Business Administration - Master of Business Administration (MBA)

The breadth of training that master of business administration graduates receive prepares them to become high-level managers and lead in a challenging and evolving business environment.

The MBA program is rigorous and comprehensive, and demands student commitment. The curriculum develops a set of broad-based, integrative skills. Core courses provide a solid foundation in both business management and analytical disciplines, a foundation that fosters continued career growth. In addition to core courses stressing key functional areas of business, students can choose electives specific to a chosen area of concentration.

The case study method and student projects are used broadly throughout all courses, and common areas of study such as ethics, technology, communications and international issues are integrated throughout much of the curriculum. Students learn about management theory and its practical applications in “real-world” situations. Lectures, seminars, team teaching, team projects and guest lectures are various approaches taken by the faculty to generate new ideas and encourage student input.

Diversity

The Leeds School of Business encourages qualified individuals to apply regardless of gender, race, religion, national origin, age, physical limitation or sexual orientation.

Requirements

Full-Time MBA

During the first semester of study, to ascertain degree requirements, MBA students should check in with a member of the student services team for the MBA program. 

Students entering the MBA program take a prescribed sequence of classes before beginning elective courses. A total of 55 credit hours is needed to graduate. Students entering the MBA program are expected to complete the degree in two years. Transferred coursework is not accepted into the MBA program.

MBA students may enroll in up to 12 credit hours of elective coursework outside the Leeds School of Business with approval from the MBA Programs office, provided the remaining 12 credit hours of electives are taken within the MBA program. Coursework taken outside the Leeds School of Business must be at the graduate program level and pre-approved. Students may not take courses outside the University of Colorado Boulder and count them toward the degree. Students should contact individual departments for course listings and registration requirements for non-business courses. 

All courses applied toward the 55 credit hours must be taken for a grade. Courses in which a C- or below is received are not accepted for credit toward the 55 credit hours and may have to be retaken. In this case, both grades are factored into the GPA. To withdraw from an elective course and receive a grade of W, a student must be earning a passing grade in that course. Students normally are not permitted to withdraw from courses after the sixth week of the semester. Students in the MBA program may not withdraw from specified MBAC lockstep coursework. An "I" is an incomplete grade. Use of the "I" is at the discretion of the course instructor and/or the dean. Students must ask for an incomplete grade. An "I" is given only when students, for reasons beyond their control, have been unable to complete course requirements. A substantial amount of work must have been satisfactorily completed before approval for such a grade is given.

Co-curricular activities are a critical counterpart to the classroom experience and enrich the value of the degree. Case competitions, student leadership positions, clubs, networking opportunities, guest speakers, small-group meetings with business leaders and professional mentoring all add to the immersive nature of the full-time program. Summer internship opportunities allow students to apply those core skills and develop new insights to help focus their choice of elective courses. 

Evening/Hybrid MBA

The curriculum of the Evening MBA program and Hybrid MBA program includes the same core of required courses as the full-time MBA program, but delivered in a format that accommodates students who are fully employed. Building on foundational courses, evening MBA and Hybrid MBA students then choose 12 total credits of electives to add greater depth and specificity of knowledge.

The Evening MBA program maintains a traditional classroom format, with classes meeting twice per week (summer terms may vary). The Hybrid MBA is a combination of enhanced virtual instruction and traditional classroom format (one Saturday/month with variation during summer terms).

The Evening MBA Program and Hybrid MBA program each begin in May, with an innovative schedule that allows students to graduate in two years (six semesters). During the second year, students complete MBAC 6052 Capstone Projects. For additional information about courses by semester, see the Plan(s) of Study tab.

Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.

Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record.

Please View Website for details on international entry requirements.