1. Home »
  2. University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business

Academics

The Katz School offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Executive MBA (EMBA), and International Executive MBA (IEMBA) as well as a doctoral program, and joint degrees in area studies, public and international affairs, information systems, international business, law, bioengineering, and industrial engineering. Other programs include interdisciplinary programs in area studies; cross-registration with Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University; cooperative programs with the European Business School, the University of Augsburg, and University of Santa Maria, Chile; internships with major corporations and through the Katz Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence; and joint research with faculty in the United States and abroad. The strongest areas of study are finance, marketing, quantitative, and strategy. The most popular courses are Finance, Marketing, Negotiations, and Valuation. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus. Programs include the Executive Briefing Series, the Executive Women’s Panel, Executives-in-Residence, the Global Corporate Forum, Katz on Wall Street, and Tech Connect. Visiting faculty from Eastern Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere lecture, give presentations, or make visits to Katz throughout the academic year.

Forty-eight to 52 1/2 total credits are required to complete the Full-time MBA, including 18 to 27 elective credits. Required courses for the Full-time MBA include:

  • Managerial Accounting
  • Economic Analysis for Managerial Decisions: Firms and Markets
  • Financial Management
  • Organizational Behavior: Leadership and Group Effectiveness
  • Statistical Analysis: Uncertainly, Prediction, and Quality Improvement
  • Marketing Management
  • Decision Technologies in Manufacturing and Operations Management
  • Human Resources for Competitive Advantage
  • Information Systems
  • Strategic Management

Required courses for the Part-time MBA include:

  • Managerial Accounting
  • Economic Analysis for Managerial Decisions: Firms and Markets
  • Financial Management
  • Organizational Behavior: Leadership and Group Effectiveness
  • Statistical Analysis: Uncertainty, Pediction, and Quality Improvement
  • Marketing Management
  • Decision Technologies in Manufacturing and Operations Management
  • Human Resources for Competitive Advantage
  • Information Systems
  • Strategic Management
  • Business Ethics

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements by passing advanced standing exams.

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 11 months; maximum, 4 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 3 years; maximum, 4 years.

There are 66 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 95% hold a doctorate; there are 18 part-time faculty, of whom 30% hold a doctorate. Average number of credit hours faculty teach is 12; average business class size is 40.

Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 712; 467 were accepted; 274 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.26; average GMAT score was 593. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited through the Minority Recruitment Fair (an on-campus program), the Presidential Fellowship Program, advertisements in minority publications, and the National Black and Hispanic MBA Guides.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall, spring, and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, undergraduate and graduate transcriptions, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, 2 letters of recommendation, and a resume, and 2 essays. The application deadlines are July 1 for fall entry; November 1, spring; March 1, summer. Students are notified of the admissions decision 4 to 6 weeks after the completed application is received. Once accepted, students may defer admission for up to 1 year (part-time students only).

Financial Aid

Stipends and programs available for minority students include the Presidential Fellowship for graduates of historically black colleges and Dean’s Scholars. The FAFSA, the school’s own financial statement, and the previous year’s tax return are required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for in-state residents is $801 per credit, or $27,867 per year. Nonresidents pay $1349 per credit, or $42,507 per year. Books and supplies cost approximately $1050; personal expenses, $13,200; and other fees, $2975, for an estimated annual total of $45,092 for in-state residents and $59,732 for out-of-state residents. Students select their residences from the wide variety of housing options in the surrounding suburban community with help from the University Housing Resource Center.

Students

Thirty percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 92% have had an average of 4 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from Pennsylvania (74%). Thirty-five percent are women, 3% are minorities, and 18% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 29; ages range from 21 to 56. Eight percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 12% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 37%, business; 20%, engineering; 10%, math and science; 8%, social sciences; 7%, economics; and 1%, liberal arts. 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. In 2006, 225 graduate business degrees were awarded.

This website and its associated pages are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by this school.
StateUniversity.com has no official or unofficial affiliation with Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business.