Master of Business Administration (Credit Hour)
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a streamlined 30-credit graduate program designed for working professionals seeking maximum flexibility, accelerated time to completion, and highly relevant workforce-aligned competencies. The program integrates five embedded digital badges that validate critical business competencies and provide employer-recognized evidence of skill attainment.
The MBA program is offered in two formats: credit hour and self-paced. A credit hour program measures progress by time spent in courses and includes assignment deadlines, while a self-paced program measures progress by demonstrated mastery of skills and knowledge, regardless of time.
Mission
The Master of Business Administration at UMass Global prepares professionals to lead with strategy, insight, and impact. This experience-driven, market-relevant program equips students with the knowledge and skills to analyze complex business challenges, develop data-informed strategies, and create sustainable organizational value.
Graduates strengthen their ability to communicate effectively across diverse business environments, leverage analytics to guide decision-making, and evaluate operations to drive strategic outcomes. The program also emphasizes equity, inclusion, and collaborative leadership, preparing students to build high-performing teams and foster cultures that support innovation and organizational success in a dynamic global marketplace.
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
Satisfactorily fulfill graduate admission requirements for University of Massachusetts Global as stated in the catalog. (See the Graduate Admissions section.)
Transfer Credit Policy
A maximum of 12 credits may be accepted in transfer in the MBA degree program. (See the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.)
Course Substitutions
Students with the following certifications will be granted a maximum of 6 credits as defined below:
| Certification | Substituted | Course Comments |
|---|---|---|
| CPA | ACCU 605 | Certification current at time of application |
| SHRM-CP | HRCU 630 | Certification current at time of application |
Digital Badges
Digital badges are awarded upon the successful completion of the coursework outlined below. Digital badges translate MBA coursework into verified, employer-aligned competencies that graduates can share digitally, making their skills visible, portable, and immediately relevant in the marketplace.
| Courses | Digital Badge |
|---|---|
| BUSU 600 and BUSU 689 | Strategic Leadership and Business Execution |
| ACCU 605 and FINU 607 | Financial Decision Making |
| BUSU 610 and BUSU 621 | Data-Driven Business Analytics |
| OLCU 613 and HRCU 630 | Organizational Leadership and Workforce Dynamics |
| OLCU 632 and MKTU 605 | Innovation, Marketing, and Growth Strategy |
The MBA requires the successful completion of 30 credits across ten core courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | ||
| BUSU 600 | Leadership and Business Operations | 3 |
| ACCU 605 | Accounting for Business Decisions | 3 |
| OLCU 613 | Organizational Theory and Behavior | 3 |
| BUSU 610 | Data Analysis for Decision Making | 3 |
| BUSU 621 | Economic Analysis | 3 |
| MKTU 605 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| HRCU 630 | Conflict and Negotiation | 3 |
| FINU 607 | Financial Management | 3 |
| OLCU 632 | Leadership and Innovation | 3 |
| BUSU 689 | Strategic Business Operations Capstone | 3 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |