Seidman College of Business

Grand Valley State University, Seidman College of Business History

Grand Valley State University, founded in 1960, is a public, coeducational institution. The 1115-acre campus is located in a small town 12 miles west of Grand Rapids. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 23,295.

The Seidman College of Business was founded in 1973 and is located in its own building, DeVos Center. Courses also are offered at downtown Grand Rapids and Lakeshore Center in Holland. The basic educational approach is a combination of the theoretical and case method approaches.

Grand Valley State University, Seidman College of Business Academics

The Seidman College offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Taxation (MST), and Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) as well as a joint degree in nursing and business (MSN/MBA); a dual JD/MBA and a dual JD/MST are available with Michigan State University College of Law. The strongest areas of study and the most popular courses are accounting and finance. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus. A Distinguished Executive Lecture is held each semester.

Thirty-three total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 8 elective credits. Required courses include:

• Managerial Accounting
• Financial Policy for Managers
• Organization Dynamics and Leadership
• Managerial Economics
• Marketing Management
• Operations Management
• Strategy
• Global Competitiveness
• Management Information Systems and Org Processes

Required courses for the MST include:

• Corporate I
• Estate, Gift, and Trust I
• Partnership Taxation
• Tax Problems, Planning, and Current Issues
• Tax Research and Writing

Required courses for the MSA include:

• Financial Statement Analysis
• Financial Accounting Systems
• International Accounting
• Advanced Accounting
• Accounting Theory

Business students may take relevant nonbusiness courses in other departments. The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 1 year; maximum, 8 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 2 years; maximum, 8 years.

There are 21 total full-time graduate business faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate; there are 6 part-time faculty. Faculty salaries are rated below average for Category IIA institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 6; average business class size is 25.

Grand Valley State University, Seidman College of Business Unique Programs

Library

The university’s main library houses a collection of more than 678,488 volumes, 866,712 microform items, and 19,105 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 37,027 periodicals. The business library is particularly strong in law and nonprofit administration. Students have access to such databases and networks as ABI/INFORM, Asian Business, Buckmaster’s Annual Reports, Business and Company Resource Center, EconLit, EDGAR, Hoover’s, Lexis/Nexis, and National Trade Data. Other opportunities for research consist of a Michigan program that provides access to libraries within the state.

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities. The IBM ES-9000 mainframe is accessible from nearly 500 stations in 8 campus locations. These terminals are PCs that students also use for word processing and to run software packages. There are also PCs in residence halls.

Career and Job Placement

Placement services are limited, since most students are already employed full time. Placement services for alumni include centralized placement services. Placement is available through the university placement office. Ninety percent of the 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 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT). They also must submit a translation of their transcripts and proof of adequate funds to cover 1 academic year of study. Financial aid is available for these students and consists of graduate assistantships. The application deadline for fall entry is May 1.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 14 weeks long; summer sessions, 6 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the day and evening.

Grand Valley State University, Seidman College of Business Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 2.5 and a GMAT score of 500. The formula for using the GPA and GMAT scores is (GPA x 200) + GMAT, or minimum 1100. Most important admissions factors are work experience, grades in upper-level courses, and GMAT results. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 262; 219 were accepted; 191 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.2; average GMAT score was 570. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by the Minority Business Education Center for undergraduate students and minority scholarships for graduate students.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall, winter, and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, and a nonrefundable application fee of $30. A personal interview is helpful. The application deadlines are August 1 for fall entry; December 1, winter; April 1, spring. Students are notified of the admissions decision within 1 month of application. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is July. Once accepted, students may defer admission for up to 1 year.

Grand Valley State University, Seidman College of Business Financial Aid

About 26% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $4360 annually; maximum $13,665. The FAFSA is required. The application deadlines are February 15 for fall entry; October 1, winter; February 15, summer.

Tuition for in-state residents is $325 per credit, or $5850 per year. Nonresidents pay $600 per credit, or $10,800 per year. On-campus room and board costs approximately $6500; books and supplies, $900; personal expenses, $1100; and other fees, $90, for an estimated annual total of $14,440 for in-state residents and $20,890 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing is available on the Allendale campus and on the Grand Rapids campus. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

Grand Valley State University, Seidman College of Business Students

Seventeen percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 90% have had an average of 7 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from Michigan (95%). Thirty-seven percent are women, 6% are minorities, and 5% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 30; ages range from 21 to 60. Five percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 5% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 40%, business; 25%, engineering; 15%, math and science; 10%, liberal arts; 5%, economics; and 5%, social sciences. About 10% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 75% remain to receive their degree. In 2006, 99 graduate business degrees were awarded.