Business Administration, M.B.A.

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The College of Business offers a graduate major in Business Administration leading to the degree of Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.). This degree program prepares students for positions of middle and top level leadership.  It is a general management program of study designed for students with business undergraduate degrees, as well as for students with preparation in other fields. A broad core of courses provides an in-depth understanding of business operations and management. In addition, selective courses may be used to design a specialization in a single functional area if desired. 

The MBA at GSU is offered as both a face-to-face or a fully online and highly interactive General Management program. Students in the face-to-face program are required to select a specialization at the time of application. Students opting for the Supply Chain specialization will complete all courses online. Other specializations are Finance, Leadership and Business Analytics. Many of the courses offered in these specialization are available online. Students are also able to build a tailored Custom specialization. All courses are taught by accessible and dedicated full-time faculty members who are experts in their fields.

Special Admission Requirements

In addition to university admission requirements, applicants must submit the following documents as part of their application package:

1. a GMAT or GRE score from tests administered within five years of the date of admission*;
2. two confidential letters of recommendation from professional references (e.g., current or former college faculty member, current or former work supervisor, community leader);
3. a current resume.
4. A two-page, double-spaced statement of intent. The statement of intent offers applicants an additional opportunity to demonstrate writing and communication skills and supports candidacy for the MBA degree.
   Please address the following questions:

• What are your personal short- and long-term career goals?
• What are your reasons for pursuing an MBA degree at this time?
• How do you plan to commit to starting and completing an MBA program? In this response indicate your preference for the online or face-to-face program. If online is selected, also address your feelings and experience in working with others in an online setting.
• Please discuss your level of self-discipline, planning, and organizational skills and impact on family, work, or finances.
• Please give specific personal examples of leadership and provide other pertinent information to help the committee select candidates who can benefit from and contribute to the program.

The GMAT or GRE may be waived for applicants who meet one of the following:

1. a G.P.A. of 3.5 or higher for the last 60 hours, from a regionally accredited college or university, or
2. a graduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university; or
3. five years of relevant full-time work experience, with a minimum of 2 years as a manager or an individual contributor with responsibility for resources such as people, budgets, and equipment. Waiver requests will be reviewed and approved on a case by case basis upon verification and committee approval; or
4. meet the requirement for Guaranteed Admission to the MBA (GAMBA) program for GSU undergraduate students including:
   1. having completed 12 hours (4 courses) in core business courses (ECON-3404; FIN-3110; MIS-3101; MGMT-3400; MGMT-3500; or BUS-3700) at GSU with a minimum of 3.25 from those business courses taken at GSU; and
   2. having or maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher in last 60 hours of the undergraduate degree.
      
      Current undergraduate students may only apply for GAMBA if they have met requirement (a) and completed at least 90 hours of their undergraduate degree program with at least an overall GPA of 3.25. Approved GAMBA students may waive the letters of recommendation special admission requirement.

5-Year MBA Admission Requirements  - Special Sequence for students enrolled in the GSU Business Administration, BA

The 5-Year MBA will prepare students for middle management positions in various industries. Students will earn their BA degree at GSU after completing 120 credit hours and their MBA degree after completing 36 credit hours. Students will have the option of concentrating in any of the BA concentration areas (Entrepreneurship, Finance, Human Resource Management, Management, Management Information System, Marketing and Operations, and Supply Chain Management) and to specialize in any of the MBA specialization areas (Business Analytics, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Leadership, or a Customized specialization) in their 5th year of study. Students admitted through the 5-Year MBA track, will be required to complete 2 internships or similar experiential projects, to help them acquire relevant work experience. Undergraduate Business Administration majors at Governors State University may elect to enroll in this track, once they have reached “junior” status. Admission requirements include:

1. Minimum 3.25 GPA in all GSU undergraduate course work, including transfer credits, with no grade lower that a “C” in any course;
2. Minimum of 60 hours of GSU and transfer credit course work successfully completed (meaning no grade lower than a “C”);
3. Completion of 4 courses (12 hours) with a minimum GPA of 3.25 from the following: ECON - 3404 Managerial Economics: The Economics of the Firm (3), FIN - 3110 Principles of Financial Management (3), MIS - 3101 Management Information Systems (3), MGMT - 3400 Production and Operations Management (3),  MGMT - 3500 Organizational Behavior (3), BUS - 3700 Business Statistics (3).
4. Apply in the first semester after acquiring “junior” status and include a statement of intent, letters of recommendation, and a current resume.

