Master of Business Administration (Credit Hour)

Mission

The mission of the Master of Business Administration program is to provide an experience-driven, relevant, business curriculum for gaining knowledge, skills, and abilities to plan, execute, monitor, evaluate, and create value. This program will proactively address dynamic challenges at a strategic level, for students to become effective business leaders in a competitive and diverse environment.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Communication: Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills in varying business settings.
  • Equity and Inclusion: Apply fundamental practices and tools for successfully building and leading global organizations that are diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just.
  • Strategic Operations: Evaluate business functions and processes to plan and formulate business strategies.
  • Business Analytics: Evaluate data to identify emerging trends and provide viable data-driven recommendations to analyze and solve complex problems.
  • Building Relationships: Create a model to foster an internal collaborative culture that drives positive relationships and change that impact organizational success.

Requirements for Admission

The prospective graduate student in the MBA program must demonstrate his or her readiness to succeed in graduate-level academic coursework by satisfactorily fulfilling one of the following admission options. All graduate admissions options listed below require an earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.

Admission by GPA

A 2.75 grade point average (GPA) calculated over the most recent 30 graded semester (45 quarter) credits completed in either a baccalaureate or post baccalaureate program, including credits earned toward a credential. All credits used for GPA calculation must be from a regionally accredited institution. For graduates of regionally accredited institutions that do not conduct a GPA calculation, an official letter from the University determining grade equivalency will be accepted.

Admission by Prior Graduate Degree

An earned master's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution.

Admission by Portfolio

Submission of a portfolio of evidence that shows adequate preparation for graduate studies. The portfolio will contain: writing samples that show graduate level communications and analytical skills; a detailed resume showing professional development and achievements; awards; professional recognition; letters of reference from persons who can attest to the applicant’s ability to do graduate level work; and a letter of explanation detailing the reasons the student believes they are a good candidate for graduate study in the field they wish to pursue. If the portfolio meets substantive approval of the committee, the applicant may be invited for an interview. The decision of the School Graduate Admissions Committee will be final.

Transfer Credit Policy

A maximum of 9 credits may be accepted in transfer in the MBA degree program. (See the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.)

In addition to university policies concerning transfer of coursework, the MBA program will accept transfer of military coursework which meets the following requirements:

  1. Course requested for transfer must include an official transcript or copy of an ACE evaluation which verifies graduate-level work;
  2. Coursework must be letter graded or provide verification of completion at a grade of “B” or higher;
  3. Coursework must be comparable to program requirements (if marginal comparability, a written statement of rationale must be provided); and

In addition to University policies concerning transfer of coursework, University of Massachusetts Global may approve the following exceptions:

  1. Transfer of twelve elective credits to the MBA upon receipt of appropriate official documentation of successful completion of the University of California, Irvine Extension Project Management Certificate provided that all required certificate courses were completed with a grade of “B" within the last seven years.

  2. Military Coursework Fifteen Credit Transfer: Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, retired and prior military service members may qualify for a transfer of fifteen credits toward the EMBA degree for completion of military coursework comparable OLCU 614 Leadership & Team Development, OLCU 641 Leadership in Military Communication, OLCU 643 Military Operations Leadership, HRCU 618 Career Management, HRCU 605 Talent Management. Qualifications and provisions of this fifteen credit transfer opportunity follow:

a. The service member must qualify for admission to the MBA degree program. (See Graduate Admission section of this catalog).

b. Active Duty, active reserve, retired and prior service military members in the following ranks are eligible: Commissioned Officer (any rank), Senior NCO (E7 or above) or CW2 or above.

c. Commissioned Officers must be graduates of a commissioning program (OCS or equivalent, ROTC, Military Academy) and an officer basic career course. Senior NCOs must be E7 or above and graduates of a career NCO Advanced Course. Warrant Officers must be CW2 or above and graduates of a Warrant Officer Candidate School and a Warrant Officer career course.

d. The seven-year rule for completion of all coursework toward the MBA degree applies, including transfer credit for military schooling. (See Seven-Year Limitation in Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.)

e. Recipients of the fifteen credit transfer must complete all remaining coursework for the MBA degree at University of Massachusetts Global in accordance with academic policy.

