Dec 30, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Business Administration, M.B.A. (Full-Time Two Year)


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The Full-Time Two Year M.B.A. program is an intensive two-year program with classes offered during the days and evenings. This program is designed for individuals who have been working and now want to focus exclusively on their graduate management education before re-entering the business world. During the first year, the emphasis of the program is on building team skills and creating a common body of knowledge. Students will leverage this knowledge to provide a solid foundation for elective courses taken during the second year.

Each 14-week term is divided into two seven-week modules, A and B, with four courses in each module earning two credit hours per course. Exceptions to the curriculum schedule must be approved in advance by the Graduate Student Enrollment and Engagement Office. Having courses offered in the module format allows students to take more courses with the goal of gaining depth of knowledge in specific areas. As a result, students can develop expertise in an academic concentration. To provide students with a greater variety of elective courses, elective classes are scheduled in the morning, afternoon and evening.

The Edwin L. Cox School of Business seeks candidates who show a strong potential for success in today’s global business environment. Candidates who demonstrate analytical capabilities, leadership experience, interpersonal and communication skills, and personal commitment and motivation are invited to apply. The Admissions Committee seeks candidates who possess outstanding academic achievement and potential, leadership qualities, and management potential. To assess these characteristics, the committee will look to the following elements to help identify a candidate’s potential to succeed in the program: previous academic records, references who can speak to the candidate’s professional performance, and self-evaluation essays. Test scores (GMAT management/ business graduate school admission test) are optional but applicants are encouraged to submit them. The TOEFL or PTE English language proficiency test is also required for international applicants. Personal interviews are conducted at the request of the Admissions Committee after a complete application package have been received. Merit-based scholarships are available on a competitive basis. The applications for study in the M.B.A. program are accepted only for fall admission. Complete details and an application packet are available from www.coxmba.com or the Cox Admissions Office: mbainfo@cox.smu.edu; phone 214-768-1214 or 1-800-472-3622; fax 214-768-3956.

Curriculum


Full-Time Two Year M.B.A. Class 2026: Entry Fall 2024, Graduate Spring 2026

Total Credit Hours: 71

Year 1 - Fall Term


Module B Courses


Term Total: 20-22 Credit Hours


Notes:

  • Students select the second accounting course based on their interest and anticipated concentration: either ACCT 6202 - Financial Accounting II  or ACCT 6205 - Strategic Cost Analysis . Students should consult the Concentrations and Minors section for specific information on which second accounting course is required for each concentration.
  • MNGT 6020 - First-Year Foundations  is a requirement of the full-time M.B.A. program. The successful completion of this degree requirement earns a grade of P (pass). Students participate in various required activities to enhance professional development.

Year 1 - Spring Term


Year 1 - Summer Term: Internships are required


Term Total: 1 Credit Hours


Year 2 - Fall Term


Modules A and B Courses


  • Electives: seven or eight courses

Term Total: 14-16 Credit Hours


Year 2 - Spring Term


Modules A and B Courses


  • Electives: seven or eight courses

Term Total: 14-16 Credit Hours


Credit Hours Summary for Full-Time Two-Year M.B.A. Program


33 credit hours of required courses
38 credit hours of elective courses

71 credit hours total for Cox M.B.A. degree

Note: For the 38 credit hours of elective courses, students complete one concentration. Each concentration requires 12–16 specific credit hours. (Additional information is in the Concentrations and Minors  section.)

International Exchange Program


Understanding major political and economic trends outside the United States is critical to success in today’s business environment. Through the International Exchange Program, the Cox School provides full-time M.B.A. students with the chance to study and experience these trends firsthand by attending an exchange partner program during the fall or spring term of the second year. J.D./M.B.A. students and M.A./M.B.A. students are permitted to participate in the International Exchange Program for full-time M.B.A. students, although these students may find it difficult to complete their degree and/or concentration requirements within the appropriate term. Joint-degree students are encouraged to contact the Graduate Student Enrollment and Engagement Office or the associate director of M.B.A. Global Programs to further discuss their situation.

To apply for the International Exchange Program, students must be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.200. In general, the courses taken on exchange earn a grade of pass (or fail) and count toward the degree but not toward the GPA calculation nor concentration requirements. Exceptions to this policy are addressed on an individual basis. For assistance in reviewing academic plans, students should meet with the associate director for full-time programs early in the planning process.

Registration is held in April for the fall program and in October for the spring program. For students participating in the International Exchange Program, tuition is paid to SMU. Living expenses, course materials and other miscellaneous costs are the students’ responsibility while living abroad. In addition, financial aid will be handled as though the student is studying at the Cox School of Business.

The M.B.A. Office of Global Leadership Programs reserves the right to decline anyone whose behavior at Cox indicates they might jeopardize Cox’s exchange relationship and thus prevent future Cox M.B.A. students from going on exchange to a particular school.

Cox’s International Exchange Program agreements allow one to two students per location; therefore, these spots must be assigned on a competitive basis. Information is available at www.cox.smu.edu/web/global-programs/mba-exchange-program.

Business Administration Exchange


Students in the full-time M.B.A. and P.M.B.A. programs participating in international programs at exchange partner schools will be enrolled in the appropriate BAEX courses to match the program and/or the number of credit hours being earned at the partner school. In general, the courses taken on exchange earn a grade of Pass (or Fail) and count toward the degree but not toward the GPA calculation or concentration requirements. Exceptions to this policy are addressed on an individual basis.

Working Professional MBA Programs


SMU Cox Working Professional MBA Programs (Professional, Executive, Online, Direct) are designed for students to complete their coursework while working full time. This employment requirement not only enriches the academic experience as students bring their professional challenges and opportunities into classroom discussions and projects, it also enables students to simultaneously gain critical professional experience required for many MBA-level roles. For these reasons, students who become unemployed at any point in the program are expected to actively seek employment and will have the ability to utilize the Career Management Center for support. Should a student choose not to seek full-time employment or be unsuccessful in securing full-time employment after six months, SMU Cox reserves the right to ask the student to pause classes until full-time employment resumes. Students do not have the option to transfer to the Full-Time One Year MBA, Full-Time Two Year MBA or Executive MBA programs.

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