Master of Business Administration
CIP: 520201
Chairperson: Steve Ludwig
Advisor: Chi Lo Lim
Graduate Faculty: Casey Abington, Joni Adkins, Benjamin Blackford, Terry Coalter, Ben Collier, Chi Lo Lim, Josephine Lugosvskyy, Steve Ludwig, Janet Marta, Naveen Musunuru, Deborah Toomey, Tiebing Shi, James Walker, Tekle Wanorie, Rahnl Wood
A master’s degree in business administration involves the study of management — that is, the process of organizing and directing resources, which include people, finances, materials and information. The M.B.A. program provides an opportunity to become a business leader by developing skills in ethical decision-making, financial planning, quantitative analysis, policy formulation, and interpersonal relationships and to understand how these skills are applied in achieving business and organizational goals in an international environment.
The M.B.A. is one of the most flexible degrees available. It prepares students for leadership in organizations, in independent business and in their own communities. It gives future managers the knowledge, concepts and skills necessary to direct resources to meet specific organizational goals.
With an M.B.A., one can aim for a more fulfilling career. Its versatility is a special advantage. Although an M.B.A. is not a guaranteed ticket to success, it can provide access to many personal and professional opportunities and can help to achieve greater responsibility, higher earnings, more job satisfaction and greater visibility and advancement at work and in the community.
The M.B.A. opens many doors. Because of the high value all organizations place on decision-making and problem-solving abilities, our M.B.A. graduates are sought after by a wide variety of organizations in different segments of the economy.
When former students were asked, “What are the advantages of obtaining an M.B.A. degree?” five major benefits were listed in order of importance: 1) career entry and/or advancement – which includes labor market opportunities, increased career options, contacts, credentials and faster career mobility; 2) development of management abilities and business-related knowledge; 3) personal satisfaction; 4) making more money; and 5) other reasons, such as receiving a scholarship or using the M.B.A. to gain entry to other academic programs.
Accreditation
Northwest Missouri State University, through its Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth College of Business and Professional Studies, is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) for the offering of the following degree programs: (1) at the graduate level, for the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree; (2) at the undergraduate level, for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with majors in accounting, finance, management information systems, business technology, business education, business economics, business management, international business and marketing.
Departmental Admission Requirements
Admission to the M.B.A. program is not the same as admission to graduate study. To be admitted to graduate study, the University requirements for admission as outlined in the current catalog must be met. Additionally, to be admitted to the M.B.A. program, students must meet the following criteria:
- A satisfactory score on the graduate admissions test score (GMAT or GRE). All students must achieve the appropriate score before being considered for acceptance into the M.B.A. program, or being allowed to enroll in M.B.A. classes. Undergraduate students who wish to dual enroll in M.B.A. graduate classes must meet the entrance exam requirement.
- GMAT- The formula, 200 times the overall undergraduate GPA plus the GMAT score equal to 950 or above, will be used to calculate the score. Students must meet that requirement, but with no less than a score of 440.
- GRE- The formula, 200 times the overall undergraduate GPA plus the combined GRE score must be equal to or greater than 785, with a minimum of 143 on the verbal score and 142 on the quantitative score.
- Students who have completed a graduate degree from an accredited institution may have the graduate admissions test score requirement waived. Students receiving a graduate degree waiver will be required to complete a writing sample as assigned by the MBA Program Director.
- Any student who does not achieve a score of 3.5 or higher on the GMAT/GRE Analytical Writing Assessment must complete ENGL 10110 Introduction to College Writing during the first trimester of enrollment. A grade of “C” or better in this course will meet the writing sample requirement.
- M.B.A. program applicants who took the business Major Field Test (MFT) at their undergraduate institution and scored at or above the 70th percentile may have the graduate admissions test score requirement waived. To apply for this waiver, the applicant must submit documentation from his/her undergraduate institution that verifies (1) the date the applicant took the MFT; (2) the applicant’s numerical score on the MFT; and (3) the corresponding percentile rank. This documentation should be in the form of a letter on the official letterhead of the undergraduate institution and signed by an officer (dean or chair) of that institution. This documentation must be included with the application to the M.B.A. program. Students receiving a MFT waiver will be required to complete a writing sample as assigned by the MBA Program Director.
