ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Chronology

• September 10, 1990. President of the University of Irkutsk set up a task force committee to start the Siberian-American School of Management. 
• January 29, 1991. An agreement to establish a joint school of management in Irkutsk was signed in College Park, USA, by the presidents of UMUC and the University of Irkutsk. 
• September 1, 1991. The first freshman class was enrolled.
• October 1, 1991. Approval of Russian Government enactment (Enactment #511) "On addressing the issue of managerial cadre for Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East."
• June 2002. The University of Southern Queensland (Australia) and SASM signed an agreement on a joint double major program. 
• February 2003. An additional curriculum was developed to qualify senior SASM students to act as professional translators/interpreters in the area of business.
• March 2004. The Russian-Australian program was launched.
• December 2008. A memorandum of intention was signed to establish a joint Russian-American MS program in management with a major in Marketing. 
• September 2009. The Russian-American Master's program got under way.

On May 4, 2005 the program of the Siberian-American School of Management, Irkutsk State University, was introduced at the World Russian Forum in Washington, D.C.

The partners of SASM are among the 500 world top universities.

Academic programs

Education at Siberian-American School of Management meets all requirements of the Russian Federation standards in education. Its graduates obtain a degree from the University of Irkutsk.

An official accreditation by the U.S. Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, internationally recognized programs of foreign educational institutions allow our graduates to obtain the degrees of those universities.

All along all SASM programs have been tailored to educate top managers-to-be. The key goal is to build a sustainable fundamental base for developing the future career. All SASM educational programs presuppose the courses on the fundamentals of modern business communications and English as a target language. In the spring semester of the sophomore year, SASM students are required to pass the TOEFL with a minimum score of 550. It is a prerequisite for enrolling either on the American or Australian program. The Informational Technology program consists of modern communication and analytical aspects. It is required for SASM students to take the courses of mathematics and cross-cultural communication. The freshman and sophomore curriculums are the same for all. In the junior year, the students have an option of three programs to choose from:

1. The Russian Program

This program leads to a degree in management from ISU.
The program has been developed and authored by the faculty members who apply modern computer-based technologies and professional expertise of those in the real-world business. This is to combine an in-depth knowledge and essential practical skills in the pursued career.

An individual approach is highly encouraged at SASM. While in the first and second years, the undergraduates take over 50 per cent of courses in small study groups of up to 9 people. Throughout the course a variety of stimulating techniques and formats is used: business games, training sessions, group projects, case study analysis, field trips, tutorials, internships, workshops, conferences, brainstorming and so on. This is the mode for the SASM students to acquire essential managerial skills.

2. Russian-American program

This program leads to a Degree in Management from ISU and a Bachelor's Degree in Management studies from the University of Maryland University College (USA). In the third and fourth years of studies the students take 10 distance learning courses from UMUC via advanced Internet-based technologies. The program has been officially accredited by the U.S. Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and was first implemented in 1991.

Russian and international experts on business education as well as representatives of the Russian government and the State Department have recognized that this is the best international undergraduate program that involves American universities.

3. Russian-Australian program

An agreement to start the program was signed in 2003. Besides a degree from ISU, students obtain a BBA from the University of Southern Queensland (Australia). To apply for the program, students should pass the TOEFL (550 scores) or IELTS (6.0).

The University of Southern Queensland honors the grades for the courses taken at SASM and also offers another 12 courses, 3 each semester. These courses are taught both in English and in Russian by Russian professors if approved by the Australian partner.
The interim grades are given by Russian professors and final grades by their Australian counterparts.

After the Bachelor's degree in Management (ISU) and the Bachelor's degree from UMUC or USQ, students are free to continue their education on the Master's or "Specialist's" program.

Other credentials

Since 2003, students at SASM have earned a Certificate of Completion that complies with the Russian Federation standards -"Professional Communication Interpreter/Translator."

Instruction at Siberian-American School of Management is motivational and student-centered. It is built up on advanced communicative and computer technologies. A full-time education incorporates the latest advances of distance education via the Internet. BSIB UOI developed and patented the distance Internet-based educational system - HECADEM that makes it possible to provide a quality education in any city of the world. The HECADEM system got the highest expert evaluation in the USA, Great Britain, Italy, Jordan.

Competitive Advantage of SASM Graduates

The English language program for SASM students includes all linguistic aspects to help them gain the conceptual approach to business. It secures successful interaction in business and at the cross-cultural level. A cross-cultural aspect in education has become an important advantage of the program, especially at the time of globalization.

In the past 20 years BSIB instructors have developed a unique model of nurturing the new generation of Russian managers. The teaching techniques at SASM make the best of the classical university approach and the western management technologies.

The SASM graduates have demonstrated advanced skills in applying modern information technologies that are conducive to career growth in any market niche.

To date, 19 top students at Siberian-American School of Management are members of the Phi Kappa Phi for outstanding academic accomplishments. This honorary society is for the intellectual elite of American universities. This National Honorary Society provides lifetime membership. It secures a competitive advantage in seeking scholarships for further education and in obtaining prestigious jobs overseas.

Though the labor market has been volatile, SASM graduates have had no problem in making adjustments to their routine responsibilities, areas of expertise, and decision-making. They do equally well in financing, management, marketing, logistics, etc. The educational program at SASM has proved to be highly competitive if only because many graduates pursue their further education in world famous and leading universities on MBA programs, in business schools in USA, Canada and Europe such as Harvard, Oxford, London School of Economics and many other elite universities.

For more information on careers of SASM graduates, see here.