Admission Procedures

To be considered for regular admission to the Master of Business Administration degree program, the applicant must:

a. complete an application for admission to graduate study;

b. submit copies of all transcripts of prior undergraduate and graduate coursework;

c. submit an appropriate score from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) to the MBA
Program Director;

d. submit a one-page essay to the MBA Program Director that (1) explains the applicant's reasons for wanting to pursue the MBA degree at LSU in Shreveport and (2) describes the applicant's career goals;

e. exhibit promise for success in graduate work through achievement of a composite score of 950 or higher based on overall undergraduate grade-point average times 200 plus the GMAT score. International students must submit a GMAT score of 450 or higher.

The admission of any applicant to the Master of Business Administration degree program requires the recommendation of the Dean of the College of Business Administration and the approval of the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.

General Recommendations

The student should be aware of certain procedures and rules in the College of Business in order to ensure proper pursuit of the MBA degree:

Course Sequence
The MBA program requires that certain courses be taken in sequence. MADM 720 must be completed in the first nine hours of graduate coursework (600- and 700-level courses). MADM 760 must be taken in the last semester of the program. Students need to have taken the GMAT and achieved unconditional admission before they can enroll in 600- or 700-level coursework for graduate credit.

Mathematics
The student must have completed mathematics through calculus (MATH 131 or equivalent) before taking ECON 201, 202 and 260 and MADM 383 in the foundation work and before taking ECON 705, FIN 701 and MADM 702 in the graduate portion of the MBA program. MATH 111 and 121 are suggested as preparatory courses for calculus.

Computer Literacy
The MBA student is expected to be competent in the use of word processing and spreadsheet programs. Students may be required to demonstrate this competency. Students without computer literacy may fulfill this requirement by completing credit or noncredit courses.

Admission Status
The student who has a baccalaureate degree and intends to pursue an MBA should register as a graduate student. A student should maintain graduate status throughout the undergraduate foundation work and the graduate course work. Graduate status will ensure that a student receives proper advising in order to maintain progress through the MBA program.

Grade Point Average
Students must maintain at least a 3.00 grade point average each semester in graduate coursework while pursuing the MBA degree (see Probationary Status). In addition, a student who earns a third grade of C or lower in graduate coursework will be dismissed from the program. A student who earns a grade of D or F in any graduate course will be permitted to continue in the MBA program only after approval is given by the Graduate Studies Committee. To seek such approval, the student must submit a written appeal to the Graduate Studies Committee; the Committee must receive the appeal at least one week prior to the day of regular registration for the semester following the one in which the D or F was earned.

Graduate Electives
The MBA program allows for six hours of electives. These courses permit the student to study an area in greater depth, such as finance, accounting, health care management, marketing, or international business. At least one elective in the MBA program must be a 700-level course in the College of Business Administration. Graduate elective courses offered in colleges other than Business Administration may be approved for a maximum credit of three hours. All 600-level courses require additional work of graduate students; these 600-level courses are offered concurrently at the undergraduate 400-level.

Transfer Credits
A maximum of 6 semester hours of graduate credit with grades of B or higher may be transferred from another regionally accredited institution, with the approval of the MBA Program Director. If the student wishes to transfer credit earned while he or she is enrolled in the LSU in Shreveport MBA Program, approval prior to enrolling in the course to be transferred must be obtained from the MBA Program Director. The Director must have a catalog description and syllabus for a course before it can be approved for transfer credit. Graduate credits earned more than eight years before the completion of the MBA degree cannot be transferred. Graduate credits earned during any semester or term in which the student was classified as non-degree may not be used to satisfy degree requirements.

Exit Interview
All students must participate in an exit interview with the MBA Director at least one month before graduation.

Course Requirements

The Master of Business Administration degree program consists of two parts: foundation courses and graduate courses.

Foundation courses prepare students for the advanced material taught in the graduate courses. Students with non-business undergraduate degrees usually need to complete 30 semester hours of foundation coursework. A student may demonstrate foundation knowledge through satisfactory scores on CLEP tests. The MBA Program Director will evaluate a student's previous coursework to determine the foundation courses needed.

Students with undergraduate business degrees might need foundation coursework if their undergraduate programs did not include certain courses, such as business statistics, production and operations management, and management information systems. Because some foundation courses have prerequisites, they need to be taken in sequence. Additionally, any student entering the MBA program must have completed mathematics through calculus (MATH 131 or equivalent).

Students who have a baccalaureate degree and take undergraduate foundation courses must earn at least a C in those courses. A maximum of 12 hours of foundation coursework may be taken on a Pass/No Credit basis.

Graduate courses include 8 required and 2 elective courses. These courses are listed below. The previous section, General Recommendations, contains information about course sequence, the mathematics requirement, and electives. Because the MBA degree is an advanced degree that provides students with the knowledge and skills needed in a variety of business careers, the program is a balance of quantitative and non-quantitative courses. Required courses are taught in fall and spring semesters, with certain courses offered only once during those two semesters. Elective courses are taught in fall, spring and summer semesters.
 

*Courses are listed in recommended sequence.
 

*Courses are listed in recommended sequence