Master's Degree Programs - Master of Business Administration (Full-time)

Master’s Degree Programs

In accordance with the accreditation guidelines of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the core knowledge for Master of Business Administration study within the Isenberg School of Management consists of basic coursework in economics, statistics, accounting, finance, marketing, operations/information systems, organizational behavior, and the social and legal environment. Any baccalaureate degree holder is eligible to apply for the program.

Two Master’s degrees are offered within the MBA Program in the Isenberg School: the Full-time MBA program (minimum of 37 credits), and the Online/Blended MBA program (37 credits).

The Master of Business Administration Degree (Full-time)

The Master’s degree requires a minimum of 37 credit hours, based on a student’s prior academic and professional experience. Accredited at the highest standard for business schools by the AACSB, the program is designed to provide candidates with a broad base of business knowledge and the opportunity to focus in a professional area of interest. Beyond the minimum core credit requirements, 13 credits of interest-area electives are required. Elective courses may also be taken outside the Isenberg School by those students interested in other non-business areas in which a managerial component is desirable.

Elective offerings are taken in the second year along with the field practicum experience required of all students who are required to take more than the minimum 37-credit requirement. In addition, all first-year Full-time MBA students are required to enroll in the Professional Seminar course each semester.

Core courses may be waived upon approval of the instructor and graduate program director but an elective must be taken to replace the waived course. Students may also transfer up to 6 credit hours of graduate courses obtained from accredited institutions within the past three years with a grade of B or better with approval of the graduate program director as long as those courses have not previously been used for another graduate degree.

Admission to the Full-time Master’s program is for the fall semester only and all students take the common core courses. In the selection of candidates, no one academic background is favored and students with degrees in science, business, engineering, and liberal arts have joined the program. Work experience, GMAT or GRE performance, academic history, interview, motivation, aptitude for graduate-level work, and managerial experience are all taken into consideration.

Further information is also available online at www.isenberg.umass.edu/mba.