Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Program Mission

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program prepares postgraduate students for a general management role in a business enterprise.

Program Outcomes

1. Graduates will have an MBA degree with an ethically sound foundation from which to contribute and lead a 21st century enterprise.
2. Graduates will have a spirit of, eye for, and understanding of the benefits of innovation and creativity and how to contribute, organize, and help sustain business excellence into the future.
3. Graduates will have an appreciation for, and a working knowledge of, the global marketplace and how to further contribute toward expanding the scope of an enterprise in today’s global marketplace.
4. Graduates will have the ability to move immediately into a general management role with the requisite competencies to effectively collaborate with and influence diverse people, manage operations, analyze financial statements, prepare budgets, comply with the law, and properly advise executives on courses of action that will improve enterprise results.

Admission to the MBA Program

Admission Process

Applications are accepted at any time. Every effort is made to ensure that qualified students are admitted for classes in the term of their choice. Admission requirements are summarized here and explained in the following section.

• Official copies of transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work;
• A completed application form including application essay;
• Official GMAT test scores (if required); and
• TOEFL or PTE-A test scores (if required).

Admission to the MBA Program

To be considered for admission to the MBA program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. A bachelor’s degree in any major from an accredited institution.
2.  An indication of the capability to perform graduate course work based on the following criteria:
   1. No GMAT is required of applicants who meet any one of the following:
      1. those who earned an undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher.
      2.  those who have already earned a postgraduate degree in another discipline,
      3.  those who scored 480 or higher on the GRE, or
      4. those who have at least three years of professional work experience that demonstrates either advancement within a particular competency or management responsibilities for budgets, projects, or personnel.
   2. If the GMAT is required, the applicant must achieve a minimum score of 440 to earn regular admission status.
3. A demonstration of ability to communicate effectively in writing, evidenced by an essay in which the applicant communicates his/her motivation for pursuing the MBA.
4. A meeting or phone interview with the Director or Assistant Director of Graduate Business Programs.
5. Successful completion of undergraduate courses (or their equivalent) in the following subjects:
   1. Financial Accounting
   2. Economics
   3. Finance

Applicants who have not successfully completed the above courses will be required to do so prior to full admission to the program. The Director or Assistant Director of Graduate Business Programs will advise applicants as to the courses needed and the opportunity to complete them.

1. Applicants classified as permanent residents of the United States holding a resident alien card must submit a completed copy (both sides) of the card with the completed application form.
2. International applicants, or applicants whose first language is not English, must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE-A), unless the bachelor’s degree was earned in a residence at an accredited US institution of higher education. Scores of 550/80 for TOEFL or 53 for PTE-A are acceptable.

Non-degree-seeking students may be allowed to enroll in MBA courses with permission from the Director of Graduate Business Programs. These students are subject to the same policies that apply to degree-seeking students.

Provisional Admission in Lieu of Regular Admission

Applicants with scores of less than 440 on the GMAT or 480 on the GRE may be admitted on a provisional basis. The status of provisional students will be assessed after the student has completed four courses in the program. Those provisional students who achieve a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 in the first four courses will be granted regular admission. Those provisional students who do not achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the first four courses will receive notice from the Director of Graduate Business Programs that they have been dismissed from the program.

Provisional Admission for Benedictine Undergraduate College Students — Fifth Year MBA

Students who are currently enrolled at Benedictine College and have successfully completed at least 92 credits and whose major GPA is 3.0 or higher may apply and be provisionally admitted to the MBA program prior to their graduation based upon a review of academic progress to date. The Director of Graduate Business Programs and the Assistant Director of Graduate Business Programs will advise applicants as to the graduate courses available for enrollment prior to their graduation from Benedictine College and as to procedures involved in the application process. Upon provisional admission to the MBA program:

1. Undergraduates may take up to three graduate courses (for a total of 9 credits) as dual credit and substitute them for undergraduate courses in the student’s degree program. The dual credit courses are to be determined and approved by the chair of the student’s major department.
2.  An undergraduate student will be allowed to take no more than two graduate courses per semester solely for graduate credit.
3.  The maximum number of graduate credits taken by undergraduates will be set by the Graduate Studies Committee. Please consult the graduate business program for current policies.
4. An undergraduate student who has enrolled in any graduate course must complete his/her undergraduate degree within nine months of starting graduate classes.

