2008-2009 Catalog 
    
    Apr 23, 2024  
2008-2009 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Business Administration, MBA


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The Master of Business Administration program is devoted to the concepts, analytical tools, and communication skills required for competent and responsible management. The management of an enterprise is viewed in its entirety and within its social, political, and economic environment. All on-campus graduate level courses are scheduled during the evening hours to accommodate employed students.

Residence and Distance Options

The Graduate School of Business Administration offers an MBA program delivered via two modes—residence (on-campus) and distance (online). Students may choose to complete their entire MBA program through either of the two modes or take a combination of on-campus and online courses. However, online courses have a higher tuition. Please contact the MBA Advising Office for more information.

Evening MBA Program

The on-campus MBA is designed for students to complete their degree as a full-time or part-time student. Students structure the pace of completing the program to meet personal and professional goals. Students may begin the program in the Fall, spring, or summer semester. In the fall or spring semesters, courses are only offered from 4:30 to 7:05 p.m. or 7:15 to 9:50 p.m. and meet once a week.

MBA Graduate Admission

Admission Criteria

The Graduate School of Business Administration seeks to admit students who show a high likelihood of success in postgraduate business study. The following three basic indicators are used to evaluate candidates for admission:

1. PRIOR ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE.A four-year Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent is a condition for application. The applicant’s complete academic record from all institutions attended is examined.

2. ADMISSION TEST. Applicants may submit scores from either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Results of other standardized graduate admission tests may be used with the approval of the MBA advising office. In some special cases where the applicant has substantial business experience, the GMAT may be waived and a portfolio application process may be used. Please contact the MBA Advising Office for more information

3. EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE. Of particular interest is the candidate’s progression of work. Recommendations from prior and current colleagues are optional. Though employment experience may be used to evaluate a candidate, it is not required.

Provisional and Senior Admits

Individuals may be admitted on a provisional status at the discretion of the admissions committee. If the terms of the provisional admittance are met, the student will be transferred to regular degree status. Students who do not meet the terms into the program.

Seniors in this university who have satisfied the undergraduate residence requirements and who need no more than 6 semester hours of advanced subjects and 12 credit points to meet their requirements for an undergraduate degree may be admitted to the MBA program. They must meet regular admissions criteria and submit a completed application by the published deadline. They must complete their final undergraduate courses during their first semester as an MBA student.

Application Process and Deadlines

The application, GMAT or other test scores, two official transcripts (not student copies) from each post-secondary institution attended, a resume, and the nonrefundable application fee should be submitted by April 1 for summer admission, by June 1 for fall admission, and by November 1 for spring admission.

See MBA Web site: www.uccs.edu/mba for the online application or contact the MBA advising office by phone at 1-800-990-8227, ext. 3408, or by e-mail atmba@uccs.edu.

The mailing address for supporting materials is as follows:

UCCS Graduate School of Business and Administration
1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80918

MBA Academic Policies

Access to MBA Courses

Students must be officially admitted to the MBA program in order to register for graduate level courses. Students who are officially admitted to other CU graduate programs may be eligible to register for MBA courses. All course prerequisites must be met. Interested students should contact the MBA advising office for more information.

Course Load

The typical course load is 3-6 hours for a working graduate student and 9-12 hours for those attending school full time during the fall and spring semesters.

Students are limited to 12 credit hours for the fall and the spring semesters. Students are limited to 6 credit hours for the summer semester. Credit hours over these limits require that an academic petition be approved. Concurrent enrollment in both campus and distance classes is subject to the same credit hour limits.

MBA Completion Time frame

Candidates for the MBA degree are expected to complete the degree within five years after they begin their first 600-level course. If course work is completed more than five years before the expected graduation date, the work will not be acceptable for the degree unless it is validated by the Graduate School of Business Administration Dean.

Declaring Area of Emphasis

Students enrolled in the campus program must have written permission to follow a distance-specific curriculum requirement for a particular area of emphasis.

Students enrolled in the distance program must have written permission to follow a campus-specific curriculum requirement for a particular area of emphasis.

Graduate Standards of Performance

Course Repeat Policy

Any grade below C (2.0) is not a passing grade for graduate students. A student may repeat a course once for which he or she has received a grade below C. Both the original grade and the grade for the repeated course count in the computation of the grade point average. Please see the Standards of Performance—Graduate section for more information.

Grade Point Average

No individual grade below a C will count towards MBA requirements. To be in good standing, students must have an overall grade point average of not less than 3.0 for all degree program course work attempted.

