Business Administration MBA, Professional Program
Admission Requirements
The admissions decision is based on a combination of factors. Consideration is given to a candidate’s academic record, scores on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), work and leadership experience, a personal narrative on the application form and recommendation letters.
Applicants are generally required to submit Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores. 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.
Degree Requirements
Depending on the student’s previous background, programs will require a minimum of 30 hours. Coursework must be completed within a maximum six-year period. At least 2/3 of coursework must be taken while enrolled as an MBA candidate at UMSL.
All students must satisfy the following requirements in professional written and oral communication, business law and ethics/ and social responsibility, economics, and business statistics. The Graduate Business Office in collaboration with department chairs will determine whether a student satisfies these requirements. In general:
The Professional and Written Communications skills requirement can be satisfied by any one of the following:
- Evidence of prior coursework
- Completion of BUS AD 5100
The Business Law and Ethics/Social Responsibility requirements can be satisfied by any one of the following:
- Evidence of prior coursework
- Completion of BUS AD 5900
The Economics requirement can be satisfied by any one of the following:
- Evidence of prior coursework
- Completion of BUS AD 5000
- Completion of Economics boot camp
The Statistics requirement can be satisfied by any one of the following:
- Evidence of prior coursework
- Completion of SCMA 5300
- Completion of Statistics boot camp
Assurance of Learning
All MBA students are required to participate in the BUS AD 6991 Graduate Business Assessment Testing class during their last semester. This learning assessment course is not for credit.
Business Core (18 credit hours)
The following courses or their equivalents are required of all degree candidates1.
| ACCTNG 5400 | Financial and Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| FINANCE 6500 | Financial Management | 3 |
| INFSYS 5800 | Management Information Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 5600 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| MKTG 5700 | Contemporary Marketing Concepts | 3 |
| SCMA 5310 | Supply Chain Strategies | 3 |
| 1 | Students with prior business degrees take advanced courses in each of the functional areas listed in the Business Core, as advised by the Graduate Business Advisors assigned to the students. Based on a formal review and evaluation by the Graduate Business Programs Office, students may be granted waivers in the Business Core section. Waivers depend on the applicability of, and performance in, prior coursework. Regardless of the number of courses waived, all students must complete at least 30 credit hours to earn the MBA degree. |
Strategic Management Required (3 credit hours)
Take one of the following2:
| BUS AD 6990 | Strategy Formulation And Implementation | 3 |
| INTL BUS 5289 | International Business Strategies | 3 |
| MGMT 4614 | Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management | 3 |
| 2 | Students with a non-business undergraduate degree are required to take BUS AD 6990 to satisfy the Strategic Management requirement. |
Electives (9 credit hours)
Students may choose to pursue an Emphasis Area to satisfy the 9 credit hour Electives requirement or pursue an MBA with no emphasis area. No course may be used for more than one emphasis area. If no emphasis area is chosen, students have the flexibility to customize their MBA by choosing from a large collection of elective graduate courses within the College of Business Administration, in consultation with their Graduate Business academic advisor.
Professional MBA Program
A weekend-based Internet-enhanced version of the MBA program exists as an alternative to the traditional part-time evening program. This program is a 42 credit hour program for professionals with busy work or travel schedules. Students meet on campus monthly, with the remainder of the interaction between instructor and students taking place online. Students proceed through the program as part of a cohort and complete the requirements for the degree in less than two years.
The first 24 hours of the Internet-based program consist of the core courses required in the Flex program plus BUS AD 5100 Managerial Communication. The remaining 18 hours consist of the following courses:
| ACCTNG 5401 | Financial Reporting and Analysis | 3 |
| FINANCE 6590 | Seminar in Finance | 3 |
| INFSYS 6891 | Seminar in Information Systems | 3 |
| INTL BUS 5289 | International Business Strategies | 3 |
| or BUS AD 6990 | Strategy Formulation And Implementation | |
| SCMA 6395 | Seminar in Logistics and Operations Management | 3 |
| MKTG 5795 | Seminar in Marketing | 3 |
An international trip of 7 to 12 days is a degree requirement and takes place during the second year of the program.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of core business content in accounting, finance, information systems, supply chain analytics, management, and marketing.
- Apply core business content and principles for effective business decision making.
- Demonstrate analytical skills to solve business problems and evaluate the conditions of corporations and markets.
- Effectively communicate business insights using oral and written formats.
- Identify legal/ethical issues and implications, and make informed decisions.
- Expand leadership skills to effectively engage with stakeholders in a professional manner.
- Demonstrate a global mindset needed to effectively navigate the interconnected nature of today’s business environment.