Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program offers working professionals an accessible yet rigorous graduate business program that can be completed in 12-30 months. The program prepares students to lead in the workplace by equipping them with key strategic concepts and the analytical and relational skills to make sound recommendations and decisions. The curriculum is designed to strike a balance between theory and practice, combining scholarship with practical experience and actual corporate case studies of business decision making. Students also select an area of concentration based on specific interests and career aspirations.
The program provides the opportunity for students to develop sound analytical abilities, establish collaborative and team-building skills, and become aware of social responsibility as a factor in decision making. The curriculum also allows students to acquire an understanding of the global business environment and how it is affected by cultural and market diversities. Faculty lectures are combined with case studies and discussions, student presentations, and team projects.
The accelerated and interactive classroom environment includes applied learning activities, use of new technologies in solving business problems, and independent field research and studies. National and international travel opportunities provide students with intensive boardroom field experience, where students get to dialogue with industry executives and government leaders.
Highlights
- The MBA program equips students with strong moral character and the leadership and analytical skills needed to lead change in today’s business world.
- Relevant coursework and real-world projects guided by faculty with business experience allow students to immediately apply learning at work.
- Focused certificates and credentials provide in-demand skills, know-how, and experience, verifying and showcasing students’ skills and abilities to current and future employers.
- International and national travel opportunities give students intensive boardroom experience, where students get to dialogue with industry executives and government leaders worldwide.
- Students learn from Fulbright Scholars and world-renowned professors with real-world experience.
- Flexible course scheduling allows students to advance their academic and professional goals at their own pace.
Certificates, Credentials, and Microcredentials
Today, employers are looking for new hires with technical skills as well as leadership abilities such as decision making and teamwork. In the MBA program, students have the opportunity to earn industry-valued certificates, credentials, and microcredentials that can be added to résumés and uploaded to online portfolios, certifying and showcasing their skills and abilities to potential employers.
Flexible Course Schedules
To accommodate busy schedules, classes are offered during the evening, online, and at select regional campuses, and students may take advantage of the multiple delivery formats to customize their education experience. Students are admitted to and can start the MBA program in any of the six terms during the academic year.
Requirements
The MBA program curriculum comprises 42-45 units: 30 units of core courses, 9-12 units of concentration courses, and a 3-unit capstone. Concentration options include accounting, business analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, government financial management, healthcare management, international business, marketing, organizational science, public administration, and sport management. Students may request approval to take a second concentration.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | 30 | |
| Management Accounting | ||
| Operations Management | ||
| Integrated Decision Making | ||
| Applied Research and Analysis | ||
| Corporate Finance | ||
| High-Performance People Management | ||
| Global Business Management | ||
| Ethical Leadership | ||
| Strategic Management | ||
| Marketing Strategy | ||
| Select one of the following experience-based capstones: | 3 | |
| Global Field Study | ||
| Capstone Project | ||
| Concentration | 9-12 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
Accounting 1 | ||
Any 12 units of master’s-level accounting courses | ||
Business Analytics | ||
| Big Data and Business Analytics | ||
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for Business | ||
| Emerging Trends in Information Technology | ||
Entrepreneurship | ||
| Entrepreneurial Decision Making | ||
| Strategic Digital Marketing | ||
| Entrepreneurial Finance | ||
Finance | ||
| Entrepreneurial Finance | ||
| Investments | ||
| Advanced Financial Analysis | ||
Government Financial Management | ||
| The Policy Process | ||
| Accounting for Nonprofit Entities | ||
| Government Financial Management | ||
Healthcare Management | ||
| U.S. Healthcare System | ||
| Healthcare Administration | ||
| Community Health and the Built Environment | ||
International Business 2 | ||
| Global Field Study | ||
| Managing Teams and Conflict | ||
| Global Strategic Management | ||
Marketing | ||
| International Marketing | ||
| Integrated Marketing Communications | ||
| Strategic Digital Marketing | ||
Public Administration | ||
| Origin of Public Administration | ||
| The Policy Process | ||
| Economic and Urban Development | ||
Organizational Science 3 | ||
Sport Management | ||
| Facility and Event Management | ||
| Foundations of Sport Management | ||
| Field Studies/Internships in Sport Management 4 | ||
| Field Studies/Internships in Sport Management 4 | ||
| Total Units | 42-45 | |
- 1
Any student with a bachelor’s degree in accounting or its equivalent may choose the accounting concentration, which consists of 12 units of regularly offered Master of Professional Accountancy (MAcc) courses.