Students must meet the Admission requirements to the MBA program as outlined above in order to attain full admission to the program.

Students must complete the GMAT test with a score that will permit admission to the MBA program, as outlined above, during the first semester of provisional admission in order to attain full admission to the program.

Students who are interested in the Fifth Year MBA should discuss their interest with their advisor, the Director, or the Assistant Director of the Graduate Business Programs as early as possible to determine whether appropriate dual-credit courses are available and to develop a course plan for completing both degrees.

Degree Requirements

1.  Completion of all required course work within six (6) years from the date of initial enrollment;
2.  A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater must be attained in all graduate work;
3.  A maximum of six (6) hours of C will be accepted. If a student receives C grades in more than six hours, he or she will not be allowed to take any additional MBA class(es) until after he or she has repeated one or more of the C courses and has successfully raised one or more of the C grades;
4.  Any grade below C will not be accepted. If a student receives a grade below C in any course, he or she will not be allowed to take any additional MBA class(es) until after he or she has repeated the course for which the grade below a C was earned and has successfully raised that grade;
5. Transfer credits must meet the requirements of the program and of the Registrar of the college;
6. Candidates must demonstrate work experience within the first academic year of the MBA degree. The work experience requirement can be achieved via prior work experience, current work experience, undergraduate internship, graduate internship, or at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Business Programs; and
7. Students are required to successfully complete 33 credits of graduate course work as approved by the Graduate Studies Committee in order to receive their MBA degree.

Policies & Procedures Specific to the MBA Program

Probation

A student who receives more than three hours of ‘C’ and/or whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 is placed on probation. The Director of Graduate Business Programs will notify the student of his or her probationary status. Benedictine College strives to assist in dealing with academic problems and student concerns. The student should make every effort to determine the circumstances that led to inadequate performance and consult the program director and any faculty for advice and feedback. The student will be removed from probationary status after raising his or her cumulative grade point average to a 3.0 or above. All previously acquired grades, including ‘Cs’ or lower, remain on the student’s academic record and may contribute to dismissal status.

Dismissal from the Program

A student who has been excluded from further study because of grades will be dismissed from the program if no action is taken within one year by the student to repeat courses with low grades as provided in the graduate policies.

Reinstatement Following Dismissal

A student who has been dismissed may send a written appeal for reinstatement to the Director of Graduate Business Programs. This appeal must be made within one year following the dismissal. In the appeal letter, the student should indicate any extenuating circumstances that affected his or her performance relevant to all course grades that led to the dismissal. The director will review the appeal with the faculty involved and rule on the appeal. If the appeal is denied, the student can submit an appeal to the Committee on Graduate Studies through the Director of Graduate Business Programs. If denied reinstatement by the Graduate Studies Committee, the student may submit a final appeal to the Provost whose decision is final.  

Transfer of Credit

A maximum of nine credit hours taken at another institution may be applied to degree requirements. (This number is reduced by the number of dual credit hours earned at Benedictine College (e.g., if a student has earned 6 hours of dual credit at Benedictine College, that student may only transfer in another 3 credit hours from another institution).) Transfer hours, with a grade of ‘B’ or better from a regionally accredited institution, may be accepted. Only courses comparable to those required for the MBA will be accepted for transfer. Students seeking approval of transfer credit shall contact the Academic Committee for Graduate Business Programs. To be considered, requests for transfer of credit must be made in writing with appropriate documentation. Official transcripts are necessary for final approval of transfer credits.

Approved transfer of credits will be recorded officially after the student is fully accepted into the degree program. If the approved courses to be transferred have not been completed at the time of full acceptance, the student may request the transfer of credit at a later time. This transfer of credit should be requested before the student has completed eighteen semester hours with Benedictine College.