The Pennsylvania State University © 2004
Business Administration (BUSAD)
SIMON J. PAK, Academic Division Head
School of Graduate
Professional Studies
Penn State Great Valley
30 East Swedesford Road
Malvern, PA 19355-1443
610-648-3229
On the Web: http://gv.psu.edu/
Degree Conferred: M.B.A.
The Graduate Faculty
Jae Uk Chun, Ph.D. (SUNY, Binghamton) Assistant Professor of Management and Organization
Ellen Foster Curtis, D.B.A. (Indiana) Associate Professor of Management and Organization
Janice L. Dreachslin, Ph.D. (Wayne State) Professor of Health Policy and Administration
Karen Huhala, Ph.D. (Penn State) Lecturer of Finance and Accounting
Andrew Felo, Ph.D. (SUNY, Binghamton) Assistant Professor of Accounting
Carlos Ferran, D.B.A. (Boston) Assistant Professor of Management Science and Information Systems
Veronica M. Godshalk, Ph.D. (Drexel) Associate Professor of Management and Organization
Andrea Hornett, Ed.D. (George Washington) Senior Lecturer of Management and Organization
Daniel C. Indro, Ph.D. (Indiana) Associate Professor of Finance
Pornsit Jiraporn, Ph.D. (Southern Illinois, Carbondale) Assistant Professor of Finance
Peggy Daniels Lee, Ph.D. (George Washington) Assistant Professor of Management
Barrie E. Litzky, Ph.D. (Drexel) Assistant Professor of Management and Organization
John Mason, Ph.D. (Michigan State) Associate Professor of Management and Organization
Effy Oz, D.B.A. (Boston) Professor of Management Science and Information Systems
Simon J. Pak, Ph.D. (California, Berkeley) Associate Professor of Finance
Denise Potosky, Ph.D. (Rutgers) Associate Professor of Management and Organization
John Sosik, Ph.D. (SUNY Binghamton) Associate Professor of Management and Organization
Eric W. Stein, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania) Associate Professor of Management Science and Information Systems
G. Walter Wang, Ph.D. (Louisiana State) Associate Professor of Marketing
Philip A. Laplante, Ph.D., P.E. (Stevens Institute of Technology) Professor of Software Engineering
John I. McCool, Ph.D. (Temple University) Professor of Systems Engineering
Colin J. Neill, Ph.D. (University of Wales, UK) Associate Professor of Software Engineering
Michael J. Piovoso, Ph.D. (University of Delaware) Professor of Electrical Engineering
Robin G. Qiu, Ph.D. (Penn State) Assistant Professor of Information Science
Raghvinder Sangwan, Ph.D. (Temple University) Assistant Professor of Information Science
Norita Ahmad, Ph.D. (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Lecturer of Information Science
The Penn State Great Valley M.B.A. is a general degree program emphasizing
development of the planning and problem-solving skills crucial in middle and
upper management in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Nearly all
students are working professionals who bring a wealth of experience and
knowledge to the classroom. Program options are offered in Biotechnology and
Health Industry Management and New Ventures and Entrepreneurial Studies.
Required research in these areas of specialization may be conducted in Penn
State Great Valley's Library and Computer Center, which provide local research
support as well as access to the library and computer resources of the entire
Penn State system.
The M.B.A. program is geared toward the needs of
part-time students who are employed full-time. Courses in the program, which are
offered at Great Valley, are scheduled for the convenience of adult learners, in
the evening or on Saturday.
Admission Requirements
Requirements listed here are in addition to the Graduate School requirements stated in the GENERAL INFORMATION section of the Graduate Bulletin. Scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) are required for admission. Scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are required of international applicants and must be submitted at the time of application. Exception: The TOEFL is not required of natives of an English-speaking country or applicants who hold a baccalaureate or master's degree from an institution of an English-speaking country. Applicants should have had at least one year of quantitative analysis or statistics.
Admission decisions are based on the quality of the applicant's credentials in relation to those of other applicants. Evaluation criteria include professional and academic accomplishments, GMAT scores, two recommendations, and a personal statement that provides indications of future academic and professional potential. Application filing dates: Penn State Great Valley's M.B.A. program has a rolling admission policy. New students may start classes in early September, late October, early January, early March, or late April.
Degree Requirements
Normally 45 credits will be required to complete the M.B.A. degree.
