Business Administration


Graduate Center
1160 McDermott Drive
West Chester University
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone: 610-436-2608
Fax: 610-436-2439
E-mail: mba@wcupa.edu
Dr. Christ, M.B.A. Director

Program of Study [top]

West Chester University offers an M.B.A. program which is

  • designed for professional growth and career advancement,
  • multidisciplinary,
  • relevant for today’s changing business climate, and
  • innovative, convenient, and an exceptional educational value.

Students have full access to all University resources.

The University’s M.B.A. program seeks motivated individuals with diverse backgrounds who have demonstrated quality performance as an undergraduate.

The West Chester University M.B.A. program is accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, an international accrediting agency for quality business management programs.

Evening M.B.A.

The evening M.B.A. program is designed for a wide range of participants who share a desire for professional growth and career advancement. Students have diverse backgrounds representing a wide variety of baccalaureate degrees, work experiences, and career goals. The evening M.B.A. is a hybrid learning program that uses a combination of in-class and online meetings. Classes meet for seven weeks.

Online M.B.A.

The M.B.A. program offers an online option for students seeking to complete their degree through distance education. All courses in the M.B.A. program can be taken online except for MKT 699 (Residency Seminar), which must be taken on campus. The online M.B.A. follows the same curriculum and term structure as the evening M.B.A. program. Online M.B.A. courses are primarily taught asynchronously with students being required to meet certain learning, assessment, and other requirements within a stated time period. However, certain elements of some courses may require that students be accessible online at a specific date and time. Additionally, some courses may require students to submit to proctored assessments.

Students are permitted to take courses in both the evening and the online options. However, preference for course enrollment is given to students who have indicated they are pursuing their M.B.A. through a specific option.

Master of Business Administration Program

Course titles and descriptions under Accounting, Economics and Finance, Management, and Marketing.

Curriculum (52 semester hours) [top]

  1. Foundation courses (maximum 18 semester hours)
    ACC 500, BLA 501, ECO 500, FIN 500, MGT 501, and MKT 501
    Prerequisites are not applied to degree credit.
    M.B.A. students are assumed to have a working knowledge of algebra.
    M.B.A. candidates may have satisfied these required courses if they received a C or better in an undergraduate equivalent as well as their undergraduate degree in the six years prior to acceptance. Before M.B.A. acceptance, applicants may take comparable undergraduate courses to meet the foundation requirements at any accredited two-year or four-year college.
    Once accepted into West Chester University's M.B.A. program, students must take foundation courses at the graduate level either at West Chester University or another approved institution. All foundation course work is expected to be completed before a student can take core or concentration courses. Exceptions to this requirement can only occur with prior written consent fo the M.B.A. director.
  2. Core courses (31 semester hours)
    ACC 601; FIN 601; MGT 604, 611, 614, 661, 699; MKT 603, 605, 699 (1); MIS 601
  3. Elective course (3 semester hours)

Admission Requirements

Students with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or with equivalent preparation acquired in another country are eligible to apply for admission to a graduate program. Evaluation for admission to the M.B.A. program is based on the following requirements.

M.B.A. Admission Formula Score

A significant portion of the criteria used to evaluate applicants for admission to the M.B.A. program is based on the following:

  • Grade point average (GPA) with emphasis on the last 60 college credits - evaluated on a 4.0 scale
  • Scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) - minimum overall score of 450

In general, admission to the WCU M.B.A. will be determined using the following M.B.A. admissions formula score:
(GPA x 200) + GMAT score > 1100

In addition to the criteria noted above, the formula score can be affected to a lesser degree by other factors including professional work experience, quality of previous educational experience, and additional indicators of success. Additionally, students are expected to score in the 20th percentile or higher on the GMAT for both the verbal and quantitative portions of the test. The M.B.A. program also will accept scores for the ETS Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for tests taken after August 2011. Candidates submitting the GRE are expected to score in the 20th percentile or higher on both the verbal and quantitative portions of the test. Additionally, candidates submitting the GRE must meet the equivalent of a 450 GMAT score. The comparison of the GRE total score to the GMAT total score will be, in part, determined using a GMAT comparison tool accessible through the ETS website (www.ets.org).

Applicants possessing a formula score less than 1100 but greater or equal to 1000 may also be considered for admission to the University's M.B.A. program through the M.B.A. pre-qualifier program. Students following this route must meet all requirements of the M.B.A. pre-qualifier program before being admitted into the M.B.A. program. To be considered for admission through the M.B.A. pre-qualifier program, applicants must

  • possess a formula score between 1000 and 1099,
  • complete ALL M.B.A. program foundation courses,
  • attain a cumulative B+ (3.33) average for all foundation courses,
  • achieve a minimum grade of B (3.0) or better in each foundation course.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit all official undergraduate transcripts demonstrating quality performance at the undergraduate level; appropriate scores from the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT); an essay on career plans; a current resume; and two letters of recommendation. Registration for M.B.A. courses must be approved by the M.B.A. director.

Degree Candidacy

For degree candidacy approval, students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in all M.B.A. courses, be fully matriculated, and have completed all foundation courses.

Graduation Requirement

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all M.B.A. courses and a 3.0 GPA in concentration courses.

Graduate Business Certificate (18 semester hours)

The graduate business certificate consists of the M.B.A. program’s six foundation-level courses: ACC 500, BLA 501, ECO 500, FIN 500, MGT 500, MKT 501.

The graduate business certificate is open to students who have completed an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is not required for the graduate business certificate.

Students who successfully complete the graduate business certificate may apply to the M.B.A. program; however, these applicants must still meet the requirements for admission to the M.B.A. Grades from courses in the graduate business certificate may be used to assess students’ previous GPA as part of the M.B.A. admission evaluation.

Important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended this program.

Course Transfer or Waiver

Students may use previous course work to satisfy requirements for one course within the graduate business certificate.
The course work must match the requirements for the course and have been taken within the last six years from the time application is made for the certificate program.

Accounting [top]

Dr. Fuller, Chairperson (610-436-3460)
Faculty listing and course descriptions for the Department of Accounting.

Economics and Finance

Dr. Kara, Chairperson (610-436-3460)
Faculty listing and course descriptions for the Department of Economics and Finance.

Management

Dr. Snow, Chairperson (610-436-2361)
Faculty listing and course descriptions for the Department of Management.

Marketing

Dr. Gault, Chairperson (610-436-3135)
Faculty listing and course descriptions for the Department of Marketing.