Business Administration (Executive)

The Smeal Executive MBA program provides a concentration in Executive Leadership and Strategy and can be completed in as little as 17 months. For the first 13 months, students meet on alternating Friday afternoons and Saturdays at The Union League Liberty Hall Conference Center in Lafayette Hill, PA, complemented with two residence weeks on the University Park campus. After the 13 month residency component, students select 6 to 12 credits of online courses to complete their degree and earn an additional concentration. In addition, every graduate has the option to complete one of Penn State Smeal’s online graduate certificates. This allows all students to receive the Executive Leadership and Strategy concentration through the EMBA curriculum while allowing each individual to choose an area of specialization. Students must formally apply and be admitted into the certificate program, and online graduate certificates must be completed within three years of graduation.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies.

Criteria for evaluating applicants include professional and academic accomplishments, and personal data from application forms that provide indications of future academic and professional accomplishment. Applications for the Executive M.B.A. degree are only accepted for Fall semester admission.

Degree Requirements

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-700 Professional Degree Policies.

The EMBA program consists of two distinct portions:

1. preprogram competency expectations, including accounting, mathematics, and statistics; and
2. a minimum of 40 credits at the 400, 500, or 800 levels, and a minimum of 18 credits at the 500 or 800 level, with at least 6 credits at the 500 level.

Of the minimum 40 credits, 28 credits are required core courses:

¹

The 12-18 elective credits must be chosen from a list of approved concentration elective courses maintained by the graduate program office. The number of required credits will depend on selection of concentrations.

²

The culminating experience for the M.B.A. is the capstone course BA 571. This course is designed to bring together the many functional areas previously studied and integrate them into a strategic analysis of the firm. 

Minor

A graduate minor is available in any approved graduate major or dual-title program. The default requirements for a graduate minor are stated in Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies and GCAC-700 Professional Degree Policies, depending on the type of degree the student is pursuing:

• GCAC-611 Minor - Research Doctorate
• GCAC-641 Minor - Research Master's
• GCAC-709 Minor - Professional Doctorate
• GCAC-741 Minor - Professional Master's

Student Aid

Refer to the Tuition & Funding section of The Graduate School’s website. Students in this program are not eligible for graduate assistantships.

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 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.

Business Administration (BA) Course List

Learning Outcomes

1. Communication Skills–Argue your point persuasively whether in written, oral, or presentation form.
2. Global Perspective–Anticipate, understand, and explain the global forces that influence business decisions.
3. Professional Skills–Be both a principled leader and a valuable member of a team.
4. Problem Solving Skills–Analyze a complicated business problem using the best tools, theories, and evidence, complemented by the ability to recommend solutions and implementation plans.
5. Integrative Understanding–Consider many perspectives in analyzing and recommending solutions to business problems.

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