Business Administration

Degree: M.B.A.; M.B.A. Plus Certificate
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research: Virginia Geurin

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

The primary objective of graduate study in business is to develop candidates for leadership positions in complex organizations. The MBA Program focuses on developing the expertise to lead, influence, and persuade others through effective written and spoken communications; the ability to approach complex problems both systematically and imaginatively; the confidence to make decisions in the face of imperfect information, competing objectives, and technological change; the insight to recognize the ethical dimensions of organizational and individual decisions; the sensitivity to recognize that organizational decisions involve teamwork and consensus-building across diverse groups of individuals; and the awareness that business represents an inherently multinational enterprise that exists without geographical or cultural boundaries.

MBA courses are scheduled to accommodate part-time students and full-time students who may enroll in up to three courses each fall and spring semester. Classes are held in the evening throughout the year on campus and at UNC Charlotte Uptown. A part-time student can complete the program in three years. Full-time students can complete the program in two years, depending upon scheduling of courses. There is a two-year schedule of MBA courses available in the MBA office to assist students in planning their studies.

Additional Admission Requirements. In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the following are required for graduate study in Business Administration.

Degree Requirements. The MBA degree program comprises 42 graduate hours including a Functional Component, Applications Component, and a Concentration and Free Electives Component. Up to 12 hours of coursework may be waived based on criteria determined by the relevant academic department. Necessary preparatory work will be determined during the admissions process, and courses to meet the specific need will be available in the Preparatory Component.

Preparatory Component.(Prerequisites - These classes may be taken as a post-baccalaureate student or after admission to the MBA program. Undergraduates in the Belk College of Business cannot take them for credit toward the bachelor’s degree.)
ACCT 3200	Foundations in Accounting (3)
BLAW 3200	Legal Environment in Business (3)
ECON 3200	Foundations in Economics (3)
INFO 3200	Foundations in Business Computing (3)
OPER 3200	Quantitative Analysis in Business (3) (all students must take this or pass a proficiency exam offered prior to the Fall and Spring terms.)
I. Functional Component. (24 hours)
A. Primary Block (12 hours) Prerequisites: All requirements for admission to the program and Preparatory Component.
MBAD 6112	The Economics of Business Decisions (3G)
MBAD 6121	Business Information Systems (3G)
MBAD 6131	Managerial Accounting (3G)
MBAD 6141	Operations Management (3G)
B. Intermediate Block (9 hours) Prerequisites: All requirements for admission to the program. Completion of the Primary Block is strongly recommended.
MBAD 6152	Financial Management (3G)
MBAD 6161	Organizational Leadership & Behavior I (3G)
MBAD 6171	Marketing Management (3G)
C. Advanced Block (3 hours) Prerequisites: All courses in the Primary Block and the Intermediate Block of the Functional Component.
MBAD 6194	Management Policy (3G)
II. Applications Component (3 hours) Prerequisites: All courses in the Functional Component
MBAD 6198	Professional Applications (3G)
III. Concentration and Free Elective Component (15 hours) Students complete 9 hours of elective courses specified for a concentration, and 6 hours in free elective courses. Students who do not choose to complete a concentration will substitute 9 hours in MBA electives for the 9 hours in concentration electives. Students may enroll in electives as soon as they complete the prerequisites for each course
A. Concentration Block (9 hours) Prerequisite: Specific course(s) in Functional Component required by each concentration elective.
Accounting Requirement: Three of the following courses:
MBAD 6132	Financial Reporting (3G)
MBAD 6133	Business Tax Strategies (3G)
MBAD 6134	Controllership (3G)
MBAD 6890	Directed Individual Study (3G)
Business Finance Requirement: MBAD 6157 and two of the following courses:
MBAD 6151	Financial Institutions and Markets (3G)
MBAD 6153	Investment Management (3G)
MBAD 6154	Current Topics in Finance (3G)
MBAD 6155	Multinational Finance (3G)
MBAD 6890	Directed Individual Study (3G)
Economics Requirement: MBAD 6111 and, upon approval of the Department of Economics Master’s Planning Committee, two of the courses listed below. (The committee’s approval is required to ensure that students have the mathematical prerequisites necessary for successful completion of the concentration. A student who is denied approval once may petition for approval a second time after receiving a grade of A or B in ECON 4100.)
ECON 6201	Advanced Macroeconomic Theory (3G)
ECON 6202	Advanced Microeconomic Theory (3G)
ECON 6112	Graduate Econometrics (3G)
ECON 6218	Advanced Business Forecasting (3G)
Financial Institutions/Commercial Banking Requirement: MBAD 6156 and two of the following courses:
MBAD 6151	Financial Institutions and Markets (3G)
MBAD 6153	Investment Management (3G)
MBAD 6154	Current Topics in Finance (3G)
MBAD 6155	Multinational Finance (3G)
MBAD 6890	Directed Individual Study (3G)
Information and Technology Management Requirement: Three of the following courses:
MBAD 6028	Topics in Business Info. Systems (3G)
MBAD 6122	Decision Sciences (3G)
MBAD 6124	Business Info. Systems Development (3G)
MBAD 6125	Business Data Communications (3G)
MBAD 6890	Directed Individual Study (3G)
Management Requirement: Three of the following courses:
MBAD 6162	Organizational Leadership and Behavior II (3G)
MBAD 6163	Human Resource Management (3G)
MBAD 6164	Executive Communication (3G)
MBAD 6191	Entrepreneurship (3G)
MBAD 6192	Business and Society (3G)
MBAD 6193	International Business Concepts (3G)
MBAD 6195	Strategic Mgmt. of Technology (3G)
MBAD 6196	Strategic Planning (3G)
MBAD 6197	International Business Strategy (3G)
MBAD 6890	Directed Individual Study (3G)
Marketing Requirements: Three of the following courses:
MBAD 6172	Marketing Research (3G)
MBAD 6173	Promotional Strategy (3G)
MBAD 6174	International Marketing (3G)
MBAD 6175	Logistics Management (3G)
MBAD 6890	Directed Individual Study (3G)
Student Structured Concentration Students may propose a 9 semester hour, three course concentration in a significant area of interest for approval by the director of the MBA Program. This concentration may include graduate courses from other programs within the University.
B. Free Electives Block (6 hours) Prerequisites: Specific courses in the Functional Component required by each free elective.
Students are strongly encouraged to select courses outside their area of concentration and to include a course with an international/global perspective as one of their free elective courses.

