Business Administration, M.B.A.

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 executive 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.

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 two-page, double-spaced statement of intent which discusses personal short- and long-term career goals, reasons for pursuing an MBA degree at this time and what about this particular program is going to help reach those goals. 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 statement of intent offers applicants the opportunity to demonstrate writing and communication skills and supports candidacy for the MBA degree; and
4. a current resume.

*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. 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 STAT-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.

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 CBPA 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 12 graduate credit-hours (beyond foundation coursework). 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.