Business Administration Major, Full-Time, MBA

Concentrations (Required) and Options Available

Business Analytics (Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam)

Consulting (Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam)

Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam)

Finance (Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam)

Supply Chain Management (Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam)

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Applications are accepted for fall semester only. The application deadline for fall semester is February 1. Applications by United States citizens and permanent residents received after February 1 will be considered as space allows.
• To be considered for admission, the applicant’s file must be complete
  • The online application submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions
  • Transcripts of prior college work
  • An MBA program application
  • Two completed applicant recommendation forms
  • Either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score report or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score. Neither may be no older than five years.
  • Additional information, including the TOEFL score (Test of English as a Foreign Language), may be required by the Office of Graduate Admissions for international candidates.
• For admission to the MBA program, consideration is given to
  • Applicant’s academic record with particular attention to the last two years of undergraduate work and previous graduate studies
  • Quality of work experience and other activities that demonstrate potential for leadership
  • Scores on the GMAT or GRE and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for those whose native language is not English
  • Recommendations from professors and/or work supervisors. The admission decision is based on all factors that make up the total application; therefore, there is no automatic cut-off for either grade point averages or GMAT/GRE scores. However, admission preference is given to applicants with full-time work experience after obtaining the undergraduate degree.
• As a general policy, all applicants to the full-time MBA program are required to submit a valid (no older than five years) GMAT or GRE score as part of the application process. However, applicants who have at least 10 years of full-time professional work experience or are a military veteran and an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or higher may request in writing an exemption from this requirement. The MBA admissions committee reserves the right to request that the applicant take the GMAT or GRE if more information about academic potential (including writing, analytical thinking, and quantitative abilities) is needed after the admissions file is reviewed.
• There are no specific course prerequisites for admission; however, we recommend that non-business undergraduates take an introductory course in accounting, finance, and statistics prior to entry. Undergraduate courses and work experience should demonstrate ability with both qualitative and quantitative work.

Academic Standards

• To qualify for the degree, the student must achieve a B average (3.00) or above in MBA core courses required in his/her program, a B average or higher in courses comprising the concentration area, and a B average or higher in the overall program.

Credit Hours Required

48 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

• Common First-Year Course (30 credit hours):

• ACCT 505 - Financial Accounting I
• ACCT 506 - Managerial Accounting I
• BZAN 505 - Operations Management
• BZAN 506 - Prescriptive Modeling
• BZAN 507 - Supply Chain Models
• ECON 505 - Economics of Strategy
• ECON 506 - Market Forces in Global Environment
• FINC 505 - Financial Management I
• FINC 506 - Financial Management II
• FINC 507 - Essentials of Financial Statement Analysis
• MGT 505 - Leading Complex Organizations
• MGT 506 - Competitive Strategy
• MARK 505 - Marketing Strategy I
• MARK 506 - Marketing Strategy II
• SCM 505 - Supply Chain Management Strategy, Customer Value, and Innovation
• SCM 506 - Supply Chain Management Operating Elements, Enablers, and Execution
• STAT 505 - Quantitative Methods
• BUAD 515 - Business Skills Development
• BUAD 516 - Business Skills Development II
• BUAD 517 - Business Skills Development III

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  Global Requirement (3 credit hours):

• BUAD 591 - Global Business Seminar
• BUAD 592 - Global Business Travel
• Students who are granted a waiver for BUAD 591 and BUAD 592 take an additional 3 credit hour elective to satisfy the program’s overall requirements of 48 graduate credit hours.
• The international experience consists of coursework and a trip to areas such as Latin America, Asia or Europe. The academic purpose of the global component of the curriculum is to familiarize students with the complexities of doing business internationally through experiential learning.

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  Capstone Requirement (3 credit hours):

• MGT 596 - Strategic Management Capstone (taken during the Fall semester of the student’s second year) this course applies business strategies in the global context

Additional Course Requirements

• Concentration (Business Analytics, Consulting, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, Supply Chain Management) and Electives
  • A concentration area may be indicated on the MBA Program Application or this declaration may be deferred until after matriculation. In any event, selection should be made after the first semester and must be made after completion of the first year. Requests for changes in concentration areas must be submitted for approval to the MBA Program Office.
  • Elective courses may be chosen from any 500-level courses in the Haslam College of Business. Courses outside the college, as well as courses listed in The Graduate Catalog numbered below 500, may be included as an elective only with written prior permission via formal petition to the MBA Program Office.

Non-Course Requirements

• Internship Requirement
  • During the summer between the second and third semesters, students must complete an internship with a company/organization using skills acquired during the first year of the MBA program. There is no course credit provided for the internship.
• Transfer Credits
  • Graduate-level courses taken at other institutions accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International that otherwise conform to university policy may be credited toward MBA degree requirements within the following limits.
  • The maximum number of credit hours that may be transferred to core, elective, and concentration areas is 6 credit hours. Transfer credit is considered after admission, upon formal petition to the Director of the MBA Program and must meet all requirements of the Graduate Council.
• Other Requirements
  • The application for Admission to Candidacy must be approved by three MBA faculty members and the Director of the MBA program. It must be submitted to the Graduate School at least one full semester prior to the date the degree is conferred. (The Admission to Candidacy application for the MBA degree must be submitted in the spring semester for graduation in the following fall semester).

Contact Information and Website

• Mary Goss, Executive Director, Graduate Programs
• Anne Smith, Academic Director, Full-Time MBA Program
• Full-Time MBA Program website

Business Analytics Concentration, Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam

Through the Business Analytics concentration, MBA students will learn how to gain business insight from large information systems, identify and communicate opportunities for improved decision making, and implement models and processes for enhancing business performance. The analytic skills encompass four overlapping areas: business intelligence, data mining, process optimization and applied statistics.

Consulting Concentration, Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam

The consulting concentration provides an integration of various functional disciplines for students interested in complex techniques for strategic decision-making. The consulting concentration builds expertise in organizational assessment and strategy development.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Concentration, Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam

The entrepreneurship and innovation concentration provides MBA students with the skills to launch a new business and to function successfully within an established corporation that employs entrepreneurial management strategies. It teaches how to assess entrepreneurial opportunities, apply strategic consultative thinking to problem solving, assess the commercial potential of an idea or innovation, develop strategic, business and financial plans, develop effective presentations, and serve as an effective member of an entrepreneurial/innovation team. 

Finance Concentration, Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam

The finance concentration is designed for MBA students who are interested in careers in corporate financial management, security analysis and investments, banking and financial institutions, and real estate.

Supply Chain Management, Coursework Only without Comprehensive Exam

The MBA supply chain management concentration will provide students with an in-depth program of study in planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customers’ requirements.