Master of Business Administration (MBA)

All degree programs offered by the Foster College of Business, Bradley University, are accredited by the AACSB International: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The MBA program is open to full-time and part-time students, who take classes together. Students may enter the program in August or January and complete their degree in two years, though accelerated progress is possible with modified course sequencing and load. All of the required courses are offered in the evenings. The combination of students from different undergraduate disciplines, with varying levels of work experience, results in a dynamic educational environment beneficial to all. The curriculum is primarily geared toward deepening business acumen, but also to build competencies in integrative thinking, change management, and leadership. It stresses the theoretical basis of management disciplines as well as practical applications of theory and current management practices. The curriculum focuses on improving managerial performance in the problem-solving environment and conceptualizing elements for policy formulating activity. The study of management approached in this manner is appealing to those interested in the administration of all types of enterprise: business. health, government, and non-profit organizations, as well as the traditional large and small manufacturing and service firms. The practical application orientation of the curriculum necessitates the use of a wide variety of pedagogical approaches. Problem-solving situations are used, calling for individual attention, group interaction, computer analysis, and formulation of assumptions to deal with uncertainty. Case analysis is extensively used, focusing both on problem-solving and presentation of conclusions using appropriate oral and written communication skills.

The GMAT is a standardized test designed to measure aptitude for graduate study in management. Applicants must arrange to take the test in sufficient time to permit processing of the application with the test results prior to the application deadline. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) may be substituted for the GMAT exam. The GMAT exam (or GRE) may be waived if the applicant (1) has significant professional work experience and either an undergraduate degree in a business discipline from an AACSB accredited institution or an undergraduate degree in a non-business discipline from a regionally accredited institution (e.g. Higher Learning Commission), (2) has earned a terminal degree in his/her profession (e.g. JD in law or a PhD in some field), or (3) the candidate has a master's degree in an analytically rigorous discipline (e.g. mathematics, engineering, etc.) with a master's GPA of at least 3.4 or better.