Georgia Southwestern State University

Master of Business Administration Degree

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program is designed to prepare future business leaders for the constantly changing world marketplace by developing their critical thinking, management, leadership skills and the global perspectives necessary for success. The convenient scheduling of courses taught by academically qualified full-time faculty makes this quality program ideal for managers seeking to gain a strong foundation in current and future business practices.

The academic program consists of a minimum of 30 graduate semester credit hours in business-related courses. The curriculum consists of eight core courses and two elective courses. In addition, there are several prerequisite foundation courses. For applicants whose undergraduate degrees were in business-related fields, these foundation course prerequisites will typically already have been met.

Applicants whose academic record does not include the foundation courses will be required to complete these prerequisites before being admitted into the MBA program.

Why Pursue an MBA Degree?

A Masters in Business Administration provides you with the competitive edge to get ahead.

Research shows those with an MBA:

Perform their job better than those who do not have MBA.
Are well-prepared for the challenges of their positions.
Are promoted sooner, and are paid more on average than their peers.
Are in high demand by businesses and command much higher salaries.
According to the latest survey, overall, the typical Pre-MBA earned $48,000 before entering the MBA program and now expects to earn $75,000 in the first job after graduation—a 56% increase.
In addition to the financial benefits, an MBA can fulfill a personal goal. The MBA program provides the opportunity for you to complete a challenging educational experience and demonstrate your unique abilities.
Recognizing the benefits of MBA degree, most employers pay for all or most of the cost.
They know an MBA can make a major difference in long-term management performance.

What kind of skills do you expect to learn in while enrolled in the MBA Program?

Analytical skills
Interpersonal skills
Ability to integrate information
Oral and written communication skills
Decision- making ability
Ability to think strategically
Computer /technological skills
Technical skills
Creative skills
Leadership skills
Networking skills

Why Georgia Southwestern State University?

Great faculty - majority with business experience
Flexible scheduling - evening and online courses
Admission is based on either GMAT or GRE
Admission is based on a formula - considering both undergraduate upper division courses and GMAT/GRE scores.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the graduate program in business administration is limited to holders of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution. Admission will be granted only to students showing high promise of success in graduate study. The candidate's performance on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and the candidate's undergraduate academic record will be used to determine admission status. For more information about the GMAT, please visit www.mba.com

The completed application packet, including all supporting documentation, must be received by the Graduate Admissions Office by the deadlines published in the University's academic calendar. Applicants may apply for admittance during any semester.

The formulas to determine the student's admission status are:

(a) GMAT score + (200 X the student's cumulative undergraduate GPA *) or

(b) GMAT score + (200 X the student's GPA in all upper-division undergraduate courses) or

(d) GRE score + (200 X the student's GPA in all upper-division undergraduate courses)

* Grade Point Average (GPA) is based on a four point scale.

Regular Admission

1. Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.

2. Students who score 950 or higher using formula (a) or who score 1,000 or higher using formula (b) or 1,300 or higher using formula (c) or 1,350 or higher using formula (d).

3. Completion of all prerequisites at the undergraduate or graduate level, with a minimum grade point average on those courses of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and no course grade less than "C".

Conditional Admission

1. Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.

2. Students who score 850 or higher using formula (a) or who score 900 or higher using formula (b) or 1,200 or higher using formula (c) or 1,250 or higher using formula (d) will be admitted as conditional graduate students.

3. To exit conditional status, students must have completed all undergraduate prerequisite course requirements and must have maintained a minimum grade point average of 3.00 with no grade below a "B" in the first 9 semester hours of master's level courses taken while classified as a conditional graduate student. The student may then be admitted as a regular student, subject to the approval by the Dean of the School of Business.

Additional Degree Requirements

In addition to meeting all University requirements for graduation, the MBA candidate must maintain an overall minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the master's level business courses taken within the School of Business Administration at Georgia Southwestern State University. If the student fails to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 in the MBA courses, the student will be placed on probationary status for one semester. Failure to improve the overall GPA to meet the minimum standard after one semester on probationary status is grounds for the student to be involuntarily withdrawn from the program. A student who is involuntarily withdrawn from the program may reapply after one full year.

Email: mba@canes.gsw.edu

University Graduate Programs Academic Standards

1. A minimum grade of "B" is required on all courses for those courses to be applied toward satisfying degree requirements.

2. Students on conditional status must earn a minimum grade of "B" in each course attempted. A grade of "C" or below is grounds for a student to be involuntarily withdrawn from the program.

3. Students on any status must maintain a grade point average of 3.0. Failure to maintain a 3.0 minimum grade point average is grounds for a student to be involuntarily withdrawn from the program.

4. A student involuntarily withdrawn from the program may reapply after one full year.

Degree Requirements

PREREQUISITES

The MBA program has the following common set of prerequisite course and/or content requirements:

1. Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses:

Accounting Principles I (Financial Accounting)
Accounting Principles II (Managerial Accounting)
Principles of Macroeconomics or Principles of Microeconomics
Business Statistics
Business Finance
Principles of Management
Principles of Marketing

A graduate student with an undergraduate BBA will normally have satisfied all of the common prerequisite requirements. A student with an undergraduate degree in another field may have satisfied some of these prerequisite requirements through a business minor or through elective credit. Students who intend to select their electives in accounting may be required to take additional prerequisite courses. Please see your advisor to list of required prerequisite courses in the area of accounting.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The degree requirements for MBA are:

Core Courses (24 graduate semester credit hours):

Organizational Leadership
Managerial Economics
Marketing Management
Managerial Control*
International Business Practices
Strategic Management
Advance Business Finance
Quantitative Management
* May be substituted by another 6000 level accounting course for students who earned their undergraduate degree in accounting.

MBA Electives: Minimum of 6 graduate semester credit hours.

No more than 9 credit hours at the 6000-level graduate credit accepted in transfer from another institution or taken at another institution on a "transient" basis may be applied to the 30 credit hours required for the degree.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Carol Bishop, Director of the MBA program.