Business Administration, Specialized Accelerated, M.B.A.*

Program of Study

Philosophy

The fundamental mission of the College of Business Administration is to educate the leaders of tomorrow’s business and non-profit organizations. The objective of our Master of Business Administration is to provide graduates with the skills and knowledge essential for management and leadership in 21st-century organizations. We use a variety of pedagogical techniques in the classroom to facilitate learning. Our curriculum integrates traditional business disciplines and recognizes the importance of both theory and practice. The program emphasizes skills and values that are essential to effective leadership, including:

• Ethics
• Communication
• Global and Environmentally Conscious Viewpoint
• Problem Recognition and Solving
• Teamwork
• Use of Technology

The program makes use of information technologies in the delivery of the courses and requires that students develop a significant level of proficiency in the application of technology. Information literacy and library research skills are salient in the dynamic world of global business and are emphasized in the program. The curriculum stresses the importance of good communication skills for successful management; thus written and oral presentations are part of every course.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

Knowledge

• Demonstrate knowledge of core business concepts, models, and theories in the areas of management, marketing, operations management, management information systems, accounting, and finance.
• Select the proper tactical tools, theories and methodologies to use for approaching solutions to strategic problems.

Skills

• Apply knowledge of tactical tools, theories, and methodologies in solving business problems through rigorous case studies and projects.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data to critical argument and decisions.
• Present data-driven decisions through effective oral and written communication.

Behaviors

• Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively in team projects as participants and as leaders.
• Identify potential areas of ethical conflicts and offer solutions to them.
• Evaluate the ramifications of strategic decisions in a global context.

Description of the Program

The program consists of 36-48 units in three discrete, stackable phases: the Foundation, the Core, and any of the following Specializations: Business Intelligence (BI), International Business (IB), Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), or Business Analytics (BA). This three-phased approach offers three entry and exit points into and out of the program. Only those completing or satisfying the requirements of all three phases will earn an MBA.

*The MBA, Specialized Accelerated is offered through the Office of Extended Learning.

Program Schedule

The program has been designed for students with 0-3 years of work experience, and offered during weekday morning hours. This schedule accommodates students who work part-time. The program can be completed in 12-15 months if studied full-time, or 2-3 years for part-time students.

MBA Bridge (1 Unit)

Before beginning the program, all students will be required to complete a 1-unit MBA Bridge program focused on basic skills including, business communication, and quantitative methods. Admission to the bridge requires admission to the MBA Program.

The Foundation (0-12 Units) – Certificate of Advanced Study in Business Foundations

The Foundation is a multi-disciplinary 500-level pre-MBA program consisting of six 2-unit courses, offered during the 10-week summer session. It is designed as a refresher of basic business courses for those with undergraduate business degrees and as an introduction to business disciplines for those holding undergraduate degrees in non-business disciplines. This 12-unit sequence is required of all entering students. Domestic students with business degrees may petition to waive the Foundation. Admission to the Foundation requires successful completion of the MBA Bridge. Students receive a certificate of completion for the Foundation if they successfully complete all Foundation courses with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Students who continue in the program to earn the MBA degree must complete the Foundation with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

• ACCT 502 - Foundations of Accounting Units: 2
• FIN 502 - Foundations of Finance Units: 2
• MGMT 502 - Foundations of Managemen Units: 2
• MIS 502 - Foundations of Management Information Systems Units: 2
• MKTG 502 - Foundations of Marketing Units: 2
• OM 502 - Foundations of Operations Management Units: 2

The Core (17 Units) – Certificate of Advanced Study in Core Business Knowledge

The Core is a multi-disciplinary graduate 600-level set of eight 2-unit courses and a 500 level 1-unit career planning and development course. They are distinct from, and more advanced than the Foundation, and assume mastery of the basic business education. Admission to the Core requires successful completion of the Foundations with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, or a waiver of the Foundations and successful completion of the MBA Bridge. Students whose Foundations GPA falls below 3.0 may petition to move forward to the Core, but if approved, they will be placed on academic probation.

Students who successfully complete the Core but do not continue in the program may earn a Certificate of Advanced Study in Core Business Knowledge. Successful completion of this certificate requires a minimum GPA of 2.5 and a minimum grade of 2.0 in all courses.

