Associated Faculty  Feng-shun (Leo) Bin, Jeffrey Blodgett, Jeffrey Decker, Dyanne Ferk, Michele Gribbins, Joseph Huff, Carol Jessup, Richard Judd, Ranjan Karri, Rosemary Flatley Lenaghan, Hao Ma, Paul McDevitt, Ronald McNeil, Donald O'Neal, Sangeeta Parameshwar, Mark Puclik, Michael Small, Nathan Steele, Robert Wright

Degree goals and objectives

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional graduate degree for individuals who aspire to positions of significant managerial and leadership responsibilities in organizations. The goals of the degree are 1) to introduce students to contemporary managerial theory and practice, 2) to strengthen analysis, problem solving, and leadership skills, and 3) to provide a basis for lifelong growth and development as professional managers.

Consistent with the career aspirations of our students, the MBA curriculum focuses on four objectives. Students shall:

1. Understand key concepts and contemporary management theory and practice in the functional areas of business, including accounting, finance, information systems, marketing, operations management, organizational behavior, and research methods.
2. Understand the importance and demonstrate the use of cross-functional approaches to solving organizational problems.
3. Demonstrate disciplined managerial skills, including analysis, planning, and implementation, while considering the impacts of technology, globalization, emerging markets, and diversity in organizations.
4. Strengthen leadership potential, including, for example critical thinking, decision-making, teamwork, and communication skills.

Advising

New students must contact the department office for initial advising to plan a program of study that reflects their interests and satisfies degree requirements. All students are strongly encouraged to consult an adviser before enrolling in coursework for any academic term.

Entrance requirements

Admission is granted by the department faculty on the basis of an evaluation of an applicant's complete file. To apply for admission, an applicant must have the following items sent directly to the Office of Admissions and a copy of all items sent directly to the MBA office: 1) UIS application for graduate admission, with fee, 2) official GMAT scores, 3) official transcripts from every college or university attended, with documentation of degrees earned, 4) a current resume, 5) reference letters from three people who are in a position to judge the applicant's potential for success in graduate work, and 6) a single-spaced application essay of no more than two pages. The essay should outline the applicant's reasons for considering the degree, how the MBA degree fits in with his/her personal objectives and short- and long-term goals, as well as any other information that demonstrates the applicant's potential for successful completion of the degree.

Degree requirements

Required courses for the MBA degree include completion of foundation coursework typically covered in undergraduate business courses (or their equivalents) and at least 39 hours of core coursework and electives covering advanced business topics, issues, and applications.

Foundation coursework   (20 Hrs.)
ACC 311 Administrative Uses of Accounting       4 Hrs.
ECO 315 Economics for Administration       4 Hrs.
BUS 302 Principles of Financial Management       3 Hrs.
BUS 312 Principles of Marketing       3 Hrs.
BUS 322 Principles of Operations Management       3 Hrs.
MGT 310 Managing Organizational Behavior       3 Hrs. 
     Total       20 Hrs.

Core coursework   (27 Hrs.)
*BUS 501 Business Perspectives       3 Hrs.
ACC 509 Management Accounting       3 Hrs.
MIS  525 Information Technology Management       3 Hrs.
BUS 502 Managerial Finance       3 Hrs.
BUS 512 Marketing Management       3 Hrs.
BUS 521 Research Methods and Statistical Analysis       3 Hrs.
BUS 522 Production and Operations Management       3 Hrs.
BUS 541 Organizational Behavior       3 Hrs.
**BUS 583 Business Strategy       3 Hrs.

Elective coursework   (12 Hrs.)
***Elective courses (3)       12 Hrs.
      Total       39 Hrs.

*Must be taken during student's first semester of core coursework.
** Preferably taken during student's final semester of coursework, and all core coursework must be completed.
*** At least two electives must be from the College of Business and Management (ACC/BUS/MIS). One elective may be from another college but must be graduate-level (500) coursework. Any elective from another college must be approved in writing by the student's adviser.

Closure Requirement

The MBA degree requires completion of BUS 583 with a grade of B (3.00) or better. (B- is not acceptable in this course.) BUS 583 is the graduate closure course consistent with campus policy on completion of a master's degree. That policy requires that students not completing BUS 583 during the first enrollment of three hours must enroll in BUS 584 (zero credit hours, one hour billable) each semester (excluding summer terms) until the course requirements are met.