College of Business Administration, Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS

Academics

The College of Business Administration offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Accountancy (MAcc). Other programs include foreign exchange with Justis Liebig in Germany. The strongest areas of study are accounting, finance, marketing, and management. The most popular courses are management and finance.

Fifty-two total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 12 elective credits. Required courses include:

Accounting Concepts and Analysis
Economic Analysis for Business
Managerial Finance I
Behavioral Management
Operations Management Analysis
Applied Managerial Computing
Marketing Concepts and Research
Statistical Methods for Social Scientists
Management Accounting and Business Problem Solving
Managerial Finance II
Management of Legal, Ethical, and Public Policy Issues
International Business Electives
Business Strategy
Business Practicum

Required courses for the MAcc include:

Advanced Financial Reporting

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements by successfully completing an exam that will exempt them from Managerial Finance and Accounting Concepts and Analysis.

Business students may take relevant nonbusiness courses in other departments. The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 1<1/2> years; maximum, 6 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 3 years; maximum, 6 years.

There are 32 total full-time graduate business faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated below average for Category I institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of credit hours faculty teach is 6; average business class size is 30.

Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 3.0 and a GMAT score of 500. The formula for using the GPA and GMAT scores is (200 x GPA) + GMAT. Most important admissions factors are academic accomplishments and ability, GMAT results, and management potential. A strong mathematics background is not required.

Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by an exchange program with Grambling University and participation in minority student career fairs.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall and spring. To apply, students must submit an application form, 2 transcripts, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, 3 letters of recommendation, and a statement of objectives. The application deadlines are March 1 for fall entry; November 1, spring. Students are notified of the admissions decision within 4 weeks of submitting an application.

Financial Aid

In a recent year, about 15% of graduate business school students received financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $4000 annually. Stipends and programs available for minority students include scholarships. The FFS and the previous year’s tax return are required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for in-state residents is $240 per credit. Nonresidents pay $571 per credit. Graduate student housing includes dormitories and apartments. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

Students

Eighty percent of a recent graduate business school class were enrolled full time; 38% had an average of 5 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students were from Kansas (67%). Forty-three percent were women, 8% were minorities, and 20% were foreign nationals. The average age at entrance was 25; ages ranged from 21 to 53. Fifty-seven percent entered directly from undergraduate school; 4% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 67%, business; 16%, engineering; 6%, agricultural; 4%, economics; 3%, liberal arts; 3%, math and science; and 1%, social sciences. About 3% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 97% remain to receive their degree. In a recent year, 129 graduate business degrees were awarded.