Business Administration, MBA with Emphasis Areas

Admission Requirements

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Goal statement consisting of 300 - 500 words
• Professional resume

Prerequisite Courses

If the following prerequisite courses haven’t yet been completed, students will be required to take an 8-week survey course to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter. *Students pursuing the MBA Accounting Emphasis are not eligible to take the survey course. Please see below for more information.

• ACCT 280 Accounting I (Financial)
• ACCT 281 Accounting II (Managerial)
• FINC 350 Business Finance
• MKTG 210 Principles of Marketing
• MGMT 230 Principles of Management 

For students pursuing an MBA with an Accounting emphasis, the following prerequisite courses will be required:

• ACCT 280 Accounting I (Financial)
• ACCT 281 Accounting II (Managerial)
• FINC 350 Business Finance
• MKTG 210 Principles of Marketing
• MGMT 230 Principles of Management 
• ACCT 381 Federal Income Tax-Individuals
• ACCT 382 Intermediate Accounting I
• ACCT 383 Intermediate Accounting II
• ACCT 385 Accounting Information Systems
• ACCT 386 Managerial and Cost Accounting
• ACCT 489 Auditing I

Students may opt to take CLEP/DANTES tests (where applicable) to meet the MBA prerequisite requirement(s). See tables below for minimum scores required.

CLEP Exam Equivalencies and Minimum Scores for MBA Prerequisites

DANTES Exam Equivalencies for MBA Prerequisites

In special cases, appropriately prepared students, in consultation with their advisor and with permission of the School of Business, may take inbound assessment tests (Fall 2020 onward) to meet prerequisite requirements. Students should contact their advisor for further information.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission is based on appropriate professional experience or other preparation or acceptable GMAT score taken within the last 5 years, if available (not required). Students must earn a grade of B or higher in each of the first two graduate courses (6 hours) for which they are enrolled. When this condition has been met, students will automatically be updated to full program status.

Pre-Graduate Students

Students who have earned over ninety (90) undergraduate semester hours toward the baccalaureate degree at Columbia College who wish to start their graduate studies early may apply for admission in the Pre-Graduate category. Pre-graduate students may complete a maximum of nine (9) graduate hours without full program acceptance. After completion of the baccalaureate degree and up to nine (9) graduate semester hours, Pre-Graduate students must submit application materials to be considered for full program admission (see Full Admission policies). Pre-graduate students are subject to the same academic regulations and requirements as all degree-seeking students.  MBA Pre-Graduate students may enroll in designated courses only

Students requesting the MBA pre-graduate option must submit the “Accelerated MBA [Pre-Grad] Participation Form.” Students must have earned more than 90 undergraduate semester hours toward the baccalaureate degree at a regionally accredited college or university, be registered at Columbia College for an undergraduate degree in the Robert W. Plaster School of Business (in senior standing), have completed all Columbia College MBA prerequisite requirements, and have an overall GPA of 3.0. Those approved to participate in the Accelerated MBA may take up to nine (9) semester hours of graduate coursework in the MBA program (from specified options) while observing all existing MBA program requirements. Accelerated MBA courses include: 

• BUSI 562  - Managerial Accounting
• BUSI 544  - Marketing Strategy
• BUSI 504  - Managerial Communication
• BUSI 508  - Managerial Analysis
• BUSI 570  - Managerial Finance (Note: BUSI 508 is a prerequisite for this course)

Applicants must inform the College of all institutions of higher learning attended and whether or not academic credit was earned at these institutions. Falsification of application information, including failure to identify all post-secondary institutions attended, may result in denial of admission or dismissal if discovered after enrollment.

An official transcript and official English language translation from each college and university attended must be submitted to the College before the transfer of credit can be accomplished. An official transcript is marked as such and sent directly from the institution attended to the Columbia College Office of the Registrar. A transcript marked official and hand-delivered in a sealed envelope of the institution by the applicant will be accepted as official. Transcripts marked unofficial or student copies will not be considered official even if delivered in a sealed institution envelope. Faxed transcripts are not considered official. Credit will not be evaluated nor considered acceptable for admission to one institution from another institution’s transcript. Only grades of ‘C’ or higher are accepted in transfer.

Once a document has been submitted, it becomes the property of Columbia College. Neither the original nor a copy will be given to the applicant.

Program Requirements

Degree requirements include common core courses and integrate foundation courses for a minimum of 36 semester hours.

Emphasis Areas

Students who wish to add an emphasis area to their current degree must do so through the Graduate Admissions Office. An email from the student’s CougarMail account must be sent to admissions@ccis.edu in order to change from the general MBA program to an MBA with an emphasis area. Once the request is submitted, the Graduate Admissions office will review the student record to determine if additional prerequisites are needed. Once the change is made, the student will be notified by his/her campus and will receive an updated degree plan.

Assessment

Competent performance as a manager requires both context and judgment. As a result, assessment will rely less on purely knowledge-based experiences and more on the student’s ability to prepare for and master various “roles” and situations that competent professionals encounter in their work. The goal in assessment is to use methods that replicate authentic challenges and conditions rather than isolated drills or tests. Use of the case method and discussion learning is a primary component of courses in the MBA program. 

Skilled managers recognize that judgment in adapting knowledge to the situation at hand is, perhaps, more important than the acquisition of knowledge alone. Therefore, students will be challenged to perform or execute tasks or processes using a knowledge base effectively and in a novel or creative way. The process adapts to changing environmental situations - much like those that are dealt with on a day-today basis in the course of managing a formal organization. The assessment process not only provides the opportunity to evaluate the completion of performance tasks but also measures skills and personal characteristics that are essential for managers and to foster further learning.

Projects and assignments other than tests will be emphasized. The process requires the student, under time constraints, to present his or her case clearly, concisely, and persuasively, a skill that is invaluable to effective managers. The principle product of the MBA program will be a graduate who has learned how to think strategically and critically and is able to present his or her thoughts orally or in writing in a competent manner. The relevant measure becomes the student’s capacity to apply critical thinking and analytical skills in whatever occupation is chosen.

The most critical element of the assessment process occurs as part of the student’s culminating experience. Both product and process components that form key outcomes or performance tasks must be completed satisfactorily as part of the culminating experience (BUSI 595 - Strategic Management 3 hours ).

Case work from BUSI 595  affords the opportunity for students to demonstrate competency in each area of study covered in the MBA program. With the approval and guidance of the instructor, the student may also experience a real-world analysis and presentation of material specific to the student’s place of employment. Each component of the case work is measured against standards and these standards are included in the course syllabus for BUSI 595 . Students refer to their study of Strategic Management and case analysis as the process for demonstrating critical thinking, judgment, analytical skill, and the ability to communicate in writing and/or orally.