Caldwell College is accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs to offer the following programs: MBA; MBA (concentration in Accounting); MBA (concentration in Nonprofit Management)

Master of Business Administration

Division of Business
Bernard O’Rourke, J.D., Division Chair, Program Co-Coordinator
Ann Marie Callahan, M.S., M.B.A., C.P.A., Program Co-Coordinator

Caldwell College’s Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree offers a rigorous 39- credit curriculum that has been carefully prepared by the College to meet the demands of the twenty-first century business world. The Caldwell M.B.A. is available in three areas of study. A non-specialist M.B.A. degree will allow students ample scope beyond the required core to choose elective offerings from a broad range of other courses. The alternatives are an M.B.A. with a concentration in Accounting or a concentration in Nonprofit Management.

The Caldwell College M.B.A. non-specialist degree requires students to complete 39 graduate credits consisting of 10 required courses (30 credits) and three elective course (9 credits). Applicants without specific undergraduate courses in business may be required to take up to 21 undergraduate credits (30 for Accounting) before full admission into the M.B.A. program. The Accounting concentration consists of 12 required courses and one elective, while the Nonprofit Management track has 13 required courses.

External courses. The Caldwell M.B.A. is also available in an external (distance learning) mode of delivery. In this mode, students are not required to attend regular classes on campus, with exceptions mentioned below.

Students are required to meet on campus with the instructor in a special session at the beginning of the semester. Course work and most further communication between student and instructor then proceeds via e-mail and other remote methods, although frequently there will be a final exam or other exercise which does require the student’s physical attendance. Please note also that the MBA Capstone course (BU 785 Integrated Strategic Management Seminar) must be taken in an on-campus section, unless special prior approval has been granted due to extraordinary circumstances.

Registrants for any external course should be mindful of differences in procedures and demands between external and traditional classroom courses. While external courses offer flexibility, they also require self-discipline, good time management, ability to work independently, and good reading and writing skills. Students are advised to select the learning environment that best satisfies their goals and abilities.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants with Undergraduate Business Degrees

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business from an accredited college or university
  • Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75 overall and 3.0 in Business as a major
  • GMAT formula score of 1000 or above (200 x GPA + GMAT score); on approval, the GMAT requirement may be waived for applicants who have at least 8 years substantive business experience
  • Two letters of recommendation for graduate study
  • Personal interview
  • Writing sample: Submit the statement of objectives described on the application

Applicants With Undergraduate Degrees In Fields Other Than Business

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
  • Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75 overall
  • The following pre-requisite undergraduate business courses*, with a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or better, and no grade below C
    - Accounting I & II
    - Principles of Economics I & II
    - Marketing
    - Statistics
    - Principles of Management
    - Intermediate Accounting I & II (only required for those applying for the M.B.A. with a concentration in Accounting – must also have one additional advanced Accounting course)
  • GMAT formula score of 1000 or above (200 x GPA in business subjects + GMAT score); on approval, the GMAT requirement may be waived for applicants who have at least 8 years substantive business experience
  • Two letters of recommendation for graduate study
  • Personal interview
  • Writing sample: Submit the statement of objectives described on the application

Note: Whatever the applicant’s status, he or she must have completed specific undergraduate business courses, with a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or better, as prerequisites to full admission into the M.B.A. program. These courses* are:

  • Accounting I + II
  • Principles of Economics I & II
  • Marketing
  • Statistics
  • Principles of Management
  • Intermediate Accounting I & II (only required for those applying for the M.B.A. with a concentration in Accounting – must also have one additional advanced Accounting course)

*courses may be waived for equivalent work experience.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS – 39 credits

I. Core Courses (27 Credits)

BU 537 Financial Management or BU 525 Advanced Auditing * (3)
BU 520 Advanced Business Strategy (3)
BU 625 Accounting for Managers (3)
BU 633 Organizational Behavior for Managers (3)
BU 638 Marketing in a Dynamic Environment (3)
BU 649 Business Law, Ethical Behavior and Social Responsibility (3)
BU 660 Management Information Systems(3)
BU 690 Business Research Methods (3)
BU 695 Operations Management (3)
*Accounting Concentration M.B.A.s are required to take Advanced Auditing instead of Financial Management. Also, Accounting concentration M.B.A.s cannot take BU 625 Accounting for Managers; an elective must be substituted, except where the student meets the undergraduate major waiver exemption, detailed below.

II. Capstone Course (3 Credits)

BU 785 Integrated Strategic Management Seminar (3 credits)

III. Elective Courses (9 credits)

BU 620 Executive Business Communications (3)
BU 622 Nonprofit Law, Governance and Financial Management (3)
BU 627 Financial Statement Analysis (3)
BU 628 Marketing, Public Relations and Administration in Nonprofit Organizations (3)
BU 630 Governmental Accounting (3)
BU 632 Federal Taxation (3)
BU 635 Human Resources Management (3)
BU 637 Issues in Nonprofit Management (3)
BU 640 Cyber Law Issues (3)
BU 641 Travel Experience (Global Issues) (3)
BU 642 Global Strategy (3)
BU 647 Effective Innovation (3)
BU 661 Business Forecasting (3)
BU 685 Applied Human Relations for Management (3)
BU 694 Managerial Economics (3)
BU 699 Independent Study (3)
BU 720 Graduate Thesis/Research Project (3)
PS 617 Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3)

CONCENTRATIONS

Accounting

Students pursuing the M.B.A. with a Concentration in Accounting will take courses that assist them in satisfying the educational requirements for CPA licensure. They will be required to select BU 525 Advanced Auditing instead of BU 537 Financial Management in the core offerings. In the elective offerings, students pursuing the M.B.A. with a concentration in Accounting must take BU 630 Governmental Accounting and BU 632 Federal Taxation but may select their third elective.

