Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The University of St. Francis implemented its MBA program in the fall of 1993. The Master of Business Administration is designed to provide students with challenging course work which will enhance the team building and interpersonal networking skills necessary in preparing for a position in upper-level management.
The MBA program will provide students with a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge. Studying current theories, learning methods of problem solving and analysis, and engaging in active research contribute to the enhancement of a student's professional career. Developing competent written and oral communication abilities is stressed throughout the program.
MBA graduates will have an awareness of the total business environment, including financial management and a focus on customers in the global market. In addition, the MBA program will provide employers with top level managers who have skills in communication, planning for and use of technology, and leading with integrity and a sense of ethics.
The
program is designed for the business professional. Classes
meet one evening a week or on Saturday in a traditional
class setting, giving students and faculty an opportunity
to interact in an exciting learning environment.
Candidates will find the study of business administration to be an opportunity for both personal and professional growth. Completing an MBA degree is a long-term investment that can provide such returns as entry into attractive career tracks, high salaries and valuable career mobility. It prepares individuals for the challenges of upper-level management by providing the practical skills to meet the demands of the rapidly changing business environment.
The objectives of the curriculum and student outcomes are as follows:
-
To provide qualified persons with the skills needed
to be professional administrators.
-
To provide the breadth of insight that can only come
from in-depth study of the discipline.
- To
give a humanistic dimension to the education of business
administrators.
- To
encourage scholarship in solving the problems of business
administrators.
- To
cultivate the ability to think cogently and apply tools
to decision making.
- To
develop knowledge and skills in particular managerial
functions.
- To
develop an awareness that effective ethical leadership
requires empathetic understanding of the needs and motivations
of individuals within an organization.
- To achieve a professional perspective of the total administrative role which goes beyond immediate responsibilities and integrates concepts and decision-making tools into a framework of administrative expertise.
NATIONAL HONORS SOCIETY
The MBA program provides students with the opportunity to be a member of Delta Mu Delta, a national honor society in business administration with a growing membership of 130,000 nation wide. For membership eligibility, students must have completed at least half the requirements for the degree with a minimum cumulative 3.6/4.0 G.P.A and be in the top 20% of their class.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
To
be considered for admission, an applicant must have a bachelor's
degree from a regionally accredited college or university
with a minimum 2.75 grade point average (GPA)
on a 4.0 scale and either have two years managerial experience
or appropriate GMAT
(Graduate Management Admission Test) scores. Students must
submit a transcript to
determine which, if any, prerequisites they need.
The University of St. Francis MBA program accepts candidates with undergraduate degrees from any discipline. However, candidates need to show proficiency in fundamental business skills in management, marketing, quantitative methods and statistics, economics, finance and financial accounting. This proficiency can be demonstrated through one of three methods: 1) work experience 2) previous course equivalent to the content required 3) completion of online survey courses in the specific areas listed above.
If the student is required to complete the survey courses, they should be taken as soon as possible because many of the courses are prerequisites for the core courses. Survey courses and core courses may be taken simultaneously, as long as the prerequisite has been completed for the course in which a student is enrolled.
Computer competency in word processing and spread sheets is required.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Thirty-six to forty-eight semester hours of graduate level
courses are required.
Maintenance of a B average (3.0/4.0 GPA) is necessary for
advancement to candidacy and
graduation.