Minor in Operations Research. The Master of Business Administration program also participates in the program leading to an interdisciplinary graduate minor in Operations Research. See the listing for Operations Research for complete information and program requirements.

Admission to Candidacy. An Admission to Candidacy form listing graduate-level courses that apply to the degree must be submitted to the MBA Office two weeks prior to the semester in which the student plans to complete the coursework for the degree.

Application for Degree. An Application for Degree form must be completed and submitted with the graduation fee to the Registrar’s Office by the published deadline.

Assistantships. A number of assistantships are available each year. In order to be competitive, applications should be submitted by March 15. Additional information is available in the MBA office.

MBA PLUS GRADUATE CERTIFICATE

The MBA PLUS Graduate Certificate Program provides an opportunity for graduates of MBA Programs to broaden and update their business education. As business conditions, tools, and techniques change rapidly, a major way of staying at the forefront of knowledge is through additional university education. The MBA PLUS Certificate makes courses in the Belk College’s MBA Concentrations available to persons who already have MBA degrees.

Admission Requirements. Applicants must satisfy the general requirements established by the Graduate School for admission to a graduate certificate program. In addition, applicants must provide an official transcript indicating the awarding of an MBA degree. (Graduates from the MBA program at UNC Charlotte are not required to send an official transcript.) Applicants will not be required to retake the GMAT.

Completion Requirements. The MBA PLUS Certificate requires completion of twelve or more semester hours of 6000-level courses. At least nine hours included in the student’s program must be elective courses specified for the MBA Concentrations offered by the College. One 3-hour course may be a repeat of a course previously taken. This may be desirable if there has been a substantial content change in the area of interest since the student completed the MBA degree. A student may repeat more courses, but only one such repeated course will be counted toward the certificate. The nine hour elective requirement of the MBA PLUS corresponds to the nine hour concentrations in the MBA Program.

It is expected that most students will use their twelve hours or more to gain a concentration in a particular functional area of interest. However, a broader program that draws from a number of areas will be allowed with approval of the MBA Director.

Transfer credits are not accepted in the MBA PLUS Certificate Program. To receive the certificate, students must complete all courses with a grade of "B" or better within four years from the time of enrollment in the first certificate course.

An Application for Graduate Certificate (candidacy form) and an Application for Degree should be completed prior to the last semester of MBA PLUS course work.