Business Administration Program Information and Admission Requirements

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Master of Business Administration Degree

The College of Business and Technology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) offers an AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accredited, 33 hour, Master of Business Administration degree. UNK’s MBA is a professional graduate program designed to provide a challenging and experiential, educational experience for graduate students who desire to assume positions of increasing scope and responsibility in business, nonprofit, or public service sectors. Required courses are offered primarily in the evening or online to accommodate students who work during traditional business hours.

The students in the MBA Program will develop skills to solve problems in Governmental Organizations (GOs), Non-governmental not-for-profit Organizations (NGOs), and businesses through integration of all organizational functions. The core emphasis of the program is on honing the student’s critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills within the context of both the US and the global economies, while preparing the student to meet the inherent challenges in the rapidly changing business environment. The program is also suited to those with baccalaureate degrees in areas other than business.

Admission Considerations

Applications may choose to be considered for admission through any one of the following five options:

Unconditional Admission: An application may be considered for full unconditional admission if one of the four following sets of requirements are met:

Conditional Admission: An applicant who does not meet any of the 4 sets of requirements above may apply for conditional admission if the following requirements are met:

5. Two or more years of post-baccalaureate full time work experience with an Undergraduate GPA: 2.75 overall on a standardized 4.0 scale.
6. NOTE: Students admitted conditionally must complete 9 hours of MBA graduate level courses at UNK, with at least 3 hours in a quantitative course, and maintain a 3.0 Graduate GPA or higher. Upon successful completion of these 9 hours the student is then considered unconditionally admitted.

Applicants interested in the MBA program must have a foundation of business. Applicants who do not hold a U.S. equivalent baccalaureate degree in business should apply as a Pre-MBA student and complete the Foundational Core courses with a minimum grade of “C” in each course. This option is not available for international applicants not residing in the U.S.A.

An application must be complete in all respects to be considered for admission to the program. Meeting the minimum criteria only assures applicants the consideration of their application for admission to the MBA program.

Additional Notes:

• International students:
  In addition to the admission requirements stated in the International Students section of this catalog, applicants must meet the following criteria:
  • Those with a baccalaureate degree from a country where English is not the native language must take the TOEFL and receive a minimum score of 550 on the paper TOEFL exam or a score of 79 on the IBT (Internet based TOEFL), or a minimum score of 6.5 on IELTS.
  • Applicants whose baccalaureate degrees were earned outside the United States are required to have their transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation firm to verify the degree is equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate. Refer to the international graduate application form for additional information.
  • Students with only a baccalaureate degree from countries that award three-year baccalaureate degrees may not be eligible to be admitted to the Master’s program. To be eligible for option 4 of unconditional admission into the MBA program, international students must hold a Master’s degree equivalent to a U.S. Master’s degree.

To apply to the MBA Program:

1. Go to http://www.unk.edu/admissions/apply.php.
2. Fill out the application.
3. Submit a resume.
4. Provide a 500-word personal essay, particularly addressing the following:
   • Professional and personal accomplishments
   • Personal strengths that helped accomplishment of the above
   • Personal values, including what is important in a career
   • Motivations to pursue a MBA at UNK
   • Anticipated contributions to enhancing the educational experiences of other students in the program
   • Post-MBA goals
5. Ask two references (college professors, supervisors etc.) to complete their recommendation online. (Those applying for admission to the MBA program through options 2 and 3 must have at least one recommendation letter from their supervisor who has evaluated the applicant's performance within the past 2 years.) Candidates with significant professional experience may get an additional recommendation from a subordinate.

For information regarding the requirements for admission to the MBA Program, please contact:

• MBA Office
• West Center 135C
• University of Nebraska at Kearney
• Kearney, NE 68849-4580
• Telephone: (308) 865-8346
• E-mail: mbaoffice@unk.edu

MBA Program Policies

In addition to the academic policies listed in the front of this catalog that govern all graduate students, the following policies are specific to the MBA program:

1. Students may need to complete up to 18 hours of MBA Foundational Core courses with a minimum grade of "C" in each.
2. Students must be fully admitted to the program to take more than 9 hours of required "MBA core" courses or graduate level electives.
3. Students shall maintain an average grade of at least "B" (3.0) in all graduate courses completed at the end of each semester or summer session. No more than two Cs, and no grades below C, will be accepted in the MBA graduate program. Students who receive a third "C" or below a "C" (C- or lower) will have to retake one of the courses to improve to a C+ or better.
4. All academic policies of the Graduate School stated in this catalog and the MBA Student Policy Handbook will apply.