Dec 10, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Business Administration Programs


Master of Business Administration Program Coordinator: Jewel Shepherd, Ph.D.

Beacom School of Business
Master of Business Administration Program
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Phone: 605-658-6534 or 866-890-1MBA

mba@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/business/graduate

FACULTY

Professors:

Michael Allgrunn, Ph.D., Michigan State University, Economics. 
David Carr, Ph.D., University of Colorado-Boulder, Economics.
Thomas Davies, LL.M., University of Missouri-Kansas City, Accounting and Taxation, Division of Accounting and Finance, Black Hills Corp. Distinguished Professor of Accounting.
De Vee Dykstra, J.D., University of South Dakota, Associate Dean, Business Law, Division of Entrepreneurship, Management, and Marketing. 
Srinivasan Ragothaman, Ph.D., University of Kansas, Accounting, Chair, Division of Accounting and Finance, Black Hills Corp. Distinguished Professor of Accounting. 
Daniel Tracy, Ph.D., Washington State University, Decision Sciences.

Associate Professors:

Chet Barney, Ph.D., New Mexico State University, Management-Organizational Behavior.
Kathryn Birkeland, Ph.D., Arizona State University, Economics, Chair, Division of Economics and Decision Sciences.
Gregory Huckabee, LL.M., George Washington University-Washington, D.C., Business Law.
George Stevenson Smith, Ph.D., University of Arkansas, Accounting.
Rand Wergin, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University, Marketing.
Yewmun Yip, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Finance.
Mark Yockey, Ph.D., Washington State University, Organizational Behavior, Chair, Division of Entrepreneurship, Management, and Marketing, Interim Chair, Division of Health Services Administration.

Assistant Professors:

Subash Adhikari, Ph.D., University of North Texas, Accounting.
Klaus Beckmann, Ph.D., University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, Business Administration, Finance.
Tyler Custis, J.D., University of South Dakota, Business Law,.
Benjamin George, Ph.D., University of North Texas, Management Science.
Bartlomiej Hanus, Ph.D., University of North Texas, Business Computer Information Systems.
Meiying Hua, A.B.D., Kent State University, Accounting.  
Pavel Jeutang, Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Finance. 
Kwabena Kesse, Ph.D., University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Finance. 
Elizabeth Manser-Payne, D.B.A., University of Wisconsin.  
Jewel Shepherd, Ph.D., The Old Dominion University, Health Services Research.
Carole South-Winter, Ed.D., St. Cloud State University, Health Services Administration. 
Thomas Tiahrt, Ph.D., University of South Dakota, Computational Science and Statistics.
Sebastian Wai, Ph.D., Purdue University, Economics.

Instructors:

Greg Bertsch, Ph.D., University of South Dakota, Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Erin Cornelsen, M.P.A., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Accounting.
Karen Davies, M.P.A., University of South Dakota, Accounting.
Matthew Heard, M.B.A., University of South Dakota, Health Services Administration.
Thomas Martin, M.S., Florida Institute of Technology, Decision Sciences.
Emily Paulson, M.B.A., University of Sioux Falls, Marketing.
Aron Spencer, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, Entrepreneurship.
Mandie Weinandt, M.B.A., University of South Dakota, Decision Sciences.

DEGREE

 Master of Business Administration
 Master of Business Administration Fast-Track

SPECIALIZATIONS

Business Administration-General  
Business Analytics  
Finance  
Health Services Administration  
Marketing  
Operations and Supply Chain Management  

Program Description

The Master of Business Administration is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB International). The purpose of the program is to develop current and future executive leadership for business, industry, and government. The program emphasizes decision making, problem solving, understanding the role of business in society, developing leadership ability and social responsibility, analytical and critical thinking skills, and preparing students for executive-level responsibility.

