Business Programs

Return to: The Graduate Programs

Jacqueline Elcik, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean
Ryan Center for Business Studies 136
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 Dominican Catholic tradition.

The Providence College School of Business (PCSB) 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 Programs foster an interdisciplinary approach to addressing 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 the graduate study, are willing and able to meaningfully contribute to their courses, and have experience working in industries that would encourage an interactive and vibrant learning community. Students have the option to pursue the Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree, and/or Graduate Business Certificates. The MBA Program may be pursued through admission into one of the following programs: Accounting Cohort, 4+1, Part-Time, and Full-Time. Students must complete a completed online admission application form and pay the application fee, including the following:

• 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;

Students accepted to the MBA or MSBA program must submit a completed Letter of Intent and an enrollment deposit. MBA students must complete MBA 502 (0 credit hour course), which includes a mandatory orientation session, completion of online MBA Math modules, a Microsoft Excel Certification, and proof of work experience. MSBA students must complete MTH 217 (Statistical Analysis for Business Decisions I), Excel certification, and attend a mandatory orientation session.

Full-time (9 credit/semester) students must also submit a completed immunization form. All students are encouraged to be up to date on COVID-19 vaccination prior to arrival on campus.

More details regarding the Master of Science in Business Analytics and MBA Programs can be found at: https://business.providence.edu/mba-programs/.

Program Overview

The PCSB Graduate School offers a curriculum of study leading to a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) or a 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 those 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 12 core courses of the MBA curriculum provide 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, and marketing, or through a Graduate Business 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 bachelor’s degree; a college-level statistics course with a grade of a B or better and Microsoft Excel Certification before 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.

Graduate Business Certificates

Students may choose to enroll in a Graduate Business certificate before or 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.

Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics 

MS Business Analytics & MBA Degrees Sequential Completion

Upon acceptance into each academic program, a student may pursue both MSBA and MBA degrees. 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.

Return to: The Graduate Programs