College of Business, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in Bloomsburg, PA - Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in Bloomsburg, PA

Academics

The MBA Program and MEd Program offer the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Education in Business (MEd). Other programs include foreign exchange with France and a cooperative program with the University of Nancy in France. The strongest areas of study are accounting, finance, management, and marketing.

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

Statistical Analysis and Design
Managerial Accounting
Marketing Management
Management Information Systems
Financial Management
Operations Management
Organizational Behavior
Social Responsibility and Business Ethics
Strategic Management

Required courses for the MEd in BE include:

Business Information Systems and Technology
Business Information Systems Application
Administrative Communications
Telecommunications
Training and Development
5 approved graduate electives

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements by transferring up to 9 credit hours of graduate courses.

The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 1<1/2>years; maximum, 6 years. For students attending part time, the maximum is 6 years.

There are 27 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 87% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated above average for Category IIA institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of credit hours faculty teach is 12; average business class size is 20.

Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 2.5. The formula for using the GPA and GMAT scores is (GPA x 200) + GMAT + 250 points for work experience, letters of recommendation essay, and personal interview (if required by MBA coordinator) Most important admissions factors are work experience, GMAT results, and undergraduate GPA. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 37; 28 were accepted; 28 enrolled. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited through contracts with minority offices of other universities, advertisements, and minority assistantships.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall, spring, and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $30, 3 letters of recommendation, and a resume. The application deadlines are August 15 for fall entry; January 10, spring; May 20, summer. Students are notified 2 weeks after a complete file is received of the admissions decision.

Financial Aid

About 20% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships. Stipends and programs available for minority students include minority graduate assistantships. The GAPSFAS is required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for in-state residents is $336 per credit, or $3024 per year. Nonresidents pay $538 per credit, or $4830 per year. Graduate student housing is limited. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

Students

Thirty-four percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 90% have had an average of 3 to 5 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school. The greatest percentage of students are from Pennsylvania (84%). Forty percent are women, 6% are minorities, and 12% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 27; ages range from 21 to 46. Twenty-one percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 5% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 40%, business; 25%, math and science; 10%, social sciences; 5%, economics; 5%, engineering; and 5%, liberal arts. About 7% 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, 38 graduate business degrees were awarded.