Program Information
Overview
Mount St. Mary’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program has a tradition of educational excellence. For more than 40 years, the Mount has been meeting the needs of working professionals who must balance the competing requirements of graduate school, career, and family. By providing quality education in an adult-friendly learning environment with state-of-the-art resources, the Mount continues its longstanding service to the surrounding community.
The Mount MBA program, offering accelerated classes, promotes professional and personal growth in a challenging yet friendly atmosphere. The University places the highest emphasis on teaching and on the value of close student-faculty relationships both in and out of the classroom. The program is designed primarily for part-time adult students who live and work in the surrounding community; however, full-time study is also available.
The Master of Business Administration degree requires the successful completion of 37 credit hours comprising 31 credit hours in core courses and 6 credit hours in elective courses.
Mount St. Mary’s believes that its liberal arts tradition and management focus prepare students to assume leadership roles in society.
Accreditation
Mount St. Mary’s is fully accredited by the Commission on Higher Education Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
Mount St. Mary’s University has earned specialized accreditation for its business and business-related programs through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), Olathe, Kansas. The following degree programs are accredited by the IACBE:
- Bachelor of Science in Accounting
- Bachelor of Science in Business
- Bachelor of Science in Sport Management
- Master of Business Administration
Program Objectives
Students who complete the MBA program will:
- Develop technical skills and knowledge in the field of business in order to advance in the workforce.
- Obtain effective oral and written communication skills through contemporary technologies.
- Understand the complexities operating in a global setting.
- Recognize and evaluate complex problems and processes, including the coordination of the organization, research and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, the application of problem-solving methodologies, and generation of recommendations for decision-making and strategic planning.
- Articulate an understanding of the multiple roles of business in society using the perspectives of stakeholder analysis, ethics, corporate social responsibility, and Catholic Social teaching.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the personal calling of business professionals to lives of purpose and service and to meeting the highest standards of personal integrity.
Candidates for admission into the MBA program must have completed a bachelor’s degree and must satisfy at least one of the following criteria:
- 2.75 minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA)
OR
- 5 full years of relevant, professional business experience (résumé required)
OR
- 500 minimum score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT); visit www.gmat.org for details on exam requirements and testing locations
Application Process
Applications for admission are accepted year-round and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Please plan to apply at least six weeks before the date you wish to begin classes. Late applications are accepted on a case-by-case basis.
- Complete application; available online at www.msmary.edu/mba.
- Attach current résumé.
- Request copies of official transcripts from all schools attended after high school. Official copies should be sent directly to the MBA office.
- If GMAT is required, submit copy of test scores. Arrange to have official scores sent directly to the MBA office.
- Non-U.S. citizens - Please refer to the section on International Students for additional requirements.
Admission Status
- Full Admit: Applicants who satisfy at least one of the three criteria stated above are granted full admission to graduate study.
- Provisional Admit: A student who does not fulfill admission requirements but who shows promise as a graduate student may be granted a provisional admission. This status allows the student to complete up to nine graduate credits, and full admission is awarded upon the successful completion of nine graduate credits with a grade of “B” or better in each course, plus any outstanding admission requirements.
Undergraduate Prerequisites
Certain MBA courses require prior completion of undergraduate-level classes with a minimum grade of “C-.”
- Accounting I (3 credits) and Accounting II (3 credits), prerequisites for MBA 503
- Corporate Finance (3 credits), prerequisite for MBA 509
- Principles of Microeconomics (3 credits), prerequisite for MBA 504
- Statistics (3 credits), prerequisite for MBA 506
If you have not completed these prerequisites or desire a “refresher,” the Mount offers “mini-courses” to meet your needs.
Students should have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Students may take selected MBA courses before completing undergraduate prerequsites, including MBA 501 , MBA 505 , and MBA 518 .
MBA Tuition (2017-18 Academic Year)
MBA $635 per credit
MBA Mini-courses $410 per course
Transfer of Graduate Credits
Students may transfer a maximum of nine semester hours of graduate-level credit from another accredited institution, subject to approval by the program director. A maximum of three transfer credits may be applied toward a certificate. The combination of transferred and waived credits may not exceed nine semester hours per degree or three semester credits per certificate.
- Transfer courses should be compatible with the graduate program curriculum.
- Students must have earned a grade of at least B in each course considered for transfer credit.
- Non-academic courses (seminars, workshops, symposiums, etc.) are not acceptable as graduate transfer credit.
- Grades earned in transferred courses are not calculated in the student’s grade point average.
How to Request Transfer Credit
- Request an application for transfer credit from the MBA office.
- Request official transcripts from the institution(s) from which you earned the credits.
- Submit an official catalog course description and/or syllabus for course(s) you wish to be considered.
Degree and Certificate Requirements
Students are responsible for ensuring that all of the following graduation requirements have been satisfied:
- Completion of all undergraduate prerequisites and a minimum of 37 graduate hours comprising required core courses and electives. For certificate programs, students must complete 15 graduate hours of required courses.
- A cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
- Completion of all required courses within the five-year time limit.
Requests for time extensions must be submitted in writing and may be granted at the discretion of the program director. No foreign language or comprehensive examination is required.
Course Waivers
If a student has a strong undergraduate background or significant professional experiences in a field, he or she may request to have a core course waived by the director. A waiver is not an award of credit, but it permits the student to substitute an approved higher-level course in place of the core requirement. Waivers are awarded to strengthen a student’s academic program.
Students may request waivers for a maximum of nine semester hours for a degree program or a maximum of three semester hours per certificate. The combination of transferred and waived credits may not exceed nine semester hours for degree programs or three semester hours per certificate.
Students interested in pursuing a course waiver may request an application for waiver from the program director.
Enrollment in Multiple Programs
Students may not be concurrently enrolled in more than one degree program. Students, however, may enroll in a certificate program while currently enrolled in a degree program.
Academic Sessions
Each academic semester comprises two parts: Session I and Session II. Sessions occur on a year-round basis, with six academic sessions per year with courses offered on an accelerated basis, usually meeting one night a week, 6-9:30 p.m., over 8 weeks.
Fall Semester: Fall I Session and Fall II Session
Spring Semester: Spring I Session and Spring II Session
Summer Semester: Summer I Session and Summer II Session
Classes require readings or assignments to be completed before the first class meeting.
Ethical Standards
Mount St. Mary’s University believes that ethical conflicts and choices are inherent in business decision making. Proper ethical behavior exists on a plane above the law, and managers should be familiar with a host of situations involving the application of ethical standards. The discussion of business cases or situations having ethical implications is an important part of the Mount St. Mary’s Master of Business Administration Program.
Because of the nature of Mount St. Mary’s and its commitment to moral/ethical standards, ethical considerations are a visible part of many of the courses. Faculty include an identifiable component on the application of ethical principles in our core courses. We believe the nature of the University requires that Mount St. Mary’s offer insight to managers on how to deal with ethical business issues.
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