Master of Business Administration
The purpose of the Master of Business Administration is to prepare students for successful and rewarding executive careers in a diverse, global business environment in which "intrapreneurial" cultures must be the norm and organizational complexity is a way of life. Business faculty and staff members work closely with students to equip them with the business knowledge, the highest level of critical thinking/decision-making skills, and social connectedness aptitude that are the essential strengths for future executive employment and leadership opportunities. Students will practice learning through real-world projects that will hone individual, specific skill development in areas such as: creating successful business models, building strong customer relationships, innovating cultures, and servant leadership through Christian-worldview values.
The DBU MBA allows for a seamless in-class experience with no time or place constraint. This means that there is freedom of choice to attend either in class, synchronously online, or asynchronously online without losing the advantages of an in-class experience.
The DBU MBA is organized on a cohort basis, thus allowing for the development of important networking relationships over the course of the program, including the advantages of a close community learning environment.
The DBU MBA has a range of specialist concentrations allowing students to align their MBA with their career objectives. Students interested in DBU MBA programs that are STEM-designated, which have certain advantages for both local and international students, should see the STEM MBA degree plan.
MBA ADMISSIONS
To be granted full admission for any graduate degree program, applicants must meet the requirements for Full Admission to the Graduate School along with any additional requirements for a specific degree. Applications for admission to a master's program are processed by the Graduate Admissions Office in conjunction with the relevant Program Director.
Some degree programs may include additional requirements for admission that are supplemental to the Graduate School's requirements. Admission to one graduate program does not guarantee admission to another.
Full Admission
Applicants who meet all of the criteria listed below may be granted full admission to the Graduate School.
A Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Evidence of sound moral character and compatibility with DBU's mission.
A likelihood of academic success as demonstrated by a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale in all previous course work.
Two letters of recommendation from non-family members.
A current, professional résumé.
Applicants seeking admission will be required to submit the following:
A formal Application for Admission to pursue a specified master's degree program. The application will ask applicants for a Statement of Purpose outlining reasons for seeking admission and showing compatibility with DBU's mission.
Official transcripts from each institution attended as an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate student.
Two letters of recommendation from non-family members.
A current, professional résumé.
Any additional requirements requested by a specific degree program.
Provisional Admission
Applicants admitted under Provisional Admission must fulfill the conditions of this status as identified by the Master's Degrees Admission Committee in order to continue in the program past 12 hours. Students under Provisional Admission must maintain a 3.0 GPA and receive no grades below "B." Students admitted under Provisional Admission will be granted Full Admission upon successful completion of 12 credit hours and fulfillment of the conditions of their admission as determined by the Master's Degrees Admission Committee.
In addition, the Master's Degrees Admission Committee will review the following criteria as it strives to take a holistic view of the applicant in order to determine the likelihood of success in the MBA program:
A likelihood for academic success as demonstrated by a GPA of 3.0 or higher. (The Master's Degrees Admission Committee may take into consideration the student's trend performance across 60 hours of undergraduate coursework as it reviews undergraduate performance for students with a GPA of less than 3.0.)
An undergraduate GPA of less than 3.0 may be considered against years of relevant experience to a minimum GPA of 2.5 according to the following chart:
GPA 3.0 and above | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Years of Relevant Experience | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
If a student with less than a 3.0 GPA is admitted, then it must be on a provisional basis.
Five or more years of significant, substantive managerial/leadership experience that may be evidenced through a combination of résumé review, applicant interview, work portfolio, employer recommendations, and a professional certification.
12 hours of graduate work from an accredited institution with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
MBA COHORT and CAROUSEL
All MBA students enter the program at one of 3 entry points per annum, namely Spring, Summer, or Fall terms. Students enter a cohort and are required to follow a systematic study path through the core courses of the program. The current carousel forms the basis of the MBA degree plan for every student and may be found at the following link.
MBA FOUNDATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
As the MBA is a generalist master's business program designed to meet the further educational needs of the broadest range of working professionals with potentially non-business-related undergraduate degrees, no Foundational Courses are required.
