Master of Business Management (MBM)

APU’s Master of Business Management (MBM) program teaches students relevant business and leadership strategies without a financial emphasis.

The Master of Business Management (MBM) program offers working professionals an accessible yet rigorous graduate business program that can be completed in 12-30 months. Coursework builds a foundation for successful executive leadership, development of a collaborative work ethic, expansion of management vision with global perspectives, ethical decision-making skills, and the ongoing quest for innovative value creation.

Program coursework provides students with the functional knowledge and strategic tools necessary for successful business management and leadership, as well as the scholastic and professional applications framework to acquire state-of-the-art global leadership and management perspectives. Focus is placed on creating value within organizations, and making continuous positive contributions in a rapidly changing, highly diversified, and increasingly integrated business environment.

The 39-unit MBM program develops exceptional business management professionals with outstanding moral character and strong analytical and innovative decision-making skills. The ethical leadership development vision that forms the core of the program is reflected in coursework designs, which combine classroom learning with hands-on experience. Real-life case studies provide students with résumé experience and allow students to build impressive portfolios. Previous real-life cases have included companies such as Pepsi, Target, and Kaiser Permanente, along with numerous nonprofits and startups. International and national travel opportunities give students intensive boardroom field experience, where students get to dialogue with industry executives and government leaders.

Highlights

  • The MBM program equips students with strong moral character and the management and leadership 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 augment their résumé and apply learning at work.
  • Focused certificates and credentials provide in-demand skills, know-how, and experience, verifying students’ skills and abilities to current and future employers. 
  • Students learn from Fulbright Scholars and world-renowned professors with real-world organizational experience.  
  • International and national travel opportunities give students intensive boardroom experience, where students get to dialogue with industry executives and government leaders worldwide. 
  • 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 employees who can lead people and projects. The job market demands individuals with strong analytical and project management skills, as well as leadership abilities such as decision making and teamworkIn the MBM program, students have the opportunity to earn industry-valued, internationally recognized certificates, credentials, and microcredentials that can be added to résumés and uploaded to online portfolios, certifying and showcasing their mastery of these skills and abilities to potential employers.

Flexible Course Schedules

To accommodate busy schedules, classes are offered during the evening, afternoon, online, and at select regional campuses. Afternoon classes give students the opportunity to participate in real-life business strategy case studies with profit, nonprofit, and governmental organizations, and students may take advantage of the multiple delivery formats to customize their education experience. Students are admitted to and can start the MBM program in any of the eight terms during the academic year.

Requirements

To graduate, students must complete the required 39 units with a grade-point average of at least 3.0 within five years of matriculation. This includes completing all required courses with a C- or above. All courses taken within the SBM and used for a student’s MBM candidacy must be taken for a letter grade, except courses offered only on a pass-fail basis.

HROD 500Foundations of Human Resource Development3
MGMT 510Current Issues in Business and Management3
MGMT 515Applied Research and Analysis3
MGMT 516High-Performance People Management3
MGMT 517Managing Human Capital3
MGMT 521Organizational Development and Change3
MGMT 541Global Business Management3
MGMT 561Managing Teams and Conflict3
MGMT 570Organizational Performance Improvement3
MGMT 581Ethical Leadership3
Concentration9
Select one of the following:
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurial Decision Making
Marketing Strategy
Entrepreneurial Finance
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
Human Resource Management
Labor Law and Negotiations for Human Resource Professionals
Designing and Managing Compensation and Benefit Systems
Human Resource Law
International Business
Global Field Study 1
Global Strategic Management
International Marketing
Marketing
International Marketing
Integrated Marketing Communications
Strategic Digital Marketing
Organizational Development and Change
Instructional Design and Training Methods
Organizational Assessment and Interventions
Consultative Applications of Organizational Psychology
Organizational Science 2
Public Administration
Origin of Public Administration
The Policy Process
Economic and Urban Development
Sport Management
Facility and Event Management
Foundations of Sport Management
Field Studies/Internships in Sport Management
Field Studies/Internships in Sport Management
Total Units39
1

BUSI 577 may be repeated twice and substituted for the other two required concentration courses with approval.

2

The organizational science concentration is designed for students who, for personal and/or career reasons, need to create an individualized concentration. The 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 Graduate Business Admissions Committee. Concentration courses from other college(s)/school(s) must also be approved by those college(s)/school(s).

MBM 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 business and management 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.

Prerequisite Courses
MGMT 501Managerial Communication3
MGMT 502Developing Management Skills3
MGMT 503Business Strategy: Theory and Practice3

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 MBM-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 MBM program requires that students be 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 MBM program. 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 the program coursework is offered in accelerated eight-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/assignments. Also, since every instructor considers participation in grading, absences and tardiness may significantly affect final grades.

Academic Honors

Outstanding Graduate

At each commissioning, the graduate faculty may honor a single graduate with the distinction of Outstanding Graduate. The award is primarily based on academic achievement, but when a secondary factor is needed to make a selection, the committee determines which of the outstanding candidates contributed most to the learning community.

Sigma Iota Epsilon National Honorary and Professional Management Fraternity

The MBM program holds a prestigious membership in the Sigma Iota Epsilon (SIE) National Honorary and Professional Management Fraternity. Membership in SIE highlights the academic standards of the program and the qualifications of the faculty. Approval from the national chapter also affirms the contribution and value of scholastic achievement in APU’s management programs.

APU’s MBM fraternity, designated Sigma Iota Epsilon, Theta Kappa Chapter, extends individual membership to students who demonstrate high academic standing in the field of management. The vision of the Theta Kappa Chapter is to connect SIE’s mission with APU’s Four Cornerstones, creating a synergy that helps develop holistic and dynamic professionals in the business world. APU’s programs aim at bridging the gap between theory and practice and helping prepare students to enter the management field and advance as leaders.

Commissioning Ceremony

Preceding each commencement, APU holds a commissioning ceremony for graduating students and their families. This event includes an awards ceremony, words to live by, student remarks, and a time of prayer and commissioning for each graduate.

Field Study Fees

Mandatory and elected international field study and field experience trips that are available on a program-by-program basis incur appropriate required fees. Students who switch programs, withdraw, or are otherwise unable to participate in international 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 list of fees.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:
  1. Demonstrate proficiency in multiple business disciplines.
  2. Construct critical thinking processes to solve business problems.
  3. Defend business decisions based on a Christian perspective.
  4. Display strategic thinking through professional communication channels.
  5. Be impactful team members.
  6. Analyze cultural aspects of business in diverse environments.