Graduate programs

Global residency empowers Costello MBA student’s entrepreneurial dreams

Katelynn C Hipolito — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:03:01 +0000

Global residency empowers Costello MBA student’s entrepreneurial dreams Katelynn C Hipolito Tue, 12/16/2025 - 10:03

When Supreet Singh immigrated to the United States from India in 1999, it was to join her husband, Jaspreet, whom she had met through an online dating site. The couple married in Fairfax, Virginia—the same city where Jaspreet graduated from �鶹��Ƶ years earlier. Knowing Supreet’s ambition to build on her master’s degree in biochemistry, Jaspreet encouraged her to enroll at George �鶹��Ƶ.

Supreet Singh, current Costello MBA student. Photo provided by Supreet Singh.

After years of taking classes as an extended student at George �鶹��Ƶ and advancing in her engineering career, Supreet Singh decided to take a leap and enroll in the Costello MBA program at the Donald G. Costello College of Business at George �鶹��Ƶ, to pursue a lifelong dream: starting her own business.

One highlight of her MBA experience has been the program’s global residency, which offers students a week abroad exploring real companies and cultures. “Growing up in India, the world awareness was very small,” says Singh. She was fascinated to learn about apartheid and its effects on business and culture, as well as the similarities between the colonialism of South Africa and that of India.

The Costello faculty member leading the trip, Russell Abratt, an instructional professor of marketing, had assigned the class half a dozen South African companies—ranging from an airlines company to a children’s music school—to research and present on prior to their departure. After gaining a perspective on the companies through research, they were able to ask questions during the residency to truly understand how each company operates.

The residency was a remarkable cultural experience that Singh was happy to share with the other students in her cohort. “We were really connected with each other,” she says. “The last day there we went to a restaurant where you get to play drums and dance on the dance floor.”

Looking ahead to graduation in spring 2026, Singh already feels more assured in her role as lead engineer at College Board. “Taking those finance classes, I feel very confident that I have built more awareness, and confident that I can move forward with cybersecurity,” she says. She also values the program’s flexibility, which has enabled her to balance coursework with a demanding career and personal commitments.

While Singh enjoys her engineering work, her ultimate goal is entrepreneurship—perhaps launching a dog food company or a café. “My end goal in life is to be able to start my own business, and I think this program has given me tools to do that on my own,” she says. Beyond skills, Singh has gained a strong network that she stays connected with for professional opportunities and social activities like hiking.

“My end goal in life is to be able to start my own business, and I think this program has given me tools to do that on my own,” she says.

— Supreet Singh, current Costello MBA student

Singh’s Costello MBA is not only a launchpad for her entrepreneurial dreams—it also provides a lifelong network of colleagues and friends.

Supreet Singh with the Costello MBA Program’s global residency students at the Cape of Good Hope. Photo provided by Supreet Singh.

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Russell Abratt

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�鶹��Ƶ Nutrition and Dietetics graduate program receives full ACEND reaccreditation

Taylor Thomas — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:37:31 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ Nutrition and Dietetics graduate program receives full ACEND reaccreditation Taylor Thomas Fri, 10/31/2025 - 11:37

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Melissa J. Perry, Sc.D., MHS, MBA

Sapna Batheja, PhD, RDN, LDN

Allison McKay

Allison Miner, EdD, MS, RDN

Martin Binks PhD, MBA

The College of Public Health at �鶹��Ƶ is proud to share that the Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics has been granted full reaccreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), certifying the program’s status as premier for preparing the future generation for successful careers as registered dietitian nutritionists or nutrition and dietetic technicians.

Registered dietitian students prepare healthy meals for local firefighters. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding.

“Continual full ACEND accreditation is a rigorous process that reflects achieving the highest standards in academic quality and professional preparation in nutrition and dietetics education,” said Melissa Perry, inaugural dean of the College of Public Health. "This achievement is a testament to the dedication of our faculty, staff, and students, whose joint efforts have strengthened not only the program but also our college’s mission to prepare the next generation of public health and nutrition leaders."

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Associate Professor Sapna Batheja, Assistant Professor Allison Miner, Department Manager Allie McKay, and Professor and Department Chair Martin Binks were instrumental throughout the reaccreditation process.

The decision to grant reaccreditation was based on a comprehensive self-study, site visit, and demonstration of the program’s adherence to standards of excellence in accordance with ACEND criteria. The reaccreditation is a seven-year term, through June 30, 2033.

The Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics prepares students to meet the nutritional needs of communities in a diverse, changing world through evidence-based, collaborative practice, are engaged in the professional community, and are dedicated to lifelong learning.

