COLLEGE OF
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

The College of Business Administration's undergraduate and graduate degree programs are accredited by AACSB, The International Association for Management Education.

   The mission of the College of Business Administration is to support Sam Houston State University's mission by providing students with the education experience in the field of business necessary to become productive citizens, to develop successful business related careers, and to provide interested students with the background necessary to pursue advanced studies in the field of business and related fields. The educational experience at the undergraduate and master's levels is designed to provide students with the intellectual flexibility to be successful in a dynamic business environment.

   The highest priority of the College of Business Administration is teaching, primarily at the undergraduate level. In addition, the college encourages faculty professional development, scholarly productivity, and service to benefit all stakeholders: students, alumni, donors, regional businesses, and the State of Texas. To continuously improve the quality of our programs, the College supports a system which allows input from our major stakeholders.

   The Master of Business Administration program at Sam Houston State University is designed to develop candidates for positions of leadership in modern organizations or to prepare students to successfully pursue doctoral studies in business. Managerial procedures and practices are continually changing. Therefore, the program emphasizes the integration and synthesis of various disciplines to develop a student's ability to function in a dynamic environment and make sound administrative decisions that maximize the value and contributions of an organization. The Master of Business Administration program is suited for qualified students from any academic discipline. The program provides the candidate with a basic managerial background through the core requirements while providing individualized adaptation through elective courses.

   The Master of Business Administration degree may be earned in one year by those students who have completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. For a student with a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than business, a minimum of two years will probably be required. For the non-business graduate the first year of study will involve taking prerequisite courses in preparation for the graduate courses.

   The Master of Business Administration program requires a core of twenty-one graduate semester hours and fifteen hours of elective graduate courses. The selection of elective courses allows a student to design his/her program to meet special interests or needs. The College of Business Administration offers numerous graduate elective courses in Accounting, Business Analysis, Economics, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing. Individual readings/research courses can also be established to further facilitate special student interests.

   With the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, students may elect to complete a minimum of 30 semester graduate hours plus a thesis of 6 semester hours.

   Students who do not hold a baccalaureate business degree must complete the following course requirements as prerequisites to graduate business courses. Baccalaureate degrees from foreign universities will be treated as non-business degrees.

 A 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale must be maintained on all stem courses. Students failing to maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average on the stem courses will be subject to academic suspension.

   Students must submit to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies, an application, transcript(s) of all previous college work, and an acceptable Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score. Admission to graduate studies in business is dependent upon the candidate satisfying at least one of the following two graduate admission formulas.

   The grade point average (GPA) is based on a four-point scale and only courses from the baccalaureate degree granting institution are used for determining graduate admission. Students who are not in good standing at another college or university are not eligible for admission into the MBA program.

   International students or students whose native language is not English must submit a GMAT score of at least 450 and a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper based exam or a TOEFL score of at least 213 on the computer based exam. All immigration requirements must also be satisfied prior to admission.

   The College of Business Administration offers, on a rotational pattern, a selection of MBA courses at The University Center, located in The Woodlands, Texas. The junior and senior level stem courses are also available at The University Center. It is possible to complete the thirty-six hours of graduate work in a two-year period, however, a three-year period is the more likely time frame needed to complete the graduate coursework requirements of the MBA at The University Center.

   The College of Business Administration offers a five-year accounting program in conjunction with its BBA in Accounting. To be admitted to the special one-year, 30-hour accounting MBA program, students must: (1) fulfill all entry requirements for the MBA program as described in this catalogue; (2) hold a BBA with a major in Accounting from SHSU that includes, in addition to the standard requirements for the BBA in Accounting (please see the undergraduate catalogue for a description of the BBA program or contact the Chair of the Department of Accounting), ACC 436 (Advanced Accounting II) and ACC 484 (Advanced Income Tax), for a total of 36 hours in accounting; and (3) begin graduate studies at SHSU not later than the long semester (Fall or Spring) immediately following receipt of the undergraduate degree. The 30-hour program consists of the 21 required core hours of the standard MBA to include ACC 580, as well as ACC 569, ACC 581, and three hours of graduate business electives.

   For additional information about the MBA program please contact the College of Business Administration's Coordinator of Graduate Studies at: Box 2056, Huntsville, TX 77341-2056 or by phone (936) 294-1246, or FAX (936) 294-3612, or e-mail eco_mjm@shsu.edu. The College of Business Administration's internet address is http://coba.shsu.edu.