Students interested in pursuing this track should meet with their Undergraduate Academic Advisor to assure that the program of study reflects this 5-Year MBA option.

Master’s Final Project

MGMT - 8900 Strategic Management in a Global Context (3) is the capstone course of the M.B.A. program. It is designed, through intensive case analysis and study, to integrate the various operating functions of a business and to demonstrate the student’s overall knowledge and skills. Applications for enrollment in MGMT-8900 are required and available in the College of Business Academic Advising Office.

Thesis Option

A thesis is optional for M.B.A. students. The thesis provides an opportunity for intensive study of a problem chosen by the student. The thesis option is limited to outstanding students who have been recommended by a minimum of two faculty in the College of Business and Public Administration and approved by the dean. Each student selecting to do a thesis will be required to submit a thesis proposal to a faculty member. If the proposal is approved, a thesis advisor and examining committee will be appointed by the dean or designee. A candidate who is approved for a thesis will be required to take a research methods course as approved by the advisor and to defend the thesis orally.

Candidacy Requirement

After admission as a degree-seeking student, a student also must apply for candidacy. Application forms are available in the Academic Advising Office. To qualify for candidacy, a student must:

1. satisfy all conditions of admission;
2. maintain an overall G.P.A. of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for all course work completed at Governors State University as a graduate student with no more than two grades of “C” in all required course work;
3. complete all foundation courses and prerequisite competencies with a grade of “C” or higher in each course and overall G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, and
4. apply for candidacy after earning a minimum of nine and a maximum of 15 graduate credit-hours (beyond foundation and prerequisite coursework) and successful completion of both Professional Development Seminar I and Professional Development Seminar II. Students who complete more than 15 hours of degree requirements before attaining candidacy status may still be required to complete up to 18 additional hours, approved by the Dean, as a candidate before being approved for graduation by the college.

Program Competency Goals

Upon graduation, students should be able to:

• Business Knowledge: Integrate knowledge and skills across various functional areas of business.
• Analytical and Critical Thinking: Determine solutions to business challenges by applying technology.
• Responsible Leadership: Assess and analyze the potential impact of ethical issues in business contexts.
• Global Perspective: Evaluate, and propose solutions to, complex global business challenges.

Degree Requirements

Students must meet all university requirements for a master’s degree.

Students must meet the collegial graduation requirements listed at the beginning of this section.

Students will be required to take a standardized assessment test as a part of their capstone course to complete their degree. A fee of $35 will be charged at the time of registration for the course.

Prerequisite Competencies

Students are required to have earned a “B” in an undergraduate course in the following:

1. calculus - MATH - 2281 Applied Calculus (4) or equivalent; or MATH - 2109 Finite Mathematics (3) and BUS - 2200 Quantitative Methods in Business and Economics (1); and
2. written communications (ENGL- 1010 Writing Studies II  or equivalent) or BUS-3200 Business Communications   
3. Oral Communication - COMM-1000 Public Discourse  or equivalent.

Admitted students may be required to complete any of the GSU courses, if necessary.

