The objective of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program is to provide advanced business education beyond the baccalaureate level and 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. To accommodate students who also have part-time or full-time careers, all MBA courses currently are taught in the evening.
All students who enter the MBA program will begin by completing 9 hours of foundation coursework. Upon successful completion of the foundation courses, the student will be able to complete the MBA program with 30 semester hours (10 courses) of required course work plus six semester hours of electives.
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.
Admissions Procedures and Requirements
Completed Online Application for Graduate Programs. Please check the Office of Academic Admissions website for fee information: http://www.gru.edu/Admissions/
Application fee: $50
Application deadlines for application and required materials and documents:
Early submission of all application materials is strongly advised.
Spring entry - December 2
Summer entry - April 2
Fall entry - July 2
Note: All required application materials and documents must be received in order for an application to be considered complete and before an admission decision can be made. Applications and supporting materials received after the program deadline will only be considered on a space-available basis.
GPA: Minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Minimum Degree Requirement: Applicants are required to have successfully completed a baccalaureate degree.
Official Transcripts: Official transcripts are required from all universities and colleges ever attended. Only in the case of transcripts from international colleges/universities will an official course-by-course transcript evaluation be accepted in lieu of an official transcript.
Official transcripts should be sent to GRU’s Office of Academic Admissions. To remain official, all transcripts must remain in the original, unopened, sealed and stamped/signed envelope from the Registrar’s office of the issuing institution. Alternatively, GRU will accept official electronic transcripts from the registrar’s office at your prior institution. Electronic transcripts should be directed to admissions@gru.edu.
Transcript/Credential Evaluation of Foreign Transcripts: An official, professional course-by-course evaluation based on official transcripts and documents is required for all foreign educational transcripts and documents from one of the following three credentials evaluation services: Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., World Education Services (WES), Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). Silny and WES are recommended. Official evaluations based on unofficial transcripts, documents, or copies will not satisfy this requirement.
References: Recommendations (which include a reference form and letter of recommendation) from three individuals are required. Referees should be individuals qualified to critically assess the applicant’s prior academic (usually college professors), employment, artistic, research and/or clinical experience (clinical or research supervisor/manager) and qualifications (as applicable) as well as the applicant’s potential as a graduate student in the field/program selected.
Graduate reference forms and letters of recommendation can be submitted online only. As part of the online application process, applicants provide the names and current email addresses for three individuals they have asked to serve as their referees. Once the online application is submitted, each referee will receive an email notification directing him/her to the online site where he/she can complete the reference form and submit his/her letter of recommendation. To change a referee after the application has been submitted, the applicant is instructed to log into his/her CollegeNet account and update the name and current email address for the referee. Status updates of your referees’ submissions will be provided to you directly from CollegeNet.
GMAT Requirement: Minimum score of 450. Official GRE scores are required.
All official GMAT scores must be submitted to GRU’s Office of Academic Admissions directly from www.mba.com. Please select to send the scores to Georgia Regents University - James M. Hull College of Business - MBA, Full Time/Part Time.
This score is waived only for individuals holding a terminal degree (PhD, MD, DMD, JD, etc).
TOEFL Requirement: Minimum score of 550 paper-based, 213 computer-based, or 79 internet-based.
Official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test scores are required for applicants whose first language is not English. The institution code for submission of TOEFL scores to GRU is 5406. Please do not select a department code.
Exemption from the TOEFL requirement is allowed for graduate students who submit proof of earning a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college/university where English is the language of instruction.
Resume or CV (curriculum vitae): Including date of most current revision.
Admission Recommendations
* - Substitutions and/or waivers of minimum requirements must first be supported and approved at the program level and then formally approved by the Dean of the College of Graduate studies.
* - While every effort is made to maintain this information as current, it may be subject to change. Please check with GRU’s Office of Academic Admission for recent updates.
* - Applications deferred to another semester are subject to all admission requirements and program requirements in effect for the semester to which they are deferred.
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.
