The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is devoted to the concepts, analytical tools, and communication skills required for competent and responsible management. The management of an enterprise is viewed in its entirety and within its social, political, and economic environment. The MBA provides a broad curriculum preparing you for a variety of options in launching your career. All majors are welcome - our MBA program is designed to meet the needs of students with or without previous business education.
Two MBA Tracks
The College of Business offers two MBA tracks:
- MBA with an Emphasis area (36 credit hours): Students may pursue a specialized MBA tailored for a specific career in mind. Those pursuing the MBA with an emphasis will complete 24 credits of core courses and 12 credits of specialized business electives.
- MBA without emphasis area (30 credit hours): Students pursuing the General MBA program will complete 24 credits of core courses and 6 credits of business electives.
Students wishing to change their MBA track should contact the Graduate School of Business Administration at GSBA@uccs.edu. Students changing from the General MBA track to an emphasis area will take additional coursework to fulfill the requirements of the emphasis area.
Students graduating with a General MBA may later return to UCCS to obtain a Graduate Certificate in a specialized business area. Credits earned from the MBA may be transferable to the Graduate Certificate.
Students admitted to the MBA program may be required to take up to 9 additional credits of foundation coursework to help develop competencies to be successful in the program. Foundation courses may be waived on prior academic work or through passing waiver examinations.
Campus and Online Options
The Graduate School of Business Administration offers an MBA program designed for working professionals that may be completed on campus, online, or through a combination of both methods. The program is designed for students to complete their degree full-time in as little as 18 months or on a part-time basis. Students pursuing the MBA part-time may complete the MBA in five (5) years but may petition for one additional year due to extenuating circumstances (maximum six (6) years). Students structure the pace of completing the program to meet personal and professional goals. Students may begin the program in the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Earn your MBA with ultimate flexibility, around your schedule.
Your MBA, Your Schedule:
Extreme Flexibility: Take classes in the evening, online or both.
- The Online MBA (8-week model) is 100% online. Students may take one course at a time. Students may choose from 11 online emphasis areas or pursue the General MBA.
- The Campus MBA (16-week semester) is available 100% on campus; Campus courses are scheduled from 4:45 pm to 7:20 pm or 7:30 pm to 10:05 pm and meet once a week. Students may pursue the General option or choose from eight (8) campus emphasis areas. Students may also choose an emphasis area that is offered fully online.
MBA Graduate Admission
Admission Criteria
The Graduate School of Business Administration seeks to admit students who show a high likelihood of success in postgraduate business study. The following 3 basic indicators are used to evaluate candidates for admission:
PRIOR ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE: A 4-year Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent is a condition for application. The applicant’s complete academic record from all institutions attended is examined.
ADMISSION TEST: Applicants may submit scores from either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE). In some cases, the GMAT may be waived if the applicant has substantial business and/or military experience or holds an advanced degree (e.g. Master’s or higher). GMAT waiver eligibility options are posted on the website.
ADDITIONAL MBA APPLICATION MATERIALS: In addition to official transcripts from regionally accredited institutions attended, students must submit a goal statement, resume and optional letters of recommendation. International applicants must also demonstrate English language proficiency (i.e. TOEFL or IELTS scores).
Provisional and Undergraduate Senior Admits
At the discretion of the admissions committee, an applicant not meeting the criteria for regular admission may be admitted as a provisional student. Students who are offered provisional admissions to the program will receive a letter from the College of Business Graduate Program outlining the conditions which must be met to become a regular degree student.When the student meets the conditions of their provisional admissions, the College of Business will reclassify the student’s status to be fully admitted to the program and inform the student in writing. Provisional students are subject to the same standards of performance required of regular admitted students.
UCCS seniors who have satisfied the undergraduate residence requirements and who need no more than 9 semester hours to meet their requirements for an undergraduate degree may be contingently admitted to the MBA program. They must meet regular admissions criteria, submit a completed application by the published deadline, and submit the “Undergraduate Senior Admit Eligibility’ form signed by their undergraduate advisor confirming the number of credits needed to complete the bachelor’s degree. Students may request the Undergraduate Senior Admit Eligibility form from the College of Business Advising Office by emailing GSBA@uccs.edu.
Undergraduate senior admits must complete their final undergraduate courses during their first semester as an MBA student. Students may be limited to one or two graduate courses contingent on the number of hours needed to complete the bachelor’s degree.
Application Process and Deadlines
The UCCS online application, official GMAT or GRE scores, one official transcript (not student copies) from each post-secondary institution attended, a resume, a goal statement, and the nonrefundable application fee should be submitted by the priority deadline. Criteria for GMAT waiver is on the UCCS online application. Additional fees may apply.
Visit: www.uccs.edu/mba for the online application and additional information for international applicants.
Expected Software Skills
MBA students are expected to be proficient with word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. If students are deficient in any of these skills, it is their responsibility to mitigate the deficiency before enrolling in the program.
Academic Policies
Access to Graduate Courses
Students must be officially admitted to the MBA program in order to register for graduate-level courses. Students who are officially admitted to other CU graduate programs may be eligible to register for MBA courses. All course prerequisites must be met. Interested students should contact the Graduate School of Business Administration at gsba@uccs.edu for more information.
Course Load
The typical course load is 3-6 credit hours (1 to 2 classes) for a working graduate student and 9-12 credit hours (3 to 4 classes) for those attending school full-time in the fall and spring semesters. Students are limited to 12 credit hours for the fall and the spring semesters and 6 credit hours for the summer semester. Credit hours over these limits require that an academic petition to be approved. Concurrent enrollment in both campus and online classes is subject to the same credit hour limits.
