Master of Business Administration

The purpose of the Master of Business Administration is to prepare students for successful and rewarding careers in a diverse, global business environment in which “intrapreneurial” cultures must be the norm and organizational complexity is a way of life. Business faculty and staff members work closely with students to equip them with the business knowledge, the highest level of critical thinking/decision-making skills, and social connectedness aptitude that are essential strengths for future employment and leadership opportunities. Students will practice learning through real-world projects that will hone individual, specific skill development in areas such as: leading creatively; building strong customer relationships; marketing messaging and sales; innovating cultures; and servant leadership through values.

MBA ADMISSIONS

All applicants for the DBU MBA program must meet the following criteria:

1. A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution

2. Evidence of sound moral character and compatibility with DBU’s mission

   In addition, the Master’s Degrees Admission Committee will review the following criteria as it strives to take a holistic view of the applicant in order to determine the likelihood of success in the MBA program:

3. A likelihood for academic success as demonstrated by a GPA of 3.0 or higher. (The Master’s Degrees Admission Committee may take into consideration the student’s performance in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework as it  reviews undergraduate performance.)

4. A minimum GMAT score of 425

5. Five or more years of significant, substantive managerial/leadership experience that may be evidenced through résumé review, applicant interview, or employer recommendations.

6. 12 hours of graduate work from an accredited institution with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Full Admission

Applicants who meet criteria 1, 2, and 3, in combination with one of criteria 4-6, may be granted Full Admission.

The Master’s Degrees Admission Committee strives to take a holistic view of the applicant in order to determine the likelihood for success in the MBA program. Applicants who show potential for graduate study, but who do not meet the criteria for Full Admission may be admitted for up to 12 hours under Provisional status.

Provisional Admission

Applicants admitted under Provisional Admission must fulfill the conditions of this status as identified by the Master’s Degrees Admission Committee in order to continue in the program past 12 hours. Students under Provisional Admission must maintain a 3.0 GPA and receive no grades below “B.” Students admitted under Provisional Admission will be granted Full Admission upon successful completion of 12 credit hours and fulfillment of the conditions of their admission as determined by the Master’s Degrees Admission Committee.

Deferred Admission

Applicants meeting criteria 1 and 2, though not meeting criteria 3 and one of 4-6, may be determined by the Master’s Degrees Admission Committee to show potential for graduate study. These applicants will be asked by the committee to complete certain requirements, such as prerequisite coursework and/or an entrance examination before an admission decision will be made. These applicants must fulfill all requirements which are determined by the Master’s Degrees Admission Committee as necessary prior to final committee review and admission decision.

Note: Applicants for whom there is no evidence to demonstrate a likelihood for success in the MBA Program may be denied admission to the program.

MBA FOUNDATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

All graduate business students are required to complete the foundational courses for the appropriate program through undergraduate or graduate coursework. Students who have not completed appropriate undergraduate business courses will be required to take equivalent courses (may be 5000 or 6000-level depending on deficiency) upon acceptance to the program. Students who have completed equivalent business courses may have any (or all) of the prerequisite courses waived if courses taken meet the waiver criteria:

• The completed undergraduate course is equivalent to the 5000/6000 level course.

• The course grade is at least a grade earned of B.

• The course is taken at a regionally accredited institution.

• Foundational courses from non-U.S. universities in foreign countries may not be considered for waiver.

• Foundational courses will not be accepted if completed through correspondence, life and work experience, CLEP, or other standardized testing.

MBA FOUNDATIONAL COURSES

(The courses listed below are prerequisites and may be satisfied through undergraduate credit)

[Courses listed in brackets are the undergraduate equivalent classes]

These courses do not satisfy the 36-credit-hour requirement of the MBA program.

MBA CONCENTRATIONS

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW - MBA students must complete 36-credit-hours (Standard Track core of 24 credit hours and 12 hours within chosen concentration; Specialized Track of variable core and concentration credit hours with core and concentration totaling 36 credit hours). Accelerated Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Programs: BA-BS/MBA, BBA/MBA, and BBS/MBA students must complete a minimum of 150 credit hours.

To satisfy minimum degree requirements, all single concentrations require a minimum of 36 credit hours, and dual concentrations require a minimum of 60 credit hours. Students are responsible for not repeating courses waived, transferred, or previously taken.

MBA REQUIRED CORE CURRICULUM

Total Credit Hours Required: 36 hours

ACCOUNTING CONCENTRATION

The Accounting Concentration is designed to provide a broad understanding of the accounting industry. The Accounting Concentration introduces the graduate student to the development and analysis of competencies required for financial and managerial accounting systems, emphasizes the uses of cost information, and stresses the application of financial accounting in decision making.

ACCELERATED DEGREES AVAILABLE

DBU also offers an Accelerated Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Program: BBA in Accounting/MBA in Accounting for qualifying undergraduate students. Graduates of this program will demonstrate competence in the foundational areas of business, possess the technical skills and knowledge in accounting, and meet the education requirements of the Texas State Board of Accountancy necessary to register for the CPA examination.

