MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
(Oxford campus full-time program)

Dr. Delvin D. Hawley, Associate Dean for Administration and MBA Program Director

Dr. Faye W. Gilbert, Coordinator of MBA Faculty and Curriculum

Dr. John Holleman, Director of MBA Administration

Dr. Steve Stricker, Associate Director of Career Services for the MBA Program

Contact
Dr. John Holleman, Director of MBA Administration
jholleman@bus.olemiss.edu
(662) 915-5483
www.bus.olemiss.edu/mba

Overview
Since 1946, when the first MBA degree was awarded at The University of Mississippi, the MBA Program has earned a reputation for producing capable and qualified graduates. The program is known for its emphasis on practical knowledge and real-world experience while maintaining a high level of academic rigor. These traditional strengths now form the foundation for an entirely new MBA Program designed to give students the competitive edge in the global and technologically intensive environment that will dominate the business world in the 21st century. The MBA curriculum is designed to develop effective decision-making skills in an environment that emphasizes practical applications and real-world experience to produce highly capable graduates with marketable skills. It is application-driven, integrated, and broad-based in its approach to the educational experience. All required courses are team-taught in order to ensue that the content will be cross-functional and diverse. This innovative program makes a clear statement that we are committed to business education at the highest level of academic excellence.

The MBA Program is designed to produce graduates who possess:

• An understanding of today's global business environment that has both breadth and depth.
• Analytical competence and the ability to apply analytical techniques to practical business problems.
• An understanding of the concepts, language, and cultures of business.
• The ability to anticipate and deal with change.
• The ability to make decisions that span disciplines.
• The ability to understand and mobilize technology.
• Excellent written, oral, and presentation skills.
• Leadership experience and competencies in persuasion, negotiation, motivation, and cooperation
• The ability to work well in teams.
• An appreciation of the value of diversity and ethical behavior.
  

Program Structure
The MBA Program emphasizes the development of practical management skills that address real-world business problems while maintaining a high level of academic rigor. All required courses are cross-functional and integrative. Cases and team projects involving actual business problems are common. Students develop extensive teamwork, leadership, communication, and technical skills while building a strong foundation of fundamental and advanced theoretical concepts. The effective use of computer and information technology is emphasized throughout the program. Students develop an area of specialization through elective courses, which can be tailored to individual goals and objectives.

Students move through year one of the program as a group or "cohort," beginning with the MBA Business Foundations course in July. This intensive 6-credit course is designed to develop and refresh essential skills in the fundamental areas of business management while building competencies in teamwork and leadership. In the fall semester of the first year, students enroll in MBA Skills and Business Finance and Operations, which are designed to develop advanced capabilities in math, statistics, finance and accounting. Two cross-functional courses also taken in the fall semester, Mobilizing Technology in the Modern Business and Business Environment, address MIS applications and managerial economics. Four courses taken during the spring semester, Business Decision Making, Business Planning and Entrepreneurship, Managing Operations Through the Life Cycle, and MBA Project Analysis address the development of practical solutions to real business problems by using cases and team projects.

Students begin year two, in most cases, following a summer internship. Recognizing that practical experience is a vital complement to the MBA curriculum, the School of Business Administration strongly encourages students to complete an internship. In the fall semester of the second year, all students enroll in an integrative capstone course along with courses in their area of specialization. Each student has the opportunity to construct an area of specialization that is tailored to his or her individual goals and objectives.

The MBA curriculum emphasizes that real decision-making experience and extensive participation in group projects involving actual business organizations are the cornerstones of this innovative curriculum. Employers want MBA graduates who will make an immediate and lasting contribution to the value of their company. They want relevant experience and the ability to act decisively in a competitive and constantly changing global business environment. The Ole Miss MBA Program is designed to deliver this product.

Admission Requirements
Admission is competitive with a limited cohort size. Applicants will be ranked by the Admissions Committee, and admission will be awarded to the applicants of the highest rank until all positions are filled. Alternates will be assigned to fill positions that are vacated before the beginning of the MBA Business Foundations course in July. At the minimum, admission in full standing requires the following:

• An undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• A 3.0 GPA on the most recent 60 semester hours of course work.
• A GMAT score that indicates sufficient preparation for a rigorous graduate business program.
• Prior completion of at least one semester of calculus (not finite math or precalculus), one semester of economics, and one semester of basic statistics at the 300 level (third-year standing) or higher of other statistics courses approved by the Admissions Committee.
• Basic computer skills, including spreadsheet and word processing.
• Two (2) acceptable letters of recommendation.
• A 600 TOEFL score (international applicants only).
• Preference will be given to applicants with business work experience.
  

