Application Deadlines
Applications for this program are accepted throughout the year in fall, spring, and summer.
Application Materials Required for the MBA Degree
Applicants for the MBA must submit all of the following documentation to Graduate Admissions to be considered for admission:
Graduate Admissions
Jacksonville State University
700 Pelham Road North
Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602
- Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission.
- Non-refundable $35.00 application processing fee.
- Official transcripts from the baccalaureate degree awarding institution and all transcripts from institutions where post-baccalaureate work has been completed. To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a degree from an institutionally accredited institution or its foreign equivalent. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the University.)
- Official test scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The GMAT must be taken within the five-year time frame immediately preceding enrollment. Note: A minimum acceptable GMAT score of 400 is required. A GMAT waiver is available for students who meet certain criteria. Please see the admission requirements below.
- A résumé showing at least 3 years professional work experience. Applicants who choose to submit an official GMAT score or who have graduated from an AACSB-accredited business program with an overall graduating GPA of at least 3.0 or who are applying through the JSU 4 + 1 program are not required to submit a résumé.
- International student applicants must see the International Student Applicants section of this catalog for other application and enrollment requirements.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credits are accepted from AACSB International accredited schools only. No transfer credit(s) will be accepted once students are enrolled in the MBA program, except in cases of extreme hardship to be determined by the Graduate Business Programs Coordinator and the Dean of the Graduate School.
Admission Requirements for the MBA Degree
All students seeking admission to the MBA program must have completed the application process and been admitted to the program prior to enrolling in MBA classes. Applicants are admitted on a selective basis upon review of the completed application package.
Applicants must meet one of the following admission formula requirements. For purposes of computing the undergraduate GPA, a 4.00 grade-point scale is used. The plus (+) and minus (-) grades from undergraduate transcripts are not used in calculating the GPA.
Students Accepted for Entry into the Program
To obtain admission into the MBA program, students must meet one of the following formula requirements:
- have an undergraduate degree from an AACSB-accredited business program with at least an overall graduating 3.00 GPA
or
- have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with at least an overall graduating 3.00 GPA
and
- at least 3 years of professional work experience or an official GMAT score of 400 or higher
and
- completion of the undergraduate equivalents to the foundation courses discussed in the Foundation Courses section and the prerequisite accounting courses.
Adequate professional work experience will be determined by an evaluation of the applicant’s résumé by a committee of the graduate faculty.
All applicants who are admitted to the MBA program but do not have adequate undergraduate business preparation may be required to complete up to 9 semester hours of foundation business or economics courses. These courses can be found under the Foundation Courses section. Applicants who have not fulfilled the undergraduate equivalents of these foundation courses will be admitted on a conditional basis. In addition to these requirements, applicants to the MBA – Accounting Concentration may be required to complete up to 21 hours of additional accounting courses. These courses can be found under the Minimum Requirements for the MBA Degree section. Applicants to the MBA – Accounting Concentration who have not completed these accounting courses will be conditionally admitted and must satisfy these requirements within the time frame specified in the student’s admissions letter. Failure to comply will result in the student being dropped from the program.
JSU Graduates
Jacksonville State University graduates can be accepted for entry into the program without submitting an official GMAT score if their graduating GPA is at least 3.0 and they have satisfied the undergraduate equivalents of the foundation courses listed under the Foundation Courses section.
4+1 Program Applicants
Jacksonville State University applicants admitted under the 4+1 program who have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher can receive a GMAT waiver.
Conditional Admission
Any applicant failing to meet the requirements for admission, as defined above, may be considered for conditional admission if the student meets the following requirements:
- have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with at least an overall graduating 2.75 GPA or an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on the last 30 hours of the undergraduate degree
and
- at least 3 years of professional work experience or an official GMAT score of 400 or higher
or
- hold a graduate degree from an accredited university.
Adequate professional work experience will be determined by an evaluation of the applicant’s résumé by a committee of the graduate faculty.
Students who are granted conditional admission must achieve a GPA of at least 3.00 on the first 12 graduate hours attempted within the time frame specified in the student’s admissions letter. Failure to comply will result in the student being dropped from the program.
All applications will be reviewed by the Graduate Business Programs Coordinator for the College of Business and Industry. The Graduate Business Programs Coordinator will submit to the Dean, Graduate School their recommendation on the admission of each applicant. The Dean of the Graduate School, in conjunction with the Graduate Business Programs Coordinator, will make the final decision on the admission of the student.
Minimum Requirements for the MBA Degree
An overall 3.00 GPA is required on all coursework attempted for the master’s degree. Transfer credit cannot be used to raise the GPA to the required 3.00.
The MBA degree with an Accounting concentration consists of 30 semester hours of graduate business courses. Students without adequate undergraduate preparation will be required to take the following undergraduate accounting courses as preparation for the graduate coursework required for the concentration: ACC 200 Principles of Accounting I (3), ACC 210 Principles of Accounting II (3), ACC 301 Accounting Information Systems (3), ACC 310 Financial Accounting I (3), ACC 360 Financial Accounting II (3), ACC 372 Income Tax Accounting (3), and ACC 477 Auditing (3). Students wishing to sit for the CPA exam should consult with the Director of Graduate Business Programs to determine additional requirements.
Foundation Courses:
Credit for foundation coursework may be given for courses already completed as part of a baccalaureate degree. Students without adequate undergraduate preparation are required to complete 9 semester hours of foundation business and economics courses listed below. The Graduate Business Programs Coordinator will evaluate each student’s undergraduate coursework to determine which foundation courses are required prior to the student taking MBA courses. A student must earn a grade of “B” or above in each of these specified, required courses if they are taken after the completion of the baccalaureate degree. The graduate GPA is computed on all graduate hours attempted.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| BA 500 | Statistics and Quantitative Methods | 3 |
| BA 502 | Contemporary Economic Fundamentals | 3 |
| BA 511 | Concepts of Finance and Accounting | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Students who have satisfied the foundation requirements or who have earned a grade of “C” or better in the equivalent undergraduate courses may enroll in MBA courses. The Director of Graduate Business Programs will determine which courses are equivalent to the foundation courses.
MBA Concentration: Accounting
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ACC 512 | Accounting Information Analysis | 3 |
| BA 530 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| BA 587 | Business Policy and Strategy | 3 |
| EC 515 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
| FIN 515 | Financial Management | 3 |
| MGT 537 | Business Leadership | 3 |
| MKT 513 | Marketing Analysis & Strategy | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select nine hours of ACC electives 1 | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
30 Graduate Semester Hours Required for this Degree
- 1
Electives may be selected from graduate Accounting courses numbered 500 and above from among any of the approved accounting courses listed in this catalog.
Graduation and Comprehensive Exam
No comprehensive exam is required for this degree. All students must apply for graduation by the given deadline of the semester in which they plan to graduate. Please see the Graduation and Comprehensive Exam section of this catalog for more information.