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Master of Health Administration program wins award for excellence in innovative education from CAHME

Taylor Thomas — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:45:12 +0000

Master of Health Administration program wins award for excellence in innovative education from CAHME Taylor Thomas Mon, 01/27/2025 - 09:45

Explore the Award-Winning MHA Program

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Brenda Helen Sheingold, PhD, RN, FNAP

�鶹��Ƶ’s Master of Health Administration program has been honored for pioneering innovative education and instruction.

The Master of Health Administration (MHA), Health Systems Management program won the prestigious Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) award for innovative health care education.

Each year, the CAHME/George and Regi Herzlinger Innovation Education Award for the Development of Educational Skills Focusing on Invention, Evaluation, and Adoption of Innovation in Healthcare honors a CAHME-accredited program that has set the standard for inventive academic rigor and preparation of the next generation of health care administration professionals.

Graduate students enrolled in HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Healthcare visit Capitol Hill. Read more.

“Our Master’s in Health Systems Management (MHA) program empowers students with the real-world skills and insights needed to excel in the competitive health care industry,” said Brenda Helen Sheingold, associate professor and division director of health administration and policy. "By graduation, our students possess hands-on experience that directly aligns with employers' needs and positions them as leaders in the field. This award recognizes how evolving innovative education with faculty colleagues, community partners and alumni contribute to successful and productive graduates. We are committed to a trajectory of success for the next generation by continually originating new education models and techniques."

This accolade includes a $10,000 grant to further innovation efforts in health systems education. The award will be presented March 23, 2025, at the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Congress in Chicago.

CAHME is the only organization formally recognized as the accrediting body for master's level health care management programs in the United States and Canada. The MHA prepares students to become leaders in evolving health systems and health-related organizations by guiding them to develop strategic, business, analytic, and decision-making skills needed to navigate the rapidly changing health care industry successfully. The program is ranked at #32 by U.S. News and World Report.

Read more about George �鶹��Ƶ and College of Public Health program rankings.

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�鶹��Ƶ’s Master of Public Health is a Top Value, According to the Wall Street Journal

John Brandon Cantrell — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 13:27:24 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ’s Master of Public Health is a Top Value, According to the Wall Street Journal John Brandon C… Thu, 10/14/2021 - 09:27

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When compared to nearby programs, graduates of �鶹��Ƶ’s MPH program boast one of the best debt-to-income ratios two years post-graduation and the best in the state.

Amid reports that many advanced degree programs in the United States leave graduates in financial debt for years after graduation, the Wall Street Journal published an online tool comparing the debt-to-income ratio of graduates from different programs and different universities across the country.

When using this metric, �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Health and Human Services’ (CHHS) Master of Public Health (MPH) degree fared the best compared with other MPH programs in Virginia. When compared with nearby programs in the region, the College’s program again boasted among the best debt-to-income ratios.

“As we have known for some time, a �鶹��Ƶ degree offers great value to its students. We pride ourselves in offering a world-class education right here in Virginia,” says Dean of the College Germaine Louis. “Our graduates often stay in the region to pursue public health careers, creating further value for the region.”

“The College is just miles away from the hub of public health policy, research, and practice, which presents countless internship and job opportunities, and �鶹��Ƶ offers a public health program that produces graduates with the lowest debt in the state,” Louis says.

Most favorable debt-to-income ratio in the state

The online tool published by the Wall Street Journal compares students’ earnings two years after graduation relative to their debt load. They looked at most universities at different program levels, including bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, and professional degree programs. The data are based on students’ median earnings two years after graduation at every one of the 123 schools that offer a master’s in public health in the United States, according to Education Department data on federal loan borrowers.

A ratio above one means a typical student would have more debt than income two years after graduation. A ratio below one means the typical graduate has greater income than debt two years after graduation.

When compared against the other Master of Public Health programs in the state, �鶹��Ƶ graduates had the lowest median debt at $34,709, the highest median income at $55,061, and also the best debt-to-income (0.63) ratio. Comparable numbers for Virginia Tech MPH graduates were $41,000, $48,265, and 0.85, and for University of Virginia MPH graduates, the numbers were $35,213, $50,231, and 0.7, respectively.

“The College is dedicated to educating the next generation of public health leaders—one that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve—and we’re proud that we can help do so with a high return on investment,” says Louis.

Public health graduates in high demand

News of �鶹��Ƶ’s attractive debt-to-income ratio comes at a highly visible time for public health. With the COVID-19 pandemic at the forefront of the world’s stage, many people are turning to public health programs for careers and to find ways to help and give back.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical and immense need for public health, and the multifaceted behavioral, economic, health, and societal ramifications of an inadequate public health infrastructure,” says Louis.

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