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.
- An 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:
- 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.
- Demonstrate competency in the underlying concepts, theory, and tools taught in the core curriculum of our M.B.A. program.
- Develop a global perspective through international experience and a cross cultural curriculum.
- Analytical Skills: Possess analytical, research, and critical thinking skills needed by middle and upper-level managers.
- Acquire the competencies needed to identify, analyze, and evaluate alternative solutions to business problems.
- Have the ability to write and present comprehensive research reports/briefs and present facts, analysis, and conclusions.
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Leadership Competencies: Possess the interpersonal competencies needed to be effective managers and leaders.
- Be skilled at oral and written communication.
- Be skilled at leadership, including motivation, negotiation and management of conflict.
- Value System: Be able to evaluate the ethical and societal implications of managerial decisions.
- Identify ethical dilemmas and analyze them from multiple ethical and stakeholder perspectives, and recommend appropriate resolutions to those dilemmas.
- Understand the overarching issues of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
- Understand the connection between an organization's cultural and its ethical climate.
Admission Requirements
- Statement of Goals
- Current resume
- Two recommendation letters
- Official transcripts (from all previously attended academic institutions)
- A bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university recognized by the University of Portland
- International Applicants: All foreign transcripts will be evaluated by International Student Services prior to an admission decision
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a scale of 4.0)
- Optional: Official GMAT (score of 550 or higher) or GRE (score equivalent to a GMAT score of 550)
- 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.
- International Applicants: Proof of financial support will be required to attend the University of Portland, but is not required for application review
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 credit 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/Certifications
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, 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.
Degree Requirements
The M.B.A. program consists of 36-39 credit hours of course work: a 3-credit hour prerequisite in statistics (if necessary), 6 credit hours of values perspective courses, 15 credit hours of core courses, 12 credit hours of electives, and a 3-credit hour capstone class.
Prerequisite—3 credit hours
| BUS 500 | Statistical and Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
Values Perspective— 6 credit hours
| BUS 512 | Leadership and Higher Level Management | 3 |
Select one course from the following:
| BUS 508/ENV 501 | Innovation for Sustainability | 3 |
| BUS 510 | Economics and Metrics for Sustainability | 3 |
| BUS 511 | Cross-Cultural Management and Ethics | 3 |
| BUS 513 | Social Responsibility in Organizations | 3 |
| BUS 515 | Social Venture Management | 3 |
Core Courses — 15 credit hours
| BUS 501 | Economic Analysis | 3 |
| BUS 505 | Introduction to Operations & Technology Management | 3 |
| BUS 506 | Accounting Information for Decision Makers | 3 |
| BUS 520 | Applied Marketing Strategies | 3 |
| BUS 530 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
BUS 501: if waived based on completion of microeconomics and macroeconomics, students can substitute any business elective.
BUS 505: if waived based on completion of three OTM courses including operations management, students may substitute any OTM elective.
BUS 506: if waived based on completion of managerial and financial accounting, students may substitute an accounting elective; students who are CPAs may substitute any business elective.
BUS 520: if waived based on completion of three marketing courses, students may substitute any marketing elective.
BUS 530: if waived based on completion of three finance courses, students may substitute any finance elective.
