College of Business, Ohio University-Main Campus in Athens, OH - Ohio University-Main Campus in Athens, OH

Academics

The College offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) as well as a joint degree in sports administration and health administration. Other programs include work-study. The strongest areas of study are accounting, marketing, finance, management, and sports administration. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus. The MBA Student Association is responsible for inviting speakers; professors also make contacts.

Seventy-two total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 12 elective credits. Required courses include:

MBA Core I, II, III, and IV

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 12 months. For students attending part time, the minimum is 2 years; maximum, 6 years.

In a recent year, there were 55 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 80% held 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 24; average business class size is 40.

Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 3.0 and a GMAT score of 500. Most important admissions factors are academic accomplishments and ability, difficulty of undergraduate major, and GMAT results. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for a recent class was 235; 97 were accepted; 74 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.3. Transfers are not accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by contacting schools with high minority enrollment. The college conducts visitation tours for minority graduating students.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall only. To apply, students must submit an application form, 2 transcripts, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $45, 3 letters of recommendation, and an MBA questionnaire. Students are notified of the admissions decision 4 weeks after their file is complete. Once accepted, students may defer admission for up to 2 years. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Financial Aid

In a recent year, about 65% of graduate business school students received financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total maximum of $18,500. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for in-state residents is $10,000 per year. Nonresidents pay $21,000 per year. Books and supplies cost approximately $1000; personal expenses, $10,000; and other fees, $6204, for an estimated annual total of $27,204 for in-state residents and $38,204 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing consists of dormitory rooms and off-campus housing for married couples.

Students

Sixty-four percent of a recent graduate business school class were enrolled full time; 60% had an average of 2 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students were from Ohio (43%). Thirty-nine percent were women, 6% were minorities, and 35% were foreign nationals. The average age at entrance was 25; ages ranged from 22 to 40. Fifty percent entered directly from undergraduate school; 10% already had a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 53%, business; 5%, engineering; 5%, math and science; and 4%, economics. About 1% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 99% remain to receive their degree.