These admission requirements are subject to change without notice. Satisfaction of the above criteria does not guarantee admission. Admission is competitive among the pool of applicants. Students will enter the program once each year, beginning with the MBA Business Foundations I course in July.

All students must have a laptop or notebook computer that meets minimum approved specifications.

Conditional admission will be considered by the MBA Admissions Committee on a limited basis. Conditional admission will require the student to attain a 3.0 GPA by the end of the first semester of enrollment to be retained in the program.

Graduation Requirements
Completion of the MBA degree will require 48 credit hours of course work as follows:

Required courses	36
Specialization and elective courses	12
Total credit hours	48

At least 9 of the 12 hours of specialization area course work must be confined to a specific area of specialization.

Transfers
Due to the unique pedagogy of the required courses in the MBA Program, transfer credit will be accepted only in fulfillment of specialization area requirements. The maximum of 6 credit hours of approved course work may be transferred into the program from another institution.

Courses
The summer, fall, and spring semesters of the first year of study will be based on a lock-step cohort system. All students will take the same courses and will be involved with the same peer group throughout this period. Courses include:

MBA 601 - MBA Business Foundations I
MBA 602 - Seminar Series
MBA 611 - Business Skills
MBA 612 - Business Decision Making
MBA 613 - Mobilizing Technology in the Modern Business
MBA 614 - Business Environment
MBA 621 - Business Finance and Operations
MBA 622 - Business Planning and Entrepreneurship
MBA 623 - Managing Operations Through the Life Cycle
MBA 624 - MBA Project Analysis
MBA 631 - Concept Integration and Application

MBA Seminar: The purpose of the seminar is to complement MBA courses by providing an applied forum for the presentation of diverse topics and to examine implications of current events related to the semester's course work emphasis. (Fall and spring, 1 credit.)

Specialization Area Courses: Specialization area courses are taken in the summer (optional), fall, and spring semester of the second year. All students must take at least 12 credit hours of specialization course work but may take more than this to build a stronger area of specialization. Students have the opportunity to construct an area of specialization that is tailored to their individual goals and objectives, subject to approval of the Advising Committee. With the permission of the student's Advising Committee, specialization area courses could include nonbusiness courses such as a foreign language or courses in law, computer science, telecommunications, or pharmacy administration.

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Assistantships and Fellowships
The John N. Palmer Assistantship and Fellowship Program provides financial aid and practical experience to students who have excelled in their undergraduate programs and who possess the academic and leadership skills to become successful business executives or entrepreneurs. The Chevron Fellowship is awarded to the outstanding MBA recruit each year, providing a one-time cash grant of $2,000. Students not qualifying for the above assistantships and fellowships may be eligible for nonresident or resident tuition fellowships during some part of their program.

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THREE-YEAR MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM

Oxford-Southaven-Tupelo

Contact
Dr. John Holleman, Director of MBA Administration
jholleman@ bus.olemiss.edu, (662) 915-5483

The University of Mississippi's Three-year Master of Business Administration degree concentrates on developing graduates capable of pursuing positions of responsibility in organizations faced with the challenges of a rapidly changing environment. The program is intended to meet the present and future educational needs of employed men and women striving for excellence in the world of business.

Courses
The Three-year MBA begins in the summer with the first course meeting on weekends (Friday and Saturday) during June, July and August. The six-hour Business Foundations course is designed to provide an intensive introduction to the MBA Program and to allow students and faculty to interact closely in a low-key, distraction-free environment on the Oxford campus.

With the exception of the beginning foundation course, the Three-year MBA Program involves the use of distance learning technology to simultaneously link the University's three locations (Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo). Classes meet using the University's two-way interactive television system in which MBA students can see hear and speak to individuals at each site. Courses will be taught and broadcast via the network from 6 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., with each class meeting once per week.

All students begin the program in the Summer Session with MBA 601 - MBA Business Foundations. The entire curriculum is based on a lock-step cohort system. All students take the same courses and are involved with the same peer group throughout the Three Year Program. The program requires 48 semester hours to complete on the following schedule:

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Admission:
Admission requirements into the Three Year MBA Program are the same as for the full-time MBA Program, with the exception that applicants must have at least two years of full-time, professional work experience.

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