2024-25 Graduate Catalog

Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business

Benjamin Blackford, Director School of Business 

Araceli Hernández & Renee Oyotode-Adebile, MBA Program Coordinators, Advisors

School Telephone: (660) 562-1835

School Website: http://www.nwmissouri.edu/business/index.htm

The Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business offers the following Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) options: MBA Accounting, MBA Agricultural Economics, MBA Business Analytics, MBA Finance, MBA General, MBA Geographical Information Systems, MBA Healthcare Management, MBA Human Resource Management, MBA Management, and MBA Marketing. Graduate certificates in Accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management, and marketing are also offered. 

CIP: 520201

Graduate Faculty: Casey Abington, Benjamin Blackford, Shih-Hsien Chuang, Tolina Fufa, Araceli Hernández, Laura Kauzlarich, Chi Lo Lim, Stephen Ludwig, Renee Oyotode-Adebile, Jason Satchell, Tiebing Shi, James Walker, Tekle Wanorie.

A master's degree in business administration involves the study of management-the process of organizing and directing resources, which include people, finances, material and information. The MBA program provides MBA graduates an opportunity to become a business leader by developing skills in ethical decision making, financial planning, quantitative analysis, policy formulation, and interpersonal relationships to achieve business and organizational goals in an international environment.  

A MBA is one of the most flexible degrees available. It prepares students for leadership in organizations, in independent businesses and in their own communities. It gives future managers the knowledge, concepts and skills necessary to direct resources to meet specific organizational goals.

With an MBA, one can achieve a more fulfilling career. Its versatility is a special advantage. Although an MBA is not a guaranteed ticket to success, it can provide access to many personal and professional opportunities and can help achieve greater responsibility, higher earnings, more job satisfaction, greater visibility for career advancement opportunities and contributions in their communities. The MBA opens many doors. Because of the high value all organizations place on decision making and problem solving abilities, our MBA graduates are sought after by a wide variety of organizations in different segments of the economy.

When former students were asked, “What are the advantages of obtaining an MBA degree?” five major benefits were listed in order of importance: 

(1) career entry and/or advancement – which includes labor market opportunities, increased career options, contacts, credentials and faster career mobility; 

(2) development of management abilities and business-related knowledge; 

(3) personal satisfaction; 

(4) increased compensation; and 

(5) other reasons, such as receiving a scholarship or using the MBA to gain entry to other academic programs.

Accreditation

The Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business at Northwest Missouri State University is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) for the following degree programs: (1) at the graduate level, for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree; (2) at the undergraduate level, for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with majors in Accounting, Business Economics, Business Management, Business Technology, Finance, International Business, Marketing, and Management Information Systems.

Applicants to the MBA program at Northwest Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in business from a regionally accredited university must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, and one of the following:

  • 3.5 overall undergraduate GPA
  • Three years of continuous professional full-time work experience
  • Three years of continuous full-time United States enlisted or commissioned military service
  • Graduate degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
  • A GMAT score of 440 or above
  • An admission index of 1100 (undergraduate GPA x 200 + GMAT)
  • A GRE score of 285 or above
  • An admission index of 965 (undergraduate GPA x 200 + GRE)
  • A 70th percentile on the Business Major Field Test score or above.
  • Applicants to the MBA program who do not have a bachelor's degree in business are required to successfully complete the 54201: MBA Business Foundation course which is designed specifically for students who are new to business curriculum. 
  • All students who are conditionally admitted must complete the 54201: MBA Business Foundation course regardless of prior degrees. 

International applicants must meet one of the following English proficiency requirements:

  • TOEFL score of 550 (paper), 213 (computer) or 79/80 (internet-based) or above
  • IELTS score of 6.5 or above
  • PTE score of 53 or above

The English proficiency requirement may be waived for international applicants with a bachelor's degree from any United States regionally accredited institution.

International students must submit applications and all required materials to the Office of Admissions by the following dates. International students should allow approximately two months from the time all application documents are received for notification of acceptance.

Fall Semester—July 1

Spring Semester—December 1

Summer Semester—May 1

Comprehensive Examination–ETS MBA-MFT

Students must take the ETS MBA-Major Field Test (ETS MBA-MFT) comprehensive exam  to complete the MBA program. To be eligible to take the exam, students must:

  • Be enrolled in their final semester
  • Be admitted to candidacy 
  • Have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • Have fulfilled the Research Component requirement
  • Have applied for graduation (no later than the end of the 2nd week of their final term)
 

Research Component

All MBA students must complete a research component as part of their requirements for graduation. The research component will be fulfilled with the completion of the following required MBA courses:

ACCT-51646 Managerial Accounting

ECON-52651 Macroeconomics for Business Managers

or

ECON-52654 Managerial Economics

FIN-53621 Financial Management

MGMT-54611 Business Decision Analysis Tools

MGMT-54616 Organizational Behavior in Administration

MKTG-55630 Strategic Marketing