On-Campus MBA

The master of business administration (MBA) program, offered through the College of Business Administration , is designed to provide professional business education to individuals who wish to pursue a variety of administrative careers in both the private and public sectors. The theme of the curriculum is intrapreneurship which can be defined as an “entrepreneurial attitude and approach to management and problem-solving within any organization, large or small.” Throughout the program, the focus is “what one needs to know to run a business” while developing the ability to analyze all types of business situations and propose appropriate, creative and financially sound solutions. The curriculum combines conceptual, analytical and experiential approaches to learning both in and out of the classroom. Once the foundation of basic problem solving tools and knowledge in each functional area is established, the program deepens the interdisciplinary understanding of problem-solving approaches and their functional, ethical, environmental and international ramifications. The program then culminates with a required capstone practicum. This practicum makes the K-State MBA  unique in the area, by providing an interdisciplinary, consulting-type of experience for all students in their last semester of study.

The requirements of MBA curriculum depend upon the individual’s level of prior preparation as follows:

For students with limited or no prior business coursework and less than three years of professional work experience, the MBA curriculum is a 45 credit hour program designed to be completed in two years of full-time study or four years of part-time, typically evening, study. The program is to include the business core, integrated core and set of electives, as described below.

Students with limited or no prior business coursework but who have three or more years of professional experience, upon approval of the admissions committee are required to complete a total of 39 credit hours, including the business core, integrated core and six elective credit hours, as described below.

Students with significant prior business coursework taken at an AACSB accredited university will be required to complete between 36-45 credit hours depending on the admissions committee’s evaluation of their preparation. These classes will include selected courses from the business core, the entire integrated core and set of electives.

Students with both significant prior business coursework taken at an AACSB accredited university and three or more years of professional experience, upon approval of the admissions committee, will be required to complete 30-39 credit hours depending on the admissions committee’s evaluation of their preparation. These classes will include selected courses from the business core, the entire integrated core and six hours of elective courses, as described below.

Before beginning the MBA coursework, students must acquire basic competency in mathematical analysis, statistics and economic theory and analysis. These competencies may be acquired through specific undergraduate course work with the number of courses required depending on the applicant’s prior academic work. This basic competency coursework may be taken after admission to the MBA program during the student’s first semester.

Once admitted, MBA students are responsible for making themselves aware of Graduate School policies and deadlines.

Three components comprise the curriculum:

• Business core (24 credit hours)
• Integrated Core (9 credit hours)
• Set of Electives (12 credit hours for most students, 6 credit hours for students with three or more years of professional business experience and approval of the admissions committee.)

On-Campus students taking 12 credit hours of electives may choose to pursue a prespecified, focused Area of Concentration as described below in lieu of the Set of Electives. Students pursuing a masters degree in another field may choose to use 9 credit hours from their other Masters as Electives in the MBA.

Areas of concentration - Available only to oncampus students taking at least 12 credit hours of electives

K-State’s MBA offers its students the opportunity to gain general business knowledge as well as develop a focus in a particular area of interest. Concentration areas are available in enterprise information systems, finance, management, and technology entrepreneurship. Specific courses have been carefully developed to complement one another and best meet the needs of our students. Students wishing to complete specific concentrations
will be restricted to designated course work. MBA students may not take a concentration in accounting. Students interested in accounting should enroll in the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program.

Enterprise information systems

This area of concentration is to teach students how enterprise-wide information systems and key information technologies, such as the Internet, help organizations reinvent their business processes and gather information in support of related key strategic business initiative. Students will get an indepth look at an enterprise-wide information system while focusing on systems design, evaluation and control.

Finance

The finance concentration will allow students to combine the broad MBA education with specific skills necessary to be a successful financial analyst or manager. Students will specialize in controlling the resource investments required to support an enterprise’s operating activities, planning and negotiating appropriate financing arrangements to support these investment requirements, and managing the risks inherent in an enterprise’s investment and financing activities.

Management

A concentration in management will allow a student to develop their knowledge in human resource management and/or operations management. Courses are offered in a variety of areas of management such as leadership, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, personnel law, etc.

Technology entrepreneurship

The technology entrepreneurship concentration allows graduate students to gain valuable exposure to the innovation and technology commercialization process at Kansas State University through in-class teaching and on-the-job training programs. Students in the concentration focus on the creation and management of innovation in organizations with a particular emphasis on the commercialization of intellectual property. Students with undergraduate degrees in the sciences and engineering are especially encouraged to consider this concentration as part of their programs.

Online Professional MBA Option

The MBA program, offered through the College of Business Administration , is also offered in an online format.  Courses are designed to appeal to mature students currently in developing leadership roles in their organizations.  Students must have three or more years of full-time, professional work experience approved by the admissions committee, in addition to meeting other admissions requirements for the MBA program. 

Coursework is the same as the campus program, described above, with the following exceptions.

Students are required to attend a face-to-face orientation at the beginning of their program, and are encouraged to attend at least once per year during their time of enrollment.

Students should take GENBA 875 (1 credit) International Business Experience and GENBA 800 (2 credits) Professional Development and one three-hour elective course offered for graduate credit in place of the six hours of electives that would be required of them in the campus program.  No Areas of Concentration are offered.

Thus, the details of the online curriculum are as follows.

The requirements of Online PMBA curriculum depend upon the individual’s level of prior business preparation as follows:

Students with limited or no prior business coursework are required to complete a total of 39 credit hours, including the business core, integrated core and six elective credit hours, as described below.

Students with significant prior business coursework taken at an AACSB accredited university will be required to complete 30-39 credit hours depending on the admissions committee’s evaluation of their preparation.  These classes will include selected courses from the business core, the entire integrated core and six hours of elective courses, as described below.

Before beginning the MBA coursework, students must acquire basic competency in mathematical analysis, statistics and economic theory and analysis. These competencies may be acquired through specific undergraduate course work with the number of courses required depending on the applicant’s prior academic work. This basic competency coursework may be taken after admission to the MBA program during the student’s first year.

Once admitted, MBA students are responsible for making themselves aware of Graduate School policies and deadlines.