Shidler College of Business

University of Hawaii at Manoa, Shidler College of Business History

University of Hawaii at Manoa, founded in 1907, is a public, coeducational institution. The 300-acre campus is located in a suburban area in Manoa Valley, close to downtown Honolulu. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 20,643.

The Shidler College of Business was founded in 1949 and is located on the main campus, in its own building, Business Administration Building. Courses also are offered at Hanoi School of Business (Vietnam Executive MBA), Sun Yat-Sen University (China International MBA), and Japan-America Institute of Management Science in Honolulu (Japan-focused Executive MBA). The basic educational approach is to prepare future managers and executives by reviewing current business practices and stressing the development of skills and their application to decision making. Case analysis, lectures, independent research, and simulation exercises are used.

University of Hawaii at Manoa, Shidler College of Business Academics

The Shidler College of Business offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA), China International Master of Business Administration (CIMBA), Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA), Japan-focused Executive Master of Business Administration (JEMBA), Master of Accounting (MAcc), Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM), Neighbor Island Master of Business Administration (NIMBA), Vietnam Executive Master of Business Administration (VEMBA), United States International MBA (USIMBA), and Waseda, Japan Master of Accounting (Waseda MAcc) as well as a doctoral program in international management and an interdisciplinary program in communication and information sciences, and a joint degree in law (MBA/JD). Other programs include an interdisciplinary program leading to an MBA/PhD in Economics, cooperative programs with the Japan America Institute of Management Science, Hanoi Business School, and Sun Yat-Sen University, foreign exchange with 8 countries, a 3-2 degree with the School of Accountancy, and internships in Hawaii and in business incubators in the South Pacific and in Japan and China for Japan- and China-focused MBA students. Work-study programs are available. The strongest areas of study are international business, management of information technology, entrepreneurship, and e-commerce. The most popular courses are international business and e-commerce. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus.

Forty-eight total credits are required to complete the MBA (30 or 45 for the Macc, depending on undergraduare major), including 18 elective credits (15 for the Macc). Required courses include:

• Analytical Tools for the MBA
• Organizational Behavior and External Environment of Asia-Pacific
• Managerial Finance
• Managerial Accounting
• Marketing Management
• Information Technology Management
• Business Policy and Strategy
• Field Studies in the Enterprise

Required courses for the MAcc include:

• Taxation of Business Entities
• Analysis in Decision Making
• Assurance in the Information Age
• Rhetoric in Organizations
• Global Accounting
• 3 electives in accounting, business, or law

Required courses for the MHRM include:

• Advanced Organizational Behavior
• Employment Law
• Advanced Organizational Behavior
• Negotiations and Labor Relations
• The Staffing Process
• Compensation and Benefits
• Training and Career Development
• International Human Resources Management
• HRM Capstone

For the MAcc, a minimum of 30 credits is required, with a minimum of 18 credits of 600-level courses. If a course is waived, another course in the same area of study and of the same or higher level should be substituted. Students in the MBA program may waive Analytical Tools for the MBA if they graduated from an AACSB-accredited business school within the past 5 years.

Business students may take relevant nonbusiness courses in other departments. The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full or part time is 24 months; maximum, 7 years.

There are 55 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 88% hold a doctorate; there are 14 part-time faculty, of whom 29% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated average for Category I institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 4; average business class size is 35.

University of Hawaii at Manoa, Shidler College of Business Unique Programs

Library

The university’s main library houses a collection of more than 3.3 million volumes, 5.9 million microform items, and 57,229 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 40,000 periodicals. The business library is particularly strong in the Asian Collection, which comprises business information on countries in the region. Students have access to more than 150 databases.

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities, consisting of the Computer Resources Center and the graduate reading room, which provide students with access to 92 PCs; in addition, there are 21 computers in the Accounting Research Center.

Career and Job Placement

In a recent spring, 60 companies recruited on campus. Eighty-three percent were national corporations. Majors most in demand were accounting, finance, management information systems, and marketing. Average starting salary of a recent graduating class was $50,000; range was $30,000 to $85,000. The percentage of graduates finding jobs were:

• local large enterprises 36%
• national corporations 15%
• regional corporations 12%
• local small enterprises 10%
• self-employment 4%

Placement services are limited, since most students are already employed full time. Placement services for alumni include full service identical to current students. Placement is available through Internship and Career Services and the university placement office. Twenty-five percent a most recent graduating class found jobs within three months of receiving their degree.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL. International students must score 600 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT) or 100 on the Internet-Based version (iBT). They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health consisting of the UH Health Center Health Clearance Form, and proof of adequate funds to cover the entire course of study. There are special fees of $600 for health insurance. Financial aid is available for these students and consists of resident tuition for selected applicants from a number of Asian and Pacific Rim countries. The application deadline for fall entry is May 1.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 15 weeks long; summer sessions, 6 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the evening only.

University of Hawaii at Manoa, Shidler College of Business Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 3.0 and a GMAT score of 500 for the MBA and 530 for the Macc. Most important admissions factors are academic accomplishments and ability, GMAT results, and work experience. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 549; 138 were accepted; 71 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.22; average GMAT score was 560. Transfers are accepted.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall and spring. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, a resume, and a statement of objectives (an essay on how the MBA degree will help the student achieve his or her ultimate goals). The application deadlines are May 1 for fall entry (March 1 for early decision); September 1, spring. Students are notified of the admissions decision April to June for fall and October to December for spring. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is May 1.

University of Hawaii at Manoa, Shidler College of Business Financial Aid

About 75% of graduate business school students received financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships in a recent year for a total average of $12,150 annually; maximum $29,000. Stipends and programs available for minority students include scholarships for native Hawaiians. The FAFSA and the school’s own financial statement are required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for in-state residents is $454 per credit, or $10,896 per year. Nonresidents pay $678 per credit, or $16,272 per year. Books and supplies cost approximately $1200; personal expenses, $2000; and other fees, $225, for an estimated annual total of $25,442 for in-state residents and $36,194 for out-of-state residents. On-campus housing is available on a limited basis. Off-campus private accommodations are available in Honolulu. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

University of Hawaii at Manoa, Shidler College of Business Students

All of the current graduate business school class are enrolled part time; 96% have had an average of 5 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from Hawaii (51%). Forty-six percent are women, 2% are minorities, and 15% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 27; ages range from 25 to 55. Three percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 20% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 54%, business; 13%, social sciences; 9%, engineering; 9%, liberal arts; 9%, math and science; and 5%, economics. About 6% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 94% remain to receive their degree. In 2006, 123 graduate business degrees were awarded.