Master of Business Administration
Director of Graduate Studies in Business: Dr. Nicole Ponder
200 McCool Hall
Box 5288
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Telephone: 662-325-1891
E-mail: gsb@business.msstate.edu
Websites: http://www.business.msstate.edu/gsb/mba.php
http://www.distance.msstate.edu/mba
The College of Business offers the general M.B.A. degree as well as the M.B.A. with a concentration in Project Management. Both of the programs are offered on the Starkville campus as well as online. The M.B.A. program prepares students for successful careers in the business world by providing
- in-depth knowledge of the business world including awareness of current business trends and challenges posed by the rapidly changing global economy and understanding of the ethical and social responsibilities of business;
- enhanced skills in speaking and writing effectively, analyzing data and synthesizing information, working effectively with individuals and teams, utilizing technologies to support and communicate decisions, and making and recognizing well-reasoned decisions;
- the ability to integrate acquired business knowledge in order to present and defend appropriate solutions to challenging business dilemmas and demonstrate effective leadership skills in a business setting.
Admission
An applicant for the M.B.A. program should hold a bachelor’s degree from a fully recognized four-year institution of higher learning that enjoys unconditional accreditation by appropriate regional accrediting agencies. All general requirements stated in this publication must be met.
An applicant for the M.B.A. program must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Admission to the M.B.A. program requires a competitive GPA and a competitive GMAT or GRE score administered within the last five years.
In addition, a student must submit a statement of purpose, transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a current résumé. The College of Business does not allow unclassified graduate students to take courses. Students must be accepted to a degree program prior to registering for courses.
Applicants will not be permitted to take graduate-level MBA courses prior to official admission to the program. Applicants may choose to take undergraduate prerequisite courses prior to official admission into the MBA program; however, doing so in no way guarantees admission to the MBA program.
Our full-time, on-campus program accepts applications for the summer semester only. The deadline for submitting all application materials, including the GMAT, is March 1.
Our part-time, distance program accepts applications for fall, spring, and summer.
International Applicants
An international applicant not holding a degree from a U.S. institution must submit an indicator of English proficiency including one of the following: a TOEFL score or an IELTS score, administered within the last two years. Other indicators of English proficiency may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Transfer of Credit
Up to 6 hours of graduate transfer credits may be accepted toward fulfilling the requirements for the master’s degree, provided the credits have been earned in a recognized (regionally accredited) institution and are consider applicable to the student’s graduate program. These credits are considered part of the student’s program and must adhere to the eight-year time limit restriction. Grades of C or below are not acceptable, nor are extension credits from other institutions.
Academic Performance
A grade of B or better is required on all undergraduate prerequisite courses. A student in any graduate degree program in the College of Business may not continue in the program with grades below B in more than 6 hours of core graduate coursework, regardless of the overall average. A student must also achieve a grade of B or better in MGT 8123. Thus, any program is terminated automatically when a seventh credit hour below B is recorded on the program of study. In addition, the normal MSU requirements for satisfactory progress in a graduate program will be applied.
Master of Business Administration
| Foundation | ||
| Foundation coursework 1 | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| MGT 8113 | Leadership Skills for Managerial Behavior | 3 |
| MKT 8153 | Strategic Marketing Management | 3 |
| EC 8103 | Economics for Managers | 3 |
| FIN 8113 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| ACC 8213 | Financial Statement and Management Accounting Report Analysis for Decision Making | 3 |
| BIS 8113 | Management Information Technology and Systems | 3 |
| BL 8113 | Law, Business, Ethics, and Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| BQA 8233 | Quantitative Analysis and Business Research | 3 |
| MGT 8123 | Strategic Business Consulting 2 | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| 3 hours (selected with advisor's advice and consent) | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | Students are required to complete foundation courses or the equivalent prerequisite courses which may be satisfied in part or total by prior undergraduate or graduate preparation in business. Please contact the MBA office for specific foundation course information. |
| 2 | Capstone course for the M.B.A. program and constitutes the M.B.A. comprehensive examination. A grade of B or better in this course is required for passage of the M.B.A. comprehensive examination. |
Graduate Minor in Business Administration
A minor may be obtained by taking 9 hours of coursework in an approved discipline.
Master of Business Administration, Project Management Concentration
| Core Courses | ||
| ACC 8213 | Financial Statement and Management Accounting Report Analysis for Decision Making | 3 |
| MGT 8113 | Leadership Skills for Managerial Behavior | 3 |
| BIS 8113 | Management Information Technology and Systems | 3 |
| BQA 8233 | Quantitative Analysis and Business Research | 3 |
| MKT 8153 | Strategic Marketing Management | 3 |
| EC 8103 | Economics for Managers | 3 |
| FIN 8113 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| IE 8583 | Enterprise Systems Engineering | 3 |
| or IE 6333 | Production Control Systems I | |
| IE 6533 | Project Management | 3 |
| IE 6573 | Process Improvement Engineering | 3 |
| BL 8113 | Law, Business, Ethics, and Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| MGT 8123 | Strategic Business Consulting | 3 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
The project management concentration in the M.B.A. degree program is an interdisciplinary program between the College of Business and the College of Engineering.