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Professional Master of Business Administration FAQs
As many as 12 courses or as few as 10, depending on the individual's previous undergraduate business coursework.
Each course costs $2,750 which covers tuition and all required course materials (textbooks, case studies, journal articles, etc.). Total cost for the program is $27,500-$33,000, plus the cost of the international business trip. The textbook benefit provides $2,000-$3,000 in savings over other programs.
Most students complete the program in 2 to 2½ years.
Courses are taught asynchronously, meaning students view pre-recorded lectures during times that work best for them and in a way that allows them to complete weekly assignments by the set due dates.
There are two times students are required to be in person. The first is for a 2-day orientation held on the Manhattan, Kansas, campus in mid-August. Students are required to attend orientation once, but are invited to attend each year they are in the program. The second in-person requirement is for the GENBA 875 International Experience course. This course is set up as a faculty-led business trip abroad for 10-14 days (inclusive of round-trip travel.)
Students can expect to spend 12-15 hours each week on their coursework. For course content that may be more challenging for a student, the time commitment may be higher.
Courses are structured so students interact through weekly discussion boards, group projects and optional chat sessions.
The flexibility of the PMBA program allows students to opt out of terms where meeting course requirements may be especially challenging. Students will not be dismissed from the program if they are unable to enroll in a particular term, but graduation will be delayed until the missed coursework can be completed.
It is recommended that all students are equipped with a personal laptop, preferably a PC with an Intel Core i5 or AMD A6 processor or newer, a 240 gigabyte or larger solid-state drive and 8 gigabytes of memory or more. We do not recommend using Chromebooks or tablets as your primary computer.
Trips are normally 10-14 days in length, inclusive of roundtrip travel between home and destination country. Participants can expect to visit four to five companies that usually represent a major export of the country being visited, as well as culturally significant sites and events. Each business visit allows students to interact with C-suite executives to hear about their strategic business decision-making processes, factors that influence their decisions and workplace culture/norms. Free time is built into the schedule for self-exploration. A student’s spouse/partner may also join the trip and participate in the same activities as the rest of the group.
3.0 GPA (cumulative or in the last 60 hours of completed coursework. Students with a GPA greater than or equal to 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) are eligible for an application fee waiver (a $65 savings for domestic students and $75 savings for international students).
Prerequisite course requirements include two undergraduate economics courses, two undergraduate statistics courses (or one graduate level) and at least business calculus (the equivalent of MATH 205 General Calculus and Linear Algebra).
Students who transfer from another AACSB-accredited program are eligible to transfer up to 10 credit hours. Course equivalency is normally determined through examination of the course syllabus/syllabi from the transferring institution.
A maximum of six hours can be shared between two degree programs, as long as course content is deemed to be applicable to the MBA degree requirements.
For students with at least three years of full-time, post-baccalaureate work experience, the GMAT exam is waived. Students who worked full time while earning their bachelor’s degrees are waived from the three-year post-baccalaureate work requirement. Military experience counts toward the full-time work experience requirement.
For graduate students, most funding opportunities consist of scholarships and federal or private loans. Federal loans require completion of the FAFSA. There are some specialized private graduate scholarship opportunities for individuals meeting qualifications outlined by the awarding agent. Some examples include the American Association of University Women (AAUW), groups supporting underrepresented individuals in STEM disciplines and other philanthropies.
Graduates of all majors are welcome as long as program prerequisites have been met.
An AACSB-accredited MBA degree provides evidence of academic rigor and institutional commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. Five percent of all colleges and schools of business worldwide hold AACSB accreditation. A program with this accreditation is highly respected and will influence future employers.
Yes! We count military experience in the professional experience calculation. Additionally, the program can be completed anywhere in the world as long as there is internet access. We have had students successfully complete courses while deployed. We have also followed students to multiple duty stations while they completed their degrees. The resources available to military-connected students allow us to support students where they are. Our Office of Military and Veteran’s Affairs is available to assist online students and demonstrate K-State’s continuing commitment to supporting our military-connected students.
The degree will be the same as the degree earned by on-campus students: Master of Business Administration. The delivery system is different, but the faculty teaching in the online and on-campus formats are the same.
We have a rolling admission process with multiple entry points. Students can begin their studies in August, October, January, March or June. We ask that students apply at least one month before the term of their admission begins.
Apply online. You will need to prepare a one-page personal statement, provide the names and email addresses of three professional references, and provide copies of transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended. Official transcripts will need to be sent by the institutions awarding credit prior to applying for graduation.