Gannon University

Director:  Dr. Duane R. Prokop, MBA, DSL

Our experience as the region's oldest and largest graduate school of management has taught us some important lessons.  Simply having a master's degree, regardless of the type of degree or apparent status of the degree-granting institution, is no assurance of success or happiness.  To succeed in business, individuals need real skills, an understanding of the world of business and an appreciation for life.  Our network of over 1,400 MBA alumni is a proud testament to Gannon's ability to make success happen for its graduate students.  Gannon MBA Alumni include Presidents/CEO's, Vice Presidents, CFO's, Treasurers, and Managing Partners.  In addition, over 40 have earned advanced degrees, including doctorates from some of the most prestigious academic institutions in North America (Indiana University, University of Michigan and University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Stanford University to name a few).  More than 45 Gannon MBA's are currently teaching in colleges and universities.

MISSION AND OUTCOMES
The mission of the Masters in Business Administration Program is to provide an ethically based graduate level education with an emphasis on practical knowledge and application in the functional areas of management grounded in sound business theory presented by faculty actively engaged in scholarship in the pure and applied fields consistent with the mission and goals of the University as well as those of the Dahlkemper School of Business Administration.

1.  Understand the global business environment;
2.  Understand and integrate the functional areas of business;
3.  Be able to apply analytical skills to solve problems in a business environment;
4.  Develop leadership skills and ethically responsible behavior in an organizational context;
5.  Be able to communicate effectively; and
6.  Understand how to work effectively in team settings.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
For all students:

• a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline
  
• GMAT score (this requirement is waived for students with a 3.2 GPA or higher in a business field)
  
• a completed application
  
• a complete resume
  
• official transcripts from all prior institutions
  
• three letters of recommendation
• TOEFL scores if English is not a first language

Degree Status is awarded to students whose undergraduate grade point average was 3.2 or higher or who score at least 1050 using the  following formula:  200 x (Undergraduate GPA) + GMAT Score

Provisional Academic Status may be awarded at the discretion of the program director to students who show academic promise but do not achieve 1050 on the formula above.  These students may petition for Degree status after completion of 9 credits with at least a 3.0 GPA.

CURRICULUM
The MBA is a professional degree program.  Students begin studies with a wide variety of academic and work backgrounds.  MBA curriculum requirements range from 30 to 45 credits depending upon these experiences.  Courses are presented in four general categories:

• From 0 to 15 credits of Foundation (500 level) classes.  This series is designed to bring all students up to the same preliminary level before commencing with the common body of course work.  Foundation courses are waivable (or challengeable) on the basis of academic and professional experience.
• Twenty-Four (24) credits of Core I and Core II (600 level) classes. 
• The 600 sequence represents the common body of topics and skills that MBA's are generally expected to possess. 
• Three (3) credits of Elective (700 level) courses allow the student to customize a curriculum or build a concentration.

The three (3) credit Business Policy Course (GMBA 799) is designed to integrate the curriculum, teach teamwork, and challenge MBA students to make real world applications of their MBA skills.  The Business Policy course must be taken at Gannon and may not be transferred in from another institution.

2. Core I Series (15 credits - up to three credits substitutable with a 700 level elective based on academic and professional background)

Total Credits 30-48

1. Waiver by Transcript
Students should make an appointment with the MBA office to determine which (if any) 500 level courses can be waived.  A waiver request is based upon previously completed undergraduate or graduate courses which are equivalent to the 500 level course in question.  The student must demonstrate the equivalency of the prior courses by completing a Course Waiver Form. The form is completed and returned to the MBA Office.  To waive a 500 level class the student should have taken specific courses within 7 years and obtained at least a grade of B (where two courses are listed, a grade of at least a B must be achieved in both courses). Below are the 500 level courses and the undergraduate courses required to waive each by transcript.  International students with a three (3) year bachelor degree will be required to take all 15 credits of the Foundation level as well as other designated courses and may not waive nor challenge these courses.