Nonprofit Management

Students interested in gaining expertise in the rapidly growing nonprofit sector may use their three elective courses to earn a concentration in this area. In addition to their standard 30-credit core, these students must take BU 622 Nonprofit Law, Governance and Financial Management; BU 628 Marketing, Public Relations and Administration in Nonprofit Organizations; and BU 637 Issues in Nonprofit Management.

WAIVERS

A. Waivers without requirement to substitute another course

Students who completed undergraduate majors in specific areas and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in that major can waive, on approval, one core or elective course as follows:

Undergraduate major
Accounting
Marketing
Management
International Business
Computer Science or Computer Information Systems

MBA Core course waivable
BU 625 Accounting for Managers
BU 638 Marketing in a Dynamic Environment
BU 633 Organizational Behavior for Managers
BU 642 Global Strategy
BU 660 Management Information Systems

Waivers must be requested before the completion of 18 credits.

B. Waivers requiring substitution with another course

Students who have successfully completed 400 level undergraduate courses (or the equivalent) in other specific areas (e.g. CS 440 Operations Research and Production Management) with a grade of B or better may substitute an elective course for the Core MBA course in this area.

M.B.A. students with an Accounting concentration must substitute an elective for BU 625 (Accounting for Managers), unless they qualify for a waiver under section “A” above. Your advisor can answer any questions you may have concerning waivers.

Five Year Combined B.S./M.B.A. Degree

Combined B.S./M.B.A. degrees are available for currently enrolled Caldwell College Department of Business Administration undergraduate students. When students have achieved junior status (60+ credits) and have achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, they may request
admission into a Master’s program. Once admitted to the Master’s program, the student takes a combination of undergraduate courses and graduate courses during the fourth year. Two graduate level courses (Advanced Business Strategy and Financial Management or Advanced Auditing) will be taken during the fourth year, one in the fall and one in the spring. The Business Strategy and Finance or Auditing core business undergraduate courses, respectively, required for a Bachelor Degree in the Business Department will be waived. These six credits for graduate level courses WILL count towards BOTH the student’s 120 credit hours required for the undergraduate Bachelor’s degree as well as towards the 39 credit hours required for the M.B.A. degree. This is in addition to the three credits waived for undergraduate business majors (see “waivers” section above.) The Bachelor’s degree will be awarded upon completion of the requirements for this degree. During the fifth year, the student exclusively takes 15 credit hours each semester of core and elective graduate courses required for the Master of Business Administration degree. After completing the remaining 33 credit hours, the student will receive a Master of Business Administration.

Credit hour requirements for a combined B.S./M.B.A. degree

B.S. Business Department Degree Credit Hour Requirement (inc. 6 graduate cr. hrs.) 120 Cr.
M.B.A. Degree Foundation Courses (6 Cr.)*
M.B.A. Degree Courses 39 Cr.
Total Combined B.S./M.B.A. Degree Program Cr. Hrs. 159 Cr.

*The M.B.A. Degree Foundation (2) courses are completed during the senior year and apply to both B.S. and M.B.A. degrees.

Admission requirements for combined B.S./M.B.A. degree

  • Junior status by completing a minimum of 60 credit hours and an overall GPA of 3.0 .
  • Declared Business Department major.
  • Completion of a minimum of 12 credit hours of business courses at Caldwell College with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in those courses.
  • A Business Administration Department faculty member recommendation and sponsorship.
  • The GMAT requirement will be WAIVED for current undergraduate candidates.

NOTE: See above for a listing of the courses required for the M.B.A.

Statement of Outcomes Assessment

Recognizing the mission of Caldwell College as one which “seeks to empower its students to comprehend community and global issues and to act responsibly toward self and others,” the MBA program graduates of the College will exhibit proficiency in managing a range of representative business problems and challenges which reflect contemporary global business practices. In pursuit of this objective, every student is required to take the capstone Integrated Strategic Management Seminar in order to graduate. This course is designed to integrate the skills and academic knowledge covered by students in all their prior graduate business courses. Therefore, the outcomes goal of the Integrated Strategic Management Seminar course will be that our MBA graduates will exhibit the following:

  • Advanced knowledge of the functional areas of business
  • Analytical and critical thinking skills necessary for effective strategic and tactical decision-making
  • Mastery of the quantitative techniques required for effective performance in today’s business world
  • Competence with technological applications (including e-business) in contemporary environments
  • The ability to comprehend business challenges from the perspective of an upper level executive
  • Effective communication skills at the upper executive level in the modern corporation, including proficiency in presentations, and written and verbal expression
  • Responsible performance and leadership in management and administration
  • Highly developed interpersonal skills with a keen sense of team consensus, leadership, business ethics and individual and social responsibility
  • Ability to address and navigate the competing and corresponding global interests of business, governments and consumers/citizens

The effectiveness of our program in meeting these objectives will be monitored by an annual outcomes assessment report prepared jointly by the Department Chair and the Faculty member(s) who has (have) taught the capstone Integrated Strategic Management Seminar capstone course. This written report will be submitted to the Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and the Office of Institutional Research. In addition, this report will also be circulated to all full-time business faculty members
for their review. At a subsequent meeting of the department (early in the following academic year) the outcomes assessment report will be discussed in detail and the department will develop a plan to address any shortcomings in the outcomes. Depending on the nature of these shortcomings (if any) the department will formulate changes in curricula with a view to improvement.