Master of Business Administration, M.B.A.

Degree Outcomes

The M.B.A. curriculum focuses on contemporary leadership by challenging graduate students to think cross-functionally about a variety of large and small business issues. To operationalize these objectives, the basic structure of our M.B.A. program consists of the following components:

• A prerequisite class in statistical and quantitative analysis.
• Values perspective courses introducing students to issues of leadership, sustainability, understanding cultural differences and developing multicultural skills, and the role of business in society.
• Core courses exploring the application of analytical tools in economic analysis, marketing, finance, operations and technology management, and accounting to identify and solve contemporary business problems.
• A elective component allowing students to earn a certificate in an area of interest in business analytics, customer experience management and analytics, entrepreneurship and design management, health care management, finance, marketing, nonprofit management, operations and technology management, personal selling, strategy, or sustainability. Students may also choose to design their own specialization by selecting courses from more than one field.
• A capstone course providing a final integration of the themes covered in the M.B.A. program with an emphasis on the strategic role played by top management in integrating corporate policies.

Learning Goals and Objectives for Master of Business Administration Graduates

Students who successfully complete all requirements for a Master of Business Administration should be able to:

1. Core of Business Knowledge: Demonstrate a broad core of business knowledge and be able to integrate and apply this knowledge to business situations requiring interdisciplinary and global perspectives.
   1. Demonstrate competency in the underlying concepts, theory, and tools taught in the core curriculum of our M.B.A. program.
   2. Develop a global perspective through international experience and a cross cultural curriculum.
2. Analytical Skills: Possess analytical, research, and critical thinking skills needed by middle and upper-level managers.
   1. Acquire the competencies needed to identify, analyze, and evaluate alternative solutions to business problems.
   2. Have the ability to write and present comprehensive research reports/briefs and present facts, analysis, and conclusions.
3. Leadership Competencies: Possess the interpersonal competencies needed to be effective managers and leaders.
   1. Be skilled at oral and written communication.
   2. Be skilled at leadership, including motivation, negotiation and management of conflict.
4. Value System: Be able to evaluate the ethical and societal implications of managerial decisions.
   1. Identify ethical dilemmas and analyze them from multiple ethical and stakeholder perspectives, and recommend appropriate resolutions to those dilemmas. 
   2. Understand the overarching issues of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
   3. Understand the connection between an organization's cultural and its ethical climate.

Admission Requirements

1. Statement of Goals
2. Current resume
3. Two recommendation forms and letters
4. Official transcripts (from all previously attended academic institutions)
5. A bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university recognized by the University of Portland
6. International Applicants: All foreign transcripts will be evaluated by International Student Services prior to an admission decision
7. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a scale of 4.0)
8. Official GMAT (score of 550 or higher) or GRE (score equivalent to a GMAT score of 550) may be required
9. International Applicants: an official score from the TOEFL (minimum score of 88), IELTS (minimum score of 7.0), or Duolingo (minimum score of 110) exam is required.
10. International Applicants: Proof of financial support will be required to attend the University of Portland, but is not required for application review

The GMAT/GRE requirement can be waived if an applicant has significant and relevant work experience (at least three years); has successfully completed 9 hours of coursework at an AACSB accredited graduate business program with a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher; has a business-related graduate degree from an AACSB accredited program; has taken six hours of graduate business courses at the University of Portland as a non-degree seeking student and earned a 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. or higher; or have earned CFP, CPA, CFA or JD professional designations. It is strongly recommended that applicants have two to three years of professional experience after their bachelor’s degree to fully benefit from the program. 

Jesuit Transfer Agreement

The University of Portland is a participant in an educational consortium with more than twenty other faith-based and AACSB accredited institutions. This program allows M.B.A. students exceptional flexibility if their education is affected in such a way as to require a move to another geographic location.

Under this agreement, students who have completed at least 50 percent of their credits at the University of Portland may attend another AACSB accredited M.B.A. program at one of the participating schools involved in this consortium and transfer units back to the University of Portland to complete their degree. If a student has less than 50 percent of the credits required to award an M.B.A. degree, they may apply to a participating school and transfer the credits already earned at the University of Portland to that university. Under this agreement, the student transferring out of the University of Portland is required to meet all application and admission criteria of the receiving school and will, in turn, earn their degree from that school. For further details please see the M.B.A. program director.

Honors Pledge

The faculty of the Pamplin School of Business encourages students to acknowledge the ethical component of teaching and learning that is an essential factor in fulfilling the University’s mission in the classroom. Students are asked to reflect upon the core value of academic integrity and make this an integral part of their work at the University. Students are asked to sign an honors pledge and attach it to all submitted course work to affirm the integrity of their scholarship to all concerned. 

Prerequisite Course and Waiver Exam

All students must take the prerequisite course BUS 500 (Statistics) or pass a statistics waiver exam in one of the first two semesters in the program. A student passing this exam will have the BUS 500 class waived from their course requirements and will have a 36 hour program. See the M.B.A. program director for details on the statistics waiver exam. Please note: students are expected to have some familiarity with statistics, and a basic proficiency with Excel applications.

Values Perspective

The values perspective courses are designed to provide a common set of managerial experiences that foster thinking across functional disciplines. The courses provide a framework for considering ethics, sustainability, social responsibility, diversity and multiculturalism, and the changing role of managers. Students take two courses. One course, BUS 512 Leadership and Higher Level Management, is required. The second course is chosen by the student from a list of five values courses.

Core Classes

Students complete core courses in five discipline areas. If the basic course is waived then a more advanced course must be completed to fulfill the requirement of five core classes.

The core courses are designed to provide students with the quantitative and qualitative tools used in business problem solving. Students take economic analysis, marketing, finance, operations and technology management, and accounting. The emphasis in these courses is on applying analytical tools and concepts to emerging issues in business practices.

Students may be waived from one or more of the basic core courses if they have completed comparable courses from an AACSB accredited school with a grade of B or better within eight years of acceptance to the M.B.A. program. Where appropriate, work experience directly related to the core course will be taken into account. These waivers must be approved by the M.B.A. program director. If a waiver is approved, students will substitute an advanced course in that discipline from a list of eligible courses. If a student has coursework from a non-AACSB accredited school, it will be further reviewed for acceptability by the M.B.A. program director. 

Electives

Students may select a certificate from one the following areas: business analytics, customer experience management and analytics, entrepreneurship and design management, health care management, finance, marketing, nonprofit management, operations and technology management, personal selling, strategy, or sustainability. Alternatively, students who do not want to focus in one particular area may select courses from two or more fields. Many students find that a specialized certificate helps in marketing their degree to prospective employers. Others find that selecting courses from different fields gives them a broader foundation for management. Students choosing not to pursue a certificate in one area may select any four elective courses. 

Capstone Class

The M.B.A. program closes with the capstone strategy course (BUS 580) taken in the student’s last semester. This course brings together the skills learned within the program through a final interdisciplinary look at problem solving strategies and solutions.

International Component

All M.B.A. students are required to complete an international experience before they graduate. The learning goal for the international experience is to demonstrate the ability to confidently initiate professional interactions and lead meetings with business executives from other cultures in any international setting. The international experience can take several different forms: learning lab with a project, volunteer hours for an international organization, international business plan competition, or a course. The courses with the international experience will be identified prior to the beginning of each academic year. The international experience will focus on a course-related project that will require a week-long trip to a foreign destination. The international course can be used as one of the two required values perspective classes. Additional travel fees will be collected at the beginning of the course.