Graduate Catalog  |  School of Graduate Studies  |

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Master of Business Administration Graduate Programs (MBA)

Offered through the G.R. Herberger College of Business
Centennial Hall, Room 118
Phone: 320.308.3212
Fax: 320.308.3986
E-mail: mba@stcloudstate.edu
Web site: www.stcloudstate.edu/mba

The MBA progam is available in St. Cloud, MN
and in Maple Grove, MN

HCOB Dean: Dr. Diana Lawson

MBA Program Director: Ms. Michele Mumm
MBA Program Secretary: Ms. Diane Tourand

Accreditation Specific to the Program

• AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Mission

The mission of the G.R. Herberger College of Business MBA program is to serve current and future leaders, managers and professionals by providing superior learning opportunities in business management. We are guided by our commitment to achieving excellence in teaching, engaging in research and the creation of new knowledge, partnering with alumni and the business community, meeting the unique needs of full-time and part-time students, valuing diversity among students, faculty and staff, and emphasizing the social and ethical responsibilities of business.

The Profession

The Herberger MBA delivers the management skills, technical understanding and global perspective that are needed to succeed in a rapidly changing business world. The program features:

• A curriculum that combines business theory with hands-on application.
• All classes are taught by terminally-degreed faculty (Ph.D. or JD degrees).
• An innovative schedule that permits part-time students to earn an AACSB international-accredited MBA degree in 26 months.

Employers

Statistics show that an MBA degree provides a significant advantage to an individual in terms of income earning potential.

Objectives

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program offered by the G.R. Herberger College of Business is designed to prepare the student for a professional career in business administration.

1. A comprehension of business policy formulation and implementation
2. An awareness of the influences of political, social, legal and regulatory, environmental, and technological issues in business
3. A comprehension of the use of quantitative date and analytical techniques as they pertain to business administration.
4. A working knowledge of the functional areas in business
5. The capability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
6. An awareness of ethical, global, and cultural issues

Admission requirements specific to the program

• Admission decisions are made as each completed application is received. Admission is competitive. Selection is based on an evaluation of all criteria presented by an individual applicant. However, above average performance on one criterion does not necessarily make up for below average performance on another criterion.
• An applicant to the MBA program is evaluated according to the following criteria:
  • A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
  • An undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or better is required for admission.
  • Evidence of undergraduate scholarship.
  • A minimum score of 470 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a required part of the application. A GRE score cannot be used in lieu of a GMAT score.
  • Demonstration of aptitude for successful graduate business study.
• Students should have completed the following prerequisites or equivalents:
  • Micro and macro economic principles at the 200 level.
  • Introductory accounting I and II at the 200 level.
  • Introductory business statistics at the 200 level.
  • Managerial finance at the 300 level.
  • Management information systems at the 300 level.
  
  Students may begin course work immediately following their acceptance into the MBA program.

Phase I — MBA

MBA candidates admitted into the program must have completed the equivalent of the following foundation courses before starting Phase II graduate courses:

ACCT 591. Accounting Principles.
External and internal financial reporting systems and their roles in planning, control, and evaluation of management action. (For admitted graduate students only.) 3 credits F.

BCIS 542. Business Statistics.
Numerical and graphical descriptive statistics and inferential procedures. Selected statistical topics with major emphasis on applications in business. 2 credits F, S.

BCIS 544. Information Technology Foundations.
Conceptual foundations of IS, roles of computer-based IS systems in business including strategic competitive uses, global and ethical issues. 2 credits F, S.

ECON 559. Economic Analysis.
Graduate level principles of economics. The economic process, national income analysis, money and the banking system, theory of income distribution, pricing systems, resource allocation. Primarily for MBA students. 3 credits F, S, SUM.

FIRE 577. Financial Management
Basic concepts in finance: time value of money, financial ratio analysis, and security valuation. Corporate financial decisions: capital budgeting, choice of capital structure, and working capital management. 3 credits F, S.

• Courses used to satisfy Phase I requirements may not be used to reduce the course requirements under Phase II.
• An average of a B or above is required for course work taken in Phase I.
  

The St. Cloud Program

The St. Cloud State University MBA program is targeted to meet the needs of people working full-time and attending classes part-time, as well as traditional age students attending classes on a full-time basis.  

