The first class of the Working Professional Master's of Business Administration degree program launched this fall by the University of California, Davis, Graduate School of Management has twice the enrollment originally anticipated. School officials had hoped 100 applicants would generate 50 qualified students for the first class of the new program, announced last year. As it turned out, more than 200 professionals from Northern California applied for admission. Robert Smiley, dean of the business school, attributed the response to regional demand for a UC-caliber M.B.A. "The program's structure gives students flexibility that allows them to move at their own pace and earn an M.B.A. degree in as few as two or as many as four or more years." In addition, students can choose to attend classes in Sacramento at One Capitol Mall and on the Davis campus, Smiley said. Substantial corporate and public-sector representation among the 113 new students also demonstrates broad employer support for the M.B.A. program. Of the top 25 companies throughout the Sacramento region, many of the largest are included in the fall class. Hewlett-Packard, Intel and the State of California are sending eight employees each; USAA Insurance, Sutter Health and Procter & Gamble are sending four; Campbell Soup is sending three; and Aerojet, Bank of America, General Mills and Level One Communications are sending two of their employees. "It is unusual for Hewlett-Packard to send so many of its employees from this region to a single program, "said Larry Mitchell, Roseville site general manager for the company. "Clearly, this is a testimony to the strength of the UC Davis faculty and curriculum." Several students attending the Working Professional program are receiving tuition reimbursements in whole or part from their employers, an indication of the value placed on a UC education even in strained economic times, noted Smiley. The average student in the first class is 33 years old, with 10 working years of experience and an average annual salary of $48,000. The students are taking courses taught by professors with a wide variety of national business research and consulting experience. Faculty members include David Bunch, an assistant professor of management and telecommuting consultant to the U.S. Department of Transportation; Nicole Biggart, a professor of management and an expert on Japanese and American management practices; and Jerome Suran, a senior lecturer and former manager of research and development for General Electric. Recruitment for next year's class (fall 1995) is already under way. Prospective students are encouraged to call the graduate school's admission office at (916) 752-7399 for program information or to sign up to attend an information session.