Master of Business Administration

The MBA program is designed to serve business and other organizations by preparing students to be leaders. The themes of a global view of business, leadership, ethics, and communication are important and integral parts of the program. Students are encouraged to integrate these themes into term papers, case presentations, and classroom discussions.

The MBA program has two formats (Online and One-Year) and two specializations, the Executive MBA and the Global MBA. The Executive MBA specialization is designed for experienced professionals and focuses on four innovative mindsets (entrepreneurial, agile, global, and transformational). The Global MBA specialization emphasizes technology, data analytics, and innovation, equipping students with cutting-edge business and technical skills.

Master of Business Administration Learning Competencies

All NIU MBA graduates will:

• Demonstrate business acumen and analytical skills
• Communicate with impact
• Assess key leadership skills, traits, styles, processes across various contexts and their own abilities related to each
• Identify ethical issues and the implications on business, society, and individuals
• Assess global impact on business decisions

Furthermore, each MBA format and the Executive MBA and the Global MBA specializations will have an additional competency.

NIU Online MBA graduates will:

• Identify and respond to opportunities

NIU Global MBA graduates will:

• Derive insights from data to inform global business decisions

NIU One-Year MBA graduates will:

• Evaluate plans to bring a new product or service to market within an organization

NIU Executive MBA graduates will:

• Evaluate strategies aligned with internal and external conditions to achieve long-term organizational success

MBA Admission Requirements

Admission to the MBA program is competitive and limited to those who can demonstrate high promise of success. NIU University Honors students who graduate with a BA or BS degree are guaranteed admission into the Global MBA format as space permits.

Requirements for MBA admission are:

• One professional or academic letter of recommendation. Applicants have the option of submitting up to two professional/academic letters of recommendation.
• Statement of Interest. Applicants are required to submit a two- to three- paragraph statement of interest describing future aspirations, and why they are interested in pursuing the program.
• Professional Resume.
• Work experience is required for the Executive MBA specialization, the One-Year Chicago MBA format, the One-Year Schaumburg MBA format, and the Online MBA format.
• GMAT
  • The GMAT is not required for the Executive MBA specialization, the One-Year Chicago MBA format, nor the One-Year Schaumburg MBA format.
  • GMAT waivers for the Online MBA format and the Global MBA specialization are available if applicants meet one of the following:
    • Undergraduate/bachelor’s degree GPA of 3.0 or higher
    • Earned graduate degree
    • Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher, plus one of the following:
      • Work experience of 7+ years, or
      • Military experience, or
      • Professional certification

Credit Requirements

For those with the minimum competencies mentioned above but without prior preparation in the business area, the M.B.A. may require a maximum of 48 semester hours. However, an individual student’s program may require fewer semester hours depending on the student’s previous education in business and economics.

In addition to maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.00 in all graduate course work completed in the program at NIU, the student must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 in all graduate course work completed in Phase Two.

Limitation of Time

The student must fulfill all Phase Two requirements for the M.B.A. within the six consecutive years immediately preceding the date of the student’s graduation from that degree program. This time limit applies to all Phase Two graduate course work in the student’s program including work for which transfer credit is allowed.

If an NIU course taken to complete the requirements of Phase Two does not fall within the time limitation indicated in the preceding paragraph, the student may be required to retake the course for credit or may be allowed to demonstrate current knowledge of the subject matter. In the latter case, currency must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the department offering the course through successful completion of an appropriate examination or other assessment if available from the department. Otherwise, the outdated course work must be deleted from, and other course work must be substituted in, the program of courses. Transfer courses falling outside the limitation of time cannot be used in a graduate program.

Courses for Which Graduate Credit is Allowed

At NIU only courses which are numbered 500-798 carry credit toward the master’s degree.

Student-at-Large, Study-Abroad, and Transfer Credit

Students-at-large are normally prohibited from registering for graduate business courses.

The total Phase Two credit accepted in transfer from other AACSB-accredited institutions may not exceed 9 semester hours. The total Phase Two credit earned from NIU graduate study-abroad courses may not exceed 9 semester hours. The Phase Two combination of transfer credit and credit earned from NIU graduate study-abroad courses may not exceed 15 semester hours. These semester-hour limits may be exceeded on a program of courses only by the use of transfer courses and only if the total number of semester hours required on the program of courses exceeds the minimum requirements for that major by at least the same number of hours.