• Classes are held at the Harold Anderson Entrepreneurial Center located in the premises of the Minnesota Center for Business Development (MCBD) at Suite 100, 616 Roosevelt Avenue off of Second Street South in St. Cloud, MN.
• Students who select this program must complete their degree by attending classes at the St. Cloud MBA classroom site.
• Admission to the St. Cloud-based MBA program does not include admission to MBA classes offered in Maple Grove.  
• For complete program details visit: www.stcloudstate.edu/mba/.

Degrees and Plans Offered for the St. Cloud Program

• Master of Business Administration at 33 credits (no concentration)
• Master of Business Administration at 36 credits (concentration)

Length of St. Cloud Program — Measured by Semesters

• Part-time student: six semesters taking six credits per semester.
• Full-time student: three semesters taking 12 credits per semester.
• The program has been designed to accommodate both part-time and full-time students.
• The MBA program offers half-semester courses that allow part-time students to complete two courses per semester, while attending class just one night a week.
• Limited summer offerings provide an opportunity for part-time students to finish their degree in 26 months.

Graduate Assistantship Overview

• Eight graduate assistantship positions are generally sponsored each year, and are available both fall and spring semesters for students attending the St. Cloud based MBA program.
• Assistantship duties vary widely, according to college and department needs. They may involve assisting professors with courses, conducting library research, or tutoring.
  

Master of Business Administration — St. Cloud Program

Phase II — MBA, 33 to 36 credits

The following must be completed by all MBA students. These courses are open only to graduate students admitted to Phase II.

Core courses
24 credits

• MBA 629. Marketing Management, 3 credits
• MBA 632.Management Support Systems, 3 credits OR
• MBA 634. Information Technology Management, 3 credits
• MBA 636. Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Environment of Business, 3 credits
• MBA 663. Operations Management, 3 credits
• MBA 671. Financial Analysis and Control, 3 credits
• MBA 683. Accounting for Managers, 3 credits OR
• MBA 684. Financial Accounting, 3 credits
• MBA 667. Organizational Behavior, 3 credits
• MBA 670. Corporate Strategies, 3 credits (must be taken in the final semester of the student's program).
  

International courses
3 credits

• MBA 627. Global Marketing Management, 3 credits
• MBA 675. Multinational Business Management, 3 credits
• MBA 676. Multinational Financial Management, 3 credits
  

Elective courses
6 to 9 credits minimum  

• ACCT 605. Business Seminar-Accounting, 3 credits  
• ACCT 680. Professional Research, 3 credits
• ACCT 682. Advanced Managerial Accounting, 3 credits
• ACCT 692. Advanced Financial Accounting Seminar, 3 credits
• ACCT 693. Advanced Tax Seminar, 3 credits
• ACCT 694. Advanced Auditing Seminar, 3 credits
• ECON 677. Managerial Economics, 3 credits
• FIRE 672. Readings in Finance, 3 credits
• FIRE 675. Readings in Insurance and Real Estate, 3 credits
• MBA 605. Business Seminar, 3 credits
• MBA 625. Advanced Marketing Information and Research, 3 credits
• MBA 633. Topics in Management Information Systems, 3 credits
• MBA 635. Management of Technology, 3 credits
• MBA 673. Management of Human Resources, 3 credits
• MBA 693. International Accounting, 3 credits
• MGMT 605. Business Seminar, 3 credits
• MGMT 665. Readings in Management, 3 credits
• MKTG 605. Business Seminar-Marketing, 3 credits
• MKTG 626. Readings in Marketing, 3 credits
• MKTG 633. Business Case Analysis, 3 credits

A student may take up to six credits from 500-level courses with prior approval by the adviser.

In lieu of the required six credits in electives, students may elect to take one of the concentrations described below. Students who choose an official MBA concentration would take three elective courses, with at least one elective at the 600 level. Students who do not choose an official concentration must take a minimum of two elective courses, neither of which must be at the 600 level.

