2010-2011 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
In a world of changing opportunities and challenges, individuals need to find ways to enrich their skills and increase their value in the marketplace. The M.B.A. program offers strategic advantages that make a real difference in students' careers.
There are no prerequisites required for admission to the M.B.A. program, although foundation courses are required prior to 600-level course work as described below.
A maximum of nine semester hours of transfer credit will be given for appropriate graduate courses completed with a grade of B or better from another accredited college or university. These credits may be substituted for required courses, area of emphasis courses, or general elective credit as determined by the program director. To be considered for transfer, coursework must have been taken within five years of admission to the M.B.A. program.
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is required in all graduate-level courses. Additionally, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required in all 600-level courses that fulfill graduation requirements for the M.B.A. A grade of C or better must be earned in all graduate courses that fulfill graduation requirements for the M.B.A.
Program Location
The M.B.A. program is offered in the Pew Campus DeVos Center in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Website: www.gvsu.edu/mba
Graduate Outcomes/Time to Program Completion
The Seidman faculty has identified the following learning objectives for M.B.A. students, and objectives are assessed regularly to ensure that they are being achieved:
Seidman M.B.A. graduates will be:
- Effective managers of business organizations
- Effective communicators
- Internationally literate
- Proficient with information and information systems
- Prepared to recognize and respond to ethical questions encountered in the practice of business
- Critical and analytical thinkers
- Skilled in strategic analysis
The Seidman faculty has adopted APA as the standard citation style for M.B.A. course work. Unless a faculty member indicates otherwise, students are expected to use this citation method where appropriate in their written course work.
Requirements for the M.B.A.
The M.B.A. program consists of 33 semester hours of 600-level coursework. Foundation work equivalent to the undergraduate business core must also be completed. Students who have completed an undergraduate business degree will have completed some or all of the foundation. Students who have undergraduate degrees with non-business majors may been up to 18 semester hours of accelerated foundation courses.
Foundation Courses
Foundation requirements may be met by completion of either the 500-level accelerated courses or the undergraduate courses as indicated below:
| Background Area |
Background Course |
GVSU Undergraduate Course(s) |
| Information Systems | MGT 510 - Principles of Mgt Information Systems (2 credits) | MGT 268 (3 credits) |
| Accounting | ACC 511 - Financial and Managerial Accounting Concepts (3 credits) | ACC 212 and 213 (6 credits) |
| Statistics | FIN 521 - Data Analysis in Business (2 credits) | STA 215 (3 credits) |
| Finance | FIN 522 - Finance Principles for Managers (2 credits) | FIN 320 (3 credits) |
| Legal Environment | BUS 531 - Legal Environment of Business (2 credits) | BUS 201 (3 credits) |
| Economics | ECO 542 - Economic Reasoning (3 credits) | ECO 210 and 211 (6 credits) |
| Marketing | MKT 551 - Marketing Management: Principles and Institutions (2 credits) | MKT 350 (3 credits) |
| Operations | MGT 561 - Production and Operations Management (2 credits) | MGT 366 (3 credits) |
The relationship between foundation requirements and the M.B.A. curriculum requires that all foundation studies be complete by the time the student enrolls for 600-level course(s). An exception is made for those students who are completing their background studies during the same semester in which they enroll for their first 600-level course(s), in which case the specific prerequisite(s) for the 600-level courses, as documented in this catalog with the course description, must be complete.
Students who have completed GVSU undergraduate courses listed above with a grade of B or better or the equivalent at another college or university are not required to complete additional 500-level coursework in the respective areas. A background assessment showing the status of the student's foundation requirements is provided each student at the time of admission.
The M.B.A. is a program designed for working professionals. Classes are offered in the evenings and afternoons. Student who have completed the foundation requirements and enroll for six credits each semester graduate in two years. The M.B.A. can be completed in three or four semesters of full-time study if the student has completed all foundation requirements and attends full time.
Core Courses
The following five core courses are required of all M.B.A. students:
- BUS 610 - Management Information Systems & Org Processes Credits: 3
- BUS 631 - Leadership and Organizational Dynamics (3 credits)
- BUS 671 - Global Competitiveness (3 credits)
- BUS 677 - Business Ethical Problems & Perspectives Credits: 1.5
- BUS 681 - Strategy (3 credits)
Elective Courses
In addition, all M.B.A. students must complete at least four of the following five directed elective courses:
- ACC 611 - Contemporary Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
- FIN 621 - Financial Policy for Managers (3 credits)
- ECO 641 - Business Economics and Strategy (3 credits)
- MKT 651 - Marketing Management (3 credits)
- MGT 661 - Operations Management (3 credits)
The balance of the program, 4.5 to 7.5 credits of business electives, will depend on the student's objectives and career interests.
Capstone Course
BUS 681 - Strategy (3 credits) is a capstone course and may not be taken until other core courses and at least four directed electives are complete, or concurrent with other required courses if it is the student's final semester.
M.B.A. Emphasis Areas
The M.B.A. is a degree of breadth rather than depth. However, for a variety of reasons, some M.B.A. candidates benefit by completing all electives in one area. Students earning the Seidman M.B.A. may choose all three electives in one area if they choose to complement the breadth of the degree with some depth in a functional area.
The Seidman M.B.A. also offers students an official emphasis in the innovation and technology management. The emphasis requires four 3-credit electives, which lengthens the M.B.A. program by 4.5 credits. The emphasis in technology and innovation management is designed to provide participants with the requisite management, business, technical, and strategic skills needed to better manage the technological resources of an organization. The interdisciplinary combination of courses that comprises the elective portion of the students M.B.A. are BUS 656, Management of Technology; MGT 668, E-Commerce Technology and Applications; MGT 669, Process Analysis and ERP Systems; and one additional technology-related course offered at Grand Valley with the graduate programs directors approval.
An emphasis in Health Sector Management is also available and consists of three specific courses that complete the elective portion of the MBA program, as well as the substitution of PA 634, Health Care Law and Ethics, for core course BUS 677. Electives for the emphasis are PA 630, Health Administration/Services; PA 631, Health Policy and Politics; and PA 633, Health Economics. This emphasis increases the total credit hours for the MBA program to 36.
Those students interested in depth of study in finance may earn an emphasis in that discipline by selecting ACC 611, Contemporary Managerial Accounting; ECO 641, Business Economics and Strategy; and FIN 621, Financial Policy for Managers as three of their four directed electives. Also required for the elective portion of the program are FIN 624, Investments, and at least 9 credits from the following: FIN 626, Advanced Managerial Finance; FIN 629, International Finance; FIN 680, Special Topics in Finance; ACC 613, Financial Statement Analysis; FIN 627, Derivative Assets; and FIN 699, Independent Study. This emphasis increases the total credit hours for the MBA program to 37.5.