The M.B.A. degree program develops the skills of management, the tools of problem solving, the capacity for decision-making, and the knowledge about formal organizations and their economic environment. The program prepares graduates for leadership positions in a variety of managerial and organizational settings. The course of study requires no background in formal business education. Approximately one-third of the students in the program enter with no previous business course work.

The program of study leading to the M.B.A. degree is a 30 semester hour program designed to provide both a general view of business and a specialized focus. Before beginning classes, each student must decide upon a specialized area of study, e.g., health care, banking, international business. Five of the courses (ECP 6705, FIN 6406, ISM 6026, MAR 6815, and MAN 6511) require projects which will be included in each student's portfolio.

Each student is expected to stay in contact with the M.B.A. director throughout the program concerning the development of the student's portfolio. During the last semester, the student is required to meet with the M.B.A. Director to finalize the portfolio and to rewrite those sections which may not meet the college's standards.

Course descriptions are listed alphabetically by prefix in the back of this catalog.

In addition to the general University requirements, students seeking the M.B.A. degree must meet the following admission and degree requirements.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Admission shall be granted to individuals who show high potential for success in postgraduate studies based on a review of several indicators: academic achievement as an upper-division undergraduate student (GPA); performance on the GMAT, minimum acceptable score of 450; a record of appropriate employment at increasing levels of responsibility; and leadership experience as demonstrated by resum‚. In this determination, primary consideration will be given to the applicant's academic record and scores on the GMAT.

The credentials of applicants who do not meet minimums for these criteria are reviewed further to determine if other factors are sufficient to warrant admission. Only students who have been fully admitted to candidacy in the M.B.A. program will be permitted to enroll in the required courses of the M.B.A. degree.

Application and Counseling
Inquiries should be addressed to the Director of the M.B.A. program. The director will assist in all matters of application, admission, degree planning, and graduation. All students planning to enter the M.B.A. program must meet with a counselor to develop and file a degree plan. Copies of the transcripts describing prior academic work and results of the GMAT should be submitted at the time of application to the Office of Admissions. The program is administered by the M.B.A. committee, which consists of the director and faculty members from the areas of accounting, finance, marketing, economics, management, and management information systems.

FOUNDATIONAL PROFICIENCIES
Admission to candidacy in the M.B.A. program is gained by demonstrating proficiency in the areas of accounting, business communications, economics, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and statistics. These proficiencies may be gained by completion of the following group of UWF courses:

These proficiencies may be demonstrated by satisfactory completion of equivalent courses or by special examination. Courses completed more than four years prior to admission must be reviewed, and in most instances, an examination to determine proficiency will be recommended. Students may prepare for proficiency examinations by self-directed study, programmed texts, tutoring, or other independent means.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATE PROGRAM (ODL)
The Department of Management offers a stand alone Organizational Development Leadership certificate program for students who have a bachelor's, master's or doctor's degree in any field of study from an accredited university. The certificate can be part of several master's programs at UWF (including the M.B.A.; Industrial Organizational Psychology; communication arts; M.P.A.; educational leadership; and health, leisure, and sports). ODL courses are taught with an experiential, hands-on emphasis. The certificate program requires 18 semester hours, comprised of the following courses (course work can be completed in one year):

The program provides experience in assessing organizations, team building, training, and process consulting. Students who complete the program are able to help organizations with change, growth, and problem-solving.