Mar 28, 2024  
2009-2011 Graduate Catalog 
    
2009-2011 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Business Administration M.B.A.


 

Admission Requirements

The College of Business MBA Program welcomes applications from college graduates in all disciplines. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Graduates from all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants are evaluated based upon proven scholastic ability, performance on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), maturity, motivation, leadership, communication skills, and possess the interest and ability to assume business leadership responsibilities.

The Application Process

Admission to the graduate business program is conducted by the MBA Programs and the UNLV Graduate College. Please note that the responsibility of obtaining and submitting the application material, transcripts, test scores and other necessary information rests upon the applicant. In addition, international students must provide proof of English proficiency if the student’s degree is from an institution where English is not the language of instruction. 

Refer to the Graduate College Admission & Registration  contained in this catalog for a complete description of materials and processes required for admission consideration.

The MBA Program requires the following documentation.

  1. Official results of the GMAT test; the report is to be sent directly form the GMAT testing center.
  2. A copy of the applicant’s current resume.
  3. Two letters of recommendation from persons competent to judge the applicant’s potential to pursue graduate work successfully.
  4. A one to two page statement of purpose.
  5. Evidence of a minimum of two years of relevant work experience preferred.

With the exception of the GMAT, required materials listed above are to be uploaded into the Graduate College application. The MBA program does not require a separate application.

 Admission requirements include:

  1. Evidence (official transcript) of an undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00, or higher, on a four-point scale.
  2. Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score of 550 or higher with each component over the 25th percentile. The test score should be reflective of both, verbal and quantitative aptitude. GMAT scores over five years old are not considered. The average score of accepted students over the last two years is about 600. The computer adaptive GMAT is offered on a continuous basis by appointment at one of approximately 400 locations throughout North America. For further information contact:

Graduate Management Admission Test
1600 Tysons Blvd. Ste. 1400
McLean, VA 22102
(703) 245-4285
website: www.mba.com
e-mail: webmaster@gmac.com

Applicants with demonstrated potential, a strong undergraduate academic record, and a strong GMAT score, are admitted with graduate standing. Students may be considered for admission on a provisional basis. If their undergraduate academic record and/or GMAT score are not sufficiently strong to be considered for full graduate standing. Applicants with a GPA less than 3.00 but not lower than 2.75, OR a GMAT score less than 550 but not lower than 520, with each component over the 25th percentile, may be considered for provisional admission provided that the result of the GPA times 200 plus the GMAT score is not less than 1,150. A graduate provisional student must complete nine credit hours of required course work. The courses are approved in advance and are listed on the “Letter of Admission.” The student must complete this course work within the first two consecutive enrollment periods (excluding Summer Term) and earn individual grades of B (3.00) or above (B- is not acceptable) before any other additional course work may be taken. Failure to complete this course work in the allotted time, or any grades less than B, will result in cancellation of the student’s admission. Upon completion of the nine hours with grades of B or better, the College of Business will recommend to the Graduate College that the student be given graduate standing status. The Graduate College will then change the student’s status to graduate standing.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide satisfactory evidence of these skills. Prior to their first semester in the program, all admitted students are required to attend a noncredit orientation and skill refresher. This will include sessions on team building, research facilities, etc.

Accelerated MBA Program

MBA applicants may be considered for the accelerated MBA program. To be considered for the accelerated MBA program a candidate must meet each of the following requirements:

  1. GMAT score greater than or equal to 600 (based upon the GMAT score used for admittance to the MBA Program)
  2. GMAT verbal score greater than or equal to the 50th percentile
  3. GMAT quantitative score greater than or equal to the 50th percentile
  4. A business undergraduate degree or an undergraduate degree with a business minor from an AACSB accredited university with a minimum grade point average of 3.0

If the above requirements are met, then it is possible to waive some of the core classes from the MBA curriculum. Classes can be waived based upon undergraduate business classes taken if your business degree was granted in the last five years and a grade of B or better was earned in the relevant class. A maximum of 6 classes (18 credit hours) can be waived. A student must take a minimum of 30 credit hours of business classes at UNLV to earn a MBA degree. All class waivers must be approved by the Director of MBA Programs, who will consult with relevant department chairs as necessary. 

The following classes can possibly be waived based upon successful completion of the undergraduate classes listed in parenthesis or their equivalents:

Degree Requirement


The MBA degree requires a minimum of 48 credit hours of approved course work, including the completion of the 30 credit hours of the Core Courses, three credit hours of Capstone, and 15 credit hours in the student’s concentration area.

Up to 15 graduate credit hours may be transferred if taken at AACSB accredited business schools within the last 5 years. This transfer credit is limited by the requirement that a student must take a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate classes from UNLV’s College of Business to earn a MBA degree.

2. Concentration - Total Credits: 15


The 9-12 hours, depending on the concentration, of required courses must be taken in the concentration area of the student’s choice. The remaining 3-6 credit hours can be taken from the list of the elective courses or from the remaining two concentration courses. The concentration areas and all related course work require prior approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

3. Capstone Course - Total Credits: 3


4. Internship - Total Credits: 3


  • is required for students without relevant business work experience. This requirement may be waived at the student’s request and with a proof of relevant work experience. Credits / Units: 3

Description of Concentrations


  • Finance
  • Management Information Systems
  • New Venture Management
  • Services Marketing

Finance


This concentration provides the student with a working knowledge of financial management in solving the practical financial problems encountered in the management of the financial affairs of the firm. Typically, it involves decision problems associated with working capital, capital structure, capital budgeting, mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring. It also seeks to expand the student’s understanding of the current conceptual framework of investments in financial assets including stocks, bonds and derivative securities.

Required Courses:

New Venture Management


This concentration is designed to prepare students for the prospects of managing new ventures. Courses required for this concentration develop student skills in the following areas critical to new venture success: opportunity creation recognition, evaluation and exploitation; resource gathering and leveraging through preemption, negotiation and incentivizing; and, management of uncertainties through intelligence gathering, planning and adaptation to change. Whether the student eventually becomes an independent entrepreneur or corporate project manager or venture capitalist, he or she will have a greater ability to address the challenges that contemporary businesses have in creating new value and sustaining it.

Required Courses:

Management Information Systems


This concentration is designed to prepare students for challenges and opportunities of information technology management. Courses for this concentration are developed to cover tools, concepts, and methodologies for preparing students to become effective MIS managers and be able to use the technology in innovative ways that create competitive advantage. The program will cover: computer software as applied in business processes; systems analysis and design; database concepts; strategies for corporate information systems; information systems project management; social and economic impacts of information technology; data communications and networks; electronic commerce; and security. Pedagogy involves lectures, labs, discussions, and selected readings and cases.

Required Courses:

Elective Courses

Services Marketing


This concentration is designed to provide students with the skills and tools necessary to successfully market services, products, and ideas for profit and not-for-profit firms. The courses have been designed to provide students with state of the art information for marketing in today’s changing environment. A marketing concentration can be valuable to a wide range of people including professional managers, not-for-profit employees, professionals, and small business owners. Key topics include: competitive advantage, segmentation, relationship development, and competitive positioning.

Required Courses:

Plus one Elective Course from the following list: