Business Programs

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Jacqueline Elcik, Ph.D., Associate Dean
Ryan Center for Business Studies 135
401.865.2294

School of Business Mission Statement

Overarching Mission: To provide a values-based business education integrated with the liberal arts and grounded in the Catholic Dominican tradition.

The Providence College School of Business (PCSB) Graduate School gives consideration to responsibility and social purpose as well as to the technical aspects of business. In short, Providence College recognizes the critically important challenge of “humanizing” business programs. The PCSB Graduate School fosters an interdisciplinary approach to the problems facing Rhode Island, American, and international business organizations. Faculty are drawn from the business disciplines and related academic fields, as well as from the business world and professional communities.

Admission Requirements

The PCSB Graduate School seeks to enroll students who are ready for the academic rigor of graduate study, willing and able to meaningfully contribute to their courses, and experience working in industries that would encourage an interactive and vibrant learning community. Students have the option to pursue the Master’s of Science in Business Analytics or an MBA Degree. The MBA Program may be earned through admission into one of the following programs: Accounting Cohort, 4+1, Part-Time, and Full-Time.

Details regarding The Master’s in Business Analytics and MBA Programs can be found at: https://business.providence.edu/mba-programs/.

• A completed online admission application form and paid application fee;
• Official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate course work;
• Personal statement (uploaded with online application);
• Resume (uploaded with online application);
• Two recommendation forms, preferably one from an academician and one from an employer familiar with the student’s potential for graduate study (contacts submitted with online application);
• Results of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or approved GMAT/GRE waiver form;
• Once accepted, no student will be allowed to enroll in classes until they submit a completed Letter of Intent and an enrollment deposit to the PCSB Graduate Program office. Students must complete MBA 502 (0 credit hour course), that includes a mandatory orientation session, completion of MBA Math modules, and an MS Excel Certification. Full time (9 credit/semester) students must also submit a completed immunization form.

Program Overview

The PCSB Graduate School offers a curriculum of study leading to the master’s degree in business administration (MBA) or the master’s degree in business analytics (MSBA).

The MBA Program provides knowledge and experiential learning to those seeking advancement in their business careers and to others who seek an advanced degree before entering the business community. The program is designed to develop the decision-making ability of the student in analyzing and solving business problems and to provide students with practical courses that can be used to improve their job performance. While the core of the MBA curriculum provides a breadth of knowledge, students can develop a depth of knowledge in a particular area through the completion of an elective based concentration in the areas of accounting, finance, international business, management, or marketing or an MBA certificate.

The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) is a quantitatively-focused program, where students are exposed to data-driven business processes and analytical and visualization methods. Graduates will be able to propose optimal data-based solutions because of exposure to the program and a course-embedded business analytics consulting project.

The MSBA program is designed to attract students from any discipline. All students must have completed a college-level statistics course with a grade of a B or better and Microsoft Excel Certification before the start of the program. Students must have completed a bachelor’s degree prior to the start of the program.

The MSBA program is designed to be 30 credit hours of course work, completed in one year (full-time) or two years (part-time), in a cohort-based model. Students begin classes in fall, take classes in winter and spring, and finish classes in summer. Students will be admitted one time per year, and are required to submit GRE/GMAT scores unless they are eligible for a waiver. Students who do not meet the prerequisites will take these courses in the summer prior to enrollment.

Graduate Business Certificates

Students may choose to enroll in a Graduate Business certificate while working towards their MBA degree. Course credits may not be counted towards both a concentration and a certificate. If a student would like both a concentration and a certificate, they must take the additional elective courses to be applied towards the concentration/certificate. Current Graduate Business certificate options are:

Change Leadership Management (CLM) Graduate Certificate

The Change Leadership Management (CLM) Graduate Certificate Program is a 3 course (9 credit hour) management certificate taught by top faculty members in the Providence College School of Business. The focus is on gaining personal insight and confidence in leading and promoting change, thinking critically through strategic implications of decisions, and managing and collaborating with others to get work done effectively. These competencies have been identified as integral business skills employees need to lead change and make better business decisions.

Courses:

MBA 676 - Organizational Effectiveness through People and Teams   
MBA 770 - Special Topics : Leading from the Middle
MBA 681 - Self Leadership   

Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics

This 3-course, 9-credit-hour business analytics certificate is taught by PC faculty recognized as experts in their fields. The Business Analytics Graduate Certificate Program provides a rapid foundational education in decision making and quantitative analysis, with a focus on building confidence to use data to make strategic decisions. This competency has been identified as an integral business skill all employees will need to lead change and make better business decisions.

Courses:
MBA 687 - Statistics for Business Analytics 
MBA 688 - Predictive Analytics and Data Mining  
MBA 691 - Business Analytics Consulting Project   

Graduate Certificate in Sports Management

The Providence College Graduate Certificate in Sports Management is a 3-course, graduate-level program offered by the School of Business in conjunction with the School of Professional Studies’ Higher Education program. It explores various elements of this growing industry and helps prepare students to excel within it. This program develops the management knowledge and skills needed to lead sports organizations, as well as businesses that serve and interact with them.

Courses:
MBA 699 - Real-Time/Real-World Experience: Business Internships : Sports Internship 

Electives (Select two):
MBA 770 - Special Topics : The Business of Collegiate Sports
MBA 770 - Special Topics : The Business of Professional Sports
MBA 770 - Special Topics : The Marketing & Analytics of Sports

MS Business Analytics & MBA Degrees Sequential Completion

A student may pursue both MSBA and MBA degrees, upon acceptance into each academic program. The student must complete all degree requirements and credit hours for each academic program. Overlapping coursework cannot be applied to both programs of study. In such cases, alternative coursework will be agreed upon by the student and PCSB Graduate Programs Office. 

No coursework can be used toward the completion of both degrees. This means that any coursework that overlaps with each degree cannot apply to more than one degree program. This will result in students completing replacement coursework to meet the degree requirements. This coursework will be agreed upon by the student and PCSB dean’s designee and must be applicable to the degree program.

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