www.cob.ohiou.edu/imba

…leveraging education and experience.

Ohio University’s M.B.A. program is innovative and intense. It uses applied learning to expand the student’s knowledge far beyond traditional classroom methods. Working in teams, the M.B.A. students learn to research and solve authentic business problems. With knowledge gained from the classroom, and guidance and mentoring from faculty and business persons, M.B.A.s will be involved in crafting solutions for a range of actual businesses. This integration of content driven learning with real world application ensures a deep understanding of the tools necessary for success.

The Learning Process

A 13-month learning experience beginning in mid June every year, the full-time M.B.A. program uses an action-learning format that develops skills in communication, collaboration and teamwork, and the personal characteristics (initiative, diligence, creativity, and personal responsibility) that are necessary for success. The understanding of the complexities of international business will be enhanced through participation in the Joint Student Consulting Project (JSCP).

The integration of the MBA core curriculum with consulting projects at OHIO’s Voinovich School for Leadership and Public Affairs blends theory and application and is designed specifically for those with limited work experience.

The Voinovich School is Ohio University’s largest outreach program and pursues two main objectives: to provide research, technical assistance and training to local and state agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations and communities, and in doing so, to create quality project-based learning experiences for students. This management training program has been pivotal in helping these M.B.A.s develop strong business management skills by providing them with invaluable consulting skills, exposure to a wide range of industries and practical application of business models and concepts. With this new practicum experience intertwined with the intense content delivery of the restructured program, you as an OU M.B.A., will acquire these highly sought after skill sets.

The Learning Participants

Approximately 40 students participate in the M.B.A. program from all parts of the world. About half of the students have liberal arts or technical backgrounds, and all the students are committed to a challenging, interactive learning environment.

A dedicated team of graduate faculty members contribute to the learning process both in the classroom and in the field. All graduate faculty hold doctoral degrees and many have relevant, often multifunctional, industry experience. Voinovich School consultants will join the faculty team, adding an invaluable level of professional experience and expertise to assist in guiding the learning of the M.B.A. students.

Dual degree opportunities bring graduate students from the Master of Sports Administration to the learning community. This year dual degree programs prepare students for leadership positions by combining the business teachings of the M.B.A. program with the specific content and issues of the growing sport and health care industries. During the first year, students complete M.B.A. core courses. During the intervening summer, Sports Administration students choose between joining the international consulting experience or completing a sports internship. Health administration dual majors complete the global experience before returning to Athens to begin their second, and final year of health administration courses.

The Learning Outcomes

Accounting – To understand the basic tenets and processes of accounting systems for external financial reporting for investor and creditor decisions, and internal managerial reporting for decision-making and evaluation. 

Economics – To understand and appropriately utilize quantitative tools necessary for basic economic relations and marginal analysis in decision making as well as economic optimization.

Management – To understand the responsibilities and opportunities of managing human capital in the workplace, with specific attention to building personal capacity for high performance leadership that advances the strategic intent of the organization.

Management Information Systems- To assess organizations for strategic opportunities where information intensity can be leveraged using information technology with particular attention to describing the capabilities provided by advanced information technologies from a managerial perspective and identifying underlying technologies that support business models.

Managerial Communication – To focus on improving strategic managerial communication skills in the complex and sometimes problematic workplace. Critical communication issues will be addressed in workshop format and will include such topics as conflict management, collaborative problems solving, leadership, emotional intelligence, performance evaluation, and managing difficult conversations.

Marketing – To understand the role of marketing as a bridging function between the firm and its environments, marketing’s responsibilities to aid the organization in understanding its customers and its environment, and it responsibilities to assist the organization in creating a sustainable competitive advantage by fulfilling customer needs.

Strategic Management – To understand the responsibilities and opportunities of strategic leadership, with specific attention to strategy formulation, strategy implementation and change leadership in competitive global business environments.

The Learning Sequence
The Summer Foundation

The five-academic quarter program begins in June with a fast-paced primer in the business quantitative areas of statistics, managerial accounting, and micro/macro economics. Summer courses also include content in business communication and marketing. The ten-week quarter is rigorous as a foundation is laid (or reviewed for those with prior business course work) in preparation for the integration of subject content and problem-based and practical application that the fall quarter brings.

The Fall Core

The MBA students continue their acquisition of content knowledge in accounting, marketing, finance, organizational behavior and management. A central theme-the creation of value-threads through the curriculum building a solid base of knowledge that students will use throughout the year and beyond. During the fall quarter, students also learn how knowledge represents their competitive advantage; hence they learn how to acquire information, how to assimilate that information, how to know which information is relevant to solve a problem, and how to apply their knowledge.

Students are also instructed in the principles and applications of Project Management to assist them with this and future projects. This training period also includes an orientation to the Voinovich School.

By the end of fall quarter students have completed their Voinovich School training and are ready to begin their application experience. During the intercession students begin working with area businesses under the supervision of faculty and Voinovich School staff.

Winter Core

The Winter Core entails the integration of classroom knowledge with application experiences throughout the quarter. During this quarter the content includes Managerial Finance, Operations, Managerial Marketing and Strategy. Throughout this quarter students work in teams to directly apply what they’re learning with a range of businesses. Additionally, as students face actual business problems, course content is receptive to issues raised in the field setting.

Spring Core

A Strategic Corporate Management computer simulation is a primary focus during the spring quarter. This competitive simulation engages teams in building an entrepreneurial firm by developing marketing and business strategies. The simulation is web-based, self-directed, and completely self-contained. This simulation provides students the opportunity to:

1. Apply a holistic understanding of business and the global environment in which business operates.
2. Analyze a complex, dynamic business situation and resolve critical issues.
3. Apply financial management skills, focusing on operating profitability and delivering customer value.
4. Use accounting information, market data and competitive signals to adjust the strategic plan and specific business tactics.

Simultaneous with the Simulation Competition, additional course work includes International Strategy, Management Information Systems and Entrepreneurial Finance. The end of the Spring Core and the beginning of Summer Core is spent building necessary knowledge base for the international application experience (the Joint Student Consulting Project).

Summer Core

One of the capstone experiences of the M.B.A. program is the Joint Student Consulting Project (JSCP). Experience has shown that the most effective way to learn global competence is to place students in a foreign environment where they must build effective interpersonal relationships with people from a different culture. Accompanied by a faculty member, groups of 12-15 M.B.A.s travel together to another country. Ohio University M.B.A. students form consulting teams with two to three students from the host country university and complete a consulting assignment in the host country. The projects have been established and agreed to in advance by the faculty in the College of Business, the faculty of the host universities, and the local company representatives. Countries that have hosted the JSCP project in recent years include Brazil, South Africa, Hungary, India, Italy, Spain, and China.

Admission

Admission is competitive. Factors considered include undergraduate GPA, Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores, work experience, M.B.A. questionnaire, interview, and recommendations. International applicants also must include their score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Successful applicants typically have at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and a score of 500 or better on the GMAT; international applicants typically have a TOEFL score of 600 or better.

To apply, submit two official transcripts of your undergraduate work, three letters of recommendation,a resume, and responses to the M.B.A. questionnaire (available from the College of Business Graduate Programs Office). In addition, you must have GMAT scores submitted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Box 966, Princeton NJ 08540. If your native language is not English, you must also have ETS submit your TOEFL scores.

The deadline for application is February 1; candidates with complete applications will be contacted to schedule a mandatory interview. International candidates will be interviewed by phone.

Financial Aid

The College of Business has a number of graduate assistantships available for students who demonstrate outstanding potential.

Requests for financial aid should be noted on the application form. All awards for financial aid are generally announced in March.