Master of Business Administration

Tel: (785) 231-1010, Ext. 1307
Fax: (785) 231-1063
E-mail: mba@washburn.edu
http://www.washburn.edu/sobu/MBA

The Degree

 

 

 

CURRICULUM

The Washburn MBA curriculum combines opportunities to develop one's skills in communication, quantitative analysis, computer technology, and teamwork with study of accounting, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, legal and ethical issues, and production and operations in the context of domestic and global environments of business.

For the students without a prior business degree or related course work, 58 semester hours (20 courses) are required, divided between the core level (28 semester hours) and the upper level (30 semester hours). MA 116 College Algebra is prerequisite to the program. Students are expected to acquire basic competence in the business use of spreadsheets either by course work or by self-study early in the core-level program.

I. The Core-Level Program

All students must show proficiency, normally through course work, in quantitative methods, accounting, and the core areas of business, including financial analysis and markets, domestic and global economic environment, the creation and distribution of goods and services, and human behavior in organizations. Students in many other majors receive partial core-level credit. Students with baccalaureate degrees in business from schools following the national pattern will be given credit for much of the core-level program. At Washburn University, the MBA-level courses numbered 920 to 929 meet the core-level requirements.

Core-level Courses

BU 250 Management Information Systems
AC 920 Financial Accounting Concepts
AC 921 Managerial Accounting Concepts
BU 922 Quantitative Methods I
BU 923 Quantitative Methods II
EC 925 Economic Environment
BU 926 Survey of Finance
BU 927 Marketing Concepts
BU 928 Production and Operations Systems
BU 929 Human Behavior in Organizations
Total Core-level Hours 28

The Director of Graduate Programs will determine the suitability of undergraduate or graduate course work to satisfy these core-level requirements. Final determination as to whether or not courses taken elsewhere meet core-level requirements will be made only upon full admission to the MBA program. Students planning to take additional course work prior to application to the MBA program should consult with Director of Graduate Programs to determine which courses at Washburn University and elsewhere meet these requirements.

II. The Upper-level Program
Thirty semester hours beyond the core-level courses must be completed by all students.

Required Upper-level Courses

BU 951 Legal and Ethical Issues
BU 952 Human Resources
BU 953 Product Systems
AC 954 Management Accounting Analysis
BU 955 Financial Strategies
BU 956 Computer-based Information Systems
BU 957 Strategic Marketing Management
BU 959 Strategic Analysis
Total Required Course Upper-level Hours 24

Electives Reserved Exclusively for Graduate Students

EC 971 Macroeconomic Analysis
EC 972 Managerial Economics
AC 973 Tax Planning for Managers
BU 974 International Business
AC 975 Advanced Auditing
BU 977 International Financial Strategy
BU 978 International Marketing
BU 979 Investments
EC 980 International Economics
AC 981 Financial Accounting Theory
BU 982 Environmental Law and Policy
BU 983 Venture Creation
BU 996 Research Project in Business
AC 997 Research Project in Accounting
BU 998 Special Topics in Business
AC 999 Special Topics in Accounting
Total Required Elective Course Hours 6

Students should consult with the Director of Graduate Programs as to the availability of these electives and other elective options.

Total Required Upper-level MBA Program Credit Hours 30

TRANSFER POLICY
A maximum of nine hours of graduate credit in the upper-level MBA program may be transferred from AACSB-accredited graduate schools and posted on the Washburn University transcript. Requests to transfer courses must be made in writing. Requests to substitute transfer credit for required upper-level courses go to the designated faculty committee.

LAW SCHOOL COURSES
Up to nine hours of credit from an ABA-accredited law school may be applied towards the 30-hour upper-level MBA requirement. Completion of a JD degree will be deemed the equivalent of BU 951 Legal and Ethical Issues. The law school credit must be in business-related, non-required law school courses approved by the School of Business.

ACCOUNTING EMPHASIS IN MBA PROGRAM
A student may obtain an emphasis in accounting in the MBA program. The student must complete one graduate course in each of the following areas:
1. Financial Accounting
2. Managerial Accounting
3. Auditing
4. Income Tax

APPLICATION SCHEDULE
Applications are processed on a continuous basis. Priority for acceptance will be given to applicants whose file is complete by November 15 (for spring enrollment); April 15 (for summer enrollment); and July 1 (for fall enrollment). Files are considered complete when the applications and all supporting documents have been received by the Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business. International applicants, or applicants applying from outside of the United States should start the application process early in order to meet the application deadlines.

ADMISSION
Admission will be granted to students showing high promise of success in postgraduate business study. Admission requirements include oral and written communication and College Algebra or equivalent competency. To be considered, an applicant must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
2. Submit a completed "Application to Washburn University" for the MBA program. This application should be sent to the Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business, Washburn University.
3. Submit a completed "Application for Graduate Study in Business." This application should be sent to the Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business, Washburn University.
4. Request that official transcripts be sent directly to the Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business, Washburn University, from all previously attended institutions.
5. Take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, NJ, 08541. Request that scores be reported to the School of Business, Washburn University. The GMAT Code Number for Washburn University is 6928.
6. Arrange for two letters to be submitted by academicians, employers, or other persons who can attest to the applicant's potential for success in graduate study in business. These letters should be sent to the Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business, Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, 66621.
7. Submit an application fee to the MBA program of $20. The check should be made out to Washburn University and be sent with the two applications.