Nevertheless, three-session self-study requisite courses are included with certain MBA courses and are designed to specifically prepare non-business graduates for the requirements of the MBA level course. The requirement for a student to complete a requisite course is determined by the MBA Program Director. All requisites must be completed by the end of the third semester and before continuation to the balance of the MBA program. The requisite courses carry no credit or tuition fees. The pass to proceed threshold is 85%.
BASIC CONCEPT REQUISITES POLICY
The following table indicates the criteria by which decisions are normally made in relation to prerequisite exemptions:
BuSINESS GRADUATE APPLICANTS | nON-BuSINESS GRADUTE APPLICANTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Business Experience Accounting/Finance | Business Experience Non-Accounting/Finance | Business Experience Accounting/Finance | Business Experience Non-Accounting/Finance | |
Basic Concepts in Accounting | Exempt | Exempt/Non-Exempt* | Exempt/Non-Exempt* | Non-Exempt |
Basic Concepts in Finance | Exempt | Exempt/Non-Exempt* | Exempt/Non-Exempt* | Non-Exempt |
Basic Concepts in Quantitative Analysis | Exempt | Non-Exempt | Non-Exempt | Non-Exempt |
Basic Concepts in Business Economics | Exempt | Non-Exempt | Non-Exempt | Non-Exempt |
Basic Concepts in Business Law | Exempt | Non-Exempt | Non-Exempt | Non-Exempt |
*Subject to an evaluation of the particulars of both education and experience. | ||||
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW - MBA students must complete 40.5-credit-hours (Standard Track core of 28.5 credit hours and 12 hours within a chosen concentration. Accelerated Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programs: BA-BS/MBA, BBA/MBA, and BBS/MBA students must complete a minimum of 154.5 credit hours.
To satisfy minimum degree requirements, all single concentrations require a minimum of 40.5 credit hours, and dual concentrations require a minimum of 64.5 credit hours. Students are responsible for not repeating courses waived, transferred, or previously taken.
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DBU also offers an Accelerated Bachelor's and Master's Degree Program: BBA in Accounting/MBA in Accounting for qualifying undergraduate students. Graduates of this program will demonstrate competence in the foundational areas of business, possess the technical skills and knowledge in accounting, and meet the education requirements of the Texas State Board of Accountancy necessary to register for the CPA examination.
Students completing the Accelerated BBA/MBA program must take each of these courses: ACCT 6330, ACCT 6335, and ACCT 6355, and six additional hours from ACCT 6343, ACCT 6345, or ACCT 6346, for a total of 15 graduate-level hours in the accounting concentration.
Retention in and Graduation from Accounting Programs:
Students must fulfill the following conditions to continue enrollment in the MBA in Accounting and Accelerated BBA/MBA Accounting major and to graduate from the program:
· Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and an institutional GPA of 3.0 in upper-level accounting coursework.
· Undergraduate BBA Accounting students must be advised by a full-time accounting professor before enrollment each semester.
· Graduate and Undergraduate accounting students must sign a Statement of Understanding about the accounting degree before beginning upper-level or graduate accounting coursework. The statement will be provided by the student's advisor.
MBA CONCENTRATIONS
The prerequisite for beginning the concentrations is completion of the core MBA program with an aggregate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Nine credit hours in a concentration are required to have the concentration notated on the transcript. There are usually 12 credit hours available to choose from in a concentration. A total of 12 credit hours are required from the elective portion of the MBA program. The concentrations are classified as either non-STEM or STEM. The concentrations shown in this program are all non-STEM. Before starting the concentrations, it is possible to change program registration from non-STEM to STEM or vice versa, depending on concentration and program designation preference.
