Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Effective Fall 2007
All MBA program courses are taught by College of Business graduate faculty. Graduate faculty are dedicated teachers with doctoral degrees who have demonstrated subject area expertise by extensive scholarship. MBA faculty provide an active learning experience with a variety of teaching methods, such as, case studies, applied research, problem solving, and team projects.
One of the strengths of the MBA program is the high quality of students enrolled. Recent graduates scored an average of 500 on the GMAT. Most bring considerable business experience to the classroom. As of Fall 2004, the 80 active students were comprised of 39 percent female and 61 percent male. About 14 percent of the MBA students are from historically-disadvantaged groups (other than women). The program has about 625 alumni pursuing careers around the world.
Admission
The program admits students based on an evaluation of past academic achievement, aptitude for advanced study, professional accomplishments, and motivation to succeed. Applicants must provide a completed application to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research (570) 389-4015 The MBA Coordinator will evaluate MBA applicants with complete applications. Complete applications include the following items:
- Official transcripts from an accredited academic institution indicating an earned baccalaureate degree.
- Official transcripts from all institutions where the applicant earned undergraduate or graduate college credit must be provided. Degrees earned from non-United States universities will be judged individually.
- Official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores within the 5 prior years.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- A statement of career goals (that is, an essay that addresses why the applicant wishes to pursue the MBA degree).
- A current resume.
International applicants whose native language is not English must achieve a minimal TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 550 (old test) or 215 (new electronic test). The score must have been earned within the prior year. International students must also provide current evidence of financial capability.
Required Courses
The curriculum consists of 36 graduate credit hours delivered in eight required and four elective courses. Students without sufficient preparation also complete prerequisite foundation courses.
Foundation Courses - Students must possess the common body of knowledge essential for the advanced study in business. Students with an undergraduate degree in business will likely have taken course covering those areas. Students with non-business undergraduate degrees will usually be lacking a least some of these courses and therefore must take foundation courses to make up for this deficit. Foundation courses are not included in the 36 hours of credit required for the MBA degree.
The following chart lists foundation courses and their undergraduate equivalents. Students who have earned a C or better in an undergraduate equivalent course are exempt from taking the foundation course
| Foundation Course | Undergraduate Equivalent | |
| 40.512 Economic Theory | Micro Economics and Macro | Economics |
| 91.504 Introduction to Financial Accounting | Financial Accounting | |
| 93.500 Managerial Principles | Principles of Management | |
| 93.511 Statistical Analysis and Design | Inferential Statistics and a college- | level math course |
| 97.510 Marketing Foundations | Principles of Marketing |