Business Administration, MBA (Executive)

Mission

The mission of the Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is to prepare leaders in business to meet the personal and professional challenges of the future. Through an integrated curriculum, students experience advanced business concepts through the exploration and discovery of new knowledge, performing focused research, and conducting detailed analysis. The program is designed to create meaningful learning experiences that develop practitioner-based scholars who from a leadership perspective can apply creative and innovative concepts to complex and diverse business problems in a variety of sectors. The program promotes development of leaders who can positively contribute to organizations in a professional manner. 

Program Overview

The Executive MBA program is intended for working professionals currently in their designated field who are seeking an advanced degree for improvement in career advancement opportunities, or who are currently in a leadership position in which they want to advance their knowledge and improve their skillset. The program design focuses on providing students with real world practical applications and exercises in which they can demonstrate their prior knowledge and understanding and application of new knowledge and skills that will be directly applied to their current and future career opportunities. Today’s business environment is characterized by constant change, uncertainty, and opportunities, necessitating the need for experienced and educated leadership that combines theory and real-world practical application. The mastery-based Executive MBA program will allow students to accelerate their learning to help address the need mentioned above.  

The Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) requires successful completion of 45 quarter credit hours. The program must be completed within a maximum timeframe of 24 months. The courses for this program are conducted in an online delivery format through a competency-based education (CBE) approach.  A faculty model is utilized designed for a 1:1 faculty/student relationship that promotes and involves substantive faculty/student interaction. The faculty engage students through a variety of multimedia presentations, conversations, and qualitative and quantitative feedback. Each course will require successful completion of up to 7 CBE tasks/assignments that must be completed at the Mastery level before a successful completion of the course is earned.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the program will demonstrate the following: 

• Goal I: Exercise critical thinking strategies, including scientific reasoning for business problem definition, problem analysis, and evaluation of solutions, and be able to appropriately apply them at high levels in organizational settings.
• Goal II: Demonstrate advanced written and oral communication skills by selecting appropriate communication tools and utilizing them in a highly effective, professional manner.
• Goal III: Evaluate the business and leadership principles, theories, and skills required to implement change in the business environment and be able to apply them effectively at strategic levels.
• Goal IV: Select and implement appropriate research methods that provide the foundation for strategic research in business administration.
• Goal V: Formulate an understanding of the current issues facing business leaders in a contemporary global environment and develop strategies to effectively address those issues.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants interested in the Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) are required to meet individually either in person or via telephone with an admissions representative and program faculty to discuss the program and all requirements.  

Executive MBA admission requirements:

• Submit completed South College application for admission and application to the program.
• Submit an official transcript evidencing earning of a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Evidence earning of a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale in baccalaureate degree coursework.
• Provide evidence of three years of professional/academic experience related to the program for which application is made.

Academic Participation and Withdrawal

Participation Policy

New students in their first term must participate and complete one competency/module within the first 28 days of the term.  Failure to participate within this period will result in the student being administratively withdrawn from the program.  Additionally, students must complete one formative or summative assessment with the first 28 days of any subsequent term to remain active for the term.

Continuing students, those in their second and subsequent terms, must submit at least one assessment within the first 28 days of a continuing term. Failure to participate within this period will result in the student being administratively withdrawn from the program. 

If a student wishes to withdraw from the program, a withdrawal request is considered to be official when the student notifies the Registrar’s Office or the Dean of Academic and Student Services, CBE. No other college official has the authority to accept official withdrawals from the program. Students are requested to submit a withdrawal request in writing via their South College email address.

Administrative Withdrawal Policy

If at the end of a term, the student has not completed at least 50% of one course and has been inactive for more than 60 days, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the program. If a student, who was administratively withdrawn (due to non-participation), wishes to continue with the program, the student must formally re-apply through standard admissions process. 

Reinstatement and Re-entry after Withdrawal

Within 7 days of a withdrawal request, a student may request to be reinstated to the program. The student must send their written reinstatement request to the President of Competency-Based Education. Reinstatement is not guaranteed and is at the discretion and approval of the President of Competency-Based Education.

