Master of Business Administration

• About the Program
• Degree Requirements
• Executive Program Option
• Concurrent Degree Program

About the Program

The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree is a fully-accredited curriculum that provides students with the professional skills necessary to manage a modern business enterprise. The degree program emphasizes practices that benefit the individual, the organization, and the social and economic environment.

In addition, the curriculum requires students to master topics in accounting, economics, finance, marketing, law and ethics, operations management, quantitative methods, information systems, management, and corporate strategy and policies. Electives may be selected from the following business areas: accounting and taxation, entrepreneurship, finance, general business, international business, management, MIS, marketing, operations management, and statistics. Within the elective section of the degree, students pursue one of the following paths:

• Free Electives Path: A variety of graduate courses may be taken from across the college.

• Focused Path: 9 or more hours may be taken in a single department to focus on a specific functional area (for example, MIS, Finance, etc.)

While there are several thousand institutions granting degrees in business administration, the University of Houston is one of approximately 540 colleges whose master's programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Degree Requirements

All students entering the Master of Business Administration program are required to have a four-year undergraduate degree or foreign equivalent from an accredited institution. The undergraduate degree may be in any discipline. All MBA candidates are expected to possess computer literacy (word processing, spreadsheet analysis, database management, PowerPoint) and ability to use the Internet. Students without this background are expected to acquire this knowledge prior to enrollment in the program. At UH, an appropriate course equivalent is DISC 3300.

Program Structure 

The M.B.A. Program is comprised of sixteen courses (48 semester hours) of graduate level academic work. There are two categories of course work: core courses and electives.

Core Courses (30 Semester Hours)

A total of ten courses comprise the MBA core curriculum. These core courses are presented in modules to facilitate the student's acquisition of cross-functional knowledge. These modules and courses are taken in the order shown.

 

 

 

 

Please note that M.B.A. core courses may NOT be waived.

Electives (18 semester hours)

MBA candidates must take a minimum of six 7000-level business elective courses to complete the degree. Two graduate-level electives outside the Bauer College of Business may be counted toward the degree subject to prior approval from the MBA Program Office.

Electives can be selected from the following business areas: accounting and taxation, finance, general business, international business, management, marketing, MIS, and operations management.

In the elective section, students may pursue one or two concentrations, which are typically 3-course sequences identified by departments as providing areas of specialization that will be highly career relevant. Please refer to the MBA Program Office for a listing of these concentrations. In addition a number of cross-functional certificates may be available, which consist of 9-18 hours taken in a cross-functional area. Students selecting this option will be awarded a Certificate in addition to the MBA diploma upon completion of their degree. Enrollment in certificate programs is selective. Information on Certificate Programs is available in the Office of Graduate and Professional Programs.

Waiver/Transfer Policy for Previously Completed Courses

None of the 48 credits required for the MBA degree may be waived. Transfer hours are also not accepted. In rare cases waivers of a core course may be allowed with substitution of a higher level course in that area. On occasion, students close to degree completion who relocate due to a job transfer may be allowed to transfer in some elective credits with approval from the Assistant Dean and Advisor.

Waiver with Substitution

Students in certain rare academic cases may choose a waiver with substitution of an elective for a required course. Waiver with substitution possibilities must be discussed with the graduate advisors in the MBA Program Office. If a course is waived with substitution, the substituted course is within the same subject area as the required course, at the graduate level. The number of hours required for the M.B.A. program is not reduced.

Time Limitation

Students must complete the degree program within seven years; however, the last 36 hours of the program must be completed within the five-year period preceding the student's graduation.

Continuous Enrollment

Unless students petition for a leave of absence, they should maintain continuous enrollment during the fall and spring semesters. Students who are not enrolled for more than one calendar year will be under the jurisdiction of the catalog in effect at the time of reentry. Students who fail to maintain continuous enrollment for more than two calendar years must reapply for admission, pay the Bauer College application fee, and must meet the admission requirements in effect at that time.

Effective Semester of Admission

Admission is granted only for a specific semester. If students postpone enrollment, they must secure approval from the MBA Program Office. Admission may be deferred for up to one year. The first semester in which students, as graduate students, complete graduate-level work that applies toward a degree is the effective semester of admission.

Executive Program Option

Celebrating more than twenty-five years of excellence for executives, the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business delivers a premier Executive M.B.A. Degree program, offering quality education, outstanding faculty, and team-based learning.

The Executive Degree Programs offer a fully accredited M.B.A. degree, with scheduling options that will meet both professional and development needs of upcoming managers and executives. These options are all-inclusive cohorts, presented in a lock-step format that acknowledge the demanding schedule of working professionals.

• Program I is a 24-month program that meets on Monday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 – 9:30.

• Program II is the oldest EMBA Program at UH, celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year. This 18-month program meets on Fridays and Saturdays from 8:00 – 5:00 on alternating weekends.

 

All Executive MBA Program applicants must meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor's degree in any discipline

• Significant business and professional experience of at least five years

• Potential for continued professional growth. Each applicant is evaluated on individual potential for senior management

• Application ($75 non-refundable fee)

• Resumé

• Two official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended

• Two letters of appraisal

• Personal interview (an interview will be scheduled after your application is reviewed and approved)

Additional information on these options is available from the Executive MBA Programs Office, (713) 743-4700.

Concurrent Degree Program

The C.T. Bauer College of Business offers concurrent degree programs with a number of other colleges at the University of Houston, as well as an M.B.A./M.G.M. joint degree program with the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona.

Concurrent degree program opportunities available with other colleges at the University of Houston include the M.B.A./J.D. program with the UH Law Center; the M.B.A./M.A. in Spanish program with the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; the M.B.A./M.S. in Hospitality Management program with the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management; the M.B.A./M.I.E. program with the Cullen College of Engineering; and the M.B.A./M.S.W. program with the Graduate College of Social Work. Through the joint programs students can obtain two graduate degrees in a shorter period of time than if they were to pursue the same two degrees independently. The programs may be pursued on either a full-time or part-time basis within specific time limitations. Students graduate with both degrees in the same semester.

Participation in any of the concurrent degree programs requires separate application to and acceptance by each of the participating schools within a calendar year. Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the two respective colleges before being admitted to a concurrent degree program. Admission to one college has no official bearing on admission to the other. Criteria for entrance to the M.B.A. portion of these programs are stated in the section on general requirements. Further information may be obtained from the colleges and graduate schools listed below:

C.T. Bauer College of Business
MBA Program Office
330 Melcher Hall
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-6021
(713) 743-0700

M.B.A./Doctor of Jurisprudence:
Office of Student Services
Law Center
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-6060
(713) 743-1070

M.B.A./Master of Arts in Spanish:
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Department of Modern and Classical Languages
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-3006
(713) 743-3068

M.B.A./Master of Science in Hospitality Management:
Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
Academic Advisor, Graduate Programs
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-3028
(713) 743-2457

M.B.A./Master of Industrial Engineering:
Cullen College of Engineering
Director of Engineering Management Program
Department of Industrial Engineering
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4814
(713) 743-4180

M.B.A./Master of Social Work:
Graduate College of Social Work
Office of Student Services
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4013
(713) 743-8082

M.B.A./Master of Global Management:
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Office of Admissions
15249 N. 59th Ave.
Glendale, AZ 85306-6003
(602) 978-7210 or (800) 457-6966 
admissions@thunderbird.edu  

Catalog Publish Date: January 14, 2013
This Page Last Updated: November 29, 2012