Academics
The Smith School offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) as well as a doctoral program in numerous concentrations, and joint degrees in law (MBA/JD), public policy (MBA/MPP), social work (MBA/MSW), nursing (MBA/MSN and MBA/PhD), and business (MBA/MS). Other programs include registration through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area and the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, work-study programs, foreign exchange with 10 countries, and joint research with area firms and government agencies. The strongest areas of study are finance, information systems, marketing, transportation and logistics, and entrepreneurship. The most popular courses are finance and strategy. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus. The school hosts a number of speakers series programs, conferences, and other events featuring CEOs of major corporations, entrepreneurs and founders of start-ups, international leaders, and executives and academic experts in knowledge management, finance, and organizational structures.
Fifty-four total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 24 elective credits. Required courses include:
- Introduction to Financial Accounting
- Strategic Information Systems
- Marketing Management
- Managerial Economics and Public Policy
- Managerial Accounting
- Data, Models, and Decisions
- Financial Management
- Managing Human Capital
- The Global Economic Environment
- MBA Consulting Project
- Leadership and Teamwork
- Supply Chain Logistics and Operations Management
- Strategic Management
- Experimental Learning Modules
- Case Competition
Students may eliminate or substitute requirements, but a waiver exam is required; students may substitute electives.
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<1/2> years; maximum, 5 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 2 <1/2> years; maximum, 5 years.
There are 110 total full-time graduate business faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate; there are 9 part-time faculty, of whom 67% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated well above average for Category I institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of credit hours faculty teach is 9; average business class size is 39.