Program Home Page (Opens New Window)
ASHUTOSH (ASH) DESHMUKH, Chair, iMBA Program
imba@psu.edu
814-898-6712
M.B.A.
The Penn State Intercollege Master of Business Administration (iMBA) is an online degree program of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; Penn State Great Valley, The School of Graduate Professional Studies; Penn State Harrisburg; and Smeal College of Business, Penn State University Park. The iMBA curriculum emphasizes cross-functional organizational thinking; focuses on business planning and strategy; closely follows the quality guidelines for accreditation of AACSB (American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business), the accrediting body affiliated with The International Association for Management Education; and uses cutting-edge instructional technology to transcend issues of time and space, and to support effective teaching and learning.
Within the context of these goals, the iMBA curriculum was developed around four core business areas and six themes. The core business areas include: Financial Reporting, Analysis, and Markets; Domestic and Global Economic Environments; Human Behavior in Organizations; Creation and Distribution of Goods and Services.
The themes were derived from values and concepts found in high performing organizations: Leadership; Strategic Planning; Customer and Market; Information and Analysis; Human Resources; Process Management.
These business areas and themes are integrated at the course level. Students apply knowledge developed in these areas to multidimensional problems and issues throughout the program, which includes two required one-week culminating or capstone residential experiences.
Admission is granted only to candidates who demonstrate high promise of success for graduate work. Requirements listed here are in addition to general Graduate School requirements stated in the GENERAL INFORMATION section of the Graduate Bulletin.
Applicants are required to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Applicants whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master's degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English, must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).
Admissions decisions are based on a review of a complete admission portfolio, including an application, a statement of intent, a current resume, official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended, two letters of recommendation, and GMAT scores. An applicant's credentials are compared to the standards set by other candidates in the current application pool. Please see http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/iMBA (Opens New Window) for additional program information.
Applicants must have completed the following prerequisites or the equivalent before they may matriculate: Quantitative Analysis (e.g., QUANT 310), Business Statistics (e.g., STAT 200 or MSIS 200), Accounting (e.g., ACCTG 211), Microeconomics (e.g., ECON 002) and Macroeconomics (e.g., ECON 004). Applicants who have developed relevant knowledge and skills in one or more of these areas through work experiences may demonstrate their proficiency through the application portfolio. A working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite is required.
The iMBA degree requires 48 credits distributed across the following courses: IMBA 501, IMBA 502, IMBA 513, IMBA 515, IMBA 516, IMBA 517, IMBA 521, IMBA 522, IMBA 523, IMBA 530, IMBA 531, IMBA 543, IMBA 544, IMBA 550, IMBA 560, IMBA 561, IMBA 562, IMBA 573, and IMBA 574. Attendance at the two one-week Residency Experiences is mandatory. Following the iMBA course schedule, which involves completing credits over eight consecutive terms, a part-time student can complete the program in two years (see http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/pub/imba/afs_sched.shtml (Opens New Window)).
The iMBA is an online graduate degree program delivered via World Campus (http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/ (Opens New Window)). Students progress through the program in cohorts. They must be computer literate and have immediate, ready, and reliable access to a computer and the Internet. Although not all aspects of the course are delivered via electronic media, Internet access is required to successfully complete the course of instruction, as well as participate in online discussion groups. See (http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/general-technical-requirements) for the most current technical requirements. Students are required to complete the two one-week residency experiences. No alternatives and substitutions are possible.
Term One
INTERCOLLEGE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (iMBA)
501. Markets, Industry Analysis, and Business Strategy (3)
502. Financial and Accounting Tools (3)
Term Two
INTERCOLLEGE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (iMBA)
513. Data Analysis Resource Module (2)
515. Accounting for External Reporting (2)
516. Organizational Behavior and Performance(2)
Term Three
INTERCOLLEGE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (iMBA)
521. Strategic Analysis (2)
522. Financial Management (2)
523. Organizational Development, Intervention and Change (2)
Residency Experience I (required)
Term Four
INTERCOLLEGE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (iMBA)
517. Corporate Governance (2)
531. Project Management (2)
543. Accounting for Internal Decision Making (2)
Term Five
INTERCOLLEGE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (iMBA)
530. Marketing in a Global Environment (3)
544. Managing Human Resources(3)
Term Six
INTERCOLLEGE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (iMBA)
550. Corporate Information Strategy(3)
560. Corporate Innovative Strategies (3)
Term Seven
INTERCOLLEGE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (iMBA)
561. Global Operations and Supply Chain Management (3)
562. Global Business Management (3)
Term Eight
INTERCOLLEGE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (iMBA)
573. Strategic Planning (3)
574. Strategic Financial Decisions (3)
Residency Experience II (required)
Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.
INTERCOLLEGE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (IMBA) course list
Last Revised by the Department: Fall Semester 2008
Blue Sheet Item #: 36-07-007
Review Date: 6/17/08
Faculty last updated: 8/8/12