Graduate Catalog 2003-2004

Degree: Master of Business Administration

Bowling Green State University has offered the Master of Business Administration degree since 1966. The program is accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The mission of the College of Business Administration’s Master of Business Administration degree is to be the premier M.B.A. degree in the region and one of the best in the nation, with a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement in graduate business education.

The Master of Business Administration degree prepares tomorrow’s global leaders by involving students and faculty in the exploration of the significant challenges, opportunities, and problems facing organizations in both the private and public sectors. M.B.A. students at BGSU pursue integrative, continuously improving curricula that simultaneously challenge and stimulate. The integrative nature of the M.B.A. degree encourages students to observe the interdependent nature of organizational problems and to identify creative, comprehensive solutions. Apart from being highly relevant to the needs of organization in the global economy, the degree helps students improve their teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking skills in a learning environment that fosters cross-cultural sensitivity and adherence to the highest ethical standards.

Individuals may pursue the M.B.A. degree through the full-time, evening, or executive program. The M.B.A. curriculum is organized into three parts. The foundation courses cover accounting, economics, information technology, and quantitative methods. The core courses include ethics and law, finance, marketing, and operations management. The capstone courses cover economic policy, leadership and change, strategy design and implementation, and international business and management.

Admission Procedure

All three of the M.B.A. programs are designed for individuals with or without an undergraduate degree in business. The full-time and evening programs do not require professional experience as a condition of admission. However, the Executive M.B.A. program requires three or more years of full-time professional or managerial experience for admission. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required for admission into all programs leading to the M.B.A. degree. Applicants who earned a prior graduate degree from a regionally accredited university are eligible for an exemption from the GMAT requirement based upon their academic performance in their programs, whether their programs required a standardized admission test, and their professional qualifications.
Applicants seeking admission to one of the three M.B.A. programs should follow the instructions outlined in the “Graduate Admission” section of this catalog. Application forms and instructions are available from the Graduate Studies in Business office or can be obtained from the M.B.A. website at www.bgsumba.com. Applicants are reminded that the full-time M.B.A. program begins in July. Students may begin the evening M.B.A. program in any semester. Applicants should check with the Graduate Studies in Business office for application deadlines and plan their application process accordingly.

Degree Requirements
Full-time and Evening M.B.A. Programs

The full-time program serves individuals who plan to enroll in 12 or more graduate credit hours per semester. The full-time program requires 42 graduate credit hours of course work, and at least six graduate credit hours of professional development seminars. The 14 required courses and the professional seminars must be completed in a specific order. This “lockstep” format is designed to foster integration across the program and a strong learning community among the program’s participants. Enrollment in the full-time program is limited, and students may enter the program only in the summer (July). Students can complete a general M.B.A. degree in 3 1/2 semesters or complete an M.B.A. degree with a specialization in 4 1/2 semesters of full-time study.

The evening M.B.A. program serves individuals who must pursue their M.B.A. degrees as part-time students. Classes are offered Monday through Thursday evenings. The evening program requires 42 graduate credit hours. Evening students are almost evenly split between those taking one versus two courses per semester. At two courses per semester, the M.B.A. degree can be completed in as little as seven semesters. Students may begin the evening M.B.A. program in any semester.

The full-time and evening programs share the same 14 required courses. The six foundation courses include ECON 600, STAT 601, and MBA 600, 601, 602, and 603. The four core courses include MBA 604, 605, 606, and 607. The four capstone courses are ECON 601 and MBA 608, 609, and 610. Full-time students are required to enroll in at least six credit hours of MBA 583, Topics in Management. Both programs require that the six foundation courses be completed before taking the four core courses, which in turn must be completed before taking the four capstone courses.

The full-time M.B.A. program offers formal specializations in accounting, finance, and management information systems (MIS). The accounting specialization requires ACCT 551, 560, and 643. In addition, students are required to choose courses from the following: ACCT 522, 525, 539, 542, 544, 654, and 655. The finance specialization requires MBA 551 and 552, and two additional courses selected from MBA 553, 554, 558, and 657. The MIS specialization is composed of five required courses: MBA 502, 505, 521, 570, and 571. Full-time and evening M.B.A. students may select electives from other graduate offerings on campus or may combine their M.B.A. degrees with a second graduate degree. Interested students should contact the Graduate Studies in Business office for further information.

Executive M.B.A. Program
Bowling Green State University began offering an Executive M.B.A. program in 1977. The EMBA program serves experienced professionals whose work responsibilities, travel, and potential for relocation make it impractical to enroll in an evening program. The Executive M.B.A. is a rigorous, accelerated program that requires twelve graduate courses: ECON 600, STAT 601, and MBA 601, 602, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 610, and 620. The courses are offered in a “lockstep” weekend format. The format accommodates professional travel and relocation, encourages participants to immerse themselves in the on-campus learning experience, and promotes the development of a learning community among the participants. Interested students should contact the Graduate Studies in Business office for further information.

Graduate Courses

Please access graduate courses online at http://webapps.bgsu.edu/courses/search.php. Graduate courses offered by Graduate Business Administration use the prefixes: ECON, GBA, MBA, and STAT.

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