Capstone Component — 3 credit hours
| BUS 580 | Strategic Issues and Applications in Management | 3 |
M.B.A. Certificates—12 credit hours
Business Analytics
Select four courses from the following:
| BUS 519 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 543 | Decision Modeling and Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 546 | Supply Chain Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 549 | Python Programming for Business | 3 |
| BUS 551 | Simulation and Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 552 | Prescriptive Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 553 | R Programming for Business and Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 554 | Applied Machine Learning | 3 |
| BUS 555 | Database Management | 3 |
| BUS 558/BUS 463 | Introduction to Data Science | 3 |
| BUS 569 | Accounting Analytics for Decision Makers | 3 |
Entrepreneurship and Design Management
Select four courses from the following:
| BUS 509 | Strategic Fundraising | 3 |
| BUS 522 | Marketing Research | 3 |
| BUS 523 | Negotiation and Persuasion Strategies | 3 |
| BUS 529 | Product Design and Development | 3 |
| BUS 544 | Managing Innovation and Technology | 3 |
| BUS 545 | Project Management | 3 |
| BUS 548 | Project Management Processes and Certification | 3 |
| BUS 571 | New Venture Creation | 3 |
| BUS 574 | New Venture Finance and Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 576 | Brand Design | 3 |
One time graduate course offerings in BUS (designated 591/592) may fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
Finance
Select four courses from the following:
| BUS 519 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 531 | International Finance and Investments | 3 |
| BUS 533 | Financial Markets and Institutions | 3 |
| BUS 534 | Derivatives and Risk Management | 3 |
| BUS 535 | Sports Finance & Sponsorship | 3 |
| BUS 536 | Personal Financial Planning | 3 |
| BUS 537 | Applied Financial and Economic Forecasting | 3 |
| BUS 538 | Corporate Financial Strategy: M&A and Restructure | 3 |
| BUS 539 | Research Methods in Finance | 3 |
| BUS 543 | Decision Modeling and Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 545 | Project Management | 3 |
| BUS 552 | Prescriptive Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 555 | Database Management | 3 |
| BUS 561 | Advanced Real Estate Finance | 3 |
| BUS 562 | Real Estate Finance | 3 |
| BUS 564 | Macro Economics in the Global Economy | 3 |
| BUS 567 | Applied Portfolio Management | 3 |
| BUS 568 | Income Tax Planning | 3 |
| BUS 574 | New Venture Finance and Accounting | 3 |
One time graduate course offerings in BUS (designated 591/592) may fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
Healthcare Management
Select four courses from the following:
| BUS 515 | Social Venture Management | 3 |
| BUS 517 | Marketing for the Nonprofit Organization | 3 |
| BUS 519 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| NRS 602 | Leadership in a Complex Health care Environment | 3 |
| NRS 614 | Health Organization Systems & Resource Management | 3 |
One time graduate course offerings in BUS (designated 591/592) may fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
Marketing
Select four courses from the following:
One time graduate course offerings in BUS (designated 591/592) may fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
Nonprofit Management
Select four courses from the following:
| BUS 509 | Strategic Fundraising | 3 |
| BUS 514 | Accounting and Financial Controls for the Nonprofit Organization | 3 |
| BUS 515 | Social Venture Management | 3 |
| BUS 517 | Marketing for the Nonprofit Organization | 3 |
| BUS 518 | Financial Management for the Nonprofit Organization | 3 |
| BUS 523 | Negotiation and Persuasion Strategies | 3 |
One time graduate course offerings in BUS (designated 591/592) may fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
Operations and Technology Management
Select four courses from the following:
| BUS 519 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 540 | Process Analysis & Quality Management | 3 |
| BUS 542 | Systems Analysis and Design | 3 |
| BUS 543 | Decision Modeling and Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 545 | Project Management | 3 |
| BUS 546 | Supply Chain Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 547 | Inventory Management | 3 |
| BUS 548 | Project Management Processes and Certification | 3 |
| BUS 549 | Python Programming for Business | 3 |
| BUS 551 | Simulation and Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 552 | Prescriptive Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 553 | R Programming for Business and Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 554 | Applied Machine Learning | 3 |
| BUS 555 | Database Management | 3 |
| BUS 556 | Distribution Center Operations | 3 |
| BUS 558/BUS 463 | Introduction to Data Science | 3 |
| BUS 559/BUS 469 | Object Oriented Analysis and Design | 3 |
| BUS 569 | Accounting Analytics for Decision Makers | 3 |
| BUS 585 | IT Audit | 3 |
| BUS 586 | IT Security | 3 |
| BUS 589 | Production and Service Operations Managment | 3 |
One time graduate course offerings in BUS (designated 591/592) may fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
Strategy
| BUS 538 | Corporate Financial Strategy: M&A and Restructure | 3 |
| BUS 544 | Managing Innovation and Technology | 3 |
| BUS 580 | Strategic Issues and Applications in Management | 3 |
A one time graduate course offering in BUS (designated 591/592) will fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program directors.
Sustainability
Select four courses from the following:
One time graduate course offerings in BUS (designated 591/592) may fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
Other Certificates:
Customer Experience Management and Analytics courses may include: Strategy and Competition in the Experiential Economy, Creativity, Innovation and Human Centered Design, Designing Innovative Brands that Resonate with Customers, Gaining Customer Insights: Qualitative and Ethnographic Research Methods. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
Business Internship
A 1-3 credit hour business internship course is available for students who need to receive academic credit to be eligible for an internship due to company policy, visa requirement, or other employment regulations. Students should contact the internship coordinator for more information.