Office of Student Development,
Room 2130, Schneider Hall

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is an evening program designed to broaden the functional business knowledge and strengthen the leadership skills of working professionals as well as international students seeking to study business in the United States. It is also suitable for individuals with limited work experience who plan to use the MBA as a foundation from which to begin or resume their careers. The program seeks highly motivated college graduates who will bring their personal values, experiences, and interests to the classroom.

The MBA program consists of nine required core courses in the functional areas of business plus three elective courses that suit the interests of the student. The program of study may be completed in two years although students with full-time employment may take up to six years to complete the program.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the MBA Program is based on a combination of undergraduate grade point average, score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), references, and work experience. To be admitted, applicants must have at least 1,050 points based on this formula: 200 times undergraduate GPA plus GMAT score. The GPA must be a minimum of 2.5 for the last 60 hours in an undergraduate program, and the GMAT score must be a minimum of 450. Information on the GMAT may be found at www.gmat.com.

International students must have a bachelor’s degree with an acceptable grade point average from an educational institution approved by Western Michigan University.

In addition, international students whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by taking the TOEFL examination. Those scoring less than 213 on the computer form of the TOEFL examination may be required to participate in the Graduate Preparation Institute for International Students offered by the Career English Language Institute (CELCIS) prior to beginning the MBA program. Information on CELCIS may be found at www.wmich.edu/celcis.

Waiver of GMAT

The GMAT requirement may be waived for:

1. Applicants who hold a graduate professional degree from an educational institution approved by Western Michigan University.
2. Applicants with substantial professional work experience who meet both of the following criteria:
   1. An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher in the last two years of an accredited undergraduate degree program; and
   2. seven or more years of substantial, full-time, professional business work experience which has occurred within ten years prior to the date of program application.

Requests for a waiver of the GMAT requirement based on substantial professional work experience must be approved by the Haworth College of Business Academic Review Board.

Proficiency in Basic Skills

All applicants must provide evidence of proficiency in the following four basic skills before admission to the MBA program: computer literacy, quantitative analysis, statistics, and writing in English.

1. The computer literacy requirement is usually met by undergraduate course work or work experience requiring computer usage.
2. The quantitative analysis requirement is considered met if the student has earned an undergraduate business degree (BBA) from a university or college with an AACSB accredited program or has satisfactorily completed a college level undergraduate mathematics course in finite mathematics, precalculus, or calculus.
3. The statistics requirement is considered met if the applicant has satisfactorily completed an undergraduate level statistics course at the sophomore level or higher.
4. The writing in English requirement is considered met if the applicant receives a score of 3.50 or higher on the essay portion of the GMAT or as indicated by junior or senior level undergraduate course work that requires proficiency in written English.

Appeals and Requests for Exceptions

Appeals and requests for exceptions to the admission standards must be made in writing to the Director of MBA Programs, Room 2130 Schneider Hall, Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008. All appeals and requests for exceptions will be reviewed by the Haworth College of Business Academic Review Board.