Business Administration - Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is a professional program designed to provide students with a solid background in business practices and the problem-solving and people skills needed to become successful leaders in the global business environment. Program graduates are prepared for administrative or managerial positions in a wide variety of organizations, both private and governmental. The business and accounting programs at NMSU, including the MBA program, are accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
The MBA program is offered in a traditional classroom with some online delivery and in a cohort-based distance program with a synchronous online component.
Details are available at http:\\business.nmsu.edu/mba.
Admissions
Applicants must meet the basic admission requirements of the Graduate School before they are considered for admission to the MBA program. To be considered for admission to the MBA program, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
- Have an undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 from a regionally accredited U.S. College or University; or
- Have achieved a minimum Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score of 400 and a combined GMAT score and undergraduate GPA such that (GPA x 200)+ GMAT is greater than or equal to 1050; or
- Have a graduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university; or
- Have a Professional Certification in one of the following: Certified Public Accountant (CPA): Certified Management Account (CMA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), or Project Management Professional (PMP) with an official copy of the certificate; or
- Have completed at least five years of relevant, full-time, post-degree, professional work experience with an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.50 from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
As an alternative to the GMAT, students may submit a GRE score which can be converted to the equivalent GMAT score. (Information about the GMAT can be found at www.mba.com.) If a GMAT score is required, the official score must be submitted to the MBA Program Office at least one month prior to initial enrollment in the program. GRE scores are sent directly to the NMSU Graduate School.
A maximum of 9 credit hours of the required MBA courses may be completed prior to the student's acceptance into the MBA degree program.
Note: Regardless of the pathway to admission, all students must have an undergraduate degree and complete the Background Knowledge courses with a grade of "B" or better in each course.
Background Knowledge
Although the MBA program is designed to encourage participation by students with a variety of educational backgrounds, the curriculum is fast paced. As a consequence, a minimum level of background knowledge is expected of all entering students, and those who lack the necessary background in any of the knowledge areas will be required to make up their deficiencies early in the program. Students may complete no more than 9 credits of required MBA courses prior to completion of the background knowledge courses.
Background knowledge may be demonstrated by successful completion (with a grade of A or B) of undergraduate courses in managerial accounting, financial accounting, macroeconomics, finance, statistics and calculus. At NMSU, the relevant courses are
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 2110 | Principles of Accounting I | 3 |
| ACCT 2120 | Principles of Accounting II | 3 |
| ECON 2110G | Macroeconomic Principles | 3 |
| BFIN 341 | Financial Analysis and Markets | 3 |
| MATH 1430G | Applications of Calculus I | 3 |
| Choose one from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Statistics | 3 | |
| Statistical Applications | 3 | |
As an alternative to the three-credit courses above, students may take one-credit courses in the summer to satisfy the background knowledge requirements. These courses are ACCT 500 Concepts in Accounting, B A 500 Macroeconomic Essentials, B A 501 Quantitative Tools for the MBA, and BFIN 500 Concepts in Finance. For more information on these intensive summer courses contact the MBA Office.
Program Requirements (36 credits)
The MBA program consists of twelve courses beyond the background knowledge requirements. Eleven are required courses:
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ACCT 503 | Accounting for Managers | 3 |
| BCIS 502 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| BLAW 502 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| ECON 503 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
| BFIN 503 | Financial Management | 3 |
| MGMT 502 | Operations Management | 3 |
| MGMT 503 | Organizational Behavior and Management Processes | 3 |
| MGMT 512 | Quantitative Analysis for Business Decisions | 3 |
| MGMT 590 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| MKTG 503 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| B A 590 | Professional Paper/Presentation | 3 |
| Elective course 1 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
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This elective must be selected from the approved course list on the MBA web page.
The Graduate School requires that students maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all courses taken as a graduate student at NMSU. The MBA program requires, in addition, that every candidate for the MBA degree must graduate with at least a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all courses required for the General MBA degree.
The following course sequencing requirements must be satisfied:
- B A 590 Professional Paper/Presentation must be completed during the final term of the student’s program and is only open to students who have been accepted into the MBA degree program. ACCT 503 Accounting for Managers, BLAW 502 Legal Environment of Business, BFIN 503 Financial Management and MKTG 503 Marketing Management must be completed prior to enrollment in B A 590 Professional Paper/Presentation.
