Master of Business Administration

The basic objective of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program is to offer individuals an opportunity to develop corporate leadership ability in an increasingly complex and dynamic global society by enhancing their knowledge, managerial skills and perspective. The broad, integrated curriculum provides the student with an opportunity to gain understanding of the major facets of multinational business operations in a competitive environment. The program includes work in the theoretical foundations of business, quantitative controls, decision-making, the development of advanced functional skills, and the global and ethical environment of business. An opportunity is also provided for a limited degree of specialization. The degree may be delivered face-to-face, online, hybrid and in an executive format.

The program is a non-thesis program designed for graduates from recognized colleges of business as well as graduates in liberal arts, science, engineering, nursing, or other fields desiring to undertake professional studies in the area of business administration.

Admissions

The requirements to be a graduate student in business administration are:

  1. Admission to the degree program is determined primarily on the basis of predictors of success in graduate study:
    1. a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution,
    2. grade point average computed on the last 60 Upper-Division undergraduate hours,
    3. a satisfactory score on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). In rare instances the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) may be accepted in lieu of the GMAT,
    4. two letters of recommendation from professional contacts and, 
    5. a current resume.
  2. Quantitative measures are integrated into an index that multiplies the applicant’s 60-hour Upper-Division GPA times 200 and adds the total GMAT score (60-hour Upper- Division GPA X 200) + GMAT = >1000. An index score of greater that 1000 is typical of a successful candidate. If the student’s 60-hour Upper-Division GPA is above 3.25 the GMAT may be waived.
  3. Applicants who earned a prior graduate degree may request a waiver of the GMAT. Additionally, applicants with three or more years of extensive managerial work experience and a baccalaureate degree (earned in the U.S. or with a U.S. government entity) with the last 60-hour Upper Division-undergraduate GPA is a 3.0 or higher may request to have the GMAT requirement waived by the Program Advisor. This decision is made on a case-by-case basis; "extensive managerial experience" will typically mean a full-time supervisory or managerial position held for three or more years as through a resume, employment record and/or letters of recommendation. Applicants for the Executive MBA Healthcare Management Program (EMBA HCM) are required to have 3 or more years of managerial work experience. Such experience is evaluated by the Program to waive the GMAT requirement for EMBA HCM applicants. For additional information on this executive program refer to https://www.uttyler.edu/emba/program-cost/.
  4. Consideration may also be given to other factors.
  5. International applicants must meet the minimum requirements as stated in the International Graduate Student Admissions section of this catalog.
  6. No more than nine semester credit hours of graduate credit earned prior to acceptance into the program, including transfer credit, may be applied to the degree. Students seeking admission to the program who have not yet satisfied admission criteria may be admitted as conditional or provisional students and allowed to complete one semester with up to nine hours for the MBA Program or 12 hours for the Accelerated MBA Program. 
  7. After reviewing all credentials (official transcripts, GMAT score, other relevant information), the Graduate Program Advisor and the Soules College of Business Graduate Admissions Committee will determine if the student may be accepted into the program. A degree plan will be prepared by the Graduate Program Advisor with the student. Students will be notified of official acceptance into the program. Upon admission, applicants will receive a link to the UT Tyler Honor Code and be asked to abide by it. Full admission must occur prior to enrollment beyond a single semester. 
  8. Although a student may not have completed all baccalaureate work at the time of application, a provisional admission decision will be made on the strength of the student’s permanent record before the student can be enrolled as a graduate student in business.

Although a student may not have completed all baccalaureate work at the time of application, a provisional admission decision will be made on the strength of the student’s permanent record before the student can be enrolled as a graduate student in business.

The student must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (4.0 basis) on all graduate work at UT Tyler. No course with a grade below "C" may be applied toward this degree.

Transfer of Credit

Subject to the approval of the Graduate Program Advisor and the Dean of the Soules College of Business, a student may transfer up to nine (9) hours of graduate credit earned at an approved institution. Graduate credit over three years old at the time of admission generally may not be used to meet degree requirements.

Degree Requirements

The MBA degree requirements are outlined below (36 hrs.):

ACCT 5320Accounting for Management Control

FINA 5320Advanced Financial Management

MANA 5305Decision Making in Operations Management

MANA 5320Organizational Behavior

MANA 5345Strategic Leadership Processes

MANA 5350Strategic Human Resources Management

MANA 5395Formulating and Implementing Strategy

MARK 5320Advanced Marketing Fundamentals

MANA 5360Global Business Perspectives

Electives (9 hours)

4+1 MBA Option

Undergraduate students at UT Tyler can choose this option to get a master’s degree in one additional year. Students within 12 semester hours of graduation in their final semester may take 6 credits of graduate-level courses. Students must be in good academic standing and will be provisionally admitted to this program in their final semester of their senior year. Students will receive full admission to the graduate program under this option after they complete all undergraduate graduation requirements as well as meet all program admission requirements. Students must obtain a B average in all the graduate-level courses taken during their senior year. Students interested in this option must obtain advisor approval prior to application to this program.