Master of Business Administration

[1] Objectives

The MBA program is designed to meet the needs of students preparing for positions in upper management in business and related organizations. The program offers students advanced study in the various functional areas of business, emphasizing teaming, communication, problem solving, research, computer technology, case studies, and project-based instruction. The program is flexible in allowing students to select an area of concentration reflective of their interest. Areas of concentration include Finance, Health Care Administration (HCA), Information Management, and International Business.

[2] Admission Requirements

In addition to the Graduate School admission requirements, the Master of Business Administration requires the following:

• Score of at least 500 on the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) or the equivalent GRE (Graduate Record Examination) score or a minimum score of 110 on the aptitude portion of the Chinese National Postgraduate Entrance Examination (NPEE) for Management and Economics majors.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.70, or 3.00 in last 60 credit hours.
• A written Statement of Purpose of 750 words or less describing reasons why the prospective student wishes to pursue the MBA degree.
• Two (2) letters of recommendation.
• A current professional résumé.
• International students must complete the TOEFL exam with a minimum score of 550 on paper version (PBT), 213 on the computerized version (LBT), 79 on the iBT, or 6.5 on the IELTS. Not required for graduates of U.S. institutions.

Note: Students who do not meet the minimum GMAT of 500 or the equivalent GRE score or the minimum NPEE score, or minimum GPA requirements may be admitted on a conditional basis. Conditional admission will depend on undergraduate performance, GMAT/GRE score, other relevant measures of scholastic performance, a record of successful employment at increasing levels of responsibility, and recommendations. Conditionally admitted students must obtain a 3.00 GPA in the first nine (9) hours of coursework towards the degree. After this point, the conditional status will be removed.

Note also: Applicants to the MBA program are generally required to supply GMAT or GRE scores as part of their application process. The following persons, however, may be exempt from taking the GMAT or GRE [updated effective Spring 2018]:

1. Applicants who hold a terminal degree (e.g., PhD, MD, JD, DDS, EdD) from an accredited* program or institution (including UCA).
2. Applicants who hold a master’s degree from an accredited* program or institution (including UCA).
3. Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in business from an accredited* program or institution (including UCA) with an overall GPA of 3.25 or higher.
4. Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree outside of business from an accredited* program or institution with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and coursework which covered the following: management information systems; accounting principles; microeconomics; macroeconomics; statistics; finance; management; human resource management; and operations management.
5. Applicants who have completed and passed all parts of the CPA exam (must submit official copy of license from any state or, if not licensed, proof of successful completion of all four parts of the exam).

* “Accredited” may refer to business programs accredited by AACSB or EQUIS or institutions accredited by a regional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (or other appropriate accrediting agency as determined by the UCA Graduate School and the UCA MBA Program Coordinator).

To request an exemption, complete and submit the exemption request to the MBA Director at the time of application to the Graduate School.

Applicants for admission to the MBA program must submit a completed application packet that includes: a completed application form, official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended, official GMAT, GRE, or NPEE scores, statement of purpose, résumé, and two letters of recommendation, to the Graduate School by the following dates:

[3] Degree Requirements (MBA)

To receive the MBA degree, the student must complete the following 21-hour MBA core courses plus 9 hours of electives with a GPA of 3.00 or higher. Students with a non-business undergraduate degree are required to take prerequisite courses prior to enrollment in the MBA core courses. Some or all of the MBA prerequisite courses may be waived by the MBA director.

MBA Prerequisite courses (12 credit hours)

MBA core courses (21 credit hours)

MBA elective courses (9 credit hours)

Undergraduate accounting majors may choose to substitute approved classes from the Master of Accountancy program for MBA 6302.

[4] Areas of Concentration

[4.1] Finance

Students that plan to receive an MBA degree with a concentration in Finance must complete the following 30-hour program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher:

MBA core courses (21 credit hours)

MBA electives (9 credit hours) from the following classes:

[4.2] Health Care Administration

Students that plan to receive an MBA degree with a concentration in Health Care Administration (HCA) must complete the following 30-hour program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher:

MBA (HCA) core courses (24 credit hours)

Electives (6 credit hours) from the following classes:

[4.3] Information Management

A candidate for the MBA with a concentration in Information Management will complete seven core MBA courses (21 hours) and three electives (9 hours) in the concentration.

MBA Core Courses (21 hours required)

Electives (9 hours required)

[4.4] International Business

Students that plan to receive an MBA degree with a concentration in International Business must complete the 30-hour MBA courses and six hours of additional requirements with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The additional requirements include six hours of elective credit at the graduate level in international business, international culture, or undergraduate foreign language, or complete an internship with a business. Electives must be approved by MBA Director and be taken abroad.

[5] Graduate Course Links

[5.1] Courses in Business Administration (MBA)

Follow this link for MBA course descriptions: course link.

[5.2] Courses in Other Areas (ACCT, FACS, H ED, H SC, INSU)

Follow this link for ACCT course descriptions: course link.

Follow this link for FACS course descriptions: course link.

Follow this link for H ED course descriptions: course link.

Follow this link for H SC course descriptions: course link.

Follow this link for INSU course descriptions: course link.