MBA CONCENTRATIONS
Accounting | Human Resource Management |
Business Innovation Strategy | International Business |
Entrepreneurship | Management |
Executive Leadership | Marketing |
Health Care Management | Mastering Design Thinking |
Hospitality Management | Social Entrepreneurship |
ACCOUNTING CONCENTRATION |
|---|
The Accounting Concentration is designed to provide a broad understanding of the accounting industry. The Accounting Concentration introduces the graduate student to the development and analysis of competencies required for financial and managerial accounting systems, emphasizes the uses of cost information, and stresses the application of financial accounting in decision-making. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Accounting Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
ACCT 6330 - Tax Planning and Research (Requisite: ACCT 3323 completed within the last 3 years.) MANA 6320 - Business Ethics |
BUSINESS INNOVATION STRATEGY CONCENTRATION |
The MBA in Business Innovation Strategy is for those who are serious about leading innovation, regardless of these efforts being internal (improving business processes) or external (developing new products, services, and lines of business). Beyond those who have innovation in their job title (explicit or implicit), those who are responsible for driving top-line growth, managing portfolios, or tasked with creating new business models will also benefit. Disruptive innovations are not random acts of nature; there is a pattern to the phenomena, and the Business Innovation Strategy practitioner faculty will show you what it is. From the radical innovations that shake up entire industries to the many small innovations that perfect the execution of already successful organizations, this specialty will show you how to treat innovation as a process, one to be managed and turned into a driver of profits and growth, from idea to value creation for the "new normal" that will set the framework to produce innovative ideas from the bottom up in the organization, which is so critical to success. This specialty is relevant across industries and continents. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Business Innovation Strategy Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
BIS 6301 - Agile Leadership BIS 6302 - Strategic Branding BIS 6303 - Data-Driven Decisions BIS 6304 - Capstone Project |
ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONCENTRATION |
Entrepreneurship has long been a major part of the United States' economic structure. During downturns as well as periods of economic growth, entrepreneurship has typically flourished. The situation is no different today. Recent reports have indicated that hundreds of thousands of jobs in various sectors, such as information systems and finance, are going to be lost to offshore companies, creating a wealth of new business opportunities for would-be entrepreneurs. In order to meet the needs of individuals who desire to start their own companies, Dallas Baptist University offers a concentration in Entrepreneurship in its MBA program.
In the capstone course for the concentration, students will actually work with the owner(s) of entrepreneurial companies helping to develop and implement plans and procedures for these businesses.
Upon obtaining the degree, the student will have an actual business plan, a marketing plan, an operations manual, and a plan for raising capital, all developed with the assistance of highly qualified instructors. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Entrepreneurship Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
ENTR 6301 - New Business Creation ENTR 6303 - Marketing and New Product Development for Entrepreneurs ENTR 6304 - Strategy and Management of Growing Businesses (Requisites: ENTR 6301, ENTR 6303) ENTR 6306 - International Entrepreneurship |
executive leadership CONCENTRATION |
The MBA Executive Leadership concentration is designed to increase the business skills and leadership capabilities of those who lead key parts of the business and form the pool of future top leadership of the organization. Students learn to analyze critically, articulate strategically, think holistically, and lead with confidence, fully equipped to take the helm. We use a multidimensional approach of lectures, small/large group discussions, case studies, role-playing, campus networking/learning opportunities, and a multitude of self-assessments to provide new insights. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Executive Leadership Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
EXLD 6301 - Self-Awareness and Development EXLD 6302 - Maximizing Team Strengths EXLD 6303 - Motivating Through Change EXLD 6305 - Vision and Influence |
HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION |
The Health Care Management Concentration is designed to equip students with state-of-the-art technologies in the health care industry. Emphasis is given to strategic health care planning, marketing, health care policy, managed care, and long-term care. A capstone initiative provides students with "hands-on" experiences in an area of interest to the student, such as administration, clinical practice, or education/consultation |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Health Care Management Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
HCMG 6310 - Strategic Health Care Planning, Marketing, and Policy HCMG 6320 - Managed Health Care HCMG 6330 - Long-Term Care Administration HCMG 6380 - Health Services Management Capstone Initiative |
hospitality MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION |
The hospitality concentration is designed for students who are motivated to move into an executive role within the diverse hospitality sector of the economy. This concentration will prepare you with the necessary concepts, tools, and hands-on skills to be comfortable in developing and implementing winning strategies in the boardrooms of companies across a range of hospitality industry sectors. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Hospitality Management Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
HOST 6304 - Managing the Service Environment HOST 6306 - Finance for Hospitality HOST 6307 - Human Resources in Hospitality Management HOST 6308 - Strategies in Hospitality Management |
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION |
Ultimately organizational performance is a reflection of the leadership, quality, motivation, and competencies of the people who are invested in the firm. This concentration focuses on the development of skills in the design, motivation, structure, and rewards of an organization. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Human Resource Management Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
MANA 6306 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace MANA 6314 - Organizational Change and Development MANA 6320 - Business Ethics MANA 6323 - Human Resource Strategy |
INTernational business CONCENTRATION |
The growing importance of international business strategies in most industries requires an understanding of the global business environment and cultural practices. Through the International Business Concentration, students acquire a global perspective of business in order to compete in today's business world. The International Business Concentration examines strategic aspects of managing a global or multinational business organization. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
International Business Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
ECON 6303 - International Economic and the Legal Environment (Requisite: Self-study three-session requisite passed with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.) FINA 6321 - International Finance MANA 6311 - Global Initiatives in Marketing MRKT 6321 - International Marketing |
management CONCENTRATION |
The human element is vital to the effective and efficient operation of any organization. The Management Concentration covers concepts and theories for understanding and resolving human problems in organizational settings. The Management Concentration covers a wide range of current business topics, including interpersonal group behavior, leadership styles, the motivation of employees, recruitment, evaluation, training, compensation, affirmative action, and continuous improvement.
