Oct 15, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Business Administration, Master of Business Administration


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Graduate Business Programs
238 Elliott Hall  (map)
(248) 370-3287 
OUgradbusiness@oakland.edu
http://www.oakland.edu/business/grad

Program Director:
Paul Trumbull
238B Elliott Hall
(248) 370-3287
trumbull@oakland.edu

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Program description

A program leading to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) with special emphasis in information technology and international business is offered by the School of Business Administration. It is designed to educate students for managerial roles in private, public, or not-for-profit sectors of the economy.

The MBA program is designed for undergraduate majors from any discipline, including business or management. It is preferred that students with an undergraduate degree in business or one of the functional areas of management have two years of work experience before entering the MBA program. A typical entering class may consist of undergraduate majors from engineering, the natural sciences, the social sciences, computer science, mathematics, business, health care, education and the humanities.

The program is based on the belief that an education in management should:

  • Prepare students for careers involving problem identification, problem solving, decision making and leadership in any type of organization
  • Emphasize the determination of goals and the effective utilization of scarce resources
  • Help students understand and effectively interact with the emerging workplace issues of globalization and diversity
  • Assist students in understanding the effects of, and successfully deal with, the changing social, legal, ethical and technological environments of the organization
  • Stress understanding of human behavior and the organizational setting, for much of management relates to people - understanding them, communicating with them, working with them, and leading them
  • Stress the importance of the management of information technology resources in the successful operation of an organization.

Students in the MBA program may choose to focus their elective work in one of the ten areas of concentration offered at Oakland University or select to choose from a variety of elective courses for more general study. Currently, the MBA program at Oakland University has areas of concentration in business analytics, business economics, entrepreneurship, finance, human resource management, international business, management information systems, marketing, production/operations management, and supply chain management.

Program delivery

Evening and online courses combined with a wide selection of concentrations means students can easily customize the MBA program to meet their unique career goals.

Length of program

The MBA degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 36 credits in an approved program of study.

Full-time students normally take 9 credits (three courses) in each of the fall and winter semesters and 6 credits (two courses) in the summer semester. The full-time student can finish the complete 36-credit program in less than two years. 

Part-time students taking six courses per year can finish the complete 36-credit program in two and two-thirds calendar years (32 months) in a year-round program.

Satisfactory progress

The MBA program must be completed within six years from the date of entry into the program. The scheduling of MBA classes is based on the assumption that students will be enrolled in a standard part-time program: six courses per year (two courses in each of the 15-week fall, winter and summer semesters).

In accordance with university regulations, all course credits used to meet requirements of the MBA program must be earned within six years of the date that the MBA is awarded.

Application terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

  • July 15 for fall semester
  • November 15 for winter semester
  • March 1 for summer semester

     International Students 

  • May 1 for fall (September) admission
  • September 1 for winter (January) admission
  • January 1 for summer (May) admission

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

  1.    
     
  2. Additional department application requirements
 
  • Curriculum Vitae or Resumé

GMAT Policy​

The GMAT/GRE is not required if you meet any of the following criteria:

  • Earned a master’s degree or higher with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 or Has an acceptable score on the GRE, LSAT, or MCAT entrance exam
  • Earned a bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 from an AACSB-accredited business school
  • Earned a bachelor’s degree in any major with an overall GPA of at least 3.2 from a regionally accredited program
  • Completed a business-related certification such as CPA, CFA, CFP or FRM
  • Has at least 3 years of relevant professional work experience and an undergraduate overall GPA of at least 2.75
  • Has completed at least 3 years of service in the US Armed Services
  • If an applicant does not meet any of the above criteria, it is recommended that they connect with the Graduate Business Programs Office to discuss GMAT preparation and or other options to be considered for admission.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to the Master of Business Administration degree program is selective and depends on several elements, including scholarship and an ability to communicate effectively. In making admission recommendations, the admission committee assesses the potential of applicants for success in the MBA program by examining their undergraduate records, their GMAT or GRE scores, their responses to questions on the supplemental application, their work experience, and their recommendation forms.

