Admission Requirements

Lakeland carefully reviews and admits those adults it believes will thrive and succeed in both the M.B.A. program and professionally afterwards. Applicants for candidacy in this program must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. While an undergraduate degree in a business area is not required, applicants with a non-business undergraduate degree need to show evidence of basic understandings in the areas of economics, accounting, finance, basic statistics and computer literacy before being formally admitted to candidacy. This may be accomplished by taking specific undergraduate courses, by undertaking a "pre-M.B.A." foundation course of study, available through Lakeland and other institutions, and/or by providing to the M.B.A. program director evidence of sufficient work experiences to warrant a waiver of specific foundation requirements.

Admission to candidacy requires:

• An official transcript from an accredited institution indicating completion of a bachelor's degree with a minimum cumulative grade-point-average (GPA) of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale, or a minimum 3.00 GPA in the last sixty semester hours of undergraduate study. If the cumulative GPA is less than 2.75, a minimum 450 Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score will be required.
• A written statement of purpose indicating how an M.B.A. educational experience would help applicant meet professional goals and what leadership or managerial skills the applicant would bring to this program. The statement should be limited to 250 words.
• Two letters of recommendation indicating the applicant's potential for success in the M.B.A. program and professionally afterwards.

Students may transfer up to nine semester hours of graduate credit from other accredited M.B.A. programs, provided the coursework is relevant to the Lakeland College program, and that a minimum grade of "B" was earned for formal course work actually taken.

Additionally, students may take up to three semester hours (1 class) of graduate credit at Lakeland College before being formally admitted to candidacy in the M.B.A. program.

Degree Requirements

Lakeland College requires thirty-six semester hours of graduate credit for the M.B.A. degree. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 on a scale of 4.00 must be maintained in all course work in the Lakeland M.B.A. program.

Required Core Coursework - 27 semester hours

Twenty-seven of the thirty-six credit hours must be from the core courses listed below. These courses cover the common body of knowledge necessary for students to develop critical thinking and analytical abilities and foster leadership skills and teamwork attitudes.

All courses listed are 3 semester hours, unless otherwise indicated:

• BA 700 Business Research Methodology
• BA 715 Applied Microeconomic Theory
• BA 720* Applied Managerial Accounting
• BA 730 Organizational Effectiveness
• BA 750 Applied Marketing Management
• BA 760 Production and Operations Management
• BA 770 Legal and Regulatory Environment of Business
• BA 780 Managerial Finance
• BA 790 Corporate Strategy and Decision Making

Required Elective Coursework for Traditional M.B.A. - 9 semester hours

Nine additional semester hours from the following or completion of one concentration:

• BA 710 Applied Macroeconomic Theory
• BA 725 Applied International Economics
• BA 735 International Trade and Finance
• BA 740 Management Information Systems
• BA 745 Cultural Understanding and International Business
• BA 755 Buyer Behavior
• BA 765 Financial Decision Making
• BA 775 Human Resource Management
• BA 785 Special Topics and Issues in Business
• BA 795 Special Study Project in Business
• BA 800 Master's Thesis in Business (6 semester hours)

M.B.A. Concentrations

Accounting Concentration:

Nine additional semester hours from the following:

• BA 785 Special Topics and Issues
• BA 789 Corporate Financial Management

CMA

• BA 771 Advanced Industrial Accountancy I (3 credits) (Financial Planning/Control)
• BA 772 Advanced Industrial Accountancy II (3 credits) (Financial Decision Making)

CPA

• BA 791 Advanced Public Accounting I (3 credits) (Regulation)
• BA 792 Advanced Public Accounting II (3 credits) (Financial)
• BA 793 Advanced Public Accounting III (3 credits) (Auditing/Business)

* Students who have completed or anticipate enrolling in any CPA or CMA prep courses should not enroll in BA 720 Applied Managerial Accounting. This will be viewed as a duplicate credit.

Finance Concentration:

Nine additional semester hours from the following:

• BA 735 International Trade and Finance
• BA 765 Financial Decision Making
• BA 786 Cash Management and Investments
• BA 787 Capital Budgeting and Risk Analysis
• BA 788 Mergers and Acquisitions
• BA 789 Corporate Financial Management

Healthcare Management Concentration

• BA 701 Leadership for Healthcare Professionals
• BA 702 Healthcare Management I
• BA 703 Healthcare Management II

Project Management Concentration

• BA 781 Fundamentals of Project Management
• BA 782 Managing the Project Team
• BA 783 Project Procurement and Contract Management

Note: A course used to satisfy the requirements of one concentration may not be applied to the requirements of another.

Lakeland's Online M.B.A. program is also fully accredited. Classes follow the same curriculum as the traditional classroom sessions.

Back to MBA home