Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2019 Graduate Catalog 
    
2017-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Business Administration (MBA)


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Degree Requirements

The MBA Program requires a total of 12 to 21 courses, depending on the student’s undergraduate preparation. Students must fulfill MBA foundation (prerequisite), core, and elective courses to complete the degree. Detailed information and MBA program plans can be found at http://business.providence.edu/mba-programs.

Foundation/Prerequisite Courses

The MBA Program requires that students achieve competency in the foundation/prerequisite courses listed, to graduate. 

Equivalent Graduate Foundation Course PC Course Equivalent MBA Course Equivalent
Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting ACC 203/204 MBA 548
Managerial Finance I and Managerial Finance II FIN 207/FIN 308 MBA 532
Micro Economics and Macro Economics ECN 101/102 MBA 533
Mathematics for Business Analysis MTH 108  
Statistical Analysis of Business FIN 217  
Principles of Marketing MKT 205  

MBA Core Courses

The following core courses are required:

MBA Electives

In addition to the MBA core, students are required to take at least three elective courses. In some cases, students may take more classes if they waive a required course. Elective and prerequisite offerings may vary by term/year and cannot be guaranteed. Questions about current or future offerings should be directed to the MBA Program Office, or the current offerings can be found on CyberFriar each semester.

MBA Courses

Students are encouraged to take MBA 603 , 626 , 651 , and 690  early in their studies because they are prerequisite courses for MBA 700 . MBA 700 functions as the capstone course for the MBA Program and, as a result, should be taken at the end of the student’s program of study (see MBA Capstone Policy).

Students who have six undergraduate courses with a “B” average or better in accountancy, finance, management, and marketing may waive the related MBA core course. This course must be replaced with an elective. Students must complete at least 12 MBA core and elective courses (36 credits) to satisfy the degree requirements.

Please visit http://business.providence.edu/mba-academics to view MBA curriculum and recommended plans of study.

MBA Concentrations

The MBA Program offers concentrations in accountancy*, finance, international business, management, and marketing. To fulfill an MBA concentration, students must complete at least three electives in one of these areas. A concentration is not required to graduate.

Students must submit a Concentration Declaration Form to the MBA Program Office when admitted to the program.

*The Accounting concentration is available to Accounting cohort students and part-time students only.

Internships

The MBA program requires full-time work experience or the completion of an internship, including registration and completion of MBA 699 within the student’s first semester in the program full-time. The internship requirement may be waived with permission of the MBA Program Office, if the student has commensurate career experience, and an elective must be substituted for degree completion. Students may contact the MBA Program for additional details. This is a three credit course that is part of the core requirements of the MBA curriculum. Students must obtain an internship placement at either a for-profit or a not-for-profit organization. Paid and unpaid internships may receive academic credit, but paid internships are preferred. The student must submit a learning agreement and obtain final approval from the MBA program office before registering in MBA 699.

The Center for Career Education & Professional Development graduate advisor and MBA faculty internship advisor are available to provide assistance in finding an internship. Please note that graduate assistantships do not fulfill the internship requirement.

It is our belief that the MBA internship will be a unique experience that will transform your academic work into real-world experience. It is an exciting opportunity to network with business professionals, explore new possibilities, and witness the dynamic nature of the business world firsthand.

Undergraduates who have received credit for an internship toward their undergraduate degree cannot also receive MBA graduate credit for the same internship. A student who receives a business-related full time job offer prior to starting the MBA Program can request a waiver.  Requests for a waiver must be submitted to the MBA office within the first semester of study.

MBA Capstone Policy

MBA 700 - Strategic Management in a Global Business Environment  is the capstone course for the MBA degree and should be taken toward the end of a student’s program. An MBA candidate must have completed the required prerequisites and be in good academic standing (GPA 3.0 or higher) to enroll.

Transfer Credits

Graduate courses, which have not been applied toward another degree, are evaluated for transfer credit by the MBA program director for suitability to the requirements of their particular program. Additionally, the transfer of graduate courses is governed by the following College policies:

  1. A maximum of six graduate credits may be transferred;
  2. They must be from an AACSB accredited institution of higher learning;
  3. They must have been taken within five years of the date of transfer (unless an exception is made for a particular course by the program director); and
  4. A minimum grade of “B” is required.

Students must complete an MBA transfer form, submitted with a syllabus and transcript, for approval from the program.

Thesis

A thesis, while not required, may be completed and can substitute for two elective courses with permission of the MBA program director. The thesis should be academic or, in some cases, it can be based on a practical business topic.

Study Abroad

There are international options available, such as short-term programs, exchange programs, and international internships. The MBA Program Office markets these options to students. Please see https://business.providence.edu/go-global/ for more details and past international experiences.

Procedures for the Master’s Thesis


A graduate student completing a thesis will register for 6 credit hours of thesis advisement and be assigned a grade(s) for those hours. The Graduate Director will create and register the student for a section of the appropriate course(s) to be offered during the semester(s) during which a student is expected to complete the thesis. This ordinarily will be for the semester(s) immediately following the approval of the thesis-proposal.

Should the student not complete the thesis before the end of the semester in which he or she has registered for the Thesis course(s), the student will receive a grade of “Incomplete” and have one calendar-year from the end of that semester to complete the thesis.

If the student is not ready or able to complete the thesis within that one-year period, the Graduate Director will consult with the student and the thesis-committee regarding the advisability of continuing with the thesis.

If the student wishes to continue, the Graduate Director will write a letter of support, and the student will submit a request to the Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies to extend the thesis for an additional (second) year. The grade in this instance will be converted to an “NC” (Not Completed) until the thesis is successfully completed and the final grade is submitted.

If the thesis will extend beyond that second year, the Graduate Director may write a letter of support, and the student will submit a request to the Graduate Council Exceptions Committee to extend the thesis for a third and final year.

For each semester that the student continues work on the thesis beyond the one-year allotted for the completion of the thesis, a student must register for their program’s 0-credit, not-graded, Thesis Continuation course, which will allow the student continued access to the faculty, facilities, and service supports regularly available to all registered students.  The fee for this course will be the equivalent of 1-graduate credit.

Students should consult with the Graduate Director of the program for details of the thesis procedures specific to their program.  Please note that due to F-1 Visa regulations this policy does not apply to international students.

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