Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Business Administration, MBA


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C.T. Bauer College of Business  > Business Administration, MBA

The C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston is located in the heart of Houston and fuels the city’s workforce. Our graduate students have the benefits of an on-campus education, a world-renowned faculty that provides personalized attention in classrooms of diverse professionals, and a strong network of Bauer alumni that dominates the Houston workforce - truly making the Bauer MBA, Houston’s MBA.

The Full-Time MBA program is a 22 month experience, built on a rigorous core curriculum, that also allows students a great deal of flexibility.  Electives and graduate certificates within the program provide the specialized knowledge needed for success in a wide variety of careers in business.  The Professional MBA program offers evening courses for the working professional, with flexible scheduling options. This 24 month program also allows a great deal of flexibility in choosing electives and graduate certificates.  Students in both the Full-Time and Professional formats of the MBA are supported by Bauer’s Rockwell Center for Career Services.

The Full-Time MBA admits students for fall enrollment only, while the Professional MBA admits students in both the fall and spring semesters.  Bauer MBA students are typically 29-30 years of age with 5-6 years of work experience and average GMAT scores of 610.

For further information please see http://www.bauer.uh.edu/graduate-studies/prospective-students/mba/index.php.

Admission Requirements


Admission eligibility for the Bauer MBA Program requires a four-year undergraduate degree (or foreign equivalent) from an accredited institution. The undergraduate degree may be in any discipline.

A complete application should include:

  1. Application for Graduate Studies (see www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/how-to-apply)
  2. Transcripts
    • Domestic transcripts - official transcript from all higher education institutions attended
    • International Transcripts - one original transcript and degree certificate in the original language and the other must be an official English translation of the transcript.
  3. Test Scores
    • Official GMAT or GRE scores, less than 5 years old
    • International applicants must submit a test of English language proficiency unless they have earned a high school diploma or bachelor’s degree or a higher from a college or university in the US.
      One of the following tests may be submitted to meet this requirement. Please note that scores over two years old will not be accepted.
      • Official PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic) minimum of 70.
      • Official IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score above 6.5.
      • Official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score above 603 on the paper-based test or 100 on the internet-based test.
  4. Non-refundable Application Fee(s)
    • An application fee is required of all applicants.
  5. Additional Requirements for International Applicants

NOTE: International students must have a four-year degree from an accredited university to apply for the MBA. Three-year degrees are not considered equivalent. There is no bridge program at UH. Students with a three-year degree will likely need to combine it with a completed master’s degree from their home country before applying.  Visit www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/international-students/transcripts/ for additional information.

  1. Resume
  2. Goal Statement
  3. Letter of Recommendation
  4. Interviews
    • Interviews are required for applicants who have been selected to continue the admission process. Not every applicant is invited for an interview. The interviews are by invitation only.

Degree Requirements


The MBA Program is 48.0 credit hours; all coursework is at the graduate level. Students must complete 21.0 core Credit Hours and 27.0 elective Credit Hours. Electives may vary from 1.5-3.0 Credit Hours each.

The number of core courses taken each semester and the order in which they are taken will depend on which scheduling option the student selects, Full-Time or Professional.

Electives


MBA candidates must take a minimum of nine 7000-level or above business elective courses totaling 27 credit hours to complete the degree. Two UH graduate-level electives outside the Bauer College of Business may be counted toward the degree subject to prior approval from the MBA Program Office. These electives would be three-credit courses, taken for a letter grade, and integrally related to the advanced study of business.

Electives can be selected from the following business areas:

Accountancy and Taxation Business Analytics Finance
General Business International Business Management
Marketing and Entrepreneurship Management Information Systems Supply Chain Management

Due to prerequisites, a limited number of the graduate accounting courses are open to MBA students; if you plan to focus your graduate studies on accountancy and taxation, you may want to consider the MS Accountancy program.

In the elective section, students may choose from the following three paths:

  1. Free Electives Path: A variety of courses may be taken from across the college in support of a generalist theme.
  2. Focused Path: 12 hours or more may be taken in a single department to focus on a specific functional area (for example, MIS or Finance).
  3. Certificate Path: 9-18 hours may be taken toward a certificate in a specialized area. Students selecting this option will be awarded a certificate in addition to the MBA diploma upon completion of their degree.

