Admission Requirements
- Comply with the admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies and Research, which includes an undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 or higher
All Applicants must submit:
- Graduate admission application and fee (fee covered by College of Business for 22/23 academic year, use code MBA2233).
- Official transcripts from all previously attended post-secondary institutions.
- a GMAT or GRE-equivalent (see below for GMAT/GRE waiver conditions).
- a statement of purpose
- 2-3 page essay format
- Stating the reason that you are pursuing an MBA at NMU
- Stating what unique perspective, qualifications, experiences and educational assets you would bring to share with your class. Also include your goals and how the program will help you move closer to them.
- a current resume.
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Letters of recommendation should be written by faculty members or professionals who are familiar with your academic progress and can address your strengths as a candidate for the program. They should be written on letterhead and include their professional contact information.
The results of the GMAT, the applicant's undergraduate grade point average and relevant work experience will be evaluated together to determine eligibility for the program. Application materials are reviewed by the director of MBA program and/or a three-person faculty graduate screening committee.
Special Admission - NMU College of Business seniors who are within 12 credit hours from graduation from the undergraduate program or previous graduates who a) have completed their last 10 credits at Northern Michigan University, and b) have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, are not required to submit two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, or a current resume to support their graduate programs application.
Application Due Dates
Applications are accepted throughout the year, but to ensure full consideration, the following deadlines should be adhered to:
Fall admission – July 1
Winter admission – November 15
Master of Business Administration Curriculum
For department information or additional degree requirements, go to the Business (College of Business) department page.
| Total Credits Required | 30-32 |
| MBA Core Requirements | 18 |
| BUS 530 Organizations: Structure, Behavior and Human Performance | 3 |
| BUS 540 Marketing Strategy | 3 |
| BUS 560 Quantitative Decision Making | 3 |
| BUS 570 Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 580 Financial Analysis and Management | 3 |
| BUS 590 Strategic Management | 3 |
| Capstone - Submission and presentation of a portfolio of selected MBA program projects along with an exit examination are required for graduation. | |
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| Without Concentration | |
| Electives* | 12 |
| At least 6 credits must be BUS prefix courses. | |
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| Business Analytics Concentration | |
| Required Analytics Electives | 7-11 |
| Choose at least 2 courses: | |
| BUS 555 Analytics for Decision Support (4 cr.) | |
| BUS 565 Data Mining (4 cr.) | |
| BUS 575 Business Analytics Project (3 cr.) | |
| Electives* | 3-6 |
| Students in the Business Analytics track who complete three Required Analytics Elective courses must register for one additional elective course. | |
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| *BUS 595 may be repeated if the topic changes. Up to 6 credits can be selected from graduate courses offered by other NMU departments (outside the College of Business), but these courses must be approved by the student’s academic advisor and be included on the student’s Plan of Study. | |
Graduation Requirements
Graduates must meet the requirements of the College of Graduate Studies as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin in addition to the following:
- Complete the minimum number of credits for the degree
- Maintain a 3.0 GPA
- Complete a graduate capstone portfolio presentation in their last semester of study, exhibiting at least 5 course projects or areas of research and their alignment with program goals. Students are expected to present their portfolio in an open forum attended by faculty, peers, and community members. Portfolios are assessed by graduate faculty as pass/fail.
The following 5 courses have undergraduate course prerequisites:
Course Prerequisite*
BUS 540 MKT 230, Introduction to Marketing
BUS 550 DATA 109, Introduction to Statistics
BUS 560 DATA 109, Introduction to Statistics
BUS 570 ACT 240, Fundamentals of Managerial Accounting and DATA 109, Introduction to Statistics
BUS 580 FIN 351, Financial Management I
*Relevant professional experience may be substituted for some or all of the prerequisite courses. Decisions regarding the acceptability of professional experience substitutions will be made by the College of Business in consultation with the faculty member assigned to the course.
GMAT/GRE Waiver Requirements
All applicants must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) before the completion of 8 semester hours of graduate credit EXCEPT if they qualify for the waiver conditions below:
- hold a Master’s or Doctorate degree from a regionally accredited university; OR
- earned a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 from a regionally accredited program
While we do not have an official minimum GMAT or GRE-equivalent scores, applicants should use the following formula to determine acceptable scores.
GPA*2.00 + GMAT/GRE-equivalent >= 1050 points
Bulletin Year:
2022 - 2023 Graduate Bulletin