School of Management

Business Administration, M.B.A.

Director, Master in Business Administration Program
(703) 993-2136
masonmba@som.gmu.edu

The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program provides a high-level professional education in business administration. The curriculum integrates functional areas with an emphasis on group work, information technology, and the global business environment.

Admission Requirements

All students registering for graduate courses offered by the School of Management must have graduate standing. Nondegree student status is not available.

Admission to the M.B.A. program is highly competitive. No previous course work in business administration is required, but a four-year undergraduate degree and a college-level calculus course must be successfully completed before matriculation. Applicants are evaluated primarily on undergraduate record and GMAT performance. A minimum of two years of professional work experience before entering the program is required. Preference is also based on strength of professional background and leadership potential. These criteria are applied with a reasonable amount of flexibility to ensure that individuals with unusual academic and professional qualifications are considered. Applications for admission to the M.B.A. program must be submitted by November 1 for the following spring semester, and by April1 for the following fall semester.

The M.B.A. program is a part-time evening program. Student cohorts are admitted in fall and spring semesters to commence course work. The curriculum effectively integrates functional areas with the use of information technology, oral and written communication, and teamwork. The M.B.A. program requires 48 credits: 30 credits of core courses and 18 credits of elective courses. Students complete the degree program in two and one-half years by taking six credits each semester for eight consecutive semesters (including Summer Terms). Due to the cohort structure, students must commit to attending classes two times per week. Each year a cohort of qualified students is selected from those who want to accelerate their studies and complete their degree in 23 months. They take three courses per semester, which is considered full time graduate work.

Degree Requirements

Core Courses, 30 Credits

The core courses are offered during the first five semesters, with students taking six credits each fall, spring, and summer. Each course sets the foundation for the next and builds on knowledge gained in previous courses. All M.B.A. students must complete the following required core courses:

Technology Competency Requirement

Before taking any MBA electives, students are required to take and pass at least the first module of Tek.Xam. Tek.Xam is a nationwide standard for technical literacy assessment (see www.tekxam.com). Administered by the university on a periodic basis, Tek.Xam is a unique test measuring technology and problem-solving skills within the technology environment. It is an Internet-based, vendor-neutral test delivered online in a proctored computer lab.

Elective Courses, 18 Credits

After completing the core courses, students can choose from several market-driven elective courses offered by the School of Management.

Concentrations

M.B.A. students may use electives to complete courses leading to a concentration in financial management, enterprise management, market and business development, or information systems management.

Financial Management

Required courses:

• MBA 701 Business Analysis and Valuation
• MBA 702 Corporate Financial Policy
• MBA 703 Financial Markets

Two courses from the following:

• MBA 704 Risk Management and Financial Innovation
• MBA 705 Venture Capital and Private Finance
• MBA 706 Investment Analysis
• MBA 707 Accounting Systems
• MBA 708 Global Tax Strategies
• MBA 717 International Finance

Note: One elective must be taken outside this concentration.

Enterprise Management

Required courses:

• MBA 701 Business Analysis and Valuation
• MBA 705 Venture Capital and Private Finance
• MBA 711 Entrepreneurship

Two courses from the following:

• MBA 708 Global Tax Strategies
• MBA 713 Human Resource Management
• MBA 712 Project and Cost Management
• MBA 721 Marketing Decision Systems
• MBA 725 Leadership
• MBA 736 Managing Digital Business

Note: One elective must be taken outside this concentration.

Market and Business Development

Required courses:

• MBA 721 Marketing Decision Systems
• MBA 722 Consumer Behavior
• MBA 723 Supply Chain Management

Two courses from the following:

• MBA 711 Entrepreneurship
• MBA 724 Marketing Communications
• MBA 725 Leadership
• MBA 732 Knowledge Management
• MBA 734 Electronic Commerce

Note: One elective must be taken outside this concentration.

Information Systems Management

Required courses:

• MBA 731 Business Systems Development
• MBA 732 Knowledge Management
• MBA 733 Business Data Communications

Two courses from the following:

• MBA 734 Electronic Commerce
• MBA 735 Systems Thinking and Business Simulation
• MBA 736 Managing Digital Business
• MBA 737 Corporate Information Systems Policy
• MBA 707 Accounting Systems
• MBA 711 Entrepreneurship

Note: One elective must be taken outside this concentration.

Electives may be chosen from courses offered by other graduate programs in the university, with approval from the School of Management.