The Master of Business Administration 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. All on-campus graduate level courses are scheduled during the evening hours to accommodate employed students.
Residence and Distance Options
The Graduate School of Business Administration offers an MBA program delivered via two modes— residence (on-campus) and distance (online). Students may choose to complete their entire MBA program through either of the two modes or take a combination of on-campus and online courses. However, distance tuition differs from on campus tuition. Please contact the MBA Advising Office for more information.
Evening MBA Program
The on-campus MBA is designed for students to complete their degree as a full-time or part-time student. 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 semester. In the fall or spring semesters, courses are offered from 4:30 to 7:05 p.m. or 7:15 to 9:50 p.m. and meet once a week.
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 three basic indicators are used to evaluate candidates for admission:
1. PRIOR ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE. A four-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.
2. ADMISSION TEST. Applicants may submit scores from either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Results of other standardized graduate admission tests may be used with the approval of the MBA advising office. In some cases, the GMAT may be waived if the applicant has substantial business experience or holds an advanced degree (e.g. Master’s or higher). Please contact the MBA Advising Office for more information
3. EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE. Of particular interest is the candidate’s progression of work. Recommendations from prior and current colleagues are optional. Though employment experience may be used to evaluate a candidate, it is not required.
Provisional and Senior Admits
Individuals may be admitted on a provisional status at the discretion of the admissions committee. If the terms of the provisional admittance are met, the student will be transferred to regular degree status. Students who do not meet the terms of the provisional admission are not eligible for admittance into the program. Seniors in this university who have satisfied the undergraduate residence requirements and who need no more than 6 semester hours of advanced subjects and 12 credit points to meet their requirements for an undergraduate degree may be admitted to the MBA program. They must meet regular admissions criteria and submit a completed application by the published deadline. They must complete their final undergraduate courses during their first semester as an MBA student.
Application Process and Deadlines
The application, GMAT or other test scores, two official transcripts (not student copies) from each post-secondary institution attended, a resume, and the nonrefundable application fee should be submitted by April 1 for summer admission, by June 1 for fall admission, and by November 1 for spring admission.
See MBA Web site: www.uccs.edu/mba for the online application or contact the MBA advising office by phone at 1-800-990-8227, ext. 3408, or by e-mail at mba@uccs.edu. The mailing address for supporting materials is as follows:
UCCS Graduate School of Business and Administration
1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
MBA Academic Policies
Access to MBA 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 MBA advising office for more information.
Course Load
The typical course load is 3-6 hours for a working graduate student and 9-12 hours for those attending school full-time during the fall and spring semesters. Students are limited to 12 credit hours for the fall and the spring semesters. Students are limited to 6 credit hours for the summer semester. Credit hours over these limits require that an academic petition be approved. Concurrent enrollment in both campus and distance classes is subject to the same credit hour limits.
MBA Completion Timeframe
Candidates for the MBA degree are expected to complete the degree within five years after they begin their first 600-level course. If coursework is completed more than five years before the expected graduation date, the work will not be acceptable for the degree unless it is validated by the Graduate School of Business Administration.
Declaring Area of Emphasis
Students enrolled in the campus program must have written permission to follow a distance-specific curriculum requirement for a particular area of emphasis. Students enrolled in the distance program must have written permission to follow a campus-specific curriculum requirement for a particular area of emphasis.
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 he or she has received a grade below C. Both the original grade and the grade for the repeated course count in the computation of the grade point average. Please see the Standards of Performance— Graduate section for more information.
Grade Point Average
No individual grade below a C will count towards MBA requirements. To be in good standing, students must have an overall grade point average of not less than 3.0 for all degree program course work attempted.
Probation and Suspension
The academic performance of each student will be reviewed at the end of each semester. Any student who has a grade point average less than 3.0 in MBA course work will be placed on probation immediately. In general, students will not be placed on probation until a minimum of nine semester hours has been completed. After a student has been placed on probation, the student has a maximum of one calendar year to raise his or her grade point average to 3.0. Courses taken to raise the cumulative grade point average must be applicable 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 period 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 an MBA degree may result in academic suspension. In the event a student attains probationary status more than one time, the same time limits shall apply. A suspended MBA student is eligible to petition for readmission after one calendar year.
Transfer Policy
A maximum of 6 semester hours of appropriate course work from another AACSB accredited graduate program may be considered for transfer to the degree program. Transfer work may be no older than 5 years at the time of graduation from the MBA program.
Graduate Internships
At the graduate level, internships are 1-3 credit hours, pass/fail only and may be used as business elective credit or as area of emphasis credit. Internships are approved through an application process, which can be obtained through the Internship and Career & Placement Center. Students must apply prior to beginning their internship duties and should register for credit during the semester in which the internship is being completed. A maximum of 6 credit hours of internship may be applied to a business degree.
MBA Academic Advising
Each graduate student must meet with an MBA advisor during the student’s first term of attendance to prepare a degree plan. Distance MBA students will have a degree plan mailed to them, which must be signed and returned to the MBA advising office. The foundation courses which the student will complete (if any), and the student’s area of emphasis will be discussed at that time. For contact information, see the beginning of the College of Business section.
MBA Graduation Requirements
Graduation Audit
A graduation audit is required for all students one semester prior to the semester of expected graduation. When the audit is complete, the student will receive a letter of notification in the mail, along with a diploma card, an Application for Admission to Candidacy form, and a survey. The graduation audit is not complete until the diploma card, Application for Candidacy form, and the survey have been completed and returned to the MBA office. Failure to request an audit or failure to return completed 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.
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