The program is offered as a twelve-month, full-time, face-to-face program on the Vermillion campus. Students may also complete the program on a part-time, hybrid basis by combining face-to-face courses with online courses. The hybrid program allows students to “mix and match” face-to-face Vermillion or Sioux Falls classes with online classes for added flexibility. The program is also offered entirely online to meet the needs of those unable to participate in face-to-face courses. Online courses are scheduled so students can complete the program in as little as two years (after completing foundation courses, their undergraduate equivalents, or challenge exams). The online program is enhanced by a rich, five-day residency experience which takes place each spring and summer in Sioux Falls, SD. Students may select the semester in which they complete the residency portion of the program. The full-time, hybrid, and online programs have identical admissions and graduation requirements. Courses in each modality are taught by the same graduate-level faculty.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS (M.B.A.)

  1. Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/apply-now and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
  2. Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation) must accompany an application. Official transcript of all academic work at the undergraduate and graduate levels are required for all students. The USD Graduate School and/or academic units retain the right to require credential evaluations from organizations, such as Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES), for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
  3. Each applicant must have a baccalaureate degree or an equivalent degree from an institution with full regional accreditation for that degree (minimum GPA of 2.7). Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per university policy.
  4. Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited American college or university are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants, a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) or 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), a minimum IELTS score of 6.0, or a minimum PTE score of 53 is required for graduate admission. Applicants from or who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from English-speaking countries are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score if their academic records after review indicate that English was the classroom language for their schoolwork.
  5. Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose and resume.

Additional Program Admission Requirements:

  1. A satisfactory score on the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is required unless the applicant qualifies for a GMAT Waiver.
  2. Three (3) letters of recommendation are required. At least one (1) of these references must be professional in nature (e.g., a supervisor) and all references should be familiar with the applicant’s strengths, weaknesses, and work ethic. 
  3. The foundational curriculum is comprised of 18-21 hours of courses as indicated in the Foundation Courses section. All foundations courses are offered online. Challenge exams are also available. Students possessing an undergraduate degree in business may have fulfilled some or all of the foundations coursework requirements. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit transcripts to the Graduate School for review to determine if they have fulfilled the foundational requirements of the program. Applicants entering the program with the foundations courses (or their baccalaureate-level equivalent) completed, will be given “advanced standing” and will only need to complete the 33-39 hours of advanced courses.

Subject to faculty approval, those who do not meet all the criteria above may be admitted on a provisional basis.

Foundation Courses

The design of foundation courses for the Beacom School’s graduate degrees is based upon a changing market where an increasing number of students enter graduate school with years of business experience, baccalaureate degrees in many fields, and a stronger commitment to scholarly activity. Foundation courses differ from their undergraduate counterparts in several ways, including: 1) content is compressed into a smaller time frame; 2) different instructional strategies are used in order to better utilize the student resource base of experience; and 3) higher-order thinking skills are fostered, namely, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Business students may not use foundation courses to fulfill graduate elective requirements.

Students who do not have the prerequisite undergraduate courses may complete the following foundation courses or the undergraduate equivalent of these courses (Challenge Exams are also available.):


ACCT 520 Foundations of Accounting (3 credit hours)
BADM 505 Foundations of Finance (3 credit hours)
BADM 520 Foundations of Calculus and Statistics for Business (3 credit hours)
BADM 525 Production Operations Management (3 credit hours)
BADM 580 Foundations of Marketing and Organizational Behavior (3 credit hours)
ECON 580 Foundations of Economics (3 credit hours)

B.B.A. / M.B.A. Fast-Track Option

Beacom School of Business undergraduate majors meeting requirements for entry into the M.B.A. program may opt to complete both the B.B.A. and M.B.A. concurrently. Students who pursue this fast-track option will be awarded their undergraduate and graduate degrees simultaneously, upon completion of the two programs.

Students may apply for admission to the M.B.A. program using the standard graduate application process after completing 75 credit hours. Applicants for the B.B.A./M.B.A. program are required to submit only two letters of recommendation. Students applying to the B.B.A./M.B.A. program are not required to provide a GMAT exam score for application to the fast-track program if they meet all the following criteria: cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and GPA within major of at least 3.25. Applicants who do not meet the above criteria are required to provide a GMAT exam score, which will be evaluated along with all application materials in a manner consistent with applications to the M.B.A. program.