Students completing the Accelerated BBA/MBA program must take each of these courses: ACCT 6330, ACCT 6335, and ACCT 6355, and six additional hours from ACCT 6343, ACCT 6345, or ACCT 6346, for a total of 15 graduate-level hours in the accounting concentration.

Retention in and Graduation from Accounting Programs:

Students must fulfill the following conditions to continue enrollment in the MBA in Accounting and Accelerated BBA/MBA Accounting major and to graduate from the program:

• Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.0 in all accounting coursework.

• Undergraduate BBA Accounting students must be advised by a full-time accounting professor before enrollment each semester.

• Graduate and Undergraduate accounting students must sign a Statement of Understanding about the accounting degree before beginning upper-level or graduate accounting coursework. The statement will be provided by the student’s advisor.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION CONCENTRATION

The MBA in Business Communication is for those who are driven to be leaders of their organizations, their communities, and society overall. Hands-on learning opportunities will plug in students to the latest techniques in “best practices” to serve the customer, both internally and externally. The program's emphasis will be on improving business performance through effective communication.

BUSINESS INNOVATION STRATEGY CONCENTRATION

The MBA in Business Innovation Strategy is for those who are serious about leading innovation, regardless of these efforts being internal (improving business processes), or external (developing new products, services, and lines of business). Beyond those who have innovation in their job title (explicit or implicit), those who are responsible for driving top-line growth, managing portfolios, or tasked with creating new business models will also benefit. Disruptive innovations are not random acts of nature; there is a pattern to the phenomena, and the Business Innovation Strategy practitioner faculty will show you how. From the radical innovations that shake up entire industries to the many small innovations that perfect the execution of already successful organizations, this specialty will show you how to treat innovation as a process, one to be managed and turned into a driver of profits and growth, from idea to value creation for the “new normal” that will set the framework to produce innovative ideas from the bottom up in the organization so critical to success. This specialty is relevant across industries and continents.

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYTICS CONCENTRATION

The MBA in Business Intelligence and Analytics Concentration provides students with the ability to provide successful, intelligent and targeted insights from data. Students will learn how to communicate actionable information from data to the management in an interactive way through various software tools to enable better decision making. Topics include data warehousing, which is a system used for reporting and data analysis, data mining – a process of discovering patterns in large data sets, business intelligence and analytics concepts like descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics which are the core components of data science. Students will learn to use software like SQL for storing, manipulating and retrieving data in databases, R/Python – a programming language for data analysis and insights, Tableau and MS Excel Power View to communicate data to management. Students are given an opportunity to showcase their skills in Business Intelligence and Analytics through capstone projects within the IT industry.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION

The Conflict Resolution Management Concentration will provide students with the practical experience and theoretical foundation they need in order to become effective in mediating conflict. The format of classes includes lectures, group discussions, and many practice mediation sessions. Following completion of the courses, the student will be qualified to perform court-appointed mediations in Texas. This concentration is also offered online.

CYBERSECURITY CONCENTRATION

The Cybersecurity focused, specialty area of study is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills of computer security, including theory, tools and best practices. It seeks to prepare these students for careers in many areas of Cybersecurity work including: cyber analytics, penetration testing, network security, digital forensics, and Cybersecurity operations and leadership careers. This technological expertise, along with the decision-making, analytical, leadership and soft skill competencies learned within the MBA core coursework, is a great combination for professional success in this unique calling.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONCENTRATION

Entrepreneurship has long been a major part of the United States’ economic structure. During downturns as well as periods of economic growth, entrepreneurship has typically flourished. The situation is no different today. Recent reports have indicated that hundreds of thousands of jobs in various sectors such as information systems and finance are going to be lost to offshore companies, creating a wealth of new business opportunities for would-be entrepreneurs. In order to meet the needs of individuals who desire to start their own companies, Dallas Baptist University offers a concentration in Entrepreneurship in its MBA program.

In the capstone course for the concentration, students will actually work with the owner(s) of entrepreneurial companies helping to develop, then implement plans and procedures for the business.

Upon obtaining the degree, the student will have an actual business plan, a marketing plan, an operations manual, and a plan for raising capital, all developed with the assistance of highly qualified instructors.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CONCENTRATION

The MBA Executive Leadership concentration is designed to increase the business skills and leadership capabilities of those who lead key parts of the business and form the pool of future top leadership of the organization. Students learn to analyze critically, articulate strategically, think holistically, and lead with confidence fully equipped to take the helm. We use a multidimensional approach of lectures, small/large group discussions, case study, role-playing, campus networking/learning opportunities, and a multitude of self-assessments to provide new insights.

Curriculum Overview
MBA students must complete a minimum of 36 credit-hours.

FINANCE CONCENTRATION

The Finance Concentration is designed to provide the MBA graduate with a broad understanding of financial management, financial institutions, and investment strategies. The Finance Concentration includes advanced study and application in budgeting and control procedures, international financial markets, portfolio theory, portfolio management strategies, risk management, working capital management, and mergers and acquisitions. This knowledge is essential in a variety of corporate, institutional, banking, and real estate professions. This concentration is also offered online.

HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION

The Health Care Management Concentration is designed to equip students with state-of-the-art technologies in the health care industry. Emphasis is given to strategic health care planning, marketing, health care policy, managed care, and long-term care. A capstone initiative provides students with "hands-on" experiences in an area of interest to the student, such as administration, clinical practice, or education/consultation. This concentration is also offered online. 

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONCENTRATION

The growing importance of international business strategies in most industries requires an understanding of the global business environment and cultural practices. Through the International Business Concentration, students acquire a global perspective of business in order to compete in today's business world. The International Business Concentration examines strategic aspects of managing a global or multinational business organization. This concentration is also offered online.

IT AND INNOVATION CONCENTRATION

The IT and Innovation Concentration is specifically designed to provide graduate students with in-depth, hands-on understanding of the fundamentals of information systems. The purpose is to develop graduate-level business students who are not only skilled in basic business fundamentals but also have a strong grounding in current information systems technology. Students learn how to apply MIS technologies to help create business organizations capable of effectively competing in a global environment.

IT SECURITY FOR MANAGERS CONCENTRATION

The IT Security for Managers concentration is designed for students and executives to manage security and develop effective decision-making skills in the cybersecurity environment. The focus would be on Cyber Security Methodologies and Frameworks, information security and governance, risk management, program development and management, and incidence management.

LEADING THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CONCENTRATION

This concentration will provide current and aspiring practitioners within nonprofit organizations with cutting-edge leadership theories and the latest management and leadership tools that will be used to create high-performing organizations. Students master techniques for conceptualizing and applying in new creative ways what they learn through their studies with accomplished faculty as well as from relationships established with nonprofit practitioners within service-learning opportunities in each course. In addition to the extensive breadth and depth of practical business knowledge critical for success in both profit and nonprofit organizations that is gained through study in the MBA core coursework, students will be immersed in the study of the practical implications and importance of strategic plans and tools they will devise for organizational effectiveness specific to the nonprofit in the areas of marketing, law, leadership, and accounting. This program of 36 required credit hours has been uniquely and carefully designed so that each course is linked in the development of strategies and skills critical to high performing nonprofit organizations. Upon graduation, students will be equipped to compete successfully as servant leaders in their chosen profession.

MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION

The human element is vital to the effective and efficient operation of any organization. The Management Concentration covers concepts and theories for understanding and resolving human problems in organizational settings. The Management Concentration covers a wide range of current business topics, including interpersonal group behavior, leadership styles, the motivation of employees, recruitment, evaluation, training, compensation, affirmative action, and continuous improvement. This concentration is also offered online.

MARKETING CONCENTRATION

The Marketing Concentration focuses on the various strategies, processes, and practical applications involved in meeting market demands and satisfying customer needs. Students practice skills in various industries from both domestic and multinational perspectives. Areas of study and marketing applications include marketing strategy formulation and implementation issues, distribution channels management, outcome-based marketing systems, consumer and buyer behavior, and integrated marketing communication. This concentration is also offered online.

MARKETING ANALYTICS CONCENTRATION

The Marketing Analytics specialization equips participants to apply digital marketing and analytic skills to make data-driven decisions.  Topics will include brand strategy, integrated marketing, and marketing analytics to further hone expertise in marketing and data analysis.  Designed for marketing professionals who want to master the more complicated aspects of data, participants will learn how to use market data and digital marketing tools through specialized courses in order to help their businesses to make more informed decisions and to allocate resources most efficiently.  Focus is on the impact that data analysis has on marketing, advertising, and brand strategy; it’s not just driving the data, it’s about making informed decisions based on the meaning of that data.

MASTERING DESIGN THINKING CONCENTRATION

Mastering Design Thinking is a powerful approach to new product development that begins with understanding unmet customer needs.  It’s a human-centered design process that approaches problem-solving with understanding the user needs.  Design thinking encompasses concept development, applied creativity, prototyping, and experimentation.  When design thinking approaches are applied to business, the success rate for innovation has been seen to improve substantially.  The Mastering Design Thinking program will lead participants through a step by step, design thinking process.  To be considered successful, innovations have to solve three key dimensions of desirability, feasibility, and viability.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION

The Project Management Concentration is designed to provide students with both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to succeed in project management, whether as project team members or project managers. The Project Management Concentration includes advanced study and applications in the techniques and tools used to define, plan, organize, and manage projects. Content includes practical project execution and control, risk management, earned value, configuration management, budgeting, and project termination and close-out. This course of study will align content/curriculum with project manager certification requirements and with the practical needs in the workplace. It is assumed the student may want to pursue project management certification through the Project Management Institute. This concentration is also offered online.

TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION

The Technology and Engineering Management Concentration is designed to provide the MBA graduate with the practical tools to excel in the global InfoTech revolution. In addition to the basic qualitative and quantitative skills needed to manage in a technical environment, the program provides the tools to manage technical product projects. The Technology and Engineering Management Concentration also gives insight regarding product development and innovation in rapidly changing technology environments.