Accredited

To compete in today's global business environment, companies seek out executives whose talents combine traditional business disciplines with critical core competencies. While the GWU MBA develops your core competencies, the ultimate measure of our success is your ability to achieve your desired career outcome.

The principle objective of this unique curriculum is to substantially change the way you think and work. It will provide insights into your behavior and that or your constituents - focusing on continuous personal and professional improvement while adding value to your organization.

The MBA course of study is structured to provide students with a working knowledge of business and managerial skills needed for successful departmental, divisional, and organizational leadership. The flexibility of the MBA degree allows the student to emphasize in an area of study. The 36 credit-hour curriculum includes 30 hours of required core courses and six hours of electives in different areas.

Why do I need a MBA degree?

• To prepare you for careers in business administration with advanced training in specific areas built on a
  broad understanding of business and its environment.

• To provide you with the opportunity to gain professional knowledge to attain your personal and career goals.

• To learn tools and practical techniques that are used to analyze business problems involving economic,
  social legal, and ethical factors affecting business.

• To learn practical skills for meeting the challenges that technology and managerial innovations present in a global world.

• To develop a throughout understanding of the functional areas operating within the business community.

• To develop and increase the ability for team-based activities in dealing with a diverse workforce.

• To increase the salary you receive in your current job and magnify your future earning potential. Graduate education, higher starting salaries, with master's degree holders generally receiving a 10 to 20 percent
  premium over individuals with bachelor's degree.

• To create avenues of advancement within your current organizational structure.

• To make you more marketable to future employees of your choosing.

Gardner-Webb University is committed to providing a program of study that clearly gives its MBA graduates an advantage when competing among others in today’s dynamic business environment.

The University’s 36-semester-hour course of study is structured to provide students with a working knowledge of business and the managerial skills needed for successful departmental, divisional, and organizational leadership. Students who begin in August and successfully complete two courses each fall, spring, and summer will graduate at the end of their second summer of study, two years after beginning the program. Courses are offered during evening hours.

Visitors to the University are welcome at all times; administrative offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, please call the Graduate Business Director of Admissions: (704) 406-3988 or (704) 406-4489 or (800) 457-4622.

The MBA is recognized as the professional graduate degree designed to enhance effectiveness in upper-level managerial positions in a business setting. Many persons having career goals in non-profit settings also pursue the MBA degree. Graduate study in business not only helps individuals meet their goals of career development and personal growth but also contributes to their enhanced appreciation of the private enterprise market system.

Purpose

Effective managerial behavior depends on the knowledge and skills used in decision making. A successful administrator not only must know about his/her own professional area, but he/she also must have considerable understanding of the professional areas of others. Students in the MBA program are expected to develop a working knowledge of accounting, finance, human relations and behavior, economics, marketing, production, business law and international business.

The applied nature of the MBA program provides training in management through the use of practical techniques that can readily be utilized by the students in their existing positions. Students learn to be innovative in their approaches to solving problems and making decisions. The program offers a unique opportunity to study with others who have similar interests and learn from others who have had varying work experiences.

The Master of Business Administration Program was developed to meet the following objectives:

• Prepare individuals for careers in business administration with advanced training in specific areas built on a broad understanding of business and its environment.
• Provide practical techniques to analyze alternative solutions to business problems involving economic, social, legal, political, global, and ethical factors.
• Develop practical skills for meeting the challenges of changing technology and managerial innovations.