PROVISIONAL ADMISSION
Individuals who do not initially fulfill all of the requirements may be considered for admission with provisional status. Provisional admission to the MBA program is designed to permit a student to take a maximum of six (6) hours of graduate work for one semester while awaiting completion of requirements for admission. It is expected that all requirements will be completed during the semester and provisional status will be withdrawn at the end of the semester. Admission status can be canceled if the requirements for full admission are not met in the first semester. Definite statements as to the length of the MBA program cannot be given until the application file is complete and all conditions have been met.

Requirements for provisional admission which are different from those for admission (as well as all procedural steps) are indicated below:

1. Have completed 115 or more hours in a regionally accredited undergraduate baccalaureate degree program and be enrolled in appropriate courses to complete that degree in the semester of provisional admission.
2. Have at least a 2.75 cumulative undergraduate GPA, or a 3.00 cumulative GPA over the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work based on a 4.0 scale.
3. Take the GMAT during the semester of provisional admission and receive an acceptable score.

INTERNATIONAL ADMISSION

International students must:
1. Hold a university credential that is equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree.
2. Submit a completed "Washburn University International Application for Admission" to the Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business, Washburn University.
3. Submit a completed "Application for Graduate Study in Business" to the Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business, Washburn University."
4. Request that official transcripts be sent to the Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business, Washburn University, from all previously attended institutions. Transcripts from non-U.S. institutions submitted as part of an application for graduate study in the School of Business must be evaluated by a Washburn University recognized evaluation service. Cost of this evaluation is borne by the student. Washburn University now requires a detailed report from Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. Applications can be obtained by writing to ECE, PO Box 92970, Milwaukee, WI, 53202-0970, USW, or from the International Student Office at Washburn University.
5. Take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, NJ, 08541. Request that scores be reported to the School of Business, Washburn University. The GMAT Code Number for Washburn University is 6928.
6. Arrange for two letters to be submitted by academicians, employers, or other persons who can attest to the applicant's potential for success in graduate study in business. These letters should be sent to the Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business, Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas 66621.
7. Submit an application fee to the MBA program of $20, as well as the the $60 fee for international students.
8. Take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) including the Test of Written English (TWE). Request that scores be reported directly to the School of Business, Washburn University by the testing agency. Washburn University requires a TOEFL score of 550, or equivalent, for graduate students including a minimum of 55 on each of the three parts and a TWE score of 5.0, or the equivalent scores through the computer based format. Students without a TOEFL score or with a low TOEFL score should first seek admission to the Intensive English Program. Native speakers of English or students who have earned a 4-year degree from a US institution are exempt from the TOEFL requirement.

ACADEMIC ADVISING
All academic advising for MBA students is done by the Director of Graduate Programs.

Permission for enrollment in any class for which the instructor feels the student's background and preparation is inadequate will be withdrawn. Core-level courses should be completed before upper-level courses are taken.

ACADEMIC STATUS:
FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME GRADUATE STUDENT
Full-time and part-time status of graduate students during the fall and spring semesters are calculated as follows:

  • 9 or more semester hours=full time

  • 8 semester hours = three-quarter time

  • 5 to 7 semester hours = one-half time

  • 1 to 4 semester hours = one- quarter time
  • GRADES
    The symbols used in grading are as follows: A, excellent; B, well above average; C, average; D, below average but passing; F, failure. In computing grade point averages: A equals 4; B equals 3; C equals 2; D equals 1; F equals 0.

    No grade below "C" is acceptable for graduate credit.

    To graduate, MBA students are required to have at least a 3.0 grade point average in all graded upper-level courses. At least 30 upper-level hours must be taken on a graded basis, including all required upper-level courses.

    In accordance with Washburn University policy, incomplete grades ("I") may be given when most of the work for the course has been completed (approximately 75%). While Washburn University does not set a semester/term time limit for the removal of incomplete grades in graduate courses, individual instructors may impose time limits for the completion of the work, after which "I" grades can be changed to an "F" or other earned grade. Students must complete all "I" grades in order to graduate from the University.

    PROBATION AND DISMISSAL
    Students are placed on probation whenever the upper-level grade point average falls below 3.0, or whenever a grade below "C" is earned in a core-level course or in a course being used for core-level credit. Students on probation must work with the MBA advisor to develop a plan of study to be restored to good standing in the next semester, subject to course availability. Students who continue on probation for more than one semester may be dropped from the MBA program.

    STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
    A student may be awarded a Master of Business Administration degree after completing the requirements for the degree in effect the later of (1) the semester when he/she first enrolled or (2) the semester when he/she was fully admitted to the MBA program. The student may choose any subsequent catalog in effect within six years of the date of graduation.

    Return to Main Page

    Return to Catalog Index

     


    [ WU Home ] [ Directory ] [ A-Z Index ] [ Sitemap ] [ Contact WU ] [ Statements & Disclosures ] [ Accessibility ] [ Search ]
    © 2012 Washburn University, 1700 SW College Ave, Topeka, Kansas 66621 (785) 670-1010
    Contact webmaster@washburn.edu with questions or comments.