2005 - 2006 Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program

Program Goals | Program Requirements | Course Descriptions

Program Director: Gaylen Bunker
Graduate Coordinator: Shelley Kelson
Graduate Faculty: Gaylen Bunker, Claire Richards, Jerry VanOs, Maria Wrotniak, Michael Mamo, Aric Krause, Vicki Whiting, Kirk Wessel, Georgia White, Alysse Morton, Kimberly Dodson, Shannon Bellamy, Rob Patterson, Frank Shaw

The MBA program prepares students for executive decision making in dynamic business environments. The MBA program is designed with a high degree of flexibility so that graduate students can use electives to prepare themselves to meet their specific career goals and aspirations. Graduate students have an opportunity to broaden personal perspectives and sharpen management skills without interrupting their professional careers. Core requirements of the MBA program are not directed at specialization in one area of business; instead, they develop cross-functional frameworks that stress balance in using managerial skills to achieve effective leadership.

Program Goals

Graduate programs in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business prepare students for executive decision making in dynamic business environments. Students build skill in decision making through a combination of coursework, experiential requirements, and skill-building exercises and simulations. Innovative delivery of courses gives students expertise in the functional areas of business.

In addition to building expertise in the functional areas of business, students completing graduate programs in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business are required to demonstrate mastery of the following professional skills:

• Strategic Thinking
• Global Consciousness
• Critical & Analytical Thinking
• Communication
• Business Ethics
• Career Development and Networking
• Information Literacy & Research
• Leadership

Program Requirements

The program requires 39 credit hours for completion. There are five program requirements: foundations, three modules, and an elective block. All core courses are delivered in a blended format, meaning that courses use a combination of classroom, online, project-based and experiential components. In the classroom, courses may use a combination of learning methods, such as: lecture, case study, or in-class projects.

Students who have not studied business at the undergraduate level, or who completed their undergraduate studies more than five years ago, may be required to complete foundational literacy exams. Upon meeting with MBA program advisors, the student's educational and professional backgrounds are reviewed to determine what foundational literacy exams may be required. Students are then given materials for self-study to prepare for the literacy exams. Workshops and seminars may be offered to assist in student preparation. Upon completion of study, a literacy exam is offered. Passing the exam means the requirement is waived. Students who cannot pass the literacy exam after two attempts may be required to take a course in that specific area.

Module 1 contains courses that should be taken at the beginning of the MBA program; courses in this module introduce the model of the entire program. While taking module 1 courses, students and their advisors will work together to complete a program of study and to plan out elective courses and/or graduate certificates to meet the student's individual career goals.

Module 2 and elective courses may be taken as early as desired upon completion of prerequisites. Module 3 can only be taken upon completion of all core required courses as it serves as the capstone for the core program.

A maximum of 9 approved graduate hours may be transferred toward the MBA Program from other professionally accredited institutions (AACSB or ACBSP) upon the written permission of the program director. Courses eligible for transfer are only those that contribute to, or build upon, the program goals. Courses completed at other graduate institutions must be awarded a minimum of a B grade to be eligible for credit.

A grade of C is the lowest passing grade for all MBA and graduate certificate courses.

For course prerequisites please refer to the course description.