MBA Prerequisite question.

Hello Everybody,

After working in the IT industries, and really hate it. Now, I want to steer into the MBA program for graduate degree. I just have several question about it. Is it normal prerequisite up to 6 courses before completing 12 course for MBA? Also, is there any other school doesn't require prerequisite if the undergraduate degree is not in business?

 

I don't see a reason that MBA programs would want to put a lot of business pre-req's in place because most students come from non-business backgrounds....a quick glance at the background of Harvard's MBA students shows 76% of new MBA students have degrees from fields other than business (Source= http://www.hbs.edu/about/mba.html).

My alma mater, UTD, doesn't require any business coursework prior to their MBA...from their website (http://som.utdallas.edu/graduate/graduate_mba_degree_plan.htm):

 

There could be several reasons why your school does not require prereqs while others do. It might be that

1) University of Texas Dallas requires the GMAT which shows a measure of success in business school

2) The other online schools that don't require the GMAT want to gouge students pockets by requiring 6 courses prior to starting 12 courses.

3) They just want students without a business degree to have the foundation for academic success

I have a BBA and have not had a problem with prereqs. But my uncle had a BS in Computer Science and had to take undergrad accounting and economics prior to start the same program.

Just my 2 cents.

 

The program I am enrolling in Arizona State does not have any pre-requisites, other than a bachelors degree in any subject. The only exception is you need to have a good quant score on the GMAT or have taken a calculus or stats course.

Eric is right, the majority of MBA students are from fields other than business. Many programs have "foundation" or "bridge" courses that you will need to take if you don't have a business degree. I don't think that is a bad thing, but it will obviously require more time to complete the degree. If I were you, I would compile a list of schools that don't have any pre-reqs or foundation courses and choose a school from that list. I am sure others will provide examples, but if you have the time you could just go down Jonnie's List and weed them out from there.

 

Do you plan to finish your SMU degree?

 

Some schools do require pre-reqs to help ensure success. I don't think it is a bad thing. What are you looking for in an MBA program?

 

Macattack:

Well, no I don't intend to fnish my degree at SMU 'cause it is too expensive. Besides, I am aiming for different career.

 

If you are going after a Masters in Management or Leadership, you may want to consider an MS in one of those fields instead of an MBA. The MS is generally more focused on a specific field while the MBA is more broad. Just a thought.

 

Texas A&M-Commerce offers a Masters in Management and an MBA which I believe you could get 12 credits in Management prefix courses, including electives. The price is reasonable, its AACSB and brick and mortar with decent name recognition.

Amberton offers an MBA in Strategic Leadership with low tuition.

 

If you really want to make a career in Federal service, consider an MPA instead of an MBA.

 

Oh, I was looking at Texas A&M at Commerce; especially I am a Texas resident (not Texan). However, not sure if I want to deal with 501 series before stepping into the program. Besides, I am trying to avoid GMAT as possible 'cause I need time to study Military training stuffs. My cumulative GPA is 2.72 ( and the last 60 hours are 3.18). They said that my cumulative GPA has to be 2.75 in order to get GMAT waiver.

Well, I decide to grasp an MBA for now. After 4 years as a Commission Officer, I can request to go Active Reserve for School to get a second Master or something.

Daniel,

I love the Military life, and working with the troops; however, Government and Politics are not my favorite. That is the reason why I don't go with MPA.


Well, thanks for all your inputs.

 

Have you looked at APU/AMU grad programs? They are military friendly and the cost is very good.

http://www.apus.edu

 

Why? An MBA curriculum will cover subjects that will have no application in the combat arms branches of military service - marketing, finance, advanced accounting.

Of the officers I know who have pursued an MBA, many do it to with an eye toward a post-military career.

At the highest levels of military service, an MPA is of more utility, particularly in the expeditionary ground forces where management of military and non-military resources is increasingly important in managing the civilian dimension of counterinsurgency and peacekeeping. MPA preparation and mindset was almost certainly of use during this gentleman's service in Iraq:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petraeus

 

But there is a key difference. Harvard's program is two years full-time and typically involves some 20 courses, not 12. They don't require pre-reqs, but they do require more work.

Schools that operate 12 course MBAs typically do so assuming that lower level courses (intro accounting, stats, economics, etc.) have already been completed at the undergrad level - or in pre-req courses.

