Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI - Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI

Academics

The Haworth College of Business offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA). The strongest areas of study are management, marketing, finance, and accounting. The most popular courses are Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, Intercultural Communications, Business Strategy, International Finance and Change Management. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus through the Distinguished Speaker Series and Professor of the Day programs.

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

Prerequisite/core courses (12 hours):
Accountancy
Basic Economic Analysis
Corporate Finance
Legal, Regulatory, and Political Aspects of Business
Business context courses (9 hours):
Global Business and Intercultural Communication
Business Policy and the Social and Ethical Environment
Information Technology Management
Functional core courses (15 hours):
Managerial Accounting
Financial Management
Customer-Driven Marketing Management
Business Process Management
Managing Human Resources and Behavior
Concentration electives (9 hours)
Integrative Business Solutions ( 3 hours)
Business Strategy

Required courses for the MSA include:

A minimum 30 semester hours, including 15 hours of accounting, must be selected from these courses:
Advanced Accounting
Advanced Accounting Information Systems
Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting
Accounting Theory and Problems
Cost AccountingConcepts and Practice
Advanced Tax Accounting
Seminar in Financial Accounting Theory
International Accounting
Seminar in Management Accounting Concepts
Seminar in Business Tax Planning
Special Topics in Accountancy

Students may substitute for or waive basic core courses based on grades in prior courses. They may waive up to 4 core courses and may substitute an elective for 1 core MBA class.

Business students may take relevant nonbusiness courses in other departments. The maximum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full or part time is 6 years.

There are 65 total full-time graduate business faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated below average for Category I institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of credit hours faculty teach is 18; average business class size is 30.

Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 2.5. Most important admissions factors are GMAT results, grades in upper-level courses, and work experience. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 185; 123 were accepted; 93 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.13; average GMAT score was 530. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by the Thurgood Marshall Fellowship Program, Black College Scholar Program, and recruitment by the graduate college minority division.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, 2 transcripts, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $40, and a work experience form. The application deadlines are July 1 for fall entry; November 1, winter; March 1, spring; May 1, summer. Students are notified of the admissions decision on a rolling basis. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is August. Once accepted, students may defer admission for up to 1 year.

Financial Aid

About 44% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $11,300 annually; maximum $36,000. Stipends and programs available for minority students include Thurgood Marshall Assistantships. The FAFSA is required. The application deadline is February 15 for fall entry.

Tuition for in-state residents is $324 per credit, or $5832 per year. Nonresidents pay $730 per credit, or $13,140 per year. On-campus room and board costs approximately $6475; books and supplies, $1000; and other fees, $1037 to $1137, for an estimated annual total of $14,344 for in-state residents and $21,752 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing consists of a residence hall for students over 21 and family student apartments. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

Students

Twenty-one percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 90% have had an average of 6 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 (86%). Forty percent are women, 5% are minorities, and 14% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 31; ages range from 22 to 55. Eight percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 8% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 50%, business; 25%, engineering; 6%, math and science; 5%, liberal arts; and 2%, social sciences. In 2006, 118 graduate business degrees were awarded.