Business Administration

Professor Donald Eckrich, M.B.A. Program Director, mba@ithaca.edu
Professor Joanne Burress, M.B.A.-P.A. Coordinator, jburress@ithaca.edu

The School of Business offers two graduate degrees: a master of business administration and a master of business administration in professional accountancy. The curricula for both degrees consist of 36 credits of graduate study. Full-time students can complete the degree requirements within a 10-month period by enrolling in five courses in both the spring and fall semesters, and two courses in the first summer session. Students enrolled on a part-time basis have up to six years to complete the degree requirements.

M.B.A. classes begin in August and continue through the first summer session, which ends in late June. Courses meet Monday through Thursday during the spring and fall semesters. All M.B.A. courses are scheduled after 5:00 p.m.

General Information -- M.B.A. Programs

Admissions Requirements

Admission to the M.B.A. programs does not require work experience; however,  applicants should have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 or better and a minimum Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score of 500.

All applicants are required to take the GMAT; official GMAT scores must be sent to the Division of Graduate and Professional Studies at Ithaca College. Information about the GMAT can be obtained from GMAT, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6103, Princeton, NJ 08541-6103; 800-462-8669; www.ets.org.
Educational Testing Service

Applications are processed and reviewed in the order they are received until May 1.  After May 1, candidates should contact the M.B.A. program director for instructions on how to submit a late application. Candidates whose completed applications are received by April 1 are given first consideration for M.B.A. merit scholarships.

Tuition Expenses

Tuition in the M.B.A. program has been set at $711 per credit for the 2009-10 academic year.

M.B.A. Scholarships

All completed applications are automatically considered for M.B.A. merit scholarships.  Selection is based on the applicant's academic credentials provided as part of the admission application. Scholarships will begin to be awarded as completed applications are received, usually in mid-January. In most cases, scholarship recipients will be notified by May 15 . (The M.B.A. programs do not currently offer graduate assistantships).

Provisional Admission

Students who do not meet all of the requirements for matriculation may be admitted provisionally on a case-by-case basis. At the discretion of the M.B.A. admission committee, certain provisionally admitted students may only be allowed to enroll in a maximum of three M.B.A. courses in their first semester and, therefore, will be unable to complete the M.B.A. program in one year.

Extramural Study

A maximum of six credits may be taken in Ithaca’s M.B.A. program on an extramural basis.

Preparatory Undergraduate Coursework

Students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-business field must complete preparatory undergraduate business coursework equivalent to Ithaca College’s management minor before matriculation into the M.B.A. program. To assist students in meeting these preparatory course requirements, the School of Business offers pre-M.B.A. workshops. These intensive graduate-level workshops are designed to provide the business terminology and key business concepts necessary for graduate business coursework. Successful completion of all five pre-M.B.A. workshops will fulfill the preparatory undergraduate course requirements for admission to the M.B.A. program. Pre-M.B.A. workshop credits cannot be applied toward the M.B.A. degree requirements.

Ithaca College students currently pursuing a non-business undergraduate degree may obtain the preparatory undergraduate coursework by enrolling in Ithaca College’s management minor. Comparable minors and individual courses are generally available at other institutions. However, upper-level courses (300- and 400-level) taken elsewhere must be taken at an AACSB-accredited four-year institution. To verify the equivalency of courses taken elsewhere, contact the M.B.A. program director.

Ithaca College Management Minor

Academic Advising

The M.B.A. program director and M.B.A. in professional accountancy coordinator serve as the primary academic advisers for all students enrolled in the M.B.A. programs.

Pass/Fail Options

All M.B.A. courses must be taken for letter grades, with the exception of elective internships.