Course Substitutions

Students with the following certifications will be granted a maximum of 6 credits as defined below:

Certification Substituted Course Comments
CMA ACCU 640 Current certification at the time of application
CPA ACCU 602 Current certification at the time of application
PHR HRCU 600 Certification or recertification within 3 years
SPHR HRCU 600 Certification or recertification within 3 years
GPHR HRCU 603 Certification or recertification within 3 years
SHRM-CP HRCU 600 Certification or recertification within 3 years
SHRM-SCP HRCU 600 Certification or recertification within 3 years.

 Students who received substitution credit as an undergraduate for HRCU 445 for the PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP, may only receive waiver credit for HRCU 600 as graduate students.

Specific Requirements for the MBA Degree

The MBA program consists of two segments. The first segment is the MBA Core consisting of 24 credits. The second segment of the MBA program consists of 12 credits of electives or a designated emphasis area.

Program Requirements

Core Requirements
ACCU 602Financial Reporting & Analysis3
BUSU 610Data Analysis for Decision Making3
BUSU 620Economic Analysis for Managers3
FINU 607Financial Management3
MKTU 605Marketing Management3
OLCU 614Leadership & Team Development3
OLCU 653Creating an Inclusive Climate: Advocacy Strategies for Leaders3
BUSU 640Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage Capstone3
Core Requirements Subtotal24
Electives or Designated Emphasis Area
Electives or Emphases12
Electives or Designated Emphasis Area Subtotal12
Total Credits36

MBA Electives

MBA students may select an individualized set of electives from the graduate courses listed in the following emphasis areas: Accounting, Business Intelligence and Data Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Public Administration, Healthcare Administration, Human Resources, International Business, Organizational Leadership, Marketing, and Computer Science. Successful completion of the University of California, Irvine Extension Project Management Certificate, as described in the Transfer Credit Policy, may substitute for the described MBA electives.

MBA Emphases

Instead of individualized electives, MBA students may specialize in one of the following designated emphasis areas:

Accounting Emphasis

ACCU 620Contemporary Issues in Accounting3
ACCU 621Accounting Ethics3
ACCU 640Strategic Cost Management3
Select one course from Finance or Accounting3
Total Credits12

Business Intelligence and Data Analytics Emphasis

BUSU 670Data Foundations3
BUSU 671Data Visualization and Presentation3
BUSU 672Project Planning and Data Modeling3
BUSU 673Project Implementation and Analysis3
Total Credits12

Finance Emphasis

FINU 615International Finance3
FINU 620Investments3
FINU 630Capital Markets3
Select one course from Accounting3
Total Credits12

Healthcare Administration Emphasis  

HAUU 640Foundations of Healthcare Administration3
HAUU 641Healthcare Law and Ethics3
HAUU 642Health Information Systems and Technology3
Select one from the following:3
Healthcare Financial Management
Healthcare Quality and Safety
Total Credits12

Human Resources Emphasis

HRCU 604Workforce Planning3
HRCU 605Talent Management3
Select two from the following:6
Career Development & Management
Strategic Business Concepts and Human Resources
Total Rewards
Human Resources Management in Public Administration
Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
Conflict and Negotiation
Total Credits12

Organizational Leadership Emphasis

OLCU 501Organizational Research3
OLCU 600Foundations of Organizational Leadership3
OLCU 601Democracy, Ethics and Leadership3
OLCU 602Self, Systems, and Leadership3
Total Credits12

Marketing Emphasis 

MKTU 624Seminar in Marketing Research3
MKTU 630Seminar in New Product Development3
MKTU 635Seminar in Advertising and Promotion3
MKTU 640Seminar in International Marketing3
Total Credits12

 Public Administration Emphasis

PADU 600Foundations of Public Administration3
PADU 607Public Policy Analysis3
Select two courses from the following list:6
Governance in the Public Sector
Public Sector Finance
Human Resources Management in Public Administration
Total Credits12