If a student would like to re-enter the CBE program after withdrawal outside of the 7-day grace period for reinstatement, the student must apply for re-entry to the CBE program by sending a written re-entry request to the President of Competency-Based Education. Re-entry, if approved, may not be within the same 6-month term and will only be approved in a subsequent 6-month term.

Withdrawal Policy (within term)

If a student withdraws before the 5th month of any 6-month term, the student will be issued a W grade for any uncompleted courses, unless the student was on academic probation for not completing a course the prior term. In this case, the student will receive a letter grade of F for the course.

If a student withdraws after the 1st day of the 5th month of any 6-month term, any course that is not completed will be assigned the letter grade of F.

Academic Standards, Candidate Progress, and Grading

Upon entering the graduate program, students are encouraged to confer with their Student Success Mentor as needed. Student academic progress is monitored each 6-month term to ensure satisfactory progression, which is considered mastery of at least two courses per 6 month term. A student who has not completed a course by day 1 of the 4^th month of the term will be placed on Academic Warning. Students who do not meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) within 60 days of being placed on Academic Warning must complete an Academic Plan by day 1 of the 6^th month outlining how they will reach course completion. The Academic Plan must be signed, approved, and on file prior to the start of the next term.   

Students who complete the minimum requirement of two course completion by the end of the term will be removed from Academic Warning and return to Good Standing. Students who do not complete the minimum requirement of two course completion per term will be placed on Academic Probation at the end of the term. Students who do not gain approval for an Academic Plan before the end of the term are not eligible for the 28 day probationary period and will be dismissed from the program. A student may only be placed on Academic Probation one time.

Students placed on Academic Probation who do not complete the required two courses within 28 days of the next consecutive term are not eligible to progress and will be notified of dismissal from the program.

Students who were dismissed or voluntarily withdrew from the program and who wish to return to the program must submit a formal application for re-entry. Program requirements in effect at that time of approved reentry must be met. A student may only be readmitted to the program one time.

Student deficiencies that may impact academic standing, which may include probation or dismissal from the program, are monitored by the Student Success Mentor.

Categories of Academic Standing for Program Candidates are:

• Good Standing: Status of a student who has met academic requirements in a satisfactory manner.
• Academic Warning: Status of a student whose academic performance places him/her in jeopardy of falling below the minimum stated grade required or progression. Students who have not completed a course by the 1^st day of the 4^th month of their term will be placed on Academic Warning.
• Academic Probation: Status of a student who has failed to receive mastery in at least two courses within a 6-month term.  Following a 28-day period of Academic Probation during the next consecutive term with an Academic Plan approved and in process, the student will either return to Good Standing by satisfactorily completing the minimum required courses during the probationary period or be dismissed from the program for not completing the minimum required courses. Students may only be placed on Academic Probation one time.

Grading

Course Instructors determine mastery of competencies and the resulting final grade in all courses. The requirements of each course are found in the course syllabus.

Letter Grade	Q.P.	Percentage Score Range
A (Mastery)	4.00	90-100%

Grievance Process

Students are encouraged to discuss any concern with their Mentor. If satisfaction cannot be attained at this level, and the students wants to make his/her concern official at the School of Business & Technology level, the student must complete a Grievance Form. Every effort will be made to resolve the concern at the School of Business & Technology level. If the grievance cannot be resolved at that level, the students should then follow the College’s grievance process outlined in the current South College Catalog and Student Handbook available on the institutional website and on the student portal.

Graduation Requirements

For a student to graduate from the Executive Master of Business Administration program, the student must be in a good academic and professional standing, have had satisfactory progress in all quarters of the academic program, and satisfactorily complete the following: 

• Successfully complete the required quarter credit hours of academic coursework. 
• Achieve a designation of “mastery” for all course competencies.
• Complete all required South College and program documents in preparation for graduation. 
• Honor all professional and financial obligations to South College. 

South College reserves the right, and the student, by the act of matriculation, concedes to give South College the right to require withdrawal at any time the college deems it necessary to safeguard the standards of scholarship, conduct, and compliance with regulations, or for such other reasons deemed appropriate by South College as set forth in the South College Student Handbook and/or the South College Catalog.