Business Administration - Business Intelligence Concentration, MBA

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UHD’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program is structured to help current and aspiring business leaders develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced business environment. The Marilyn Davies College of Business designed this career-friendly option for working professionals who want to pursue their studies while continuing to work. It fits the needs of those who have earned an undergraduate degree in business administration and those who hold a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated area and want the flexibility, expertise, and earning power of an MBA.

All UHD MBA courses use a concentrated hybrid, eight-week format combing face-to-face meetings with online instruction and interaction. Students may select the concentration sequence to earn a professional certificate in that concentration. Each of the courses in the concentration were built with industry input to assure value and relevance in the marketplace. Students in each class will meet for a single session each week and will complete the equivalent of work online. This delivery method is career-friendly because it allows focus on one or two courses each term while maintaining work-life balance for the students.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the UHD MBA are designed to identify applicants who have the ability, interest, and qualities necessary to complete the program, with the potential to contribute to the field of business. Prospective students who do not have an undergraduate degree in business at an AACSB accredited institution are welcome to apply and may need to complete leveling courses which will cover business fundamentals as part of their program.

There are two admissions pathways to the MBA program with a Business Intelligence concentration:

Traditional admission (Full admission)
Soft start admission

The “soft start” admission path does not require the GMAT or letters of recommendation. Students admitted though the “soft start” path are granted conditional admittance to the MBA program and are able to earn a post-baccalaureate credential through successful completion of their concentration classes, thereby earning a graduate certificate. Upon successful completion of the concentration courses with a GPA of at least 3.0, “soft start” students will be automatically admitted to the MBA program and will be able to complete their MBA degree by taking MBA core courses. “Soft start” students are restricted on the number of classes that may be taken each semester and are not eligible to take MBA core courses until successful completion of the concentration classes.

Students admitted through the traditional path are immediately eligible to take MBA core and MBA concentration classes and are not subject to restrictions on the number of classes that can be taken each semester.

Application Requirements for Traditional Admission into the MBA

To be considered for admission, an applicant is required to submit the following:

Complete the UHD online graduate application.
A personal statement of approximately 250-500 words addressing why the applicant desires an MBA from UHD, as well as other circumstances the applicant desires to share with the admissions committee.
GMAT score less than 5 years old (unless waived under admissions requirements)
Professional resume documenting work experience that emphasizes personal and professional accomplishments and leadership experience.
Two recommendation forms from individuals acquainted with the applicant’s leadership capabilities.
For graduates of universities in a country where English is not the native language: minimum IBT TOEFL scores of 81 or an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher.
Payment of application fee.
Official transcript(s) from the institute where the applicant’s Bachelor’s degree was conferred as well as any advanced degrees (if applicable). All documents must be received from the degree/credit granting institution. Evaluations from foreign institutions must include the course by course evaluation with GPA indication.
Official transcripts should be submitted either electronically or by sealed mail from your prior institution to:

University of Houston - Downtown
Office of Graduate & International Admissions
One Main Street, Suite GSB 308
Houston, TX 77002

Preferences

Undergraduate GPA of 3.0, or higher, on a 4-point scale for the final 60 semester hours of study.
Applicant’s letter should demonstrate strong writing skills, expressed desire to work at the management level, commitment to completing the degree, and strong rationale for wanting this specific degree.
Letters of recommendation should come from persons sufficiently acquainted with the student to be able to comment on the potential to successfully complete a graduate program and should provide evidence of applicant’s excellent critical thought, motivation, study and writing skills, and/or a strong overall faculty recommendation.

Application Requirements for Soft Start Admission into the MBA

Complete the UHD online graduate application.
Professional resume documenting work experience that emphasizes personal and professional accomplishments and leadership experience.
A personal statement of approximately 250-500 words addressing why the applicant desires a certificate from UHD, as well as other circumstances the applicant desires to share with the admissions committee.
For graduates of universities in a country where English is not the native language: minimum IBT TOEFL scores of 81 or an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher.

Payment of application fee.
Official transcript(s) from the institute where the applicant’s Bachelor’s degree was conferred as well as any advanced degrees (if applicable). All documents must be received from the degree/credit granting institution. Evaluations from foreign institutions must include the course by course evaluation with GPA indication.

Official transcripts should be submitted either electronically or by sealed mail from your prior institution to:

University of Houston - Downtown
Office of Graduate & International Admissions
One Main Street, Suite GSB 308
Houston, TX 77002

Admissions Process

Applications are managed through the graduate admissions office. Once students have completed the application process, the Graduate Admissions office notifies the Graduate Programs Office in the Marilyn Davies College of Business that the student’s application package is ready for review.