- Admission may be granted to a limited number of students who show high promise for success but do not meet the above standards. For these students, a minimum of five years of successful managerial experience may be considered in lieu of either the GPA or graduate admissions test score. Students receiving a MFT waiver will be required to complete a writing sample as assigned by the MBA Program Director. To be considered for a waiver, students must submit a request that includes a résumé listing all managerial positions held and a description of responsibilities in each position. A letter of reference should accompany the request from each immediate supervisor addressing the job responsibilities of the student while in each position. The M.B.A. graduate faculty will consider each petition and determine whether it is to be accepted.
- M.B.A. program applicants with significant current or former military leadership experience in any branch of the United States Armed Forces may have the GMAT/GRE requirement waived. For enlisted personnel, the grade of E-6 or higher will waive this requirement. All warrant officers and commissioned officers CW3 or O3 and higher qualify for this waiver. Documentation must be submitted with the application to the MBA program. Students receiving a MFT waiver will be required to complete a writing sample as assigned by the MBA Program Director.
- International students must have a minimum score of 550 paper, 213 by computer or 79/80 Internet-based on the TOEFL exam. The TOEFL may be waived for bachelor’s degree graduates of any U.S.A. regionally- or nationally-accredited institution. IELTS score of 6.5 or PTE score of 53 can also be submitted in place of the TOEFL.
- Application for admission to candidacy must be made in the first trimester of enrollment as specified under “Admission to Candidacy” in this catalog.
Application Deadlines
Applications and all transcripts must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the following dates. International students should allow approximately two months from the time all application documents are received for notification of acceptance.
Fall Trimester—July 1
Spring Trimester—December 1
Summer Trimester—May 1
Requirements
M.B.A. Course Prerequisites
In addition to the general requirements prescribed by the Graduate School, all M.B.A. students must meet the following prerequisite courses or equivalents before enrolling in graduate courses:
Prerequisite courses cannot be taken by audit or pass/fail. Students who are advised that they must complete or supersede a prerequisite course must earn a grade of “B” or better.
As an alternative, M.B.A. students who do not have an undergraduate degree in business may take the M.B.A. Business Foundation (54201). This course provides the requisite knowledge in accounting, economics, finance, management and marketing. This 9-hour course will not fulfill any requirement for any undergraduate business major. To meet the prerequisite requirement, students must obtain an overall score of at least 80% and a score of not less than 75% on any individual module.
Students with an undergraduate degree in business usually meet the course prerequisites listed above and can complete the M.B.A. program with 33 hours of graduate courses. Students from non-business fields can complete the prerequisites by taking the 21 hours of prerequisites from any accredited four-year institution. Students then may complete the program by taking the 33 graduate hours.
Under ACBSP accreditation standards, graduate students pursuing an M.B.A. degree must complete at least 30 hours in courses reserved exclusively for graduate students (that is, 600-level courses) and cover material beyond the undergraduate Common Professional Component (CPC) courses. (See the Northwest Undergraduate Academic Catalog for a list of CPC courses.) The Northwest M.B.A. degree requires 33 hours. Thus, graduate students may take up to three hours of approved electives at the 500 level. M.B.A. students who have not completed an undergraduate international business course are required to take the graduate International Business (MKTG 55631) course.
M.B.A. Course Requirements
General M.B.A. candidates must complete the following courses at the graduate level: (See the course descriptions for the appropriate prerequisite courses.)
Required Courses
Electives: Any student who did not complete an international business course at the undergraduate level is required to complete MKTG 55631 International Business as an elective course.
Electives must be approved by the student’s advisor in advance. No more than three (3) hours of 500-level courses may count as electives.
Most IT Management courses may be taken as electives if prerequisites are met, with advisor approval. The following non-business courses may be taken as electives with advisor approval.
Comprehensive Examination–ETS
Students will take the ETS Major Field Test for MBA during their last trimester of enrollment. The test will be scheduled early in the term. Students who wish to take the ETS exam must submit their application to take the comprehensive examination and an application to graduate to the Graduate Office no later than the end of the first week of the term in which they wish to sit for the exam.
Research Component
All M.B.A. candidates, regardless of concentration/emphasis, must submit a research component to the Office of the Dean, Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth College of Business and Professional Studies, prior to applying to take the comprehensive examination.