Probation and Suspension

The academic performance of each student will be reviewed at the end of each semester. Upon the completion of nine semester hours, any student who has a grade point average less than 3.0 in MBA course work will be placed on probation immediately. In general, students will not be placed on probation until a minimum of nine semester hours has been completed. After a student has been placed on probation, the student has a maximum of one calendar year to raise his or her grade point average to 3.0. Courses taken to raise the cumulative grade point average must be applicable to the degree, and must be taken in the three semesters (including summer) immediately following the semester in which the cumulative grade point average fell below 3.0. Failure to raise the cumulative grade point average to 3.0 in the time period outlined will result in immediate suspension. While on academic probation, failure to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress towards an MBA degree may result in academic suspension. In the event a student attains probationary status more than one time, the same time limits shall apply. A suspended MBA student is eligible to petition the dean for readmission after one calendar year.

Transfer Policy

A maximum of 6 semester hours of appropriate course work from another AACSB graduate program may be considered for transfer to the degree program.

Graduate Internships

At the graduate level, internships are 1-3 credit hours, pass/fail only and may be used as business elective credit or as area of emphasis credit. Internships are approved through an application process, which can be obtained through the Internship and Career & Placement Center. Students must apply prior to beginning their internship duties and should register for credit during the semester in which the internship is being completed. A maximum of 6 credit hours of internship may be applied to a business degree.

MBA Academic Advising

Each graduate student must meet with an MBA advisor during the student’s first term in residence to prepare a degree plan. Distance MBA students will have a degree plan mailed to them, which must be signed and returned to the MBA advising office. Each degree plan requires the approval of an MBA advisor and the dean. The preparatory courses which the student will complete (if any), and the student’s area of emphasis will be discussed at that time. For contact information, see the beginning of the College of Business section. MBA Graduation Requirements

Graduation Audit

A graduation audit is required for all students one semester prior to the semester of expected graduation. When the audit is complete, the student will receive a letter of notification in the mail, along with a diploma card, an Application for Admission to Candidacy form, and a survey. The graduation audit is not complete until the diploma card, Application for Candidacy form, and the survey have been completed and returned to the MBA office. Failure to request an audit or failure to return completed audit documents in a timely manner may delay a student’s graduation.

Commencement

Students seeking to participate in commencement and other academic ceremonies will need to complete ALL academic requirements in advance. Participation in academic ceremonies that recognize or honor students for the completion of an academic program or specific academic accomplishment is based on the understanding that all requirements have been completed. Every effort will be made to determine eligibility in advance, and only students who have met requirements will be permitted to participate.

MBA Preparatory Requirements


The College of Business provides the following series of business preparatory courses as required background courses for the graduate study of business. These courses, which are open only to admitted MBA degree students,may be waived on a course-by-course basis with prior academic course work or successful scores on designated achievement tests.

Course/Title/Credit


These preparatory classes are graduate level courses that—if required—are taken in addition to the 36 semester hours required for the MBA degree. Graduate students who are interested in waiving one or more of the MBA preparatory courses based on related prior course work must consult with an MBA advisor. Waivers of preparatory courses are based on a number of criteria, including the age of the prior course work, the grade earned, and other considerations determined by the faculty. Prior course work must have been completed at an accredited institution. Preparatory course waivers are made at the discretion of the College of Business and are recorded on a degree plan approved by the dean.

MBA Degree Requirements


Credit Hours

In addition to any preparatory courses which may be required (see previous section), students must complete a minimum of 36 semester hours of course for the MBA degree. This course work consists of 21 hours of core competency courses and 15 hours of elective courses. With the 15 elective hours, students may choose to earn a general MBA or choose to concentrate in a functional or interdisciplinary area of emphasis as listed below.

Choice of Emphasis

Students may choose to complete an area of emphasis through the campus program in Accounting, Finance, Homeland Defense, International Business, Management, Marketing, Operations Management, Services Management, or Technology Management.

Students may choose to complete an area of emphasis through the distance program in Finance, Health Care Administration, Homeland Defense, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Marketing or Project Management, Space Systems Management or Technology Management.

MBA Areas of Emphasis Requirements


Students may choose to receive a general MBA or decide to specialize in a functional or interdisciplinary area of emphasis as listed below. Note: Health Care Administration, Project Management, and Information Systems are only offered through the distance mode.

General MBA


A General MBA allows the student to select 15 hours of 600 level business courses based on the individual’s particular interests and objectives.

Health Care Administration MBA—12 hours


See Information Under Distance MBA Program 

Information Systems MBA—9-12 hours


Information systems is only offered through the distance mode of delivery. Refer to the Distance MBA Program  for course requirements.

