1.800.252.7528
Need Help? Click to Chat!

Master of Business Administration

You are here: Home / Academics / Business / Master of Business Administration / Academics / Master of Business Administration, MBA

Master of Business Administration, MBA

The following are the degree objectives for the Master of Business Administration. Upon completion of the degree students will have:

  • Gained an appreciation of the local, domestic, and global environments as they relate to business management
  • Enhanced their business judgment and identified sound management methods including the ability to think critically and strategically
  • Attained an understanding of, and ability to appropriately leverage, interpersonal relationships and team work
  • Developed analytical expertise and functional frameworks drawn from a broad range of managerial skills including accounting, finance, economics, marketing, management, and law
  • Acquired an ability to incorporate appropriate quantitative and qualitative data, including an appreciation for the value and costs of obtaining data, into management decisions
  • Established outstanding, multi-method, communication skills
  • Recognized the value of effective and ethical leadership so they can lead themselves, others, and organizations

Admissions

The general requirements for admission to graduate studies at APU are found at the beginning of the section describing graduate programs. In addition, there are several specific requirements for the MBA program, and the MBA/HSA program as follows:

  1. Resume. Submit a current resume.
  2. Letters of Recommendation. Submit three current letters of recommendation, using the Recommendation Forms in the admissions packet.
  3. All applicants to the MBA programs will be required to be approved by a departmental admissions committee after completing a personal (either in-person or web-based) interview.
  4. Official Transcripts. Submit official transcripts from all previous institutions. General graduate admission standards for APU are a 3.0 or better for completed baccalaureate work.
  5. Essay. Please submit a 500-800 word essay addressing your personal and professional goals as they relate to your motivation to obtain an MBA or a MBA with a concentration in Health Services Administration.
  6. Application Deadline. Application deadline: August 1 for Fall semester, December 1 for Spring semester, and April 1 for Summer semester.

Admissions decisions are generally based on academic records of undergraduate, upper division, and graduate work, or alternative indicators of success including innovative leadership or accomplishments in a career field, civic activity, or professional achievement.

Prerequisites

Students are adequately prepared for MBA entry if they have a bachelor’s degree in business or a related discipline which includes courses in accounting, finance, economics, and management, with math competency through algebra and statistics. The faculty encourages students with a wide variety of undergraduate experiences to apply for admission. Students with non-business majors are welcome. If, however, a student’s undergraduate transcript does not demonstrate adequate preparation in mathematics and business, the student may be admitted and required to take prerequisite courses. Prerequisite courses do not count toward the MBA MBA/HSA, or MBAICT degrees. Students may also demonstrate that they have acquired prerequisite knowledge through work experience or self-study.

MBA Course Format

The trimesters are structured as follows:

 Summer:
April 29 - July 12, 2012		Fall:
September 24 - December 14, 2012		Spring:
February 4 – April 26, 2012
Core MBA(Alaska)MBA 618; MBA 624; MBA 664MBA 653; MBA 663;  MBA 670MBA 642; MBA 652; MBA 697
Core MBA(Austria)MBA 642; MBA 697;  MBA 6XX (elective)
MBA Finance ConcentrationMBA 67500; MBA 676; MBA 683
MBA Entrepreneurship CoursesMBA 623; MBA 627; MBA 628;
EMBA Strategic LeadershipMBA 665; MBA 625
MBA ICTMCT 663; MCT 661; MBA 632
MBA HSA ConcentrationFinal Module: MBA 639; MBA 635MBA 636; MBA 644; MBA 631 (replaces the core MBA above)
Thesis OptionFinal Module: MBA 699 ThesisMBA 601 Research Seminar

 

The format for courses (except Summer MBA Core courses – see below for details) is

  • 6 weeks of one 2.5-hour class/week: webcast or archived recording
  • Asynchronous readings, discussions, exercises
  • 3 full days in class (one course will run Saturday-Monday, the second Tuesday-Thursday, with the final course Friday-Sunday). Courses will alternate days of week each year, so no student will be required to take Tuesday – Thursday off from work.
  • 2 weeks to complete course projects asynchronously.

The Summer trimester MBA core courses are structured differently:

  • MBA 664 starts on a Thursday evening, continues for the following full weekend, and finishes on the Sunday following.
  • MBA 618 meets Monday-Wednesday
  • MBA 624 meets Thursday-Saturday

The days for MBA 618 and 624 will alternate from one year to the next (to accommodate students who have difficulty scheduling 3 days off from work).

 MBA Degree Requirements

All MBA students must complete a minimum of 27 credits of required courses as follow:

MBA Electives:

  • MBA Electives  (9)

Total Credit Hours: 36

Thesis Option

  • MBA 60100 – A Design and Principles of Research (3)
  • MBA 68100 – Thesis (6)

MBA electives are replaced by these two courses.

Total Credit Hours: 36

MBA students may take up to six (6) credits of upper division undergraduate course work in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements. The student’s advisor and Program Director must approve the courses in advance of enrollment

Concentration in Finance

For those interested in finance, the MBA with a Concentration in Finance provides the breadth of the MBA with the depth required for a career in finance. It also offers the opportunity to further learn about securities, portfolio management, bonds, and investment theory, and to gain hands-on experience managing the Student Fund. Requirements for admission are the same as those for the MBA program.

Total Credit Hours: 36

Concentration in Health Services Administration

Health Services Administration is a concentration within the MBA Program at APU. This program builds foundational, analytical, and integrated knowledge of the health service industry. The program is aimed at current and future managers and administrators in organizations involved with providing health services, major customers of health service providers, and entities involved with developing and implementing health service policies. The program is based on solid business fundamentals with applications to a variety of health service settings, including the private sector (both for profit and not-for-profit), the public sector (local, state, and federal), and Native health service providers. Courses are scheduled to accommodate the needs of working professionals and can be completed in two years based upon a sustained enrollment in 2 courses per semester (including summers and/or shorter block courses).

The following are the degree objectives for Health Services Administration:

  • Learn the business of health services such that its strategies and growth are soundly based in effective leadership and other business practices
  • Enhance skills in critical thinking, ethics, and information literacy leading to better leadership decisions
  • Contribute to the community of health services administration in Alaska while mastering business management skills
  • Apply knowledge of systems to health services in Alaska, relating it to the national and global markets as a business, and to demographics as a provider of care to individuals
  • Investigate technology options that increase the health services administrator’s ability to provide services locally while simultaneously participating in national initiatives of information interoperability and security

HSA Degree Requirements

MBA Health Services Administration students must complete a minimum of 36 credits of required courses.

AND

OR

MBA Health Service Administration Thesis Option replaces 9 credits of MBA/HSA courses (MBA 63600, MBA 63800, & MBA 63900) with 9 credits of research preparation and thesis work. The student takes the following: