Business Administration

Program Description

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is a College of Business degree with courses taken in various departments. The program is specifically designed for students who hold undergraduate degrees in Arts, Science, Engineering, and Law, as well as for students who hold Baccalaureate degrees in Business Administration. The program will provide the background knowledge necessary for professional practice in the field of business. Students with little undergraduate work in business will normally require five semesters to complete the program. Students with appropriate prior academic preparation in business and economics may complete the program in one calendar year.

The MBA is accredited by the AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Admission 

Qualified applicants may enter the MBA program at the beginning of any semester. Admission to the MBA program is granted to students who fulfill the following provisions.

1. The student must have received a Bachelor's or Master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. The applicant must meet the following performance standards:

   A.  A GPA of at least 2.75 for the last 60 hours of academic work;

   B.  A Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) composite score of at least 400.  Arrangements for taking the GMAT can be made by calling Pearson Professional Centers at (800) 717-4628 or by visiting their website.

   A candidate for the MBA program may waive the GMAT as an admission requirement by satisfying all of the following conditions:

   a.  Earned a 3.50 on the last 60 semester hours.

   b.  Admitted to or have graduated with a Missouri State COB business unit major (ACC, CIS, FGB, MGT or MKT).

   c.  Completed 80 hours at the time of application.

   d.  English proficiency:  The candidate must demonstrate proficiency in English by one of the following methods:

   i.  Graduation from a U.S. high school or completion of a GED.

   ii.  Official documentation is required that the candidate's secondary school curriculum was primarily taught in English.

   iii.  Minimum Internest-based TOEFL of 79 or 6.0 banded IELTS score.

   NOTE: With the approval of the Director of the MBA program, recent scores from other national standardized tests for graduate study such as the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) may be deemed equivalent.  In these instances, equivalent test scores can be used to meet minimum GMAT score requirements (above) and can be used in formula calculations for admission purposes. A GMAT to GRE Conversion Chart is available.

C.  A minimum value of 1,000 based on the following formula — (200 X GPA in last 60 hours) + GMAT score;

D.  A minimum score in the 20^th percentile for both the verbal and the written components of the GMAT.  Applicants meeting performance standards “a”, “b”, and “c”, but not standard “d” can be admitted conditionallyto the MBA program pending completion of the Speak Test, an essay test (graded on the CUNY Scale), and a grammar test.  These tests will be administered to conditionally admitted students during the MBA Orientation Program prior to the beginning of each semester.

a.  Conditionally admitted students attaining the scores indicated below will be fully admitted to the MBA Program: Speak Test = 40 or greater; essay test = 4.0 or greater on the CUNY Scale; and grammar test = 70% or greater correct.

b.  Conditionally admitted students attaining the scores indicated above on one or two of the tests may be given permission to enroll in a limited number of MBA classes pending approval by the MBA Program Director of a plan to correct any communication deficiency.  When it has been demonstrated that all deficiencies have been removed, full admission to the MBA Program will be granted.

c.  Requirement “d” can be waived if the applicant successfully completes the Missouri State University English Language Institute (see below for more information).

3.  Students who do not meet the normal admission requirements, but who possess high promise (usually based upon a successful record of managerial performance at increasing levels of responsibility) may be considered for admission.

GMAT preparation course

MSU's International Center's English Language Institute offers a GMAT preparation course each semester.  The price of the course is $350 (subject to change). For additional information, contact 417-836-6540 or visit http://international.missouristate.edu/88699.htm.

Unclassified admission  

Students who meet general Graduate College requirements, but have not fulfilled all requirements to enter the MBA program, may be admitted to the Graduate College as a “Graduate student - unclassified.” This status will allow a student to enroll in an absolute maximum of 9 graduate hours before being fully admitted to the MBA program. All courses at the 600-level or higher are considered graduate hours. 

Computer application competency

Students entering the Master’s of Business Administration program are expected to be proficient in the use of word processing, database, and spreadsheet software. No coursework is required to fulfill this criterion. Knowledge derived from professional or personal experience will qualify. If a student feels that he or she does not have the necessary base of knowledge to fulfill this requirement, there are various resources available on campus, such as self-paced tutorials and hands-on programs that would be helpful to increase computer knowledge and experiences.

International applicants

Applicants from foreign countries whose native language is not English are required to submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Normally, TOEFL scores of 550 on the paper-based or a comparable score of 213 on the computer-based TOEFL are required.

English Language Institute

The English Language Institute (ELI) began classes in June 1996 with five students.  Since that time, the program has experienced continued grow and now serves more than 150 students, most of whom are preparing for study in undergraduate or graduate programs at Missouri State University.  The ELI offers five levels of study in core areas of writing, grammar, reading/vocabulary, academic listening skills, and speaking pronunciation classes.  Through an intensive twenty-five hours per week, students have the opportunity to prepare for the language challenges of American classrooms.  The focus of the English Language Institute, therefore, is to equip ESL students with the necessary language skills to achieve success in the degree program of their choice and to enhance their potential for future employment after graduation.

For more information, please contact: Director, English Language Institute, 301 S Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806, USA, Phone (417) 836-6540, Fax (417) 836-4784, email JaneRobison@missouristate.edu or ELI@MissouriState.edu. You may also visit the ELI Website at http://international.missouristate.edu/eli.

