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 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.