Choose one Concentration

Economics Concentration
Required

• ECON 677, Managerial Economics, 3 credits

Select two

• ECON 570. (or ECON 670), Business Cycles and Forecasting, 3 credits
• ECON 571. Money and Banking, 3 credits
• ECON 572. Regulations and Antitrust, 3 credits
• ECON 574. International Economics, 3 credits

Human Resources Concentration
Required

• MBA 673. Management of Human Resources, 3 credits

Select two

• MGMT 550. Employee Selection, 3 credits
• MGMT 552. Employee Compensation, 3 credits
• MGMT 553. Employee Development, 3 credits
• BLAW 538. Employment Law, 3 credits
  

Business Computer Information Systems Concentration
Select one

• MBA 632. Management Support Systems, 3 credits
• MBA 634. Information Technology Management, 3 credits

Electives

• Select two of any 500- or 600-level BCIS electives, subject to the approval of the MBA adviser.

Students who choose the information systems (IS) concentration must take both MBA 632 and MBA 634. One of these counts as an MBA core requirement and the other counts as the 600-level IS concentration requirement.

NOTE

• All St. Cloud MBA students must complete a culminating experience that is comprised of a special project within the MBA 670 Corporate Strategies capstone course.
• An average of a B or above is required for course work taken in Phase I and Phase II.
• Students may not enroll in any 600-level course unless prerequisites have been met.
  

Master of Business Administration — Maple Grove Program

The Maple Grove MBA program is targeted to meet the needs of people working full-time in the Twin Cities area. Students who select this program must complete their degree by attending classes at the Maple Grove site.

• In the Maple Grove MBA program, cohort groups of 20-25 students take a series of 11 courses to complete the MBA degree in 26 months. A majority of the courses are of eight weeks duration.
• Each cohort meets one night per week for eight or nine consecutive weeks to complete one course.
• The St. Cloud State University Maple Grove MBA program is hosted by Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) at the intersection of Bass Lake Road and I-494. All classes are held at this convenient and beautiful location.
• The courses are scheduled to allow for at least one week and up to five weeks of break time between courses to allow for employment responsibilities, vacations and holidays. We believe our students will be most successful if they have balance in the scholarly, work, and personal aspects of their lives.
• Graduate assistantships are not available to students in the Maple Grove program. 
• Admission to the Maple Grove MBA program does not include admission to MBA classes offered in St. Cloud.
• For complete program details visit: www.stcloudstate.edu/mba/.

Maple Grove MBA Core Curriculum

The following courses are taught at the Maple Grove site. MBA course descriptions are located in the back of the graduate bulletin.

MBA 667	Organizational Behavior	3 credits
MBA 629	Marketing Management	3 credits
MBA 683	Accounting for Managers	3 credits
MBA 671	Financial Control	3 credits
MBA 663	Operations Management	3 credits
MBA 636	Legal Environment	3 credits
MBA 632	Management Support Systems	3 credits
MBA 651	Global Business Seminar	3 credits
MBA TBD	Elective	3 credits
MBA TBD	Elective	3 credits
MBA 670	Corporate Strategies	3 credits
Total: 33 credits

NOTE

• All Maple Grove MBA students must complete a culminating experience that is comprised of a special project within the MBA 670 Corporate Strategies capstone course.
• An average of a B or above is required for course work taken in Phase I and Phase II.
• Students may not enroll in any 600-level course unless prerequisites have been met.

International students
International students on the F-1 and J-1 visas are not eligible for part-time academic programs sponsored by St. Cloud State University due to Immigration regulations. This would include the part-time MBA part-time program hosted in Maple Grove, MN. International students can enroll in the full-time MBA program hosted in St. Cloud, MN.

ACCT 591. Accounting Principles.
External and internal financial reporting systems and their roles in planning, control, and evaluation of management action. (For admitted graduate students only.) 3 credits F.

BCIS 542. Business Statistics.
Numerical and graphical descriptive statistics and inferential procedures. Selected statistical topics with major emphasis on applications in business. 2 credits F, S.

BCIS 544. Information Technology Foundations.
Conceptual foundations of IS, roles of computer-based IS systems in business including strategic competitive uses, global and ethical issues. computer competency, acceptance into MBA program. 2 credits F, S.

ECON 559. Economic Analysis.
Graduate level principles of economics. The economic process, national income analysis, money and the banking system, theory of income distribution, pricing systems, resource allocation. Primarily for MBA students. 3 credits F, S, SUM.

FIRE 577. Financial Management
Basic concepts in finance: time value of money, financial ratio analysis, and security valuation. Corporate financial decisions: capital budgeting, choice of capital structure, and working capital management. 3 credits F, S.