Joint Degrees


The Bauer College of Business offers a number of joint master’s degree programs, which may be pursued on a part- or full-time basis. Programs at the University of Houston that may be combined with the Master of Business Administration include the following:

For all of these joint degree programs, it is necessary to apply separately and meet admissions requirements for both programs. (For example, MBA/JD applicants must take both the GMAT or GRE and the LSAT tests.) Once students have been admitted to the first graduate program, they must gain admission to the other within one calendar year. The MBA program will allow 12 hours of MBA electives to be filled by courses from the other program. Students will receive two diplomas, and must file for graduation with both degrees in the same semester.

Contact Information for Joint Degrees

MBA/JD

Law Center
(713) 743-2280
http://www.law.uh.edu/admissions/

MBA/MS

Hospitality Management
(713) 743-2457
http://www.hrm.uh.edu/

MBA/MIE

Industrial Engineering
(713) 743-4180
http://www.egr.uh.edu/ie/graduate/

MBA/MSW

Social Work
(713) 743-8082
http://www.sw.uh.edu/

MBA/PharmD

Pharmacy
(713) 743-1261
http://www.uh.edu/pharmacy/prospective-students/pharmd/admissions-requirements/

MBA Academic Policies


All MBA candidates are expected to have computer literacy in the areas of word processing, spreadsheet analysis, databases, PowerPoint, and the use of the Internet. Students who do not have these competencies are expected to acquire this knowledge prior to enrollment in the program. At UH an appropriate undergraduate course equivalent is MIS 3300.

To take Masters’ level courses (6000-7000 level) in the C. T. Bauer College of Business, students must have graduate standing at UH and meet the specific prerequisites for courses as listed in the course prerequisites section. A prerequisite must be completed prior to the start of the course for which it is a prerequisite.

None of the 48 credits required for the MBA degree may be waived.  Transfer hours are also not accepted.  In rare cases, waivers of a core course may be allowed with substitution of a higher level course in that area.  On occasion, students close to degree completion who relocate due to a job transfer may be allowed to transfer in some elective credits with approval from the Assistant Dean and Advisor.

Student records of prerequisites taken

Prerequisites must be evaluated and automated on the Bauer College of Business prerequisite checking computer program before students take courses for which the prerequisites are required. Students in masters’ level business programs with questions regarding their records should consult with a graduate advisor in 424 University Classroom and Business Building (UCBB). Students in other graduate programs on campus should provide the graduate advisor in the Bauer College of Business, MBA Program Office, 424 University Classroom and Business Building (UCBB), with a copy of their transcript indicating completion of a calculus course and any other required prerequisites, prior to the start of the semester.

Course and Program Policies

If a course is cross-listed under two departments, students will receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses.

The 5000-level courses in the Certificate in Accountancy Program (CAP) can be used to waive prerequisites for graduate-level accounting courses, but will not count as graduate credit toward degree requirements for the MBA, MS in Accountancy, or MS in Finance.

Graduate students are not permitted to enroll in undergraduate business courses in the Bauer College of Business. 

Undergraduate and post baccalaureate students are ineligible to enroll in graduate-level courses in the Bauer College and will be dropped from any such courses for which they enrolled. Drops can be generated by either the instructor or the Graduate and Professional Programs Office. Only students in the Professional Program in Accounting and the BSIE/MBA joint program are granted an exception to take two graduate courses in their senior year.

Effective Term of Admission

Admission to the Full-time MBA program is granted only for the Fall term. The Professional MBA program admits students for either the Fall or Spring term; admission is granted for a specific term. If students wish to postpone enrollment, they must notify the Bauer Graduate & Professional Programs Office in writing and secure approval to defer their start date. The first term in which students, as graduate students, complete graduate-level course work that applies toward a degree, is the effective term of admission.

Graduate Classification

Students are classified as graduate students in the Bauer College only after their completed application for admission has been approved by the Bauer College. Students must go through the formal application process in order to obtain this classification.

