Mission Statement

The Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics at Indiana University South Bend offers high-quality, AACSB-accredited educational programs that provide business knowledge and develop skills that enable our diverse student body to succeed in a dynamic environment. We emphasize superior teaching and learning; greatly value scholarship, and engage in service to the wider community. As part of a state-assisted university, we serve as a professional resource committed to the economic development of our region. We strive for academic excellence through rigorous and relevant teaching; an intellectually active faculty engaged in research that contributes to discipline-based scholarship, to practice, and to learning and instruction; and through extensive involvement in public, professional, and university service.

To our students, we offer outstanding instruction by dedicated faculty and well-established, affordable Indiana University undergraduate and graduate programs that meet the highest academic standards. As part of a comprehensive university system, we serve a broad range of students including traditional, nontraditional, minority, and international students who seek to compete in a global business environment. To our faculty, we provide an intellectually stimulating environment that enhances teaching, research, and service. To employers, we develop well-educated graduates who contribute to and lead organizations in our region and beyond. To our community at large, we serve as a highly regarded educational and training resource for current and future leaders, as well as a widely respected, responsive, and continuing professional partner.

Vision Statement

The Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics at IU South Bend aspires to be the best regional business school in the nation, recognized for academic excellence, and for contributing to the overall development of our region and our broader environment.

We will achieve this vision by:

• Providing rigorous and relevant programs that are intellectually grounded, innovative, integrative, technologically advanced and global in perspective
• Preparing students for successful leadership roles
• Collaborating with stakeholders to align our teaching, scholarship, and service to the needs of the community
• Serving as a primary source for creating and applying business knowledge to promote regional economic development.

Admission

Graduate business programs admit only those students who demonstrate aptitude, ability, and scholarship. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree and take the standardized Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

For the Admissions Committee to consider a candidate for admission into one of the graduate business programs, the applicant must submit the following materials:

• Online application: www.iusb.edu/portal/apply
• Official transcripts of every college or university attended. The graduate business office obtains Indiana University transcripts.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• Official score report from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).*
• A nonrefundable application fee.

Admission standards into graduate business programs are maintained by selecting only those candidates who can successfully complete a rigorous and competitive academic program. The program is accessible only to those students of demonstrated aptitude, ability, and scholarship. Admission decisions are based on a composite evaluation of the applicant’s:

• GMAT scores
• Undergraduate academic performance measured by GPA
• Two letters of recommendation
• Personal essays
• Professional work experience/résumé

The committee encourages submission of additional supporting information. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit an acceptable Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score or successfully complete Level 12 of The Language Company program.

Interested students must submit all application materials on or before the following deadlines:

Semester | Deadline

Fall | July 1
Spring | November 1
Summer | April 1

Admitted candidates may enter the program at the beginning of any regular semester.

Enrollment Restriction

No graduate student (except those officially admitted to graduate business programs) is allowed to take more than 6 credit hours in graduate business courses under any circumstances.

Academic Standing

Graduate business students whose grade point average (GPA) falls below the 2.75 requirement are placed on academic probation for one semester. If the student’s GPA is not raised to the 2.75 level, the student may be placed on additional probation, or may be dismissed from the program. If at any time a student’s GPA falls below 2.25, automatic dismissal takes place.

Credit Transfer

Graduate business students may transfer a maximum of 12 credit hours into their graduate program. For coursework to be eligible for transfer, the class must be taken at another AACSB accredited college or university. All classes must be preapproved. The approval process requires the submission of the course syllabus and possibly other course-specific materials. The student is notified in writing if the approval is granted. Only those courses in which a student receives a grade of B or higher transfers. Upon successful completion of a preapproved course at another institution, the student must request that an official transcript be sent to the Office of Graduate Business Programs showing a grade of B or higher. Upon receipt of said transcript the Office of Graduate Business Programs will complete the transfer and notify the student.

Fast-Track Program Option

This option is geared toward recent graduates and is available for students fully admitted to the MBA, MSA or MS-MIT degree programs. Students admitted under this option will be waived from all prerequisite courses** and will have the cost of their GMAT reimbursed ($250) upon satisfactory completion of 6 graduate credit hours in the program.

• Undergraduate degree in business (earned no more than one year prior to the semester of admission) and a CGPA of at least 3.35 from an AACSB accredited business school, OR undergraduate degree in business (earned no more than one year prior to the semester of admission) and a CGPA of at least 3.65 from a non-AACSB regionally accredited school.
• GMAT score of at least 450 (500 for MS-MIT program).