Graduate Catalog 2015-2016 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Graduate Catalog 2015-2016 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Business Administration, M.B.A.


Mission Statement

The Malone University School of Business and Leadership provides its students with an education that integrates course-specific skills and knowledge with the program-wide Christian values of stewardship and integrity. This is accomplished by a faculty with solid academic credentials, who combine experience and theory in their courses. Independent analytical thought and evaluation are encouraged in the classroom, in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Program Purpose

The graduate business curriculum challenges students to integrate knowledge, skills, theories, and Christian values. This will prepare the student to resolve business problems as well as guide businesses to sharpen their competitive edge in the ever-changing global economy. The graduate student will receive instruction, projects, case studies, the sharing of experiences, and testing to strengthen the student’s current business practice and theory so that the educational experience will be of the highest caliber. Businesses will find the Malone graduate well prepared for new positions and levels of leadership. Problem-solving skills combined with trust-based and Christian values will make the Malone graduate highly respected in the community.

Christian values unify all the programs and courses offered by the School of Business and Leadership. Our Christian values including stewardship and integrity, are conceived with regard to the root of love that infuses the Christian message, gospel, and the two greatest commandments. Christian values influence everything that is done from embracing the stewardship of society’s economic resources to recognition that trust and honesty in business transactions are integral to the success of an economy and a society.

Objectives

The graduate student will:

  1. be able to integrate course-specific skills and knowledge with the program-wide values of stewardship and integrity.
  2. have knowledge of current business practice and theory.
  3. be able to identify and address all major issues presented by a business problem.
  4. be able to identify ethical dilemmas and apply Christian values to resolve those dilemmas, while taking into consideration the impact on God’s world.

Accreditation

Malone University, including all programs within the School of Business and Leadership is authorized by the Ohio Board of Regents and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. Specific to the School of Business and Leadership, the Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Accounting, Business Administration, and Sport Management; the Bachelor of Arts degree earned through degree completion in the Malone Management Program (MMP) with majors in Organizational Management, Project Management, Health Services Management, and Marketing Management; the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree; and the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (M.A.O.L.) degree are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

ACBSP may be contacted at:

Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
11520 West 119th Street
Overland KS 66213
913.339.9356

Assessment

The School of Business and Leadership conducts assessment of student learning outcomes in order to continuously improve the curriculum. This assessment program includes three primary components. The first component is an ethics case study administered in MBA 531: Faith, Ethics, and Business. This case study is a required assignment in this course and must be completed in order to receive a passing grade in the course. The second component is a standardized, nationally normed test administered at the conclusion of the program. Completing a test that can be scored is a graduation requirement for all M.B.A. students. The third component is a comprehensive test administered in MBA 691: Strategy and Innovation for Managers and Organizations. This test is a required assignment in this course and must be completed in order to receive a passing grade in the course.

Details of the assessment program are available in the office of the Dean of the School of Business and Leadership. Since student learning outcomes assessment is a dynamic process, the School of Business and Leadership reserves the right to make changes in the process.

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission

To be granted regular admission, the applicant must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum g.p.a. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. (Refer to Prerequisite Courses.)

Conditional Admission

Applicants who hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative g.p.a. between 2.5 and 3.0 may be considered for Conditional Admission. Evidence must be provided that the applicant has the potential to be successful in the M.B.A. program. Contact the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies to discuss the review process. Students admitted conditionally through this procedure will be granted Regular Admission upon completion of 12 semester hours with a minimum g.p.a. of 3.0.

Applicants who do not hold the baccalaureate degree, but who are within 15 hours of graduating from an undergraduate program at Malone University, may be considered for Conditional Admission by meeting the conditions as specified in the Non-Degree Classifications section (found under Introduction and Enrollment Procedures: Admissions to Graduate Studies) of this Graduate Catalog. Students admitted conditionally through this procedure will be granted Regular Admission upon completion of 12 semester hours of MBA courses (undergraduate or graduate credit) with a minimum cumulative g.p.a. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and successful completion of the baccalaureate program at Malone University.

Prerequisite Course/Online Proficiency

A student desiring to enter the M.B.A. program must complete the application and submit official transcripts verifying completion of a baccalaureate degree. To obtain admission to the M.B.A., the student must complete the procedures for regular admission. Students are required to have a foundational knowledge in accounting in order to be prepared for graduate-level coursework in business. For those without undergraduate coursework in accounting (or without the necessary grades in the coursework), an online self-paced course is required and available. Contact the Program Director or Graduate Recruiters for details. (All applicants must also successfully take the Math Proficiency Quiz.)

The Cohort Approach (with Ground or Online Delivery)

Malone University has organized its delivery system for the Master of Business Administration using a “cohort” approach. A cohort is a group of up to 25 students which takes the entire program together. Two delivery methods are available - ground or online. In the ground cohort students attend classes the same weeknight throughout the program for 24 months. In the online cohort, students complete all coursework electronically in 20 months. New cohorts begin every August and January.

Checklist

Students admitted to the master’s program are advised to confer with the M.B.A. Program Director to determine specific scheduling and graduate program requirements. Generally, the following checklist will serve as a guide.

  1. Application for admission to the M.B.A. Program complete with transcripts and references
  2. Written notification of acceptance for admission
  3. Completion of all coursework and requirements for the M.B.A.
  4. Application for Graduation:
    • Complete the Application for Graduation
    • Return the completed form to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies by January 30 for candidates who plan to complete degree requirements by the end of a spring semester or a summer session, or September 30 for candidates who plan to complete degree requirements by the end of a fall semester. See Academic Policies  for complete graduation policies and procedures.

Attendance

In each course, one excused absence is permitted without any course-grade penalty, as long as the absent student fulfills all the course requirements specified by the instructor. Each additional absence in a course will result in a course-grade penalty. The instructor for each course will determine the magnitude of the grade penalty for that course and specify it in the course’s syllabus. (The grade penalty may include failure in the course.)

Academic Dismissal

A student shall be dismissed from the M.B.A. Program upon:

  1. Receiving more than six hours of “C” or below or
  2. Receiving a second grade of “F” or
  3. Failure to achieve the required cumulative g.p.a. of 3.0 (excluding prerequisites) at the conclusion of any probationary period.
  4. Failure to meet the standards and/or aims of the University, both academic and non-academic.

Course Retake Policy

A student may petition the MBA Director for permission to retake an MBA course. Retakes are limited to no more than two courses and no more than once for a particular course. A student may not retake a course if he/she has met the criteria for academic dismissal.

Program of Study