- MGMT 590 Strategic Management must be completed at the end of the student’s program of study and is only open to students who have been accepted into the MBA degree program. All MBA coursework other than B A 590 Professional Paper/Presentation must be completed prior to or during the same term as MGMT 590 Strategic Management.
Students requesting transfer credit for any graduate courses taken before admission to the MBA program must submit appropriate written justification, including course descriptions, syllabi, transcripts, etc. Up to nine credits of transfer work can be applied to meet MBA requirements if the credits were earned in a program accredited by AACSB International. Transfer credits for courses taken after admission to the program are generally not permitted, but advance approval should be requested and may be granted in exceptional situations.
Final Examination for the Degree:
A student may satisfy the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam by completing the General MBA Degree's necessary coursework and supplemented or modified requirements for the concentration selected. The following two criteria must be met by the end of their final semester or at the end of a subsequent semester during which graduate-level courses are taken or retaken to meet the specified cumulative GPA.
(1) The student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on all courses taken as a graduate student at NMSU, including those taken as part of the MBA program (required courses, elective course(s), and courses to fulfill the requirements of an MBA concentration or approved course substitution).
(2) The student must complete all required courses (36 credit hours) with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for the General MBA (11 required courses and 1 elective course, approved course substitutions, and any approved transfer courses).
A student who fails to meet one or both previous criteria may, during one or more subsequent semesters, take or retake additional graduate-level or MBA-specific courses to increase the cumulative GPA, thereby satisfying the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam.
Note 1: The General MBA program (excluding concentrations) consists of eleven required courses and one elective course (totaling 36 credits). The MBA elective course consists of 1 graduate business elective (numbered 500 or above) as listed on the MBA web page.
Note 2: The College of Business reserves the right to change the published requirements. Any such changes will be announced and will not be retroactive. Currently, MBA courses are offered once each year except for the elective and some concentration courses. Always consult an academic advisor or department head before registering for classes.
A thesis is not required. With special approval, however, a degree candidate may elect to write a thesis with at least 6 credit hours earned under B A 599 Master's Thesis in lieu of B A 590 Professional Paper/Presentation.
Concentrations: Students in the on-campus MBA program may elect to pursue one of several MBA concentrations:
Master’s Accelerated Program Information
The Master’s Accelerated Program allows qualifying NMSU business students to complete four MBA courses while still an undergraduate and may count those courses toward both their undergraduate degree and the Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Up to 12 hours of course work can be applied toward the completion of the master’s degree. To receive graduate credit for the 12 credit hours, students must receive a grade of B or higher. MAP courses completed with a grade of B- or lower are not eligible for graduate credit.
Student Qualifications
- The student must be classified as a Junior or Senior and may not have previously earned a Bachelor’s Degree.
- The cumulative grade point average (GPA) must be a minimum of 3.75 to participate in the Junior Year.
- The cumulative grade point average (GPA) must be a minimum of 3.50 to participate in the Senior Year.
- Students may participate in this program if they have complete the background knowledge prerequisite courses with grades of B or higher: ACCT 2110 Principles of Accounting I, ACCT 2120 Principles of Accounting II, ECON 2110G Macroeconomic Principles, BFIN 341 Financial Analysis and Markets, MATH 1430G Applications of Calculus I, MATH 1350G Introduction to Statistics.
Accepted MAP Courses
Students may take any four of the following courses to count for both the MBA degree and as the required courses to meet their upper division business course and MBA course. Any other courses may be considered after a consultation with an advisor. An exception will need to be made to the degree audit in order for the additional course(s) to be included on both the Undergraduate and Graduate degrees.
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 503 | Accounting for Managers | 3 |
| BCIS 502 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| ECON 503 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
| BLAW 502 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BFIN 503 | Financial Management | 3 |
| MGMT 502 | Operations Management | 3 |
| MGMT 503 | Organizational Behavior and Management Processes | 3 |
| MKTG 503 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| Please see the MBA webpage for a list of approved electives. 1 | ||
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Courses may be considered after a consultation with an advisor. An exception will need to be made to the degree audit in order for the additional course(s) to be included on both the Undergraduate and Graduate degrees.
Interested students may complete the required application for the program by contacting the MBA advisor at mbaprog@nmsu.edu or 575-646-8003.