “We achieve this by fostering relationships with the global business community to offer our students opportunities for career advancement. This partnership exemplifies that mission.”

Mendoza College of Business’ specialized masters are intensive, one-year programs that prepare students for successful careers through a focused curriculum. Taught by renowned business faculty on the Notre Dame campus, the programs include experiential learning opportunities so students can apply what they learn in the classroom to real-life business problems. The specialized programs are intended for students who typically recently completed their undergraduate degrees and have little or no work experience.

“We are committed to attracting a diverse pool of talented candidates to our programs and this collaboration with Xavier University of Louisiana is a significant step towards reinforcing that commitment,” said Tahra Taylor, associate director of Graduate Business Career Development at Notre Dame and an alumna of Xavier. “I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to welcome students from this new partnership into our Notre Dame community.”

Originally published on Mendoza News.