Foundation Courses

The MBA program requires 24 hours of foundation courses.  This foundation is composed of the following eight graduate-level courses which are designed to provide accelerated coverage of the knowledge base necessary for students to benefit most from the MBA curriculum:

Upon evaluation of baccalaureate degree transcripts, some or all of these courses may be waived, particularly for students holding an undergraduate degree in business.

Seven of the foundation courses are now available once each year via the Internet.  These online courses do not have a campus component and can be completed entirely from the student’s location.  Contact the MBA Program Director regarding questions about these courses. To enroll in one or more of the online courses, call Missouri State Outreach at 1-877-678-2005.

Those considering entering the MBA program are encouraged to email mbaprogram@missouristate.edu with an unofficial copy of transcripts, requesting a transcript analysis by the MBA Program Director.

Degree Requirements

With foundation courses met, the MBA degree requires a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate credit composed of:

1. Core Requirements - 24 hours

*Students whose undergraduate major is in a MBA core course discipline must consult with the MBA Program Director to determine if they should substitute another 600- or 700-level course in the College of Business for the core course in that discipline.

**Students who have completed Managerial Cost Accounting must consult with the MBA Program Director to select an appropriate substitute course.

***Students who have already taken FIN 582 or MGT 447 must consult with the MBA Program Director for an appropriate substitute course.

2. Other Requirements - 9 hours**

Seminar (A Seminar Course is required) - 3 hrs

Most students will select from CIS 790, FIN 790 or FIN 787), MGT 790, MKT 790 (or MKT 770), although other courses may be acceptable.

Area of Concentration Options - 6 hours:

In consultation with the MBA Director, students may select one of the following areas of concentration:

FINANCE - FIN 790 (or FIN 787), plus two more FIN graduate courses

MANAGEMENT - MGT 790, plus two more MGT graduate courses

MARKETING - MKT 790 (or MKT 770) plus two more MKT graduate courses

COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS - CIS 790, plus two more CIS graduate courses

** No more than 6 hours of 600-level courses may be applied to the degree program.

3. Research

Students are expected to demonstrate research and writing proficiency appropriate to the business environment. Significant written projects are required within each of the core courses. In lieu of the required seminar course and one other course from the area of concentration, a student may complete a thesis for 6 hours of credit.

Executive MBA Option (EMBA)

When offered to a select group of students, typically a cohort, with significant business experience, the MBA Program may be presented in a format referred to as the Executive MBA Option or the EMBA. From a curricular viewpoint, the EMBA would be structured in the same way as the traditional MBA, however, the presentation format of core and elective courses will be designed in such a way as to maximize the benefit to working business professionals.

GMAT/GRE scores are not required for admission to the EMBA, however, the applicant would need to provide documentation verifying at least 5 years of business experience.

For EMBA students, prerequisite requirements for the core program courses can be satisfied through appropriate prior coursework, relevant business experience or by an individualized study program developed and supervised by the EMBA Program Director.

The credit hour costs for classes taken by students enrolled in the EMBA program are assessed at a higher rate than the traditional MBA offerings due to additional expenditures associated with the program.

Admission Requirements

Completion of a regionally accredited undergraduate degree.

1. Completion of 5 or more years of business/professional experience.

Accelerated Master's Degree Option

Undergraduate majors in the College of Business may apply for admission to the Master of Business Administration program during the second semester of their junior year. If accepted, up to 6 hours of 600- or 700-level COB classes taken in the senior year may be counted toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. As an MBA graduation requirement, students exercising the accelerated MBA option will be required to have had one year of professional experience or a 3 hour internship.

Before enrolling in a course that will apply to both the undergraduate program and the master’s program, an undergraduate student must:

• Be accepted into the accelerated program.
• Receive prior approval from the graduate advisor, department head of the undergraduate program, and the Dean of the Graduate College. This is done by using a mixed credit form. 

Acceptance into the program and all approvals must be completed prior to the end of the Change of Schedule Period for the course(s). See the Graduate College for further information.

Admission Requirements

• Completion of 80 or more hours at time of application
• An overall GPA of 3.00 or better
• A score of 450 or better on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)

Academic Standing

A student who fails to attain a 3.00 GPA after completing the approved program may enroll for additional course work not to exceed 6 semester hours to raise the GPA. The course work will be approved by the Director of the MBA Program and the Dean of the College of Business.

The maximum class load for a full-time student is normally 12 hours per semester. An overload is permitted only after students have demonstrated their ability to achieve an outstanding graduate record at this university. Students employed in a full-time job should not enroll for more than 6 semester hours.

All other University and Graduate College requirements governing grading and attendance will apply.

To enroll in graduate courses in the College of Business, a student must satisfy one of the two conditions listed below:

1. be admitted to a graduate program in the College of Business, or
2. have permission to enroll from the Director of the MBA Program.

Students who do not meet one of these two conditions will be dropped from the course(s) at any time during the session involved.

Contact Dr. Glenna Vanderhoof, CIS department, and see program requirements for the M.S.Ed., Secondary Education under Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.

College of Business Requirements

Students must have undergraduate preparation in, or the equivalent of, the following core requirements.

Business Requirements