2. Waiver by Proficiency Examinations
Students who have taken the equivalent courses in the past, and do not meet the requirements in number one, above, but feel that they have a strong background in an area which is not reflected on their transcript (i.e. the courses were taken more than 7 years prior to admission or the student did not achieve the appropriate grade) may request challenge exams to demonstrate their proficiency.  Proficiency exams are offered through the purchase of study materials through a vendor with whom the University has contracted to provide the same.  Please see the MBA office for more information.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES
Gannon offers graduate certificates in a number of business and business related disciplines.  Most certificate students are graduate students who are unable to commit to a degree program but wish to bundle a select group of courses that leads to a particular expertise.  However, a number of certificate students are individuals who already have a master's degree but wish to upgrade skills or retrain.  Most of the certificate programs include 12 to 15 hours of graduate work.  For details, see the MBA office.  Graduate certificate programs are designed with the part-time student in mind so the student may take the appropriate upper level courses to complete the certificate.  Some graduate certificates may require courses to be taken during day time, please contact the program director for more information.

INTERNSHIPS AND COOPERATIVE EDUCATION
MBA students may, with permission of the Program Director, accept placements in fields that are related to their academic studies.  The University generally has a number of professional opportunities available for its graduate students, and for the younger, less experienced MBA's these placements can be valuable resume and portfolio builders.  Placements range from short term assignments to full-time positions and are often administrated in cooperation with either the Co-op Office or the Small Business Development Center.  Interested students are advised to check with both for placement opportunities.  In some circumstances, these placements can be credit bearing (typically one credit per semester), supervised by a graduate faculty member, and substituted for an elective course.  Students may take up to 3 credits of internship/cooperative education for credit with the permission of the program director, provided the experience adds to the student's knowledge and ability in their chosen field of study.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Courses indicated with an asterisk (*) are cross-listed with undergraduate courses. Students will be expected to perform graduate level work in these courses and will be given graduate level course objectives. The courses are typically offered during the daytime hours.  Due to scheduling constraints, not all courses are offered every semester.

GMBA 501 Financial Accounting  
3 credits
A study of basic accounting concepts, techniques, and systems with a focus on reporting, analysis, and interpretation of accounting data used for decision making.

GMBA 531 Management and Marketing Concepts  
3 credits
An overview of managing the modern organization, including a discussion of the functional areas of the organization, history of management thought, the structure of industrial and non-industrial organizations.  Approximately half the course involves discussion of the elements of marketing management.

GMBA 561 Fundamentals of Financial Management  
3 credits
Prerequisites: GMBA 501
A survey of financial decision making, using ratio analysis,  the time value of money, the cost of capital, and capital budgeting concepts.  Considerable time is spent outlining the environmental (macro-finance) factors that affect financial decisions.

600 Series Courses

GMBA 631 Organizational Behavior, Theory, and Structure
3 credits
Prerequisite: GMBA 531
The course addresses the application of the behavioral sciences to management.  The focus is on the analysis of structure and behavior in work organizations as well as classical organizational theory.

GMBA 661 Financial Management  
3 credits
Prerequisites: GMBA 525, GMBA 561, and GMBA601
A study of risk and risk management, including advanced analysis of the investment decision using the Markowitz portfolio model and the capital asset pricing model.  Other areas of study include the financing and dividend decisions, sources of short and long term capital, and current asset management.

GMBA 681 Global Business
3 credits
Prerequisites: GMBA501, 531, 571
This course is an advanced survey of the field of Global Business that exposes the student to all the major issues arising from conducting business activities across national boundaries.

GMBA 696 Business Information and Communication
3 credits
Prerequisites: GMBA501, GMBA531
An analysis of the use of business information systems and technology as a mission critical component of the organization. In addition communication styles under various circumstances within and outside the organization will be evaluated and practiced to gain proficiency in oral and written communication.

GMBA 703 Advanced Management Accounting* 
3 credits
Prerequisites: GMBA 525, GMBA 601
A study of basic cost principles from the viewpoint of cost determination, cost analysis, and cost control.  The focus is on specific approaches to managerial planning and decision making which are dependent on the cost accounting function.  The students are provided with an exposure to the sophisticated quantitative techniques which are associated with the modeling decisions.

GMBA 707 Income Taxation*  
3 credits
Prerequisite: GMBA 601
A survey of the application of current federal tax law to individuals, proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, trusts, estates, and gifts.  Provides an initial exposure to the tax code, revenue rulings and interpretations, and tax court cases.  An emphasis is placed on procedural applications of federal tax law to individuals.

Professional Series

Capstone Course