Prerequisites for Admission for All Majors

An undergraduate business degree is not required for admission to the graduate business programs, but specific course material is required. The School of Business offers 500 level prerequisite courses each semester for students with prerequisite deficiencies. These courses will not count towards the graduate GPA. Students who have already taken the prerequisites must demonstrate mastery of the material normally taught in the following prerequisite courses either by offering a transcript demonstrating that the course has been completed with a grade of “C” or better, or through a waiver by successfully passing an exam:

MBA and IMBA Requirements:

• Accounting, Finance and Ethics 2 semesters
• Marketing and Economics (Micro and Macro) 2 semesters
• Microcomputers 1 semester (or proficiency)
• Management Science and Statistics 1 semester

MAcc and eMAcc Requirements:

In addition to the above requirements, the MAcc Program requires:

• Intermediate Accounting 2 semesters
• Auditing 1 semester
• Accounting Information Systems 1 semester
• Cost Accounting 1 semester
• Income Tax 1 semester

Persons who have not completed these requirements may be given applicant status and after satisfactorily completing business prerequisite deficiencies at Gardner-Webb University or elsewhere may be granted admission.

The Curriculum

Today, managers need skills in analysis, problem solving, interaction, and communication. Approaches to problem solving are stressed throughout the program through the use of practical applications of academic concepts and theories. Students learn to be innovative in their approaches to problem solving through assignments requiring teamwork, communication skills and computer applications.

The Program is structured, having 36 semester credit hours of graduate level studies with 30 hours in the core and six hours of electives in an area of emphasis. Each course is three credit hours. Core Curriculum

These fundamental courses are required of all MBA students (30 hours) :

ACCOUNTING EMPHASIS ELECTIVES(6 hours)

International trade and finance are two of the most complex fields an individual can enter. Trying to stay abreast of the constant changes and beat the competition is impossible without knowledge of current international laws and trends. The smallest mistake can delay the signing of a contract or cause a multinational merger to fail. A Gardner-Webb University MBA Degree will give you the advantage by providing you with the latest information in areas from policy to international communication. To earn a emphasis in International Business, simply take two of the following electives in addition to the required core curriculum.

Increasing government regulations and complex personnel issues are making the position of Human Resource Manager more demanding and difficult every day. With downsizing an unavoidable reality in the corporate world, HR Managers are often required to know more about the "business of business" than what is being taught in the Master of Human Resource programs which are available. In order to become more valuable to current employers and more marketable to future employers, HR Managers are realizing the necessity of an MBA Degree. Simply take two of the following electives in addition to the required core curriculum to earn your emphasis in Human Resource Management.

Succeeding in the business of healthcare requires more than simply a knowledge of medicine. In today's evolving healthcare environment, managers and physicians must possess critical business knowledge which was deemed unnecessary in decades past. To stay competitive, an MBA emphasizing Healthcare Management has become a necessity. Simply take two of the following electives in addition to the required core curriculum to earn your emphasis in Healthcare Management.

Every aspect of today's society is dependent upon technology. In an effort to provide students with the very latest trends and tools to remain competitive in the global marketplace, Gardner-Webb has added a emphasis in MIS. To earn an MIS emphasis, simply choose two of the following electives in addition to the required core curriculum.

Charlotte has become one of the largest banking centers in the United States. The substantial growth of the industry and subsequent changes have placed new demands on the workplace. To remain competitive, additional courses have become a necessity. Simply take two of the following electives to earn a emphasis in Banking and Finance.

• Overall minimum grade point average of 3.0 in graduate studies.
• Satisfactory completion of a total of 36 graduate hours: 30 core hours (10 courses) and the 6 elective graduate hours (2 courses) within six calendar years for the MBA.
• Application for graduation by the dates published by the Registrar.
• Participation in Commencement exercises.

It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with the preceding requirements for graduation.

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

All undergraduate course information deficiencies must be made up prior to enrolling in MBA courses.

• BADM600, BADM610, BADM625 and BADM633 should be scheduled early in the program.
• Electives should be scheduled in the latter stages of the program.
• Strategic Management, BADM690, should culminate the program. A minimum of 24 hours of MBA core courses that include ACCT 600, BADM 610, BADM 620, BADM 630 and BADM 633 are required prior to enrollment. A student receiving a final grade of less than “B” must repeat BADM690.

 

  Gardner-Webb University; Graduate School of Business; Campus Box 5168; Boiling Springs, North Carolina 28017 USA (704) 406-4489 or (800) 457-4622.
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