This concentration offers students the opportunity to select any 4 courses from other concentrations (taking cognizance of possible prerequisites) and with regard to the scheduling of these courses, develop a management concentration that specifically meets their needs where alternative concentrations would be less effective. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Management Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
Four selected courses from other concentrations with advisor approval. |
marketing CONCENTRATION |
The Marketing Concentration focuses on the various strategies, processes, and practical applications involved in meeting market demands and satisfying customer needs. Students practice skills in various industries from both domestic and multinational perspectives. Areas of study and marketing applications include marketing strategy formulation and implementation issues, distribution channels management, outcome-based marketing systems, consumer and buyer behavior, and integrated marketing communication. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Marketing Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
MRKT 6312 - Consumer and Buyer Behavior (Requisite: MRKT 6301) MRKT 6321 - International Marketing (Requisite: MANA 6303, MRKT 6301) MRKT 6331 - Marketing Analysis (Requisite: MANA 6303, MRKT 6301) MRKT 6356 - Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics |
mastering design thinking CONCENTRATION |
Mastering Design Thinking is a powerful approach to new product development that begins with understanding unmet customer needs. It's a human-centered design process that approaches problem-solving with understanding the user needs. Design thinking encompasses concept development, applied creativity, prototyping, and experimentation. When design thinking approaches are applied to business, the success rate for innovation improves substantially. The Mastering Design Thinking program will lead participants through a step-by-step, design thinking process. To be considered successful, innovations have to solve three key dimensions of desirability, feasibility, and viability. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Mastering Design Thinking Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
DSTH 6301 - Design Research Methods DSTH 6302 - Rapid Prototyping and Visualizing DSTH 6303 - Usability Testing DSTH 6304 - Design Thinking Capstone Project |
social entrepreneurship management CONCENTRATION |
This concentration will provide current and aspiring practitioners within nonprofit organizations with cutting-edge leadership theories and the latest management and leadership tools that will be used to create high-performing organizations. Students master techniques for conceptualizing and applying in new creative ways what they learn through their studies with accomplished faculty as well as from relationships established with nonprofit practitioners within service-learning opportunities in each course. In addition to the extensive breadth and depth of practical business knowledge critical for success in both profit and nonprofit organizations that is gained through study in the MBA core coursework, students will be immersed in the study of the practical implications and importance of strategic plans and tools they will devise for organizational effectiveness specific to the nonprofit in the areas of marketing, law, leadership, and accounting. This program of 40.5 required credit hours has been uniquely and carefully designed so that each course is linked in the development of strategies and skills that are critical to high-performing nonprofit organizations. Upon graduation, students will be equipped to compete successfully as servant leaders in their chosen profession. |
MBA Required Core Curriculum (28.5 hours) |
Social Entrepreneurship Management Concentration Courses (12 hours) |
ACCT 6344 - Nonprofit Accounting, Resource Development, and Fundraising MANA 6348 - Legal Issues for Nonprofit Organizations MANA 6349 - Creative Leadership for Nonprofit Organizations MRKT 6340 - Marketing Strategy for Nonprofit Organizations |
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Find course descriptions by category under the Graduate Course Descriptions section in the navigation panel. |