Earle P. Charlton College of Business

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Earle P. Charlton College of Business History

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, founded in 1895, is a public, coeducational institution. The 710-acre campus is located in a suburban area 60 miles south of Boston. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 8756.

The Earle P. Charlton College of Business is located on the main campus. Courses also are offered at Fall River Professional and Continuing Education Center (Part-Time MBA and certificate programs). The basic educational approach is a combination of the theoretical and the case method, with emphasis placed on managerial decision making. A team-taught approach emphasizes cross-functional examples reflecting the complexity of actual business challenges.

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Earle P. Charlton College of Business Academics

The MBA Program offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) as well as a joint degree in Master of Business Administration / Juris Doctor Joint Degree Program with Southern New England School of Law. Other programs include cross-registration with Southern New England School of Law, work-study, foreign exchange with a German university, and internship programs in some electives. The strongest areas of study are accounting and management. The most popular courses are Accounting for Decision Making and Organizational Behavior.

Thirty total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 9 elective credits. Required courses include:

• Accounting for Decision Making
• Finance for Decision Making
• Information Technology Management
• Organizational Behavior
• Operations Analysis
• Marketing Strategy
• Strategic Management

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements by having taken graduate or undergraduate equivalent courses of foundation courses only.

The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 1 year; maximum, 5 years. For students attending part time, the maximum is 5 years.

There are 43 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 86% hold a doctorate; there are 21 part-time faculty. Faculty salaries are rated well above average for Category IIA institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 6; average business class size is 15.

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Earle P. Charlton College of Business Unique Programs

Library

The university’s main library houses a collection of more than 466,939 volumes, 942,853 microform items, and 7844 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 2754 periodicals. Students have access to such databases and networks as Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage, ProQuest, ISI Emerging Markets, Primark Global Access, RDS Business Reference Suite, InfoTrac, and Reuters Business Insight. Other opportunities for research consist of web access, SPSS and other tools, and the Center for Business Research.

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities, consisting of a Digital Open VMS mainframe and IBM and Mac PCs with a wide variety of software for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, and statistical analysis.

Career and Job Placement

Placement is available through the university placement office.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL. International students must score 500 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT). They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health consisting of a health form completed by a physician, and proof of adequate funds. Financial aid is available for these students and consists of a limited number of graduate assistantships. The application deadline for fall entry is March 1.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 15 weeks long; summer sessions, varies 5 to 7 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the evening only.

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Earle P. Charlton College of Business Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 3.0. 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 145; 119 were accepted; 70 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.0; average GMAT score was 498. Transfers are not accepted.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall and spring. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, 2 letters of recommendation, and an essay, a resume. The application deadlines are June 1 for fall entry; October 1, spring. Students are notified on a rolling basis of the admissions decision. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is open. Once accepted, students may defer admission for up to 2 semesters.

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Earle P. Charlton College of Business Financial Aid

About 12% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $5530 annually. The FAFSA is required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for in-state residents is $86 per credit, or $2071 per year. Nonresidents pay $337 per credit, or $8099 per year. On-campus room and board costs approximately $5995; books and supplies, $800; personal expenses, $2000; and other fees, $7375 to $9710, for an estimated annual total of $18,241 for in-state residents and $26,604 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing is available in an on-campus apartment-type complex but is limited. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Earle P. Charlton College of Business Students

Forty-four percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 60% have had an average of 3 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from Massachusetts (67%). Forty-one percent are women, 48% are minorities, and 30% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 31; ages range from 22 to 71. About 17% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 90% remain to receive their degree. In 2006, 73 graduate business degrees were awarded.