College of Administration and Business, Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA

Academics

The college offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) as well as a doctoral program in business administration (DBA). The strongest areas of study are accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, and quantitative analysis. The most popular courses are in accounting, finance, management, and marketing.

Thirty total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 6 elective credits. Required courses include:

Accounting Analysis for Decision Making
Managerial Economics
Financial Management
Administrative Policy
Information Resource Management
Marketing Management
Contemporary Management
Quantitative Approaches for Decision Making

Required courses for the MPA include:

Contemporary Accounting Theory or Seminar in Financial Accounting
Advanced Managerial Accounting
Advanced Auditing
Cases and Problems in Income Taxes
Business Law for Accountants

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements by transferring up to 6 hours of graduate study.

The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 1 year; maximum, 6 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 2 years; maximum, 6 years.

There are 40 total full-time graduate business faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate; there is 1 part-time faculty member. Faculty salaries are rated well below average for Category I institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 6; average business class size is 26.

Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 2.75 and a GMATscore of 450. The formula for using the GPA and GMAT scores is (undergraduate GPA x 200) + GMAT, or minimum 1100. Most important admissions factors are academic accomplishments and ability, GMAT results, and grades in upper-level courses. A strong mathematics background is not required.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $30, and 3 letters of recommendation. The application deadlines are August 1 for fall entry; November 1, winter; February 1, spring; May 1, summer. Students are notified of the admissions decision shortly after a decision is made. Once accepted, students may defer admission for up to 3 quarters.

Financial Aid

Stipends and programs available for minority students include minority doctoral fellowships. The FAFSA is required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for in-state residents is approximately $3500 per year. Nonresidents pay approximately $7300 per year. On-campus room and board costs approximately $4100. Other fees total approximately $4500. Graduate student housing consists of a quiet floor and married-student housing.

Students

Seventy-three percent of a recent graduate business school class erre enrolled full time; 56% had an average of 6 of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school. The greatest percentage of students were from Louisiana (50%). Forty-five percent were women, 7% were minorities, and 39% were foreign nationals. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 35%, human ecology and education; 26%, liberal arts; 17%, engineering; 15%, business; 7%, math and science; and 5%, social sciences. About 10% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons. In a recent year, 70 graduate business degrees were awarded.