Regards - Andy

 

Daniel,

Thanks for the input. Well, I want to go for MBA in Management, Leadership, or MS in Management. The reason I don't want to MPA because I don't see myself serving the Government at all. Right now, I am looking at MBA in Management at Northcentral University and MS in Management at Minot State University. Their tuition is under $300.00 per credit, and I don't have to take extra pre-requistes.

I am not sure if I can make through the training 'cause lot people get drop from OCS. Therefore, I cannot nail the decission to become a Commissioned Officer until I graduate from the Officer Candidate School.

 

Again, I'm asking you to consider to look for an MPA program not to become a Federal bureaucrat, but one that will make you a better infantry officer in the field - one capable of executing the full spectrum of operations, from combat to humanitarian operations. This is what the Corps calls the "three block war".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_block_war

General Petraeus is an example of someone using MPA skills to enhance infantry's combat effectiveness. Petraeus built his reputation by simultaneously, synergistically running an infantry division's combat operations AND working to re-establish the effectiveness of a provincial (Nineveh) government. An MBA won't give you these skills.

 

Do not feel bad TEKMAN. The IT industry is not very rewarding unless you have a real passion for the work. Even with passion the years can take there toll on many of us who have chosen it as a career.

I wish you the best with your decision to return to the USMC.

 

TEKMAN, you may want to consider the grad programs offered by the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement at Duquesne University.

Advantages:

- Tuition for vets still in the 10-year GI Bill window is $292/grad credit hour or $876 for a 3-hour grad course. The payment service brings tuition to $910/class.

- The classes are predominately filled with commissioned officers working on their own grad degrees. The intro class that I just finished included a couple USAF pilots, NG officers and a few enlisted members. 3-4 out of 18 students were prior service civilians.

Our professor retired as a USMC LTC, and is quite good in the virtual classroom. This gentleman was very proactive in leading our class. He impressed the heck out of me not only with his energetic professionalism, but also his wise, steady hand. He worked as hard as we. In fact, the intro course represents the best, most invigorating online learning experience for me yet. I really gained a tremendous insight into various leadership aspects that I haven't formerly acknowledged after serving 20 years in the Army. That course also preps you well for APA.

- Excellent online library (Gumberg Library). If it is out there, you can access it.

- Customer service is also superior, even better than the state U's that I've dealt with in Texas. The grad advisor sometimes replied to my e-mail messages at 8 or 9 PM EST. Our professor was also extremely quick with responses. Comparatively speaking, I've had an awful time in the past when attempting to register at Tarleton State after my GRE scores and transcripts were submitted a year in advance.

- No GRE or GMAT required. After speaking with my advisor on Wednesday, I was in class on Saturday.

- Great "brand name". Duquesne University is a D1, Atlantic-10 basketball school. They fielded very competitive basketball teams in the 40s and 50s. The school seems well-respected in the Northeast, judging from everything that I've heard.

Disadvantages:

- In the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement, semesters run in 8 week segments. For example, this past summer, SLPA classes ran from 04/28 - 06/23. This coming fall, classes begin on 9/15 while the rest of the school starts in August. So essentially, you are looking at 24 weeks per calendar year, and that's it. 2 classes = full time, 1 class = half time. In other words, if you are looking to accelerate your studies, this schedule could represent a disadvantage. You can count on at least 5 semesters to complete the MS degree if you transfer in 2 grad classes (6 semester hours), and no less. The tempo is more intense than that found in typical 16-week classes. But on the other hand, the schedule could work well for students with a family life.

- The MS in Leadership and Information Technology isn't really a "techie" degree, but rather a managerial type degree. It depends on what you are looking for, I guess, but if you are planning on leading Leathernecks, I'd say this program would really prove beneficial in the long run. The school also offers an MS in Leadership and Business Ethics and an MS in Leadership and Liberal Studies.

- The Buffalo VA office is a pain. No further comment necessary.

I took the intro leadership course at Duquesne simultaneously with an InfoSec grad class at the University of Dallas. Quality of instruction and presentation at Duquesne seems, in my humble opinion, much more sophisticated than at UD. However, because I too have been a techie for a number of years, that statement could simply represent my own bias talking.