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 several options in launching your career. All majors are welcome. The MBA program meets 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 to 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 may later return to UCCS to obtain a Graduate Certificate in a specialized business area. Credits earned from the MBA are transferable to the Graduate Certificate.
Students admitted to the MBA program may be required to take up to 9 additional credit hours of foundation coursework to help develop competencies to be successful in the program. Foundation courses may be waived by prior academic work or through passing foundation 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 modalities. The program is designed for students to complete their degree full-time in as little as 12 months. Students pursuing the MBA part-time may complete the MBA in up to six (6) years. Students choose their pace of completing the program to meet their 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 asynchronous model) is 100% online. Students may take one course at a time. Students may choose from nine (9) 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 three (3) campus emphasis areas. Students may also choose a fully online emphasis area.
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 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 requirement for application. The applicant’s complete academic record from all institutions attended is examined.
MBA ADMISSION PATHWAYS: There are three (3) admission pathways for the MBA program.
- Pathway 1: GPA 3.5* for an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and resume.
- Pathway 2: GPA 3.0* for an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution, 3 years of professional work experience and/or military experience or additional specialized education, goal statement, resume, and optional letter(s) of recommendation.
- Pathway 3: GPA less than 3.0* for an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution: goal statement, resume, optional letter(s) of recommendation, and one of the following:
- 5+ years of professional work experience and/or military experience
- Personal statement that addresses academic performance, examples of persistence/commitment, and other life and professional experiences that can demonstrate your ability and motivation to complete an advanced degree.
- GMAT or GRE test scores**
- Minimum 9 semester hours of relevant graduate course work at a regionally accredited institution with 3.0 GPA or higher**
*Cumulative GPA or GPA for last 60 credit hours, whichever is higher.
**If undergraduate GPA* is less than 2.75, applicants must have one of these options.
ADDITIONAL MBA APPLICATION MATERIALS: In addition to official transcripts from regionally accredited institutions attended, students must submit required documents based on MBA pathway selection. All applicants whose native language is not English must meet a minimum standard of English proficiency (i.e. TOEFL or IELTS scores). It is expected that students understand how to read, write, and communicate effectively in English to be successful in the Graduate School of Business Administration.
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 outlining the conditions that must be met to become a regular degree-seeking 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. Provisional students have all the rights and privileges and are subject to the same standards of performance required of regularly admitted students.
UCCS seniors who have satisfied the undergraduate residence requirements and need no more than nine (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, MBA Pathway selection, one official transcript (not student copies) from each post-secondary institution attended, a resume, a goal statement, a letter of recommendation (optional), and the nonrefundable application fee should be submitted by the priority deadline. Additional fees may apply. Visit www.uccs.edu/mba for the online application and additional information for international applicants.
The Graduate School of Business Administration programs adhere to policies set by the College of Business and Administration (refer to the General Academic Policies under the College of Business and Administration section) and the UCCS Graduate School. In addition, students should understand the following guidelines and policies:
Graduate Academic Advising
It is recommended that graduate students meet with an advisor during their first semester of attendance to prepare a degree plan. Students should meet periodically with an advisor thereafter.
Degree Audit
Degree Audit is a system used to automatically check a student’s progress in their chosen degree program(s). The system produces point-in-time reports. These reports allow students and advisors to see how courses apply to requirements and what requirements are remaining to graduate. Students may access their degree audits through the MyUCCS portal.
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.
Technical Requirements & Recommendations
The College of Business follows the technical requirements approved by the campus. Faculty may use Respondus LockDown Browser & Monitor for virtual proctoring of online tests in Canvas. A webcam is required for monitoring.
Students may be unable to install Respondus LockDown Browser & Monitor on some computers (i.e. work computers, library computers) due to firewalls, content filters, proxy servers, and or other security software with similar functions. For students without a personal computer, Respondus LockDown Browser is installed on every computer in open computer labs on campus.
Academic Policies
Access to Graduate Courses
Students must be officially admitted to the Graduate School of Business Administration to register for graduate-level business courses. Students who are admitted to other UCCS graduate programs may be eligible to register for College of Business graduate courses with permission from their advisor. All course prerequisites must be met. Visiting students from other universities 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 15 credit hours, and 9 credit hours for the summer semester.
Completion Time Limits
Although students are normally expected to complete a master’s degree in one to three years, candidates for the MBA degree in the College of Business should complete their requirements within six years. The College of Business, Graduate School of Business Administration does not validate outdated courses that exceed the six-year timeline. Students will be required to repeat any course that exceeds the six-year timeline with the same or an approved substitute course in the Graduate School of Business Administration.
Leave of Absence
Students who need to take a leave of absence 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 or MSA program. A leave of absence does not extend the prescribed time limit to complete the degree requirements (Refer to the Completion Time Limits).
A program may also place a student on an administrative leave of absence if the 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 before returning.
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 B. The grade received in a repeated course may substitute for the original grade with approval from the director.
Cumulative GPA Calculation
As of Fall 2019, the grades for the MBA foundation courses are not included in the computation of the overall MBA GPA in the student’s degree audit. The graduate program GPA for the MBA and MSA will consist of only 6000-level courses. This GPA may differ from the cumulative GPA on the student’s transcript.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
No individual grade below a C will count towards the graduate degree requirements. To remain in good academic standing and to earn a graduate degree, a student is required to maintain at least a B (3.0) GPA in the program. This includes all 6000-level work required for the degree while taken at this University (classified and unclassified) and may differ from the University transcript GPA.
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 a B (3.0) in their degree audit will be placed on academic 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), toward 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.
Students pursuing a Graduate Certificate in the College of Business must maintain a 3.0 GPA once admitted to the certificate program. Students falling below a 3.0 GPA will be placed immediately on probation regardless of the number of credits taken.
If a student’s cumulative GPA drops below 2.0, they may be suspended immediately. A suspended graduate student is eligible to petition for readmission after one calendar year.
Transfer Credit Policy
Transfer credits may apply to the MBA program with departmental approval or approval from the MBA Faculty Director. A maximum of nine (9) 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 toward another master’s degree (or bachelor’s degree) may not be used toward 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 College of Business Graduate Program
Grades from courses transferred from another institution or other CU campuses are not included in the program GPA calculation at UCCS.
The university grade point average does not include any courses taken while in unclassified status; however, the grade point average will include all unclassified courses taken in a business graduate certificate that is applied to the graduate degree.
Credit Earned through a Business Graduate Certificate at UCCS before Admission to the College of Business Graduate Program
Credits earned through a UCCS College of Business Graduate Certificate may be applied to the MBA. 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). The MBA programs may accept up to 12 credits from the Graduate Certificate. Students who would like to transfer more than 12 credits will need to contact the College of Business Graduate Office to submit a petition to the UCCS Graduate School.
Graduate Internships
At the graduate level, internships are 3 credit hours, satisfactory/unsatisfactory 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.
Internships are not available for students pursuing College of Business Graduate Certificates.
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Audit
All students should contact the Graduate School of Business Administration Office for a complete academic evaluation in the semester before graduating. Failure to request an audit or failure to complete audit documents on time may delay a student’s graduation.
Students must also complete an application for candidacy and apply for graduation through the student portal to be eligible for graduation. The deadlines for the application for candidacy and online diploma card are determined by the Graduate School and are strictly enforced.
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.
