The objective of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program is to provide advanced business education, beyond the baccalaureate level, to prepare students to assume responsible management and professional positions in private and public organizations. The curriculum has been designed to provide breadth of exposure to business administration disciplines rather than specialization in any single discipline. In addition to the regular MBA curriculum, foundation courses have been developed to accommodate students whose previous academic degrees are not in the field of business administration. To accommodate students who also have part-time or full-time careers, all MBA courses currently are taught in the evening.
Students who enter the MBA program with a bachelor of business administration degree and have undergraduate grades of C or better in foundation courses usually will be able to complete the MBA program with 30 semester hours (10 courses) of required course work plus six semester hours of electives. Students who must take some or all of the foundation courses may require up to 54 semester hours of course work, including the foundation courses. Specific course requirements for each student are determined by the student’s previous academic experiences and are approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Up to nine semester hours (three courses) of required or elective MBA course work, with grades of B or higher, may be transferred from other accredited graduate programs with approval of the Director. Basic computer literacy (word processing, spreadsheet software) is required of all entering MBA graduate students and may be acquired through formal academic courses, on-the-job experience, or self study.
Only students enrolled in the MBA program may register for or attend MBA graduate courses.
Application Requirements
Items to be submitted by Master of Business Administration (MBA) applicants are:
- Application for Graduate Study.
- Fee of $30.00, check or money order.
- One official transcript from each baccalaureate program previously attended at a regionally accredited college or university.
- Official scores on either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE).
Admission Criteria for the MBA Program
Admission to the MBA program is based upon an applicant’s successful completion of at least a baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited college or university and a combination of a satisfactory undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and an acceptable score on the GMAT or the GRE administered by the Educational Testing Service. These two scores are combined into an eligibility index. An eligibility index is used widely by business schools in the United States.
The requirement for admission as a regular MBA student is an eligibility index of 1,000 (using the overall undergraduate GPA from all undergraduate programs) or 1,050 (using the undergraduate GPA from the last 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of the most-recently-completed baccalaureate degree program). In either case, the absolute minimum acceptable GMAT score is 450, or its GRE equivalent.
Graduate Admissions Appeals
Students who are not accepted for regular admission to the graduate program in business administration and who believe that there are extenuating circumstances that affect their eligibility may write a letter of appeal to the Director of Graduate Studies, James M. Hull College of Business. The appeal will be heard by the Graduate Admissions Appeals Committee which consists of representative faculty of the James M. Hull College of Business.
Academic Standing
A GPA of at least 3.00 is required for graduation and to remain in good academic standing in the MBA program. In addition, degree candidates may not have earned more than six semester hours (two courses) in 6000-level MBA required and elective courses with a grade of C. Grades below C will not be accepted for MBA course work. If a course is repeated, only the most recent grade earned will be included in the institutional GPA calculation used to determine an MBA student’s academic status and satisfaction of graduation requirements.
Academic Probation/Suspension
At the end of any academic term in which an MBA student’s institutional GPA falls below 3.00, the student will be placed on academic probation. A student on academic probation 1) may not enroll for more than two MBA required or elective courses per term and 2) must raise the institutional GPA to at least 3.00 within the next nine semesters hours (three courses) of graduate course work to remain in the MBA program. An MBA student on academic probation who does not raise the institutional GPA to at least 3.00 within nine semester hours may not continue in the MBA program or register for additional MBA courses for a period of at least one calendar year. The student may not transfer credit for MBA courses from any other institution while on academic probation at Georgia Regents University.
Reinstatement
A student who wishes to apply for reinstatement after having been dismissed must write a letter to the MBA program director requesting reinstatement as an MBA student. The letter should describe the student’s rationale and approach for improving academic performance if reinstated.
If accepted for reinstatement, the returning student may enroll for a maximum of two MBA required or elective courses per term until the student’s institutional GPA has reached at least 3.00. If the reinstated student has not achieved an institutional GPA of at least 3.00 within the first nine semester hours (three courses) of 6000-level MBA course work following reinstatement, the student will not be eligible to continue in the MBA program.
Upon being dismissed for the second time, a student would not be eligible to reapply for readmission to the MBA program for a period of at least six calendar years. At that time, the student would become a new applicant and would have to meet all admission requirements in effect at the time. No credit for any previous MBA course work at GRU and no transfer credit from other programs would be granted and the student would have to begin the MBA program as a “new” MBA student.
Time Limitation
All requirements for the MBA degree must be completed within six consecutive years, beginning with the student’s enrollment in the first 6000-level course.
GMAT and GRE
The Graduate Management Admission Test and the Graduate Record Examinations are standardized examinations administered by the Educational Testing Service. The examinations are computer-based and are offered throughout the year at computer testing centers throughout the world. Individuals who take either test should request that their scores be reported to the James M. Hull College of Business at Georgia Regents University. The test must be taken and scores must be reported before the deadline for applications for a particular semester. The application deadline for each semester may be obtained from the graduate office in the James M. Hull College of Business.
Applications to take the GMAT and more detailed information may be obtained from the graduate studies office in the College or by writing to: Pearson VUE, Attention: GMAT Program, 5601 Green Valley Drive, Suite 220, Bloomington, MN 55437. You may schedule your test appointment online at www.mba.com.
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