Business Administration, MBA

Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the MBA program shares an accreditation with the finest business schools in the world. Only 5% of the business schools worldwide share this level of accreditation. The Master of Business Administration targets the educational needs of aspiring leaders working in an integrated, technology-driven, global business environment. These needs include mastery of all the functional areas of business, first-hand knowledge of the twenty-first century global business environment, and a strong foundation in values-based leadership. The program objective is to educate innovative, ethical business leaders to have a profound impact on people, organizations, the community, the natural environment, and the global economy.

Mastery requires that students not only learn the skills and knowledge necessary for success when facing the challenges imposed by an ever-changing world, but also to be able to effectively apply these skills to real business situations. In addition to competence in traditional professional and interpersonal skills, today’s leaders need to understand how to use and manage new technologies and data in ways that ensures financial sustainability, optimize the use of scarce resources, sustain the natural environment, and maximize the returns to all stakeholders. Increasingly, this requires leaders with a strong moral compass who are prepared to deal with complex decisions involving social and economic justice and the stewardship of our natural environment.

Students may earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) by earning three stackable graduate business certificates: 1) Certificate in Business Decision-Making (required), 2) Leading the Global Enterprise Certificate (required), and 3) a graduate business certificate in Engineering Management, Healthcare Management, Management, Finance, SAP/ERP, Business Intelligence, or General Business.

The program is 36 credit hours. To facilitate the variety of levels of student preparation and individual program objectives, coursework is divided into three modules. The core modules (600-level courses) of the Certificate in Business Decision-Making and Leading the Global Enterprise form the common base of the program. The core courses are unique in their structure. Each core course has a global emphasis, rooted in ethical business practice, and is focused on applied business decision-making. The 12-credit certificate module (700-level courses) is used to customize the program in order to fit individual interest and career aspirations.

The MBA program offers rolling admission with six start dates each year. MBA courses are offered in both online and in-person modalities. Students are not required to commit to one modality and can alternate between online or in-person courses. Online courses are generally offered asynchronously. In-person courses meet once per week Monday through Thursday from 6:00 pm to 9:40 pm CST.

The MBA program includes four seven-week terms that correspond to the University’s Fall and Spring Semesters, and two six-week summer terms. MBA students can complete the program in as little as one year by taking two courses per seven-week session, or in two years by taking one course per seven-week session.