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

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. The request for readmission must be submitted to the Campus President of Competency-Based Education. Since such student did not complete at least one course within a 6-month term, if granted readmission, the student will be placed on academic probation upon re-entry into the program.

Withdrawal Policy (within term)

If a student withdraws after the end of the 4th 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 be assigned a letter grade of F for the course.

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

Participation Policy

Students must participate within the first 14 days of the start of any term.  Failure to participate within this period will result in the student being withdrawn from the program.  Additionally, students must complete one formative or summative assessment with the first 30 days of any term to remain active for the term.

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

Academic Standards, Candidate Progress, and Grading

Upon entering the graduate program, students are encouraged to confer with their Mentor as needed. Students’ academic progress is monitored each 6-month term to ensure satisfactory progression which is considered mastery of at least two courses per term. Students who do not complete the minimum requirement of two courses per term will be placed on Probation at the end of that term. 

Students on probation who do not complete the required two courses the following term are not eligible for progression to the next term and will be notified of dismissal.

If a student is dismissed or voluntarily withdraws from the program, a formal application for re-entry is required and program requirements in effect at that time must be met.

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

Categories of Academic Standing for Executive MBA Candidates are:

• Good Standing: Status of a student who has met academic requirements in a satisfactory manner.
• Warning: Status of a student whose academic performance places him/her in jeopardy of falling below the minimum stated grade required or progression.
• Probation: Status of a student who has failed to receive master in at least one course within a 6-month term. Following a term of probation, the student will either return to Good Standing by satisfactorily completing at least two courses in the subsequent term or be dismissed from the program. A student who is dismissed must seek readmission to the program. A student is allowed only one readmission to the Executive MBA program.
• Dismissal: Action whereby a student is dismissed from the program due to failure to adhere to academic and program requirements and/or policies or procedures as specified in the South College Catalog, the South College Student Handbook, and/or the Graduate Program Handbook. The Executive MBA Program Director recommends dismissal and forwards the recommendation the Dean of Academic and Student Services (CBE).

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.