Western States School of Banking (WSSB)
Overview
The College of Business currently offers a banking option for students majoring in Finance. Beginning Fall 2011, Dr. Violeta Diaz, professor of finance and banking, will lead the college’s banking education program and advise students interested in careers in banking.
The WSSB/College of Business affiliation is expected to create increased collaboration between the university and the regional banking industry, resulting in new opportunities for both NMSU students and faculty. Those opportunities will include more bank internships, and possibly even a student-managed bank near campus.
Participants in the Western States School of Banking gather in Corbett Center for the annual event. (submitted photo)
The WSSB offers a unique, two-year banking program. Students are usually professionals working in the banking industry.* The program is structured around two 8-day sessions in June of two consecutive years, held on the campus of NMSU. During each session, students study current banking practices and learn all aspects of bank management step-by-step, from profitability to human resources. In-class sessions are supplemented with three correspondence problems that students work on during the year between the two classroom sessions. Each correspondence problem requires about 30 hours to complete.
WSSB Program, June 21-28, 2008
In addition to the diploma program, the WSSB offers a commercial credit certificate program which requires completion of five 2-day courses (75 hours of classroom instruction).
The WSSB programs are independent of the academic programs of New Mexico State University. Students of the WSSB are not awarded academic credit at NMSU.
The WSSB is supported by the Independent Bankers of Colorado, the Independent Community Bankers Association of New Mexico, the New Mexico Bankers Association, and the Western States Director Education Foundation. For more information, please visit the WSSB website at https://www.wssbonline.org/.
Background
The Western States School of Banking (WSSB) is a non-profit corporation which provides educational development opportunities to banking professionals.
In 2006, the WSSB and the College of Business at New Mexico State University (NMSU) entered into a joint agreement to affiliate the WSSB programs with the College, and in June of 2007, the WSSB held its first sessions on the NMSU campus.
The affiliation between WSSB and the College of Business at NMSU represents one of the first initiatives in the College’s increased outreach effort to meet the educational needs of the regional banking industry.
*Applicants are generally expected to have at least one year of experience in banking or equivalent work, or have completed one year of university courses, or have completed a substantial number of American Institute of Banking courses.