The graduate program in business administration at Eastern Mennonite University prepares persons for leadership and management positions in an increasingly diverse and global marketplace. Through course work and interactions with faculty and peers, MBA students develop skills and abilities preparing them to work and advance in businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

Designed with the working professional in mind, the EMU MBA develops a perspective that advances the common good for all stakeholders in business and promotes high ethical standards, stewardship and peacebuilding. MBA students typically join cohorts who take their core classes together one night a week. Classes are delivered in a variety of formats including lecture, case study and group discussion. The program includes 12 prerequisite hours, a 32-hour core and a 4-hour final applied project. The MBA is usually completed in two and a half years.

Prerequisites

Students without an undergraduate business degree must show credit in the areas of Accounting (3 hours), Finance (3 hours), Economics (3 hours) and Statistics (3 hours). EMU offers a set of 8-week concentrated prerequisite courses covering these requirements in 12 semester hours in an online format, or the student can fulfill these prerequisite courses at a community college.

Work Requirements

The MBA Program at Eastern Mennonite University requires students to have two years of work experience and assumes that students enter the program with experience, skills, and expertise. Through the MBA program, students will continue the life-long process of strengthening the skills, knowledge, attitudes and values necessary for good business management and administration.

The program requires students to continue their employment as they earn their degree, thereby giving them an outlet to put into practice the skills and abilities that they acquire in the MBA program. Learning and then engaging in practical experience is an excellent way for students to retain what they’ve learned. The job experience also provides valuable insights for classroom discussion and learning.

International students have the option of continuing employment from their home country (if possible), or they will need to find employment or internships in the U.S. This can be on a full- or part-time basis. International students will use the CPT for their employment/internship. Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a type of employment for international students with an F-1 visa. This employment may be an internship, a practicum, or any other work experience that is related to the degree being earned. NOTE: the use of CPT at a full-time position lasting longer than one year will deplete any OPT (Optional Practical Training).

The combination of the student’s work and two classes per semester, in addition to summer classes, constitute a full-time program.

MBA Core

The MBA core program includes courses in accounting, business law, economics, finance, human resources, information systems, international business, management, marketing, production and operations, and strategy. The individual courses are designed to develop the ability to integrate theory and practice, and to synthesize theory, skills and experience.

In addition to studying the traditional business disciplines, EMU’s MBA core program goes “beyond the briefcase” to look at questions regarding the proper role of business in society and the role of faith in business. Throughout the core, students have the opportunity to reflect on and further develop their framework of values guiding business decisions.

Final Applied Project

MBA students prepare and present a final project demonstrating proficiency in the core material. This project can take one of several forms:

• A business/finance and marketing plan for a new venture.
• A multi-year business plan for an existing business.
• A major project for an existing business.
• A research project on an important business issue.

Each student is assigned a graduate faculty member to oversee the project and chair the student’s presentation to MBA faculty. A second graduate faculty member serves as reader, providing comments.

Schedule for Completing the Program

The in-class portion of the core program (32 credit hours) takes four semesters and two summers usually in 24 consecutive months, followed by a four credit-hour applied project.

Regular semester classes are offered as one three-credit-hour subject over eight weeks or two three-credit-hour subjects over 16 weeks. In addition to the weekly class meetings, students are expected to meet approximately two hours per week in small study groups. Summer classes are offered in a flexible format.

Students

The MBA program is targeted toward mid-career individuals with a minimum of two years’ work experience and an undergraduate degree who are seeking advancement in their current career, or a change of careers. Most students will continue to work full time during the entire program.

EMU’s MBA program assumes that students enter the program with experience, skills and expertise. Regardless of the level of prior experience, students will continue the life-long process of strengthening the skills, knowledge, attitudes and values necessary for good business management and administration.

MBA Refund Policy

Prerequisite Classes (8 weeks total)

Withdraw Date . . . . . . . . . . . Refund %
After First Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90%
After Second Class. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80%
After Third Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60%
After Fourth Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50%
After Fifth Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0%

Core Classes (16 week semester)

Withdraw Date . . . . . . . . . . . Refund %
Week 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90%
Week 2 & 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80%
Week 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70%
Week 5 & 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60%
Week 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50%
Week 8 & 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40%
Week 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0%

Summer Classes

Withdraw Date . . . . . . . . . . . Refund %
Week 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50%
Week 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0%

If a student has received federal student aid funds, a refund to the financial aid program(s) is calculated using the percentage of term not completed. Federal regulations determine the order of distribution of the calculated refund to the aid programs.

Graduation GPA Requirement

Graduate students are expected earn A and B grades. A GPA of 2.75 is the minimum requirement for graduation.