Business Administration (Smeal - M.B.A., D.B.A.)

The Master of Business Administration program is a professional degree designed to prepare individuals for managerial positions in business, government, and nonprofit institutions. The M.B.A. curriculum blends technical rigor, managerial theory, and integrative learning experiences through case studies and other teaching methods. A managerial communications course is fully integrated into the program.

The D.B.A. provides professionals and executives with advanced tools and research skills needed for strategic planning and decision making. It also prepares graduates for translating research into practice. The program empowers professionals to become experts, leaders, and pioneers. The program teaches students how to understand the individual and organizational factors that drive successful change initiatives as well as teaches groundbreaking process models of change and obstacles to improvement. Students are exposed to advanced corporate finance practices and theories regarding taxation, agency costs and market inefficiencies. Courses will help students better understand individual and organizational behaviors across different commercial contexts. Students become familiar with opportunity recognition and exploitation techniques. Marketing strategy courses cover resource planning, organizational behavior classes will scientifically interpret behaviors and classes concerning quantitative research methods will explore commercial data analysis and mathematical models. All of these courses go beyond a question of “how do I fix this”, which is the defining question of master's level classes, instead giving the students the ability to answer “why is this happening”, thus giving students the tools to allow them to solve new and emergent questions arising in their organizations.

Admission Requirements

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

Applicants must:  

• Submit a completed online Graduate School Application for Admission, including short admissions essay, resume, and three professional references with complete contact information.  
  • Résumé reflecting relevant professional experience including internships and co-op experiences.  
• Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.  

GMAT and/or GRE scores will not be required for admission. Accordingly, these scores will not be accepted.  

Students who do not have foundational quantitative backgrounds may be required to take MBADM 811 and/or MBADM 813 (or equivalent course work) prior to entering the program.  The program faculty director will assess the background of each applicant.

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.

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

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

The student cohort should reflect today’s international business environment, with selective admittance. With this in mind, the following admission requirements are required:

• A master’s degree or equivalent experience
• Approximately ten years of relevant experience
• Evidence of a foundational background in statistics and/or analytics
• Submission of the required components of the online Graduate School Application for
  Admission, including resume.
• A 2-3 page essay describing career goals and how the D.B.A. will help achieve these
  goals.
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
• A non-refundable application fee.

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.

An interview will be required of all applicants which will be conducted via Zoom or other conferencing technology. Individuals without foundational statistics/analytics may be required to complete additional education prior to starting the DBA program.

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 M.B.A. program consists of two distinct portions:

1. preprogram competency expectations, including accounting, economics, mathematics, and statistics; and
2. a minimum of 35 credits at the 500 or 800 levels, with a minimum of 18 at the 500 or 800 level and at least 6 credits at the 500 level.

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

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) 

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

The total number of required credits for the Doctor of Business Administration program is 54 credits at the 400, 500, or 800 level, with a minimum of 24 at the 500 or 800 level. The required minimum 54 credits include, 30 core credits, 6 elective credits, and 18 culminating research project credits. 

BA 580, in fulfilment of GCAC-707, is the Professional Doctoral Culminating Experience for the DBA program. There are several requirements and expectations associated with the culminating experience.

1. The student must engage in an original research project, wherein they collect primary (e.g., employee or customer data) or secondary (e.g., firm characteristics and performance, review of scholarly literature) data in the pursuit of answering a research question. They must analyze that data, form conclusions based upon their analyses, and produce a written product that documents the entire research project.
2. After producing the written product, the student must present their research product to their committee (noting that this is a public oral presentation). This presentation should occur at the end of the third year of study. The committee should evaluate both the written portion and the presentation on quality, documenting the originality of ideas, accuracy of research methods and analyses, and insightfulness of conclusions. Two-thirds of the committee and the faculty director of the program must vote to pass in order for the student to successfully complete this requirement.
3. The Professional Doctoral committee must meet all Graduate Council requirements

Expectations for the Culminating Research Project:

• An applied research question that may not result in creating new theory but leverages and tests existing theory to answer a research question pertinent to others in their field. This may alternately involve creating new algorithms or mathematical models to explore research questions.
• Involves the collection of data (primary or secondary), analysis of that data, and an interpretation of the results.
• The final written product should be thought of as translational work – that is, it should both be based upon and demonstrate disciplinary knowledge but is aimed at applied practitioners. Think about targeting a version of the Culminating Research Project at Harvard Business Review, or other practitioner-oriented outlets.

Other Requirements

The qualifying examination will be completed after the first year in the program. There are several requirements and expectations associated with the qualifying exam.

1. The purpose of the qualifying exam is to provide an early assessment of whether the student has the potential to develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes included in the program.
2. The qualifying exam will be a written assessment of the student’s ability to complete the Doctor of Business Administration.
3. The written product will be assessed by the Qualifying Exam Committee, which will be drawn from Graduate Faculty who are primarily faculty in the program. The committee should evaluate the written product on its quality. Two-thirds of the committee must vote to pass in order for the student to successfully complete this requirement. D.B.A. students
   must also pass a Comprehensive Examination. English competence shall be formally attested to by the graduate program before the doctoral student’s Comprehensive Examination is scheduled.