Prior to enrolling in M.B.A. program requirements, students entering the program are expected to meet preprogram requirements that build a foundation for effective communication skills and quantitative analysis as described below.
Quantitative Skills Requirement: Prior to enrolling in their M.B.A. course work, students must demonstrate competence in quantitative skills. This requirement must be satisfied in one of two ways:
OR
Communications Skills Requirement: Successful completion of the M.B.A. Program requires the ability to think clearly, and to write and speak persuasively. Students must satisfy this requirement in one of two ways:
OR
To facilitate successful fulfillment of preprogram requirements, students needing to take BA 517 or BUSAD 501 will be admitted on a one-year provisional basis.
Core Courses (18 credits)
Core Courses provide a foundation for business studies. They include MGMT 501(3), ACCTG 512(3), BUSAD 523(3), MKTG 500(3), FIN 531(3), and OPMGT 510(3).
Exemption from up to 15 credits from the core courses may be granted in accordance with the course exemption guidelines for the M.B.A. program. Normally students will need to have completed at least two undergraduate courses with a grade of B or higher, no more than seven years prior to admission to the M.B.A. program, to be eligible for exemption from a single core course. At the Management Division Head's discretion, a competency exam may be required to receive certain course exemptions. Course work not meeting the tests of relevancy, quality, or currency must be taken at the graduate level prior to starting advanced coursework. Time limits may be waived by the M.B.A. program on the basis of post-graduate training or current and relevant work experience.
All entering students are required to take MGMT 501.
All students must complete advanced course work consisting of 9 credits of required courses (ACCTG 524, BUSAD 537, and BUSAD 551 or BUSAD 534), 15 credits of elective courses and a 3-credit capstone course. For specialized options in New Ventures and Entrepreneurial Studies and Biotechnology and Health Industry Management, the capstone course and 9 credits of electives are restricted to more specialized study.
For the Business Administration option, these courses include BUSAD 551, BUSAD 537, ACCTG 524, a Managing and Leading People elective, a Managing Technology and Innovation elective, 9 credits of free electives, and the 3-credit capstone course MGMT 571.
For the option in New Ventures and Entrepreneurial Studies, students fulfill their advanced course requirements with BUSAD 551, BUSAD 537, ACCTG 524, a Managing and Leading People elective, a Managing Technology and Innovation elective, and 12 credits of New Ventures courses, including a choice of capstone course: BUSAD 581 (Entrepreneurship track), MGMT 571 (Intrapreneurship track), or LEAD 582 (Social Entrepreneurship track).
For the Biotechnology and Health Industry Management option, students take BUSAD 530, BUSAD 537, ACCTG 524, a Managing and Leading People elective, a Managing Technology and Innovation elective, BUSAD 534, the capstone course BUSAD 583, and two courses from a suggested list of courses in health care, product development, or bioinformatics.
For the option in Management of Information Technology, students fulfill their advanced course requirement with ACCTG 524, BUSAD 537, BUSAD 576, Managing and Leading People elective, Managing Technology & Innovation course (MIS 539), three elective courses in Management of Information Technology, and the capstone course MGMT 571.
Students should consult the professor in charge of each option for specific curriculum requirements.
Student Aid
Graduate assistantships available to students in this program and other forms of student aid are described in the STUDENT AID section of the Graduate Bulletin. Additional information is available from the financial aid office at Penn State Great Valley.
Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.
ACCOUNTING (ACCTG) course list
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (B A) course list
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (BUSAD) course list
BUSINESS LAW (B LAW) course list
HEALTH POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION (H P A) course list
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS (I B) course list
MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS (MS&IS) course list
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS (M I S) course list
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (OPMGT) course list
The Pennsylvania State University © 2004
The University reserves the right to change the requirements and regulations listed here and to determine whether a student has satisfactorily met its requirements for admission or graduation, and to reject any applicant for any reason the University determines to be material to the applicant's qualifications to pursue higher education. Nothing in this material should be considered a guarantee that completion of a program and graduation from the University will result in employment.
This electronic Graduate Bulletin is a version of the official bulletin of The Pennsylvania State University. It is suggested that users refer to this electronic bulletin when seeking the latest information about the University's academic programs and courses. Printed versions of the Bulletin are also official copies of the programs, courses, and policies in effect at the time of printing.
Date last reviewed by Publications: 12/15/06
Last Revised by the Department: Summer Session 2007
Blue Sheet Item #: 35-07-428
Review Date: 6/12/07