The Master of Business Administration program offers two tracks. The General Business track of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) is an on-campus, part-time, evening program. Each class meets one night per week. Students can begin the General Business track of the MBA program any semester. The program offers four 3-hour MBA courses in Fall and Spring Semesters and at least two 3-hour MBA courses in Summer Semester. The program can be completed in three to four semesters; however, students may choose to take up to seven years to complete the program.

The Healthcare Administration track of the MBA is an online, part-time, program designed for students interested in a career in the area of healthcare.

Admission Deadlines

  • Fall Deadline: July 15
  • Spring Deadline: November 15

Go to the Graduate School website and click on Our Programs, then click on MBA Program for information on:

  • Specific MBA Program Admission Requirements
  • MBA Program Retention, Dismissal, and Readmission Policies
  • MBA Program Graduation Requirements

To Apply Online, click here

MBA Learning Goals

Learning Goal #1: Knowledge and Integration of Functional Area Content
Students will successfully apply and integrate the functional areas of business to improve strategic decision making.

  • Objective 1.1: Demonstrate competence in the business disciplines, using appropriate accounting, marketing, and finance knowledge and tools to make a business decision in that functional area.
  • Objective 1.2: Demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge of the core business functions to solve complex, ambiguous, and unfamiliar management problems.

Learning Goal #2: Critical Thinking
Students will develop the ability to analyze complex management situations to improve decision making in new or unpredictable environments.

  • Objective 2.1: Demonstrate the ability to to use concepts from strategic management to integrate relevant information, decision-making techniques, and concepts from multiple business functions to make decisions.

Learning Goal #3: Globalization
Students will be global thought leaders learning the ability to recognize management issues from different perspectives.

  • Objective 3.1: Demonstrate the ability to identify management issues with disparate business views and culturally diverse customers and employees.

Learning Goal #4: Teamwork
Students will be team players and leaders, demonstrating team work skills needed to make a business decision.

  • Objective 4.1: Demonstrate the ability to work effectively in teams to make business decisions.

Examples of Goal Assessments

  1. Students complete knowledge tests related to relevant learning objectives for each course.
  2. Students complete class exercises and group projects and present cases in oral and written form.
  3. Faculty observe and rate students on teamwork and leadership skills.

Accelerated Undergraduate-to-Graduate Track

Contingent upon acceptance in to the Accelerated Undergraduate-to-Graduate Track, students wishing to pursue a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) or a Master of Accountancy (M.Acc.) at Valdosta State University may take up to 9 semester hours of graduate-level coursework (courses numbered 5000 or above) that will count toward Business electives for their major (Accounting, Economics, Finance, Healthcare Administration, International Business, Management, and/or Marketing) or toward general electives for the undergraduate degree.

Acceptance in to the Accelerated track requires:

1.  written notification by an LCOBA professional advisor from the Student Engagement Center to the LCOBA Director of Graduate Programs of her/his willingness to serve as the student's Accelerated Undergraduate-to-Graduate Track advisor.

2.  completion of 75 credit hours of undergraduate coursework: 

a.  at least 15 hours must be LCOBA courses, with at least a 3.0 GPA for those LCOBA credits; and

b.  a grade of “C” or better must be earned in each of those LCOBA courses.

3.  an overall GPA in undergraduate course work of at least 3.0.

Once accepted, a specific course of study will be developed with the student's advisor.

Students interested in continuing their graduate education may apply for admission to the graduate program in LCOBA in their senior year or upon completion of their undergraduate degree. Full admission to the Graduate School requires completion of the bachelor's degree. Students in the Accelerated Undergraduate-to-Graduate Track will not be required to take admission tests but must meet all other graduate admission requirements. See the Graduate School website for admission requirements. Students who have completed 9 hours of graduate level course work to complete their bachelor's degree will be required to complete the remaining requirements of the graduate degree they choose to pursue.

General Business Track

Course Requirements

MBA-General Business Track Core 12
MBA 7030Managerial Accounting3
MBA 7050Marketing3
MBA 7350Managerial Finance3
MBA 7900Strategy and Competition3
Electives18
Choose any six electives from MBA or MAcc programs; SOCI 7000 may also be used as an elective.
Total Hours Required for the Degree30

Electives may be used to earn Graduate Certificates. These may be found in the Graduate Certificate section of Harley Langdale, Jr., College of Business Administration Graduate Programs section of the Graduate Catalog.

Course Load

MBA students normally enroll for either three or six semester hours in Fall and Spring Semesters and three hours in Summer Semesters.

Enrollment by Undergraduates

Graduate School policy permits senior undergraduate students with an overall GPA of 3.0 to take a maximum of 9 semester hours of graduate courses for graduate credit. Undergraduates wishing to take an MBA course must also present a GMAT test score of at least 400.

Program Costs

See the Financial Information and Business Regulations in the Graduate Catalog.