Master of Business Administration

The Colorado Mesa University online MBA is a challenging program designed to prepare graduates for the changing business world. The degree is awarded after successful completion of 36 semester hours of rigorous study. The program is designed to provide the student with a broad background in business. To this end, students acquire knowledge of management operations, an appreciation of the interrelationships of the functional areas of business, an understanding of the economic, political and social environment in which businesses function, and behavioral and leadership skills that are essential to the manager’s role in the implementation of business decisions. The MBA program endeavors to provide an atmosphere conducive to the development of each student’s ability to think in a creative manner. The program makes extensive use of the latest learning management systems to disseminate course materials, lectures, simulations, group projects, case studies, and applied research. All of our courses are taught by qualified graduate faculty with exceptional experience in higher education and industry. 

The program is open to all baccalaureate-holding applicants who can demonstrate academic preparation in the core requirements including statistics, computer literacy, management, finance, marketing, and accounting, regardless of the undergraduate field of study. Students without this background or adequate depth of background will be required to complete leveling courses.   

For information about admission to the MBA Program, please see department specific requirements.

Candidates not meeting all the specific requirements may be admitted under conditional status.

MBA for Those Without a Business Degree

The opportunity for study is available for the non-business degree holder. For these students, a series of leveling courses will be identified individualized to each student.

Leveling Courses

An applicant must demonstrate—through academic transcripts, CLEP, MOOC, or a formal test-out process—an appropriate background in Financial Accounting, Business Information Technology, Managerial Finance, Principles of Management, Principles of Marketing, and Business Statistics. An applicant without this background will be required to score at a sufficient level on an entrance qualifying examination administered by the CMU MBA Office. The exam covers the topics listed above. A student can prepare for the exam through independent study based on a program-supplied study guide. CMU courses that provide appropriate background are: ACCT 201, CISB 101, FINA 301, MANG 201, MARK 231, and CISB 241 or STAT 241. This requirement must be met prior to taking related coursework.

General Policies

Up to nine credit hours may be taken in a “non-degree seeking student” status and later applied to the program requirements. Up to thirty percent of the credit hours required, with a grade of “B” or higher, may be transferred from a regionally accredited institution into the program. Additional information may be found in the Transfer Credit section.

See Business Administration (MBA) for a complete overview of all requirements, important information, and suggested course sequencing for the program.

Please see the MBA Director for Track Courses (6–15 hours). Tracks include the Professional Track, the Management Information Systems Track, and the Sports Management Track.

Students are required to meet with their advisor and submit information by the appropriate deadlines.

All graduate courses for the MBA are listed in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog in the prefix areas of Accounting (ACCT), Business Administration (BUGB), Computer Information Systems (CISB), Economics (ECON), Education (EDUC), Entrepreneurship (ENTR), Finance (FINA),  Human Resource Management (HRMA), Kinesiology (KINE), Management (MANG), and Marketing (MARK).