Business Administration (Great Valley)

The Penn State Great Valley M.B.A. is a general business degree program emphasizing the development of planning and problem-solving skills crucial in middle and upper management in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. A special focus of the program is a holistic approach towards developing managers who will promote use of ethical frameworks, global perspective, and data to make decisions in their workplace.

The M.B.A. program is geared toward the needs of working professionals. Students may be employed full time, take courses part time, and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the classroom. Others may be full time students.  Courses in the program are offered at Penn State Great Valley campus. For the convenience of adult learners, most courses are scheduled in the evening on weekdays, and offer a blend of synchronous in-person and asynchronous online learning.

Admission Requirements

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

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

Applicants are evaluated on their portfolio of academic performance, relevant work experience, quantitative and analytical skills as evidenced from coursework and/or work experience. Scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) are waived.

Admission decisions are based on the quality of the applicant's credentials in relation to those of other applicants. Evaluation criteria include:

• professional and academic accomplishments noted in a resume
• one letter of recommendation
• a personal statement that provides indications of future academic and professional potential

Application filing dates: Penn State Great Valley's M.B.A. program has a rolling admission policy. New students may start classes in fall, spring, or summer sessions.

Required Core courses provide an overview of key business processes and functional areas of organizations. Based on the student’s educational background, one course may be exempted from the Required Core if the student meets these requirements: a grade of B or better and within the last 7 years.

The language of instruction at Penn State is English. English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) may be required for international applicants. See GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

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.

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

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

Completion of the MBA degree will require 33 credits of course work at the 400, 500, and 800 level. This includes 21 credits of Core Courses, 3 credit capstone course, and 9 credits of open electives. A student may receive 3 credits of waiver from core courses based on the student’s educational background and with approval of the graduate program.

All Penn State Great Valley MBA students must meet SARI (Scholarship and Research Integrity) to meet graduation requirements.

Integrated Undergrad-Grad Programs

Integrated B.S. in Business and M.B.A. in Business Administration

This Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate (IUG) degree program combines the B.S. in Business with the Master of Business Administration offered at the following campuses:

Undergraduate Degree

• Abington
• Altoona
• Beaver
• Berks
• Brandywine
• DuBois
• Fayette
• Greater Allegheny
• Hazleton
• Lehigh Valley
• Mont Alto
• New Kensington
• Schuylkill
• Scranton
• Shenango
• Wilkes-Barre
• World Campus
• York

Graduate Degree

• Great Valley

A portion of the graduate program of this IUG requires face-to-face instruction. While the undergraduate curriculum for this IUG may be completed at multiple campuses, the ease and feasibility of completing the integrated program may be heavily dependent upon the location of the graduate instruction. Please discuss the feasibility of completing the IUG with a representative for the graduate program before beginning the application process.

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-210 Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree Programs.

The IUG program offers exceptional students the ability to receive a B.S. in Business and an MBA within a five year period. Students are typically admitted into the integrated program at the end of their second year of their undergraduate studies, and then complete the IUG program over the next three years. Students must have completed no less than 60 credits to apply, and transfer students must have completed at least 15 credits at Penn State to enroll in the IUG.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

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

Students must apply to the program via the Fox Graduate School application for admission, and must meet all the admission requirements of the Fox Graduate School and the MBA program for the MBA degree, as listed on the Admission Requirements tab. Before applying to the Fox Graduate School, students must have completed entrance to their undergraduate major and have completed no less than 60 credits. Students must be admitted no later than the end of the second week of the semester preceding the semester of expected conferral of the undergraduate degree. Transfer students must have completed at least 15 credits at Penn State to enroll in an IUG. The GMAT/GRE is not required.

In consultation with an adviser, students must prepare a plan of study appropriate to this integrated program, and must present their plan of study to the head of the graduate program overseeing the integrated program prior to being admitted to the program. The plan should cover the entire time period of the integrated program, and it should be reviewed periodically with an adviser as the student advances through the program.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Students must fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the double-counting of credits as outlined below. Degree requirements for the B.S. in Business are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Degree requirements for the M.B.A. degree are listed on the Degree Requirements tab. 

The following is the list of courses which will double count for both the B.S. in Business and the Master of Business Administration. Up to 12 credits may be double counted towards the degree requirements of both undergraduate and graduate degrees; a minimum of 50% of the double counted credits must be at the 500 or 800 level.

Students must sequence their courses so that all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students must complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for the undergraduate major. In the semester in which the undergraduate degree requirements will be completed, IUG students must apply to graduate, and the undergraduate degree should be conferred at the next appropriate Commencement. If students accepted into the IUG program are unable to complete the M.B.A. degree, they are still eligible to receive their undergraduate degree if all the undergraduate degree requirements have been satisfied.

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 policy GCAC-218 Minors.

Student Aid

Refer to the Tuition & Funding section of the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School's website. Students in this program are not eligible for graduate assistantships.

Financial aid for students in on-campus programs is in the form of student loans and a limited number of small scholarships, as described on the Penn State Great Valley website.

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.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the MBA program, our graduates will:

• LO 1: Solve Complex Business Problems
  • LO 1.1: Analyze and solve complex problems in dynamic environments using theories and practices from key business functions—including accounting, finance, marketing, operations, supply chain, and management. (Primary: Know, Other: Apply/Create)
• LO 2: Make Ethical Business Decisions and Lead Change
  • LO 2.1: >Employ management theories and ethical frameworks to make responsible business decisions. (Primary: Professional Practice, Other: Apply/Create)
  • LO 2.2: Apply theories to effectively lead change. (Primary: Professional Practice, Other: Apply/Create)
• LO 3: Communicate Effectively with Stakeholders
  • LO 3.1: Present business problems and solutions effectively to stakeholders through oral communication. (Communicate)
  • LO 3.2: Articulate business problems and solutions effectively in written communication. (Communicate)
• LO 4: Apply Data Analytic Skills
  • LO 4.1: Utilize data analytics to assess business processes. (Primary: Think, Other: Apply/Create)
  • LO 4.2: Use data-driven insights to support evidence-based business decisions. (Primary: Apply/Create, Other: Think)
• LO 5: Manage in Multicultural Environments
  • LO 5.1: Demonstrate knowledge of effective management practices in multicultural settings. (Primary: Know, Other: Professional Practice)
  • LO 5.2: Demonstrate leadership skills to successfully manage multicultural teams. (Primary: Apply/Create, Other: Professional Practice)

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