The Widener MBA program prepares students for leadership positions in business. We care about and measure ourselves by the professional and career success of our graduates. Our flexible design, customizable curriculum, and innovative pedagogy provide students with a portfolio of business and managerial competencies that are relevant to their unique situation and needs. Our courses are taught by a team of full-time faculty and industry executives. Our rigorous AACSB-accredited academic program and networking support structure enable our graduates to excel at their jobs, advance their careers, and achieve their professional aspirations.
Student Learning Goals and Objectives
The MBA program has learning goals and objectives that enable students to develop a portfolio of competencies needed to lead and manage organizations in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. Students learn to develop viable business models that deliver desired results, and to acquire the skills to build and manage talented teams, robust structures and information systems, and effective business processes. Skill development occurs in an innovative learning-by-doing environment, characterized by a range of teaching methods that include cases, simulations, role-plays, work-based assignments, and field projects.
MBA Learning Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Ethics and Social Responsibility—Our students will have the ability to make ethical decisions and promote effective codes of ethics that meet the expectations of a broad group of stakeholders.
Objective 1a: Our students will be able to evaluate an organization’s corporate governance principles and code of ethics to determine if these are in the best interest of multiple stakeholders, as well as apply ethical analysis techniques to determine if a decision or action is unethical.
Objective 1b: Our students will be able to assess the social implications of the economic choices and decisions made by businesses.
Goal 2: Innovation—Our students will demonstrate the ability to identify opportunities for innovation and lead a process of innovation aimed at improvements in products, services and business processes.
Objective 2a: Our students will be able to identify opportunities for innovation.
Objective 2b: Our students will be able to articulate a process for innovation.
Goal 3: Leadership—Our students will be able to position their units, teams or firms for success by applying and demonstrating the core competencies of leadership, including interpersonal, team, organizational and strategic leadership.
Objective 3a: Our students will be able to identify and evaluate relevant leadership styles and practices.
Objective 3b: Our students will be able to diagnose team problems and make appropriate recommendations to improve team effectiveness.
Goal 4: Organizational Intelligence and Analytics—Our students will identify, analyze and solve organizational issues using appropriate analytical techniques.
Objective 4a: Our students will be able to define an organizational issue, analyze relevant information, and propose appropriate solutions.
Objective 4b: Our students will be able to analyze and evaluate alternatives using appropriate analytical tools and approaches.
Goal 5: Communication—Our students will communicate effectively and professionally within business situations.
Objective 5a: Our students will be able to determine whether communication artefacts and communication channels are tailored appropriately to the business situation and communication objectives.
Objective 5b: Our students will be able to communicate effectively.
Academic Policies and Standards
All academic policies and standards for the School of Business Administration apply to the master of business administration program. Additional policies are as follows:
Students must complete all degree requirements within five academic years from the date they matriculate into the program.
Students wishing to take a leave of absence from the program must formally notify the director of graduate business programs.
Students not taking a course in a 24-month period are considered inactive. Students who wish to return must petition the graduate program director.
Curriculum
The major components of the MBA curriculum are the Foundations program, which may be satisfied by equivalent undergraduate coursework, the MBA Core program, the MBA Concentration electives, and the Professional Development Workshops. All courses and PDWs are offered in an online format.
Foundations Program (0-13 credits)
The Foundations program consists of coursework designed to ensure that all students have exposure to a common body of knowledge and have attained comparable levels of proficiency in specific business disciplines before beginning the MBA Core program.
In general, students who have completed an undergraduate degree in business from a U.S. institution within five years of matriculation will have met the foundation requirements. The equivalent of the following foundation courses is required of all MBA students:
- BUS 518 – Applied Quantitative Analysis (3 credits)
- BUS 528 – Accounting and Legal Environment of Business (3 credits)
- BUS 538 – Micro and Macro Economics (3 credits)
- BUS 550 – Organization Behavior and Management (1 credit)
- BUS 568 – Financial Foundations for Managers (3 credits)
MBA Core Program (24 credits)
The MBA Core is an integrated program of courses designed to help students develop a portfolio of core strategic, leadership, business and functional skills needed to deliver desired results in corporate or not-for-profit settings. All MBA students must complete the following MBA Core courses:
- BUS 605 – Leading Organizations and People (3 credits)
- BUS 615 – Information Systems and Data Analytics (3 credits)
- BUS 625 – Managerial Economics in an Innovative Environment (3 credits)
- BUS 635 – Marketing (3 credits)
- BUS 645 – Accounting and Managerial Decision Making (3 credits)
- BUS 655 – Strategic Financial Management (3 credits)
- BUS 665 – Managing Business Processes (3 credits)
- BUS 675 – Managing for Results (3 credits)
MBA Concentrations
The MBA concentrations allow students to develop specialized skills in their chosen field of interest. Students in the Online MBA program may choose to take electives in the following concentrations:
Each concentration and its requirements is described later in this catalog.
Professional Development Workshops (Noncredit)
All MBA students are required to complete four professional development workshops (PDWs) while they are in the MBA program. These workshops are conducted by a professional leadership and career coach and are designed to help students enhance their professional growth and implement a plan for launching and advancing their careers. PDWs are offered in an online format.
Residency Requirements and Degree Eligibility
A student must complete the minimum residency requirement of 27 credit hours in the MBA Core and elective courses, maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all 600-level courses, and complete all credit and noncredit requirements to qualify for the MBA degree.