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Statement of Purpose

The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program provides advanced study for men and women currently in managerial or administrative positions or who aspire to such positions. The primary purpose of the program is to provide students with realistic business knowledge and skills essential for successful functioning as administrators in business, industry, churches, non-profit, government, or other types of organizations. Specific objectives of the program include assisting advanced students to:

1. Develop ethical approaches to making and applying managerial decisions;
2. Improve team-building, communication, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills;
3. Integrate organizational experience with current theories of leadership and management in order to develop new understanding of managerial concepts;
4. Analyze alternative solutions to managerial problems involving technical, social, economic, political, and ethical factors;
5. Develop strategies for coping with the challenges of new organizational systems and changing technology; and
6. View opportunities and challenges from a global perspective.

Criteria for Admission

A student seeking admission to the M.B.A. program should address all inquiries to the office of graduate programs. The completed application and supporting documents should be received at least three weeks prior to the desired entrance date. Applicants may be admitted in one of the following categories.

Unconditional Admission

Unconditional admission may be granted to applicants who:

1. Hold a bachelor degree in any discipline from an accredited institution of higher education;
2. File the application for admission to graduate programs and furnish the various materials listed in the instructions;
3. Pay a non-refundable application fee;
4. Furnish official transcript(s) from each institution attended, showing all credits previously earned;
5. Have an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale from the graduating institution;
6. Submit an official report of test scores obtained on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) acquiring a total of at least 1,000 on the formula (GMAT score and grade point average X 200), with the GMAT score being no lower than 400; and
7. Have successfully completed all prerequisites, with no grade lower than “C.”

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission may be granted to:

1. An applicant with a GMAT no lower than 400, and
2. An applicant with a GPA no lower than 2.50; or
3. An applicant with a combined total of no less than 950 on the formula (GMAT score and GPA X 200).

A student who is granted conditional admission is expected to earn a “B” or better on each graduate course. A student who falls below this will be subject to academic suspension. Appeals may be made to the academic vice president, the dean of the School of Business and the M.B.A. faculty. The conditional status may be changed upon the recommendation of the business dean to “unconditional admission” for an individual who makes a sufficient score on a retake of the GMAT or a “B” or better grade in each of the first three graduate courses in the program, provided at least two of the courses are required graduate courses.

Criteria for Admission of International Students

International students who graduated from four-year institutions outside the United States must meet the same admission requirements as other M.B.A. students. In addition, such students must:

1. Submit an official TOEFL score of 550 or better on the paper-based test, 213 or higher on the computer-based test, or 79-80 or higher on the internet-based test.;
2. Have received a degree that is equivalent to the B.S. or B.A. at a U.S. institution;
3. Register as a full-time student;
4. Maintain a grade of “C” or better in all prerequisite courses and an overall GPA of at least 3.00;
5. Submit a GMAT score with a minimum score of 400 before enrolling in a graduate level class; and
6. Adhere to all University of Mobile ethical and moral standards.

International students who hold three-year degrees from non-U.S. accredited institutions may also be considered for admission provided that such students:

1. Take thirty-six additional hours of prerequisite courses at the University of Mobile. These include (a) the twenty-seven hours of prerequisite courses which all M.B.A. students must have taken, and (b) nine hours of prerequisite courses consisting of Communication 101 , Business Administration 151 , and Business Administration/English 336 .
2. Meet all the other requirements listed above for international students.

Criteria for Early Admission

Integrated accounting program and business administration to MBA applicants must meet the following criteria for unconditional admission:

1. File the application for admission to graduate programs and furnish the various materials listed in the instructions;
2. Pay a non-refundable application fee;
3. Obtain a recommendation from the advisor;
4. Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or better on a 4.00 scale at time of filing the application for admission;
5. Submit an official report of test scores obtained on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) acquiring a total of at least 1,000 on the formula (GMAT score and grade point average X 200), with the GMAT score being no lower than 400; and
6. Have successfully completed all prerequisites, with no grade lower than “C.”

Students in the University of Mobile’s integrated undergraduate/graduate accounting program and accelerated business administration to MBA program and computer information systems to MBA program may be cleared to register for graduate classes following completion of their junior year provided other criteria for admission to the M.B.A. program are met. The integrated accounting program consists of 113 undergraduate hours followed by thirty-nine graduate hours in the University of Mobile’s Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program. Students completing the integrated accounting program will be awarded Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and M.B.A. degrees simultaneously.

The accelerated business administration to MBA program or computer information systems program to MBA consists of 114 undergraduate hours followed by thirty-six graduate hours in the University of Mobile’s Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program. Students complete the chosen concentration in business administration or computer information systems major with the exception of four courses (BA 430 , BA 454 , CIS 301  and MGT 426 ), which are taken as part of the MBA program on the graduate level (BA 530 , BA 554 , CIS 563 , and MGT 526 ). Students completing the accelerated program will be awarded the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration or Computer Information Systems (B.S.) and the M.B.A. degrees simultaneously.

Students must complete the application process, be recommended by their advisor, and be accepted into University of Mobile’s graduate program before any graduate-level courses may be taken. Students in this concentration will be allowed no more than six hours of undergraduate credit and six hours of graduate credit as transient work.

Comprehensive Examination

Satisfactory performance on a comprehensive examination (BA 590 Comprehensive Examination ) is required of all candidates seeking the M.B.A. degree at University of Mobile. The comprehensive examination will cover the entire contents of the program. Candidates who fail the comprehensive examination may take it the next time it is offered (usually the following year) with the approval of the dean of the School of Business, the M.B.A. faculty, and the office of graduate programs. After two failures, the student will be dismissed from the program.

Graduation Requirements

Application for a degree should be made during the fall academic period (semester) prior to graduation. The candidate’s application will be reviewed upon receipt of:

1. An application for a degree;
2. Satisfactory completion of program requirements (a minimum of thirty-six semester hours is required);
3. An acceptable score on the comprehensive examination; and
4. A minimum overall 3.0 GPA on all work attempted.

NOTE: All requirements for a degree must be completed within six years from the time of initial enrollment.

Course Offerings

Please see the Course Descriptions  sections of this catalog for Graduate level course listings.

Programs

• Business Administration, M.B.A.

Return to: Graduate Programs