The fast-track option will confer special student status to those admitted, who will then be eligible to take 700-level courses in the graduate program of study upon completion of 90 undergraduate credits and apply for graduate assistantships. Students must complete the requirements of the B.B.A. program in accordance with the undergraduate catalog and the requirements for the M.B.A. program in accordance with the graduate catalog. All prerequisites for courses in the M.B.A. program will still apply to students in the B.B.A./M.B.A. program.

Beacom School of Business GMAT Waiver

Students applying to the Beacom School of Business graduate programs are eligible for a GMAT waiver if they qualify under one of the following four categories. A GMAT wavier does not necessitate admission to a Beacom graduate program.

GMAT Waiver for Students from AACSB Accredited Institutions:

1.) Students must have graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree from an AACSB Accredited Business School within the previous 12 semesters to be eligible for a GMAT waiver. The 12-semester timeline is from the time of graduating with the undergraduate or graduate degree to the first semester enrolled in courses as a degree seeking graduate student at USD and includes spring, summer, and fall semesters.
AND
2.) Students must meet undergraduate/graduate GPA requirements to be eligible for a GMAT waiver.
     A.) Cumulative of at least 3.25 for undergraduate (or graduate, if applicable)
     AND
     B.) Major GPA of at least 3.25 for undergraduate students or Program of Study GPA of at least 3.25 for those holding graduate degrees (student must provide major courses).

GMAT Waiver for Students with STEM Degrees (for M.S. in Business Analytics ONLY):  

1.) Students must have earned a STEM undergraduate or graduate degree from a U.S. or Canadian institution by the time they begin the M.S. in Business Analytics program;   
AND  
2.) Students must meet undergraduate/graduate GPA requirements.   
    A.) Cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 for undergraduate (or graduate if applicable);   
    OR  
    B.) Major GPA of at least 3.0 for undergraduate students or program of study GPA of at least 3.0 for those holding graduate degrees. (Students must provide major courses.)  

GMAT Waiver for Students who have taken the LSAT or MCAT:

1.) Students must provide an official copy of their LSAT or MCAT score.
    AND
    A.) Students with an overall scaled LSAT Score in the 50th percentile are eligible for a GMAT waiver.
    OR   
    B.) Students with an overall MCAT Score in the 49th percentile and a Critical Analysis and Reasoning Score in at least the 37th percentile are eligible for a GMAT waiver.

GMAT Waiver for Students who have taken the GRE (for MBA and MPA ONLY):

1.) Students must provide an official copy of their GRE score.
AND
2.) Students who meet the following GRE score requirements are eligible for a GMAT waiver.
     A.) A verbal score in at least the 45th percentile AND
     B.) A quantitative score in at least the 45th percentile AND
     C.) A combined score (verbal plus quantitative) of at least 306. (This equates to a GMAT score of approximately 530)

GMAT Waiver for Students with an Earned Doctoral Degree or Pursuing a JD or MD at USD

1.) Applicants to Beacom Graduate Programs with an earned doctoral degree from an accredited institution are eligible for a GMAT waiver.
OR
2.) Applicants to Beacom Graduate Programs currently admitted to the USD School of Law pursuing a JD or the USD School of Medicine pursuing an MD or MD/PhD are eligible for a GMAT waiver.

*All percentiles are based on the GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT exams’ most recent published percentile rankings.

GMAT Waiver for Students who have professional licensure/certification: 

Students must be or have been certified or chartered as any of the following: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Analytics Professional (CAP), or Professional Engineer (PE). 

SCHOLARSHIPS

A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded each year on a competitive basis to fully admitted, full-time, on-campus MBA students. Applications for graduate assistantships are due on April 1.

Programs