Business Administration, M.B.A.

Program Requirements

Credit Hours: 39

Pre-Term Session

Pre-Term is a two-week orientation prior to the Fall term. The goals of Pre-Term are to collaborate with peers, prepare for a career, enhance skills, access resources, expand networks and embrace Charleston. The session helps students understand what resources are available to them and how best to leverage them. Pre-Term establishes a foundation that will lead to student success throughout the MBA program.

Non-Credit online proficiency courses

Because our program attracts a wide array of students with diverse backgrounds, academic degrees, work experience, and talent, it is important to establish a common thread of knowledge and vocabulary in fundamental areas before students start classes. Students accepted into our One-Year MBA must successfully complete self-paced, online proficiency courses prior to coming to campus for the preterm session in August. This establishes a baseline understanding of business principles and enables instructors to start classes at a competency level appropriate for a graduate program. Students who do not successfully complete these courses after the first attempt may be permitted additional attempts.

Students who do not successfully complete this requirement by the first day of classes will not be permitted to continue in the program and will be withdrawn from the Graduate School.

Non-credit organized events

The MBA Program offers a variety of co-curricular opportunities designed enhance the student experience and prepare them for their careers. Two of these are required:

MBA Fridays - MBA classes are scheduled Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, students will participate in MBA Friday sessions with executive speakers, career development or additional skills training.
Mentor Program - This program links MBA students with experienced, senior-level business executives. The mentor program helps guide mentees in their career aspirations. The pairs are expected to meet at least once per month.

Students who miss an event must have an excused absence. Students with an unexcused absence must complete make-up assignments to the satisfaction of the program director. The program director assesses successful completion of this requirement. Students who do not successfully fulfill this requirement may be withdrawn from the Graduate School.

ETS Exam

The MBA program does not require a thesis, but students must complete a comprehensive exam during the final term. This ETS exam is taken by MBA students throughout the world. The exam covers topics in Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing and Operations.

The ETS Exam must be successfully completed no later than July 1. Students who do meet the minimum score threshold will be subject to an oral examination administered by program faculty. This score is determined by the program director in consultation with the faculty committee. Students who do not pass the oral examination may be withdrawn from the Graduate School.

Required Core Courses (27 Credit Hours):

Foreign Study Travel Experience (3 credit hours)

MBAD 520 Global Enterprise (3)

Emphasis Area Courses (9 Credit Hours):

One of these emphasis areas is required.

Marketing Emphasis

Students build on the strategic and tactical marketing elements to gain skills that enable them to assume marketing responsibilities for B2C and B2B organizations. These include business development, account management, research, product and brand management, and supply chain management.

Complete three courses for a total of 9 credit hours:

Finance Emphasis

Students learn strategic and tactical financial tools with global application. They are versed in corporate finance modeling, fixed income securities models, portfolio models, and option pricing models. They also deal with the advantages and limitations of different financial theories with respect to practical application. Students are business ready to enter basic financial positions and move rapidly to financial areas of high responsibility in a variety of organizations.

Complete three of the four courses for a total of 9 credit hours:

Hospitality and Tourism Development Emphasis

Students learn hands-on practical skills in profit maximization and asset management particularly focused on hospitality and service industry businesses. Each course builds on the previous to develop revenue management and optimization techniques, pricing strategies, forecasting, analytics, and channel management knowledge and application. Students who focus in this hospitality-related field graduate and quickly progress in corporate roles within the hospitality and service industry major hotels and property management companies.

Complete three of the four courses for a total of 9 credit hours:

Business Analytics Emphasis

Business Analytics provides students with the foundation needed to apply data analytics to real-world challenges they confront daily in their professional lives. The ability to analyze data and information to describe and understand the performance of a business, evaluate different courses of action, and employ a structured approach to business problem-solving is crucial for a sustained competitive advantage. As part of the emphasis, participants will learn to frame business challenges as data questions. They will use powerful analytical tools and methods to analyze data, create forecasts and models, design visualizations, and communicate insights.

Required Courses:

Complete 3 additional credit hours from the following:

Transfer Credit Policy

The Master of Business Administration does not accept graduate transfer credit from another institution. Dual MBA/JD program students should discuss required number of academic units with the MBA program director.