Project Management MBA—12 hours


Project Management is only offered through the distance mode of delivery. Refer to the Distance MBA Program  for course requirements.

Accounting MBA—12 hours


Students who choose an area in Accounting will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses, 12 semester hours of Accounting (ACCT) elective courses, and 3 semester hours of any MBA 600-level elective course.

And these three 600-level accounting courses:

  • one of the 67x-level courses listed above (3 credits)
Note

Those graduate students who are preparing for a career as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) should read the legal requirements and recommendations for becoming certified in Colorado and other states as described in the undergraduate section AREA OF EMPHASIS in Accounting for the CPA track in this course Bulletin.

Finance MBA—9 hours


All organizations, large and small,must effectively invest and manage their capital. The finance function is critical in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Job opportunities exist for finance graduates in almost all industries, including the financial services industry and positions within the finance area of corporations. Finance graduates manage capital for large organizations and their independent business units as well as for small organizations.

Students who choose an area in Finance will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses, 9 semester hours of Finance (FNCE) elective courses, and 6 semester hours of any MBA 600-level elective course.

Homeland Defense MBA—12 hours


Homeland Defense is an interdisciplinary program developed by the Network Information and Space Security Center (NISSC) with classes offered through the School of Public Administration, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and the College of Business.

This area is designed to develop leaders in industry and government; the courses prepare students to develop homeland security and homeland defense strategies for their own organizations and manage relationships with the many diverse organizations working in this arena.

Students who choose an area of in Homeland Defense will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses, 12 semester hours in the required Homeland Defense courses, and 3 hours of an MBA 600-level elective course.

International Business MBA—9 hours


An emphasis in International Business will prepare students to excel in the field of international business. This field of study is becoming more relevant and important as the global economy expands. Students are encouraged to take a foreign language to strengthen this area of emphasis.

Students who choose an area in International Business will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses, 9 semester hours of the required International Business elective courses, and 6 semester hours of any MBA 600-level elective course.

Management MBA—9 hours


In today’s highly competitive global environment, a premium will be placed on skilled managers who know how to motivate and lead people. This area of emphasis addresses these issues and other contemporary issues in management. Additionally, the changing roles of managers and leaders at management levels within the organization are explored. The Management emphasis also focuses on the development and maintenance of effective relationships between employers and employees.

Students who choose an area in Management will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses and 9 semester hours of Management (MGMT) elective courses and 6 hours of any MBA 600-level elective course.

Marketing MBA—9 hours


An effective marketing program is necessary to the success of any business organization. Through the marketing efforts of a firm, products and services are designed and delivered that maximize customer satisfaction. Students choosing the marketing area of emphasis may find exciting careers in such diverse fields as product management, professional selling, customer support, advertising and marketing research. The marketing curriculum is designed to give the student hands on marketing experience through applied classes and projects.

Students who choose an area in Marketing will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses, 9 semester hours of Marketing (MKTG) elective courses and 6 hours of any MBA 600-level elective course.

Operations Management MBA– 9 hours


Both tangible products and services require effective process technology management. In the past few decades, changes have revolutionized how products are manufactured. Quality management has become a major focus of most contemporary manufacturing organizations. Students completing this emphasis will be prepared to seek positions in manufacturing in virtually all industries.

Students who choose an area in Operations Management will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses, 9 semester hours of the allowable Operations Management elective courses, and 6 hours of any MBA 600-level elective course.

Services Management MBA—9 hours


Service industries are expected to continue to grow at a rapid rate in the 21st century. The services management emphasis is taught in an interdisciplinary fashion which allows students to explore several different areas within the firm. This enables students to better understand how to manage a service organization properly.

Students who choose an area in Services Management will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses, 9 semester hours in the required Services Management courses, and 6 hours of any MBA 600-level elective course.

Space Systems Management MBA—15 hours


Students who choose an area in Space Systems Management will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses and 15 semester hours of Space Systems Management (SPMG) elective.

Technology Management MBA—9 hours


The development of technology continues to grow at an increasing rate both domestically and globally. Students completing this emphasis can expect to be prepared to function effectively in the many technology-based organizations in the business environment today. The technology management emphasis helps the student grasp and begin to master the complexities of managing both product technology and process technology.

Students who choose an area in Technology Management will take 21 semester hours of MBA core courses, 9 semester hours of the allowable Technology Management elective courses, and 6 hours of any MBA 600-level elective course.

MBA Electives—6 hours


Electives may be selected from the Area of Emphasis, providing any prerequisites have been met.

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