Foundation Courses (9 Hours Required):

• ACCT - 6100 Foundations of Accounting (3) (Equivalent: ACCT-2110 and ACCT-2111)*

• ECON-6100 Foundations of Economics (3) (Equivalent: ECON-2301 and ECON-2302)*

• MGMT - 6700 Foundations of Managerial Statistics (3) (Equivalent: MATH-2100 and BUS-3700)*

*Foundation courses may be waived on a course-by-course basis for students with appropriate academic preparation. Generally, students with an undergraduate degree in business completed within five years prior to application from a nationally or regionally accredited school, with a grade of “B” or higher have satisfied most of these requirements. Completed Undergraduate courses (with a grade of “B” or higher) that may be used to opt out of a foundation course are noted below:

• ACCT-6100 Foundations of Accounting  (3): (ACCT 2110  and ACCT-2111 ) or Equivalent
• ECON-6100 Foundations of Economics  (3): (ECON-2301  and ECON-2302 ) or Equivalent
• MGMT-6700 Foundations of Managerial Statistics  (3): (MATH-2100  and BUS-3700 ) or Equivalent

Required Courses (25 Hours)

• MGMT - 7100 Professional Development Seminar (1)
• ACCT - 7101 Strategic Management Accounting (3)
• ECON - 7500 Managerial Economics and Forecasting (3)
• FIN - 7101 Financial Management (3)
• MGMT - 7400 Operations Management: Strategies and Techniques (3)
• MGMT - 7500 Organization Behavior in the Global Context (3)
• MGMT - 7600 International Business (3)
• MIS - 7101 Information Systems and Technology (3)
• MKTG - 7100 Strategic Marketing (3)

Master’s Final Project (3 Hours)

• MGMT - 8900 Strategic Management in a Global Context (3)

Specialization (9 Hours)

A student has two options: (1) select a specialization from among those listed below; (2) select nine hours from any College of Business courses numbered 7000 or above to customize a specialization.

Specialization Options:

a. Business Analytics

The business analytics specialization enables students to leverage the power of big data to gain actionable business insights and improve decision-making.

• BAN - 7101 Business Analytics (3)
• BAN - 8101 Predictive Analytics (3)
• MIS - 7401 Database Development and Application (3)

b. Finance

The finance specialization prepares students for the challenges of leadership positions in business, government, and industry as they relate to the functional area of finance. Select three of the following courses:

• FIN - 7501 Investments (3)
• FIN - 8101 Advanced Financial Management (3)
• FIN - 8350 International Finance (3)
• FIN - 8501 Derivatives (3)

c. Leadership

The leadership specialization prepares students for leading people, groups, teams, and organizations to meet individual and organizational goals. Select three of the following courses:

• MGMT - 7200 Problems in Business Ethics (3)
• MGMT - 7320 Strategic Human Resource Development Systems (3)
• MGMT - 8500 Leadership Dynamics (3)
• MGMT - 8530 Managing Change and Innovation in Complex Organizations (3)

d. Supply Chain Management (Delivered 100% Online)

The supply chain management specialization assists you in identification, acquisition, access, positioning, and management of resources an organization requires to meet its strategic goals.

• MGMT - 8400 Global Supply Chain Management (3)
• MGMT - 8410 Logistics, Transportation and Warehouse Management (3)
• MGMT - 8430 Strategic Procurement and Materials Management (3)

• MGMT-8460 Operations Planning and Inventory Management (3) - New Course

e. Custom Specialization

You can customize a 9 credit-hour specialization by selecting any three courses from the following list or from any of those listed in specializations a - d above.

• ACCT - 7815 Financial Statement Analysis (3)
• MGMT - 7300 Human Resource Management Strategies (3)
• MGMT - 8300 Labor Management Relations (3)
• MGMT - 8440 Project Management (3)
• MIS - 7201 Systems Analysis and Design (3)
• MIS - 7601 Information Technology Infrastructure (3)
• MIS - 7700 ERP Systems (3)
• MKTG - 8200 Buyer Behavior (3)
• MKTG - 8300 Marketing Information: Methods and Analysis (3)
• MKTG - 8600 International Marketing (3)

Total - 46 Hours*

* Note:  The 46 hours does include the 9 hours of Graduate Foundation that may be waived on a course-by-course basis with adequate academic preparation. Generally, students with an undergraduate degree in business completed within five years prior to application from a nationally or regionally accredited school, with a grade of “B” or higher have satisfied most of these foundation requirements.