Students who continue in the program to earn the MBA degree must complete the Core with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

• ACCT 602 - Accounting for Managers Units: 2
• BA 502 - Career Planning and Development Units: 1
• BA 602 - Statistics for Business Decisions Units: 2
• BA 604 - Research Methods for Business Units: 2
• FIN 602 - Corporate Finance Units: 2
• MGMT 602 - Leadership and Business Ethics Units: 2
• MGMT 604 - Human Resource Management Units: 2
• MGMT 606 - Managing the Sustainable Enterprise Units: 2
• MKTG 602 - Marketing Management Units: 2

Specialization (12 Units) – Certificates of Advanced Study in BI/IB/HTM/SCM/BA

There are five specializations –– Business Intelligence, International Business, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Supply Chain Management, and Business Analytics –– that each consist of six advanced-level, 2-unit courses. In an information-driven global economy, there is a great need for MBA graduates with these specializations. Admission to the Specialization requires successful completion of Foundation and the Core with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 may petition to move forward to the Specialization, but if approved they will be placed on academic probation. Students who successfully complete the Specialization but do not continue in the program may earn a Certificate of Advanced Study in BI/IB/HTM/SCM/BA. Successful completion of this certificate requires a minimum GPA of 2.5 and a minimum grade of C (2.0) in all courses.

Culminating Experience (6 Units)

After completing their specializations, students will be required to complete Strategic Management in Global Environment as a Capstone course. BI and HTM Specialization students will take a 4-unit Masters Project, tailored to their specialization. IB Specialization students will participate in a 4-unit international experience involving travel to a foreign country with a faculty member to participate in company visits and a project. International students will have the option to complete their international experience under the direction of a faculty member in the U.S. who will guide them in local company visits and project work equivalent to that done by the U.S. students overseas. Completion of the Culminating Experience will lead to the completion of the MBA degree.

General Admissions Requirements

• A GMAT score of 500 or above, with a minimum 30th percentile score in the Verbal section, a minimum 30th percentile score in the Quantitative section, a 4.0 or higher score in the Analytical Writing section, and a score of 4.0 or higher in the Integrated Reasoning section.
• A Grade Point Average (GPA) of “B” (3.0) or better in the last 60 graded semester units from a regionally accredited university. Only regular courses from four-year colleges and/or universities will be used in calculating an applicant’s GPA; no extension courses or community college courses will be included.

Important Notes

• Students must satisfactorily meet the GMAT requirement before being admitted to the MBA Core. They may enter the Bridge and the Foundation prior to completing the GMAT. Students not meeting this requirement may not be admitted to the Core, but can receive a certificate for completing the Foundation.
• All graduate applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose preparatory education was principally in a language other than English must demonstrate competence in English. English proficiency may be demonstrated by tests such as TOEFL or IELTS. International graduate students must meet university proficiency minima as defined in this catalog. Students not meeting the graduate level proficiency but who meet the undergraduate minimum level may be admitted to the Bridge and Foundations, but must meet graduate level proficiency minimum requirements to be admitted to the Core.
• The admission committee reviews applications not meeting all minimum requirements for an admission decision.

Advancement to Candidacy – Business Intelligence/Hospitality and Tourism Management/Supply Chain Management/Business Analytics Specializations

In order to be considered for advancement, MBA students must be in good standing with an overall graduate GPA of at least a 3.0, have fulfilled the master’s student Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement, and have no more than 6 units (including BA 675  and BA 685 ) remaining toward the completion of the MBA program. Students will be reviewed for advancement to candidacy before they are enrolled in BA 675 .

Advancement to Candidacy – International Business Specialization

In order to be considered for advancement, MBA students must be in good standing with an overall graduate GPA of at least a 3.0, have fulfilled the master’s student Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement, and have no more than 6 units (including BA 675  and GBM 685 ) remaining toward the completion of the MBA program. Students will be reviewed for advancement to candidacy before they are enrolled in BA 675 .

Graduation Requirements

Completion of the MBA degree requires: (1) an overall GPA of at least 3.0 (B average) in all coursework within the program, (2) a minimum grade of 2.0 (C) in each course, (3) fulfillment of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement – Graduate Level (GWARGL) , (4) advancement to candidacy and (5) fulfillment of the culminating experience requirement.