Integrated Undergrad-Grad Programs

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

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

This program is the result of collaboration between the Eberly College of Science and Smeal College of Business. With the accelerated nature of the program, students can earn a B.S. degree in science and an M.B.A. degree in five calendar years after graduation from high school. For the first three and one-half years, including the first semester of the M.B.A. curriculum, students are enrolled as undergraduates in the Eberly College of Science. For the remaining three semesters, participants are graduate students formally enrolled in the Smeal College of Business M.B.A. program. Successful completion of this program results in a B.S. degree in Science awarded by the Eberly College of Science during year four and an M.B.A. from the Smeal College of Business at the end of year five.

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.

Students must apply to the program via the Graduate School application for admission, and must meet all the admission requirements of the Graduate School and the Business Administration graduate program for the Master of Business Administration degree. Before applying to the 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.

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 or the appropriate committee 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.

Students must fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree. Degree requirements for the B.S. degrees can be found in the Undergraduate Degree Program Bulletin. Degree requirements for the M.B.A. degree are listed on the Degree Requirements tab.

Up to 12 credits may be double-counted towards the degree requirements for both the graduate and undergraduate degrees; a minimum of 50% of the double-counted courses must be at the 500 or 800 level. Independent study courses and credits associated with the culminating experience for the graduate degree cannot be double-counted.

Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students are expected to 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.

Joint Degrees

Joint J.D./M.B.A. with Penn State Law

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-211 Joint Degree Programs.

Smeal College of Business and the Penn State Law offer a joint degree program leading to the degrees of Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.). We live in a global society where complex legal structures interact with dynamic and powerful market forces. Individuals with backgrounds in both business and law have a distinct advantage in understanding this interaction and are uniquely positioned for success in our modern society. The Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (J.D./M.B.A.) joint degree program provides outstanding, highly motivated students the opportunity to combine a Juris Doctor degree from Penn State Law with an M.B.A. degree from Penn State's internationally ranked Smeal MBA Program (Smeal). Participants in this program earn both a Juris Doctor degree and a Master of Business Administration in four years.

In order to be admitted to the program, students must first be admitted and enrolled in Penn State Law and subsequently admitted to the Smeal College of Business.

Admission Requirements

Candidates must apply to Penn State Law and Smeal separately and must meet each school's requirements. The admission requirements for the Master of Business Administration degree are listed on the Admission Requirements tab. Admissions requirements and applications for admission for Penn State Law are available at the J.D. Admissions section of the Penn State Law website.

Degree Requirements

Credit Requirements: Students must fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree. Seven credits of coursework from the J.D. program, identified in consultation with the graduate program, will be double counted towards the M.B.A. degree requirements. Degree requirements for the J.D. program are listed on the Penn State Law website. Degree requirements for the M.B.A. degree are listed on the Degree Requirements tab.

Advising of Students: All students in the program shall have two advisers, one from Smeal and one from Penn State Law. Periodic interaction between the two advisers is encouraged.

Graduation: If students accepted into the joint degree program are unable to complete the J.D. degree, they are still eligible to receive the M.B.A. degree if all the M.B.A. degree requirements have been satisfied.

Joint M.D./M.B.A. with the College of Medicine

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-211 Joint Degree Programs.

Smeal College of Business and the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine offer a joint degree program leading to the degrees of Medical Doctor (M.D.) and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.). The objective of the program is to produce highly qualified clinicians who also understand the challenges of running a business. The Medical Doctor/Master of Business Administration (M.D./M.B.A.) joint degree program provides outstanding students the opportunity to combine a Medical Doctor degree from the College of Medicine, a highly respected medical college and medical center, with an M.B.A. degree from Penn State's internationally ranked Smeal MBA Program (Smeal). Participants in this program earn both a Medical Doctor degree and a Master of Business Administration in five years.

In order to be admitted to the program, students must first be admitted and enrolled in the COM as a medical student and subsequently admitted to Smeal. Each program will make a separate admission decision. Students admitted to both programs will be admitted as joint degree candidates.

Students currently enrolled at the College of Medicine in the M.D. program may apply to the M.D./M.B.A. program during their first three years at the College of Medicine by applying to the M.B.A. program, as described on the Admission Requirements tab.

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements for the Master of Business Administration degree are listed on the Admission Requirements tab. Admissions requirements and applications for admission for Penn State College of Medicine are available at the M.D. Program section of the Penn State College of Medicine website.

Degree Requirements

Credit 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. Seven credits of coursework from the M.D. program, identified in consultation with the graduate program, will be double counted towards the M.B.A. degree requirements. Degree requirements for the M.D. program are listed on the College of Medicine website. Degree requirements for the M.B.A. degree are listed on the Degree Requirements tab.

Sequence: Students may choose to conduct their study in either of the two sequences shown below. Each "Year" refers to the traditional academic year beginning in late August and concluding in May. The College of Medicine students can expect to take courses during the summer. The Smeal College of Business does not offer any classes over the summer term.

Years 1-3: M.D. foundation and advanced course work at the College of Medicine.

Year 4: M.B.A. course work at the University Park location.

Year 5: Return to M.D. course work at the College of Medicine.

Advising of Students: All students in the program shall have two advisers, one from the Smeal College of Business and one from the College of Medicine. Periodic interaction between the two advisers is encouraged.

Graduation: If students accepted into the joint degree program are unable to complete the M.D. degree, they are still eligible to receive the M.B.A. degree if all the M.B.A. 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 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. Graduate assistantships are not typically available to students in the MBA program due to course load limits.

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

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