School of Business

Policies Governing the Master of Business

Admission Requirements
To qualify for admission to the M.B.A. program, a person must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. This degree may be in business or another field. Admission is determined by a combination of criteria: (a) completion of the application materials, including an essay statement about career interests; (b) official undergraduate transcript(s); (c) attainment of at least 1,000 on the M.B.A. Admissions Index (A.I.) and (d) payment of the $40 application fee or proof of waiver. (The A.I. is determined as follows: AI = 200 x composite undergraduate G.P.A. + G.M.A.T. score). Applicants holding a graduate degree from an appropriately accredited college or university are exempted from the G.M.A.T. requirement. Applicants holding an undergraduate degree from an AACSB accredited college or university with a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.75 or higher, are exempted from the G.M.A.T. requirement.  Satisfactory completion of courses in calculus, statistics and composition and a background in microcomputer applications are required as well. Deficiencies in these areas can be made up after admission. Because of space and resource constraints, admission of qualified applicants is not automatic. Admission decisions are based on an overall assessment of the applicant’s academic capability, professional achievement, and potential. The M.B.A. program admits students for fall, spring, and summer semesters. Application deadlines are August 1 for fall entry, December 15 for spring entry, April 15 for entry in summer session I, and May 15 for entry in summer session II. A separate application form and $60 application fee are required for international applicants. In addition, the TOEFL test with a minimum score of 550 (in paper-based test) or 213 (in computer-based test) is required.

Overall Program Requirements
Graduation with the M.B.A. degree requires successful completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours. A person holding an undergraduate degree in business administration might complete the program in 30 credit hours, whereas an individual having none of the Core foundation course work would require up to 6 additional core courses. Waiver of Core foundation courses is determined through an analysis of an applicant’s transcripts. Degree requirements must be completed within six years of admission.

Student Course Load
Most M.B.A. students at IU Kokomo are employed full time in positions of responsibility. The high standards and workload in the M.B.A. program requires considerable time and effort that must be balanced with other life and work demands. For this reason, part-time students are advised to take no more than 6 credit hours in fall and spring, and 3 credit hours during any one summer session. Course schedules are constructed accordingly, with most courses offered after 4 p.m.

Transfer of Credit
Up to 6 graduate credit hours may be transferred into the M.B.A. program from an AACSB accredited or AACSB candidate schools. No graduate courses where the student earned below a B can be transferred into the program. Transfer credit determination is made by the M.B.A. director in consultation with the appropriate faculty. Only grades earned at Indiana University count toward a student’s grade point average. Grades from other universities transfer as credits only.

Waiver
As noted above, Core foundation course requirements may be waived if satisfactory completion of equivalent course work is demonstrated in the student’s undergraduate or graduate transcript (C- or higher grade required). Work experience and noncredit courses normally do not satisfy the foundation requirements, but may serve as confirming evidence along with academic course work. Validation exams are available for several Core courses.

Academic Standards
Graduation with the M.B.A. degree requires a cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) of at least 3.0 or a B average. A student whose G.P.A. falls below 3.0 will be placed on probation and will be required to bring the G.P.A. back to 3.0 within the next 9 credit hours of course work. Failure to remove the deficiency in this timeframe will result in immediate dismissal from the program. A student cannot compensate for deficient course work by completing more credits beyond those required in the program of study.

Advising
Shortly after admission to the program, each M.B.A. student will plan a program of study with the M.B.A. director. In addition, M.B.A. students seeking career development information are encouraged to confer with the faculty in their area of interest. The IU Kokomo Career Services office is available for career information, and students’ own employers often provide career planning assistance.

Degree Application
Candidates for a degree are expected to meet proper deadlines for the filing of degrees. Graduation dates at IU Kokomo occur in December, May, and August. Students planning to graduate in December must apply for their degrees by September 15. The application deadline for May, and August graduations is January 15.

Decision-Making and Appeal Process
The Curriculum and Policy Committee (C.P.C.) is the main governing body for the M.B.A. program. This committee, which is responsible for academic policy and curriculum, consists of members of the faculty, the dean of the school (ex-officio), and the M.B.A. director. It is also responsible for recommending admission policy, handling appeals concerning admissions, grades, and related academic matters for which a student seeks redress. The M.B.A. director is the program executive, responsible for day-to-day operations, admissions, and program advising. The M.B.A. director refers exceptional cases to the C.P.C. for decision, upon written request by the applicant or student.

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