Business Administration, MBA

Mission Statement

The mission of the MBA program is to offer high-quality graduate education for students having varied educational and professional backgrounds. The program develops skills and knowledge necessary to progress in current positions, qualify for career changes, and progress in managerial and leadership positions in business and society. It provides a thorough education in business knowledge, skills, theories, and practices.

The MBA program serves as a catalyst for intellectual activity in the College. Graduate faculty membership requires quality teaching, as well as ongoing scholarly and professional activity through basic and applied research, professional activities, service and consulting.

The program serves regional business and industry needs by allowing students to attend full-time or part-time. The curriculum integrates quality management, ethical considerations, international dimensions, technological applications and involvement with the business community.

Program and Course Delivery

The MBA Program is designed for working professionals. The program offers three delivery modes allowing students to pursue the degree via evening courses in a face-to-face traditional semester format, accelerated eight-week online courses for a 100% online program, or accelerated face-to-face sessions on Friday afternoons and all-day Saturdays for the Executive MBA. The 3 delivery formats provide great flexibility for working professionals, time-constrained individuals balancing careers and personal obligations, and those who want to enhance their careers through the addition of an MBA.

The face-to-face traditional delivery format courses are offered in the evening. Courses are offered Monday through Thursday and each course is offered one evening a week.

The online delivery format is 100% online in accelerated 8-week terms. There are 2 terms offered in the spring and fall semesters, and one term is offered in the summer session. The online delivery format is taught at an accelerated pace and allows students to enroll in courses every eight weeks.

The Executive MBA is designed particularly for working business professionals and mid-to senior-level executives. It consists of the same course and program requirements but is experienced in a cohort model taught at an accelerated pace. Participants enroll as a cohort at one point in time and complete the program together over approximately a 16-month period. Courses are taught every other weekend using a Friday afternoon and an all-day Saturday schedule.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general application and admission requirements of the Graduate School, all delivery modes of the MBA program require applicants to provide:

• resume
• three letters of recommendation
• satisfactory official scores on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT); official scores must be sent directly from the test administrator to the Graduate School.

The GMAT and letters of recommendation application requirements will be waived for applicants who meet the following criteria:

• 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA
• 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA on the last 60 semester hours or last 90 quarter hours (coursework completed in the United States only), or a graduate grade-point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) on all previously earned graduate degrees
• 2.75 to 2.99 overall undergraduate GPA with at least 3 years of relevant work experience

Applicants with an overall undergraduate GPA below a 2.75 with at least 5 years of relevant work experience may be considered for a waiver of the GMAT requirement on a case-by-case basis by the Graduate Coordinator. The decision to waive the GMAT will be based on the quality of the work experience, which includes demonstration of extensive and/or significant managerial, supervisory, or executive work experience. Following Graduate School admission policies, these applicants will be eligible only for conditional admission.

At the discretion of the Graduate Coordinator and dependent upon the student’s undergraduate major, satisfactory GRE scores may be accepted in lieu of the GMAT.

Degree Requirements and Required Courses

Requirements for the MBA degree consist of 33 semester hours. These degree requirements may increase up to 15 additional semester hours (foundation courses) depending upon the undergraduate business courses previously completed. There is no thesis requirement.

Concentrations

All concentrations listed below are available to those students pursuing the MBA degree via the face-to-face, traditional semester format or via the accelerated eight-week online delivery format. Any student who does not elect a concentration will be enrolled in the Business Administration concentration. (Some courses may only be offered online.) The Executive MBA format is available only with the Business Administration concentration.