Business Administration BSBA/MBA Dual Degree Program

The 2+3 combined BSBA/MBA program in Business Administration provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to complete the requirements for both degrees in 5 years of full-time study. This program is available to UMSL students and students of partner universities with which UMSL has an established 2+3 Memorandum of Understanding. The combined program allows students to complete both the undergraduate and graduate degrees in Business Administration with a total of 138 credit hours instead of the typical 150 credit hours if the degrees were pursued separately. When all the requirements of the BSBA/MBA program have been completed, students will be awarded both the BSBA and MBA degrees.

Admission Requirements

Students will apply to the 2+3 program for provisional status after they have completed 60 undergraduate credit hours with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. After completion of the provisional period, upon recommendation of the Graduate Program Director, students can be granted formal admission into the 2+3 program, which involves admission to the Graduate School. After formal admission, the student will be classified as a graduate student, will pay graduate tuition for all subsequent courses, and must continue taking courses under graduate status until completion of the master’s degree. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher throughout the combined program. 

Students on provisional status may request enrollment in up to 6 credit hours of 4000/5000/6000 level coursework to count towards their graduate degree, while in undergraduate status, per the submission of the C1 form, and the approval of their advisor and the Director of Graduate Business Programs.

Applicants are considered for formal admission into the 2+3 program, if they meet the following four criteria:

  1. earned at least 90 hours as an undergraduate;
  2. have a minimum GPA of 3.0 since being granted provisional status;
  3. have submitted at least one letter of recommendation from a College of Business Faculty member; and
  4. have met with a Graduate Business Programs academic advisor.

Up to 12 hours of graduate coursework may be counted both to meet the 120 credit hours required for the Bachelor’s degree and to meet the requirements of the Master’s degree. Students may resign from the 2+3 Program and apply for the Bachelor’s degree. However, once the Bachelor’s degree is awarded, the benefit of “double counting” courses will be lost. Any course used to meet a degree requirement for an undergraduate degree cannot be applied to a subsequent Master’s degree.

The courses which will be “double counted” for both degrees must be approved by both the Undergraduate and Graduate Program Directors. All other requirements for the BSBA degree remain in effect.

A waiver of GMAT requirement may be requested if applicants meet certain criteria. Please see petition to waive the GMAT: http://mba.umsl.edu/files/pdfs/GMAT-waiver.pdf.

Awarding of Degree

Both degrees (the BSBA and MBA) will be awarded when all requirements for the entire program have been completed. In other words, the BSBA and MBA degrees will be simultaneously awarded at the completion of study.

Note: The CPA exam and Accounting licensure requirements are not related to the BSBA/MBA degree requirements.