Applicant files are reviewed for completeness in the MDCOB Graduate Programs Office. In the traditional MBA pathway, the applicant files are then submitted to the MBA Admissions Committee for consideration. candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and votes on the applicant’s admission. In the event of a tie, the Associate Dean of the MDCOB will provide the tie-breaking vote. The MBA Admissions Committee then informs the MDCOB Graduate Programs Office of the decision. The MDCOB Graduate Programs Office will communicate the admission decision to the applicant. In cases where the candidate meets auto-acceptance requirements (possesses an earned master’s degree and/or finished their undergraduate degree with a 3.50 GPA or higher in the last 60 hours of coursework) the committee review process is waived. All applicants seeking admission as an international student will undergo review through the MBA Admissions Committee. In the soft start pathway, completed applications are submitted to the faculty director for review. The faculty director may require additional information from the applicant, including an interview. The interview may be conducted in-person or virtually. The faculty director will make an admissions determination and the MDCOB Graduate Programs Office will communicate the decision to the applicant. Accepted students will be given instructions on required leveling courses and new student orientation.

With few exceptions, there is no change from the Soft Start to the traditional path after admission. Excepting special circumstances, a Soft Start MBA student is not permitted to take MBA core classes until successfully completing their chosen concentration with at least a 3.0 GPA.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the UHD MBA program will be able to:

Identify drivers of industry and organizational change and be able to predict the impact of change on organizational performance.
Design, implement, evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of organizational strategies, making necessary amendments during this process.
Apply concepts and decision models in financial accounting, statistics, organizational behavior, finance, economics, marketing, information systems management, and operations management to make business decisions.

In addition, graduates of the UHD MBA with a Business Intelligence concentration will meet the following learning outcomes:

Apply management principles to business intelligence issues.
Apply analytical methods to business problems in business intelligence.

Evaluate business intelligence strategies to enhance performance.

General Degree Requirements

Students who hold an undergraduate degree from an AACSB accredited program in a field of business administration may be deemed to be prepared for graduate study if the degree is not more than ten years old and if the core courses were completed with a grade of “C” (or equivalent) or higher. Students who hold an undergraduate degree in a field other than business administration or in business from a non-AACSB accredited program may be required to demonstrate preparation for graduate study in business. These students could be required to complete one or more 5000 level courses in order to gain the basic theoretical concepts and tools that are the foundations for graduate management study.

The 5000 level courses serve as prerequisites for the graduate business courses and may be required for students who did not take the equivalent courses as part of their baccalaureate program, have a degree in business from a non-AACSB accredited program, or for students with a baccalaureate degree from a non-U.S. university. For additional details, see the MDCOB Graduate Programs Handbook.

Core and Concentration Courses

The Master of Business Administration degree requires satisfactory completion of the required credit hours offered for the selected concentration by the College of Business. The required courses and concentrations are outlined below:

Core Courses

Total: (20 hours)

Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence

Total: (16 hours)

Total: (36 hours)

Additional Requirements

Minimum Grade Point Average to remain in the MBA program

While enrolled in any graduate program, students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Sections 3.4 and 3.5 of UHD Policy 03.A.07 (Academic Probation and Suspension) outline the procedures related to probation, suspension, and satisfactory progress for graduate students. A student whose cumulative graduate GPA drops below 3.0 is placed and probation and must maintain a 3.0 or higher semester GPA in each subsequent semester until the cumulative graduate GPA is raised to 3.0 or above.

A graduate student on probation who does not achieve a graduate program GPA of at least 3.0 in the subsequent term will be suspended from the university. After one year, a suspended student may apply for reinstatement, at the discretion of the Graduate Director or coordinator of the program. A graduate student who receives grades of “C” in 9 or more graduate semester hours is subject to dismissal. According to UHD’s Grading System policy (PS 03.A.04), below average work (grades of “D” or “F”) is not acceptable and constitutes grounds for a graduate student’s dismissal from the program. Please note that according to the university grading policy, “All credit hours attempted as part of a graduate degree will be calculated in the GPA.” Transferred grades, from other institutions, are not calculated in a graduate student’s GPA. Please note that a graduate program may have more stringent requirements on C grades or probation/suspension, so students should consult their program handbook or website for these more specific restrictions.

Transfer of Graduate Credits

A maximum of 6 credit hours may be transferred from another AACSB accredited university. A minimum grade of B is required for the course to transfer. All petitions for transfer credit must be submitted to the Marilyn Davies College of Business Graduate Admissions Committee at the time of application for the committee’s approval.

Attendance Policy

Students enrolled in the UHD MBA program are expected to attend all scheduled classes. These are hybrid courses that meet half the normal class time; therefore, absences can be detrimental to academic performance and should be avoided. However, working professionals occasionally may have unavoidable absences as a result of unexpected business travel or other emergencies. It is the students’ responsibility to inform professors of the nature of the absences at the earliest practical opportunity, preferably in advance. Students are responsible for all information and assignments from missed classes. In cases where absences reach a frequency that, in the professor’s opinion, make it unlikely that the student can successfully complete the course, withdrawal from class will be recommended.