Related links

Program requirements


The Master of Business Administration degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 36 credits in an approved program of study.

The MBA program consists of THREE parts: the core program, the integrative business policy course (MGT 5350 ), and a set of at least five electives. Each part of the program is detailed below.

Course requirements


Core course exemptions

Students may be exempted from some of the core courses if the applicant passed an equivalent undergraduate course at a regionally accredited or equivalent school with a grade of B- or above within the previous five years. Exemption from a core course will NOT reduce the total credit requirement for the MBA.  

Students exempted from a core course will be required to complete a graduate business elective.  If the core course waived is ACC 5120 , MIS 5240 , MKT 5600 , POM 5210 , or FIN 5330 , the graduate business elective must be in the same rubric.  (For example, if you are waived from FIN 5330 , you will be required to complete an upper-level FIN course such as FIN 5720   - Advanced Financial Management or FIN 5700   - International Financial Management, etc).  If you are waived from the core course MGT 5260  , you must complete a graduate business elective that includes international or global topics.  Any course that fulfills the International Business Concentration will satisfy this requirement (see “Optional Concentrations”).

Exemptions from core courses are determined by the Office of Graduate Business Programs after an evaluation of the student’s transcript. A student will be allowed to take a core course from which he/she had been exempted only with prior written approval from the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Repeating waived courses may increase a student’s MBA program beyond the minimum of 36 credits.

b. Electives


Students will be required to select graduate business electives if waived from core courses to satisfy the minimum 36 credit hour requirement.  As noted in “core course exemptions” some electives may be in designated rubrics if waived from ACC 5120 , MIS 5240 , MKT 5600 , POM 5210 ,FIN 5330 ,  and/or MGT 5260 .  If you have three or more electives, you may earn a concentration. See “Optional Concentrations”.

c. Optional Concentrations


An MBA student may earn a concentration along with their MBA by completing a structured set of electives from one of the MBA concentrations. Each concentration requires three elective courses (9 credit hours). Students who are waived from at least three core classes may be able to complete a concentration within the 36 credits. Students who are not waived from core classes may earn a concentration by taking three electives in addition to their 36 credit MBA program. A maximum of two concentrations can be noted on their transcripts. An elective course cannot count toward more than one concentration.  

The courses offerings are made in a variety of modalities and students have access to the Director of Graduate Business Student Services for advising.

1. Business Analytics concentration

To provide more background in business analytics, the student would be required to complete the following three electives for a concentration in business analytics.

2. Business Economics concentration

To provide more background in the application of economics in business, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following program for a concentration in business economics:

3. Entrepreneurship concentration

To provide more background in the strategic aspects of entrepreneurship, startups and small businesses, the student would be required to complete the following program for a concentration in entrepreneurship:

5. Human Resources Management concentration

To provide more background in human resources management and personnel, the student would be required to complete the following for a concentration in human resources management:

7. Management Information Systems concentration

To provide more background in MIS, the student would be required to complete three MIS electives for a concentration in management information systems.

9. Production/Operations Management concentration

To provide more background in production and operations management, the student would be required to complete the following for a concentration in production/operations management:

10. Supply Chain Management concentration

To provide more background in supply chain management, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following list for a concentration in supply chain management. POM 6420 will be required for all students who do not have previous coursework in supply chain management.

d. Exit (integrative business policy course)


Both of the integrative business policy courses, MGT 5350 and MGT 5360, draw on all the coursework in the core of the MBA program in the analysis of real world cases in a team setting.  Either MGT 5350 or MGT 5360 is required of all MBA degree candidates.

Satisfactory academic progress


Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing


All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing   throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

  • Holding a Graduate Assistantship
  • Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
  • Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
  • Going on a leave of absence
  • Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Department requirements:  In accordance with the university requirements for graduate students, a grade-point average of 3.0 is required for graduation. Students, therefore, should maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Students may be dismissed if they do not maintain a GPA of 3.0 or appropriate progress toward the degree as determined by the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Any course resulting in a grade below 2.0 must be repeated.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information


Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)

Note:  Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.

 

 

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