- 2
Students who choose a concentration in international business are required to take BUSI 577 Global Field Study. BUSI 577 may be repeated twice and substituted for the other two required concentration courses with approval.
- 3
This concentration is designed for students who for personal and/or career reasons need to create an individualized concentration. The final course of the concentration is a capstone project or global field study; the other three courses are typically chosen from existing concentration courses offered by the School of Business and Management, but students with unique needs may propose concentrations that include up to 9 units of graduate study offered by other schools or colleges within Azusa Pacific University. All concentrations must be approved in advance by the SBM Graduate Business Admissions Committee. Concentration courses must also be approved by the other college(s)/school(s) in which the courses will be taken.
- 4
PE 557A and PE 557B must be completed consecutively after all other sport management coursework is completed.
MBA Preparatory Courses
The School of Business and Management offers foundational courses specifically designed to assist students without a previous business education and/or students who do not meet the entrance requirements for full admission. Courses in accounting, economics, finance, marketing, and statistics provide students the necessary prerequisite knowledge and skills needed to study the field of business at the graduate level. If any of these prerequisite courses are required, a determination will be based on a review of each student’s unique combination of undergraduate coursework at Azusa Pacific University (or another accredited institution of higher learning) and any relevant work experience.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 500 | Principles of Accounting I | 3 |
| FIN 502 | Business Finance for Managers | 3 |
| MGMT 502 | Developing Management Skills | 3 |
| MGMT 503 | Business Strategy: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| MKTG 502 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
Admission
University graduate admission and program-specific requirements must be met before an application is complete (see Admission to the University). Program-specific application requirements are available online.
International students should contact Graduate and Professional Admissions for application procedures.
View the MBA-specific admission requirements.
Program Changes
If a student wishes to change programs, the School of Business and Management requires students to file a Change of Program form and comply with all program admission requirements.
Course Attendance and Schedule
The collaborative learning process that characterizes the MBA program requires that students are prepared to contribute value to class discussions and to the broader learning community based on their experiences. As such, class attendance is an important aspect of commitment to the MBA program, and absences from class are not appropriate except in cases of emergency.
Students should make note of the start and end of the term as they determine their schedules. Because program coursework is offered in accelerated seven-week sessions, students generally cannot miss more than one class without retaking the course. Students should notify instructors of planned absences as soon as possible and make arrangements with other students to get notes and assignments. Also, since every instructor considers participation in grading, absences and tardiness may significantly affect final grades.
Academic Honors
Outstanding Graduate
At each commissioning ceremony, graduate faculty may honor a single graduate with the distinction of Outstanding Graduate. The award is primarily based on academic achievement and is secondarily given to the outstanding candidate who contributed most to the APU MBA learning community.
Commissioning Ceremony
Preceding each commencement, the School of Business and Management holds a commissioning ceremony for graduating students and their families. This event includes an achievement awards ceremony, words to live by, student remarks, and a time of prayer and commissioning for each graduate.
Graduation
In order to graduate, students must complete the required courses with an overall grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 within five years of matriculation. This includes completing every required course with a C- or above. All courses taken within the SBM and applied toward the MBA degree must be taken for a letter grade, except for courses offered only on a pass/fail (P/F) basis.
Field Study Fees
Mandatory and elected international field study, global field study, and field experience trips incur appropriate required fees. Students who switch programs, withdraw, or are otherwise unable to participate in international field study, global field study, or field experience trips that are either required or elected for their program may be responsible for fees up to the full cost of the trip. View the most up-to-date fees.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:- Demonstrate proficiency in multiple business disciplines.
- Construct critical thinking processes to solve business problems.
- Defend business decisions based on a Christian perspective.
- Display strategic thinking through professional communication channels.
- Be impactful team members.
- Analyze cultural aspects of business in diverse environments.