Master of Science
Business Administration
Program Summary
The MSBA program provides a graduate business alternative for students whose
Dr. Stephen Jones
undergraduate preparation was a field outside of business administration. Students
Associate Dean
who wish to develop administrative skills for their chosen career but who are not
Rothwell, Room 432
interested in completing a Master of Business Administration degree can opt for
(479) 968-0673
this program instead. These students would be required, for an MBA, to complete
sjones@atu.edu
six of this program’s courses as leveling work prior to matriculation of the actual
MBA coursework. The six courses comprising the MSBA replicate much of what is
taught in the undergraduate business core, and the addition of three administrative electives and a graduate capstone
course provide a basic graduate education in the field of business. Non-business departments may also provide a group
of graduate-level administrative electives for the student to bolster the student’s career-specific education.
Unconditional Admission
Students are eligible to apply for unconditional admission to the Master of Science degree program in Business
Administration if they meet the following requirements:
1. Applicants must meet the admission requirements for Graduate College.
2. Have completed BUAD 2003 (Business Information Systems) or its equivalent with a ‘C’ or better.
3. Have completed BUAD 2053 (Business Statistics) or its equivalent with a ‘C’ or better.
In addition, applicants must submit admission materials no later than two weeks prior to the start of the semester as a
priority admission date. Applicants submitting after the priority deadline will be considered if space is still available in
MSBA graduate classes.
Conditional Admission
Applicants who fail to meet the grade point requirement specified for admission may be admitted conditionally to enroll for
a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. If a student was admitted conditionally based on grade point average, the
condition will be met if upon completion of twelve (12) semester hours, a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better
is achieved.
An applicant who satisfies the grade point requirement at an unaccredited college may also be granted conditional
admission. In some instances, transcripts may be judged to be deficient and the student may be required to complete up
to thirty (30) undergraduate hours in addition to graduate credits required for the degree. If a cumulative 3.00 grade point
average is achieved at the completion of twelve (12) graduate hours, the student will be granted unconditional admission.
Applicants who do not meet the BUAD 2003 and/or BUAD 2053 prerequisite course requirement(s) may be conditionally
admitted to enroll in select graduate classes while taking one or both prerequisite classes the first semester of the
program or successfully completing a skills assessment exam.
Admission to Candidacy
Students are eligible for admission to candidacy for the degree upon the completion of twelve (12) hours with a 3.00 grade
point average or better and completion of all deficiencies. Students who do not submit an "Application for Admission to
Candidacy" prior to the end of the semester in which the student becomes eligible will not be allowed to register for
subsequent graduate classes.
Degree Requirements
1. The completion of a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate work including the following courses:
ACCT 6003 Principles of Business Accounting
BLAW 6003 Business Law & Ethics
ECON 6003 Survey of Economics
FIN 6003 Financial Decision Making
MGMT 5083 Business Policy
MGMT 5203 Project Management
MGMT 6003 Survey of Management and Organizational Behavior
MKT 6003 Marketing Strategy and Research
5000-Level Electives (6 hours)
*5000-Level Electives: Any ACCT, BLAW, BUAD, ECON, FIN, MGMT or MKT course at the 5000 level.
2. A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 in all graduate courses completed at Arkansas Tech University
with a maximum of six (6) hours of "C" Grades.
3. A minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate course work completed at Arkansas Tech University.
4. Completion of all degree requirements within six (6) years from the time of unconditional or conditional admission
into the program.
Special Conditions of Graduate Credit
Graduate Credit Taken Prior to Admission to Arkansas Tech University
A maximum of nine (9) semester hours of graduate credit with a grade point average of "B" or better may be transferred
from an accredited graduate school if deemed appropriate to the graduate program by the head of the student's major
department and the Dean of Graduate College. Students must send a written request to the head of their major
department to petition an acceptance of the transfer credit prior to requesting admission to candidacy to the graduate
program. Graduate credit earned six (6) years prior to the completion date of all degree requirements may not be applied
toward the degree without the approval of the appropriate program director and the Dean of Graduate College. Credits
earned by correspondence courses or for remedial purposes will not apply toward the graduate degree. No undergraduate
course may be repeated for graduate credit.
Graduate Credit Taken After Admission to Arkansas Tech University
If after admission to graduate study, a student wishes to take a course at another institution to count toward degree
requirements at Arkansas Tech University, the student must (in advance of enrollment) obtain written approval from the
program director and the Dean of Graduate College.