MBA Completion Time Limits
Although students are normally expected to complete a master’s degree in one to three years, candidates for the MBA degree should complete their requirements within five years. Students with extenuating circumstances may petition the College of Business Graduate Office for an extension of up to one (1) additional year for a maximum completion time of six years.
Leave of Absence
Students who need to take a leave of absence from the MBA program for longer than one semester should discuss their decision with the Graduate School of Business Administration Graduate Office and complete the ‘Request for Leave of Absence Form’. A leave of absence may occur for one year (3 continuous semesters including summer). Students who do not return within a year may need to reapply for admission to the MBA program. A leave of absence does not extend the prescribed time limit to complete the MBA degree requirements (Refer to the MBA Completion Timeframe).
A program may also place a student on an administrative leave of absence if student is not making satisfactory academic progress in the program. An administrative leave of absence cannot be used in place of academic probation, but may be used simultaneously. The program may request that students meet certain conditions prior to returning.
MBA Standards of Performance
Course Repeat Policy
Any grade below C (2.0) is not a passing grade for graduate students. A student may repeat a course once for which they have received a grade below a C. Both the original grade and the grade for the repeated course count in the computation of the grade point average. This policy also applies to all foundation courses.
Cumulative GPA Calculation
As of Fall 2019, the grades for the foundation courses will not be included in the computation of the overall MBA GPA in the student’s degree audit. The MBA GPA will consist of only 6000 level courses.
Grade Point Average
No individual grade below a C will count towards degree requirements. To remain in good academic standing and to receive the MBA degree, a student is required to maintain at least a B (3.0) grade point average, which includes all 6000 level work required for the degree while taken at this University (classified and unclassified) and may differ from the University grade point average.
Academic Probation & Suspension
The academic performance of each student will be reviewed at the end of each semester. Any student who has a cumulative grade point average of less than 3.0 in graduate coursework will be placed on probation.
In general, students will not be placed on probation until a minimum of nine (9) semester hours has been attempted. After a student has been placed on probation, the student has a maximum of one calendar year to raise their grade point average to 3.0. Courses taken to raise the cumulative grade point average must apply to the degree and must be taken in the three semesters (including summer) immediately following the semester in which the cumulative grade point average fell below 3.0. Failure to raise the cumulative grade point average to 3.0 in the time frame outlined will result in immediate suspension.
While on academic probation, failure to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress, (meaning the cumulative GPA must improve each semester that classes are taken), towards a degree may result in academic suspension. In the event a student attains probationary status more than one time, the same time limits shall apply.
If a student’s cumulative GPA drops below a 2.0, they may be suspended immediately. A suspended graduate student is eligible to petition for readmission after one calendar year.
Transfer Policy
Transfer credits may apply to the MBA program with departmental approval or approval from the MBA Faculty Director. A maximum of six (6) credit hours of appropriate coursework may transfer to the MBA Program. The minimum criteria for transfer:
- All transfer courses must have a minimum grade of B or above.
- Courses applied towards another master’s degree (or bachelor’s degree) may not be used towards the MBA.
- All work accepted for transfer must have been completed within the approved degree time limit (maximum 6 years).
- Equivalent courses from AACSB accredited business programs may be eligible to substitute core or elective courses in the curriculum.
- All other coursework from non-AACSB accredited programs may be approved for transfer toward elective coursework.
Grades Received Before Admission to the MBA Program
Grades from courses transferred from another institution or other CU campuses are not included in the graduate GPA calculation at UCCS. Therefore, they will not be calculated in the MBA GPA.
The University grade point average does not include any courses taken while in unclassified status; however, the MBA grade point average will include all unclassified courses taken in a business Graduate Certificate that is applied to the MBA degree.
Credit Earned through a Business Graduate Certificate at UCCS before Admission to the MBA Program
Credits earned through a College of Business Graduate Certificate at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs may be applied to the MBA degree. Each course must have a grade of B or better. All work must have been completed within the approved degree time limit (maximum six years) for completing the MBA degree. The MBA may accept up to 12 credits from the Graduate Certificate. Students who would like to transfer more than 12 credits may discuss this with the College of Business Graduate Office.
Graduate Internships
At the graduate level, internships are 3 credit hours, pass/fail only, and may be used as business elective credit. Internships are approved through an application process, which can be obtained through the College of Business Career Development Center. Students must apply before beginning their internship duties and should register for credit during the semester in which the internship is being completed. A maximum of 3 credit hours of internship may be applied to a graduate business degree.
Graduate Academic Advising
Each graduate student must meet with an MBA advisor during the student’s first term of attendance to prepare a degree plan. The degree plan will include any required foundation courses and the MBA classes including the student’s emphasis area. Online MBA students will have a degree plan emailed to them, which must be signed and returned to the MBA Office.
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Audit
All students must contact the Graduate School of Business Administration for a complete academic evaluation DURING THE SEMESTER PRIOR TO THEIR FINAL SEMESTER. Failure to request an audit or failure to complete audit documents in a timely manner may delay a student’s graduation.
Commencement
Students seeking to participate in commencement and other academic ceremonies will need to complete ALL academic requirements in advance. Participation in academic ceremonies that recognize or honor students for the completion of an academic program or specific academic accomplishment is based on the understanding that all requirements have been completed. Every effort will be made to determine eligibility in advance, and only students who have met requirements will be permitted to participate.