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Admission to a graduate program on this campus of the University of Houston System is a prerequisite for enrollment in any C. T. Bauer College of Business course numbered 6000 or higher. Students must meet the prerequisite and corequisite requirements of the graduate program to which they are admitted. Prerequisites to the programs are listed with each individual graduate program section. Prerequisites to individual courses are indicated under each course title and are strictly enforced.

Transfer Policy

The Bauer MBA program does not accept transfer credit for students who have started an MBA program at another institution. Bauer MBA students who relocate due to a job transfer and are close to graduation should meet with an MBA academic advisor to discuss options regarding completion of their degree.

Waiver Policy

None of the 48 credit hours required for the MBA degree may be waived.

Inapplicable Graduate Credit

Graduate credit is not granted for extension courses, advanced standing examinations, or courses taken prior to admission to a graduate program. The time limitation section specifies additional restrictions. Also, although grades of D+ and lower are included in the computed grade point average, the university awards no credit toward the degree for courses in which the student receives a grade below C-.

Special Problems Courses

A master’s or doctoral-level student who is interested in doing an independent study or research project may make arrangements to work individually with a faculty member by signing up for a special problems/independent study course. No more than six semester hours of special problems credit may count as electives toward the business administration graduate degree requirements.

Dropping Courses

The last day to drop a course (or courses) is the date indicated in the University’s academic calendar. The C. T. Bauer College of Business cannot override the drop dates set by the University of Houston. Please refer to Student Business Services for information regarding deadlines to drop a course with and without a refund. Students who are dropping all their courses in a given semester must withdraw before the first class day in order to obtain a full refund.

Continuous Enrollment

Unless students petition for a leave of absence, they should maintain continuous enrollment during the fall and spring semesters. Students who are out of the program for more than one calendar year will be under the jurisdiction of the catalog in effect at the time of their reentry. Students who fail to maintain continuous enrollment for more than two calendar years must apply for reinstatement to the program through a petitioning process, pay the Bauer College application fee again, submit an updated resume, and meet the admission requirements in effect at that time.

Graduation Honors

The Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence is a college-based honor awarded to students who complete their graduate degrees in business with a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.70 or above. The graduate GPA does not include grades in any undergraduate courses the student may have taken while in the graduate program. Students earning the Dean’s Award are mailed certificates by the College. The designation does not appear on the University of Houston diploma.

Termination of Enrollment

Students must maintain a satisfactory rate of progress toward the degree. Satisfactory progress is measured by several means, including timely completion of courses required for the degree and maintenance of a minimum grade point average of 3.00 (A=4.00). In addition, the University’s Low Grade Policy applies. A graduate student who receives a grade of C+ or lower in 12 semester credit hours attempted at this institution for graduate credit or for application toward the graduate degree, whether or not in repeated courses, is ineligible for any advanced degree at this institution and will not be permitted to re-enroll for graduate study. The Dean, or designate, may terminate enrollment at any time if the student’s rate of progress is not satisfactory. If enrollment is terminated, students will be notified with a written explanation. A hold will be placed on your account with the Office of the University Registrar and you will be unable to continue with graduate classes at this university.

Changes of Major, Degree, and Classification

Students who wish to change their field of study, degree objective, or classification to one in the Bauer College of Business should contact the Graduate & Professional Programs Office. If admitted, students will be subject to college policies in effect during the semester for which the change is approved. Graduate students in the C. T. Bauer College of Business who wish to change from one degree objective to another within the College should complete an online application form at https://www.applyweb.com/uhouston/index.ftl. Students who receive approval for the change will be subject to policies and degree plans in effect during the semester the change is approved. Bauer graduate students who wish to change to another graduate college at the University of Houston should consult the dean’s office of that college for procedural information.

Non-Business Majors at the University of Houston

On a space-available basis, non-business majors in good standing in other graduate programs at the University of Houston main campus may take up to 12 semester hours (15 hours for HRM graduate students) of Masters’ level business courses as long as they meet the specific prerequisites (or have taken equivalent prerequisite courses in their own program).  After completing these hours, students are no longer eligible to take graduate courses in the Bauer College unless an application for a new degree objective and major in the Bauer College of Business has been submitted and approved.

MBA courses taken by students in other UH colleges who have not been admitted to a Bauer College graduate program may not be applied to a future MBA degree at UH.

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