Master of Business Administration

Faculty

S. Christopher Fuller, Ph.D., Dean
Mary Lewis Haley, DA
Valerie King, D.B.A.
Max Melnikov, DA
Eric A. Landis, D.B.A.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is offered by the University in keeping with Cumberland’s mission to provide opportunities for advanced study in fields appropriate to the needs of the community. The program primarily seeks to provide individuals who have earned an accredited baccalaureate degree in any field with an opportunity to acquire advanced business expertise while continuing to work full-time during the period of enrollment. The program of study was instituted in 1995 and the first graduates of the program were awarded the MBA degree at the May 1997 commencement exercises.

Enrollment in the MBA Program is subject to acceptance. A qualified student may begin studies in the Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters. A student can complete the program by attending as few as three semesters in any sequence. A student’s matriculation must be completed within a maximum period of seven years.

MBA Program Vision

The vision of the Cumberland University MBA Program is to contribute to the enhancement of organizational leadership in the Middle Tennessee area and beyond by graduating persons with advanced business decision making skills and heightened commitment to ethical business practices.

MBA Program Mission Statement

The mission of the Cumberland University MBA program is to equip qualified adult learners with an enhanced set of skills and knowledge that can be deployed in the successful management of a business and/or technology related enterprise. The MBA curriculum is designed to afford students the opportunity to work both independently and in teams, to hone both analytical and communication skills, and to assimilate and deepen their understanding of the following core elements of an advanced business education: Marketing, Management, Finance, Managerial Accounting, and Strategic Leadership. This mission is achieved by using a blend of traditional classroom and on-line learning experiences.

MBA Program Learning Goals

Faculty members are committed to help students accepted into the MBA Program at Cumberland University to meet four learning goals:
1. To demonstrate advanced business and economics knowledge and high ethical awareness;
2. To demonstrate advanced decision making skills;
3. To demonstrate advanced competence in gathering and analyzing organizational information from internal and external sources using technology and literature;
4. To demonstrate advanced competence in the synthesis, evaluation, and communication of information.
The curriculum for the MBA program is designed to achieve the four learning goals above.

Application Requirements

Cumberland University makes no distinction in its admission, policies, or procedures on grounds of age, sex, religion, race, national origin, or physical handicap. In addition to the general admission requirements for graduate students the following is required for students entering the Master of Business Administration program.

• A bachelor’s degree (regionally accredited university) with a minimum 2.5 GPA

• Students with a non-business related bachelor’s degree are required to successfully complete an MBA Foundations Survey Course during their first semester in the program. This course is an additional program requirement beyond the required core and elective courses.

• Students with less than a 2.5 GPA may complete two courses under provisional acceptance. If the student earns a grade of B or higher in both courses, he or she will earn final acceptance.

Once accepted into the MBA Program, the student must maintain good academic standing as described by the office of Academic Affairs to continue to register for courses.

The MBA program requires 36 credit hours – typically 12 three credit hour courses. The core requirements consist of nine courses that all MBA students must complete. Three elective courses are required. The electives are selected in coordination with the student's academic advisor to satisfy one of the available tracks.

The three semesters (Spring, Summer, and Fall) are split into two eight week terms (A and B). MBA courses are offered each term in a variety of formats: traditional classes meeting one evening per week for four hours, entirely on-line courses, or hybrid courses that contain some on-line components.

MBA Elective Courses
Choose three courses (nine credit hours) that satisfy one of the following tracks:

Track 1: Entrepreneurship
This track is designed for the student who desires to start, manage, own, or run a small business. Emphasis is placed on the creation of business plans, debt and equity financing alternatives, and the importance of sales and marketing.

Track 2: Education Leadership
This track is designed for students who desire to pursue a career in the business aspects of education – e.g. academic administrators, school superintendents, principals, etc. This program draws heavily from the Cumberland University Master of Arts in Education (MAE) Program.

Track 3: Services
This program is focused on the service sector of the economy – including but not limited to: banking, insurance, retail, entertainment, hospitality, sports management, health care, etc.

Track 4: Healthcare Administration
This track is designed for students who desire to utilize their business and leadership skills in the ever evolving healthcare industry. Courses in the Cumberland University Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program are suitable for this track.

Track 5: General Business
This track is available for students who desire to customize their selection of electives in order to best meet their individual interests and goals.

Thesis Option
A thesis option is also available. Students who wish to pursue this option will complete the nine required core MBA courses (27 credit hours) but will not be required to complete the 3 elective courses (9 credit hours). Instead these students will complete a minimum of 9 credit hours of thesis work. Each student thesis will be directed by a member of the full time MBA faculty and approved by a thesis committee, which consists of at least 3 appropriately credentialed faculty members.