Course description
Vision Statement
The Business Administration Division shall be the premier learner-centered English-speaking institution in the Eastern Caribbean providing high-quality graduate and undergraduate business education responsive to the needs of students, employers, the community and the region.
Mission Statement
The Business Administration Division facilitates business education to a diverse population of students, with its major focus on the territory of the United States Virgin Islands and the Caribbean region, providing students with the skills to succeed in a global environment. We are dedicated to the cultivation of leadership, intellectual query and discovery, social responsibility and lifelong professional development and growth through excellent teaching, scholarship and responsive community service.
The graduate program in Business Administration (MBA) is designed to prepare students for leadership and management careers in all levels and functions of government, in community service agencies and in the business community, and to provide well-qualified graduates who are highly motivated to seek long-term leadership and management careers in the public and private business sectors.
The program consists of core courses which are required for graduation and elective courses. Students take specialized courses reflecting the concerns of their particular area of interest.
The program consists of three basic academic areas:
1. Core courses which are required for graduation.
2. Elective courses.
3. A thesis option.
The Master of Business Administration program requires a total of 36 credit hours for completion. If a thesis is written, the credits must be distributed as follows: 27 hours of core courses plus Business 539 and Business 600.
If students elect not to write a thesis, the credit distribution must be as follows: 27 hours of core courses and 9 hours of graduate level elective courses approved by the Division of Business Administration.
All MBA students are required to pass the MBA comprehensive examination in order to qualify for graduation.
MBA Prerequisites
In addition to meeting the general requirements, applicants seeking admission to the Business Administration program must have successfully completed the following courses or their equivalents:
ECO 221, 222 Introduction to Macro- and Micro-Economics.
1. BUS 325 Statistics for Management Decisions, MAT 235 Introduction to Statistics or SSC 327-328, Quantitative Research Methods in the Social Sciences.
2. ACC 121, 122 Introduction to Accounting I/II.
3. BUS 521: ECO 221, ECO 222, BUS 325 or MAT 235 or SSC 327-328, or equivalent.
BUS 522: ECO 221, ECO 222, ACC 121, ACC 122, BUS 321, BUS 325 or MAT 235 or SSC 327-328, BUS 521, or equivalent.
BUS 523: ECO 221, ECO 222, ACC 121, ACC 122, or equivalent.
BUS 524: ECO 221, ECO 222, ACC 121, ACC 122, BUS 231, or equivalent.
BUS 525: ECO 221, ECO 222, ACC 121, ACC 122, CIS 210, or equivalent.
BUS 527: ECO 221, ECO 222, ACC 121, ACC 122, BUS 325 or MAT 235 or SSC 327-328, BUS 330, BUS 521, or equivalent.
BUS 534: ECO 221, ECO 222, ACC 121, ACC 122, or equivalent.
BUS 537: This class must be taken in the last semester before graduation. ECO 221, ECO 222, ACC 121, ACC 122, BUS 522, BUS 523, BUS 524, BUS 527, or equivalent.
MBA Course Summary
Core Requirements Credits
BUS 520 Administrative Theories and Practices 3
BUS 521 Quantitative Methods in the Decision Sciences 3
BUS 522 Financial Administration 3
BUS 523 Accounting for Planning and Control 3
BUS 524 Marketing Management 3
BUS 525 Information Systems 3
BUS 527 Operations Management 3
BUS 534 International Business 3
BUS 537 Management Policy and Strategy 3
MBA Comprehensive Examination
All MBA students must pass a comprehensive examination. Guidelines and date of administration are available from the Business Administration Division.
MBA Electives
Students who elect BUS 600 (Thesis) must enroll in BUS 539; all other students must select 9 credit hours from the following courses (with the exception noted below):
Electives Credits
BUS 528 Small Business Ownership 3
BUS 531 Group Processes and Leadership 3
BUS 532 Government, Business and Society 3
BUS 533 Personnel Administration 3
BUS 536 Selected Topics in Business Administration 3
BUS 538 International Marketing 3
BUS 539 Management Research and Decision Analysis 3
BUS 600 Thesis 6
MBA students are permitted to take one MPA course in partial fulfillment of the MBA elective requirements.
