Business and government demand people trained in the sophisticated skills and knowledge necessary for effective decision making in a complex, interdependent, and dynamic global community. To compete effectively in, and prepare students for, this environment, the vision of the Barney School of Business is to be a leader in career-focused business education through our worldwide partnerships with educational and business organizations.
Supporting this vision, the mission of the Barney School of Business is to prepare individuals to be leaders and decision makers who are globally aware and socially responsible by
- creating a student-focused learning environment that emphasizes effective, high-quality bachelor’s- and master’s-level teaching and learning;
- engaging in a broad range of scholarly activities to improve the practice of business, enhance and strengthen the quality of instruction, and provide intellectual stimulation to our faculty; and
- maintaining strong relationships with business, not-for-profit, and government entities to facilitate their interaction with our students and faculty in a wide variety of activities that offer exposure to the current application of management tools and techniques.
The concepts and skills acquired by Barney students apply to all types of organizations, including large corporations, family-owned businesses, and not-for-profit organizations.
Through its professional graduate programs, the Barney School provides opportunities for current managers and executives, as well as nonmanagerial employees, to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to manage, lead, and change organizations effectively. Business courses are taught in an interactive manner with cases and projects to give students hands-on learning. This teaching is enhanced through educational partnerships with regional business and governmental partners. Many of the faculty have business experience and regularly work with area businesses to solve problems.
Special Accreditation
The Barney School is accredited by AACSB International—the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. As a member of the select group of 643 accredited business programs around the world, the school is committed to providing high-quality business and management education.
Classes
Graduate classes at the Barney School are limited in size to promote an active learning process and encourage interaction with peers and instructors. Recognizing that a large number of its students are currently full-time professionals, the school tailors its schedule to accommodate their needs, offering not only evening courses but also weekend programs.
Students
More than 70 percent of the Barney School’s 525 graduate students attend on a part-time basis. The majority of them are employed on a full- or part-time basis and attend classes in the evening or on weekends, bringing to the classroom a rich background on which they may build. Among their employers are many of the area’s largest banks, insurance companies, accounting firms, and manufacturing concerns. In addition, the school regularly enrolls a significant number of international students whose backgrounds and experiences contribute to the global perspectives that are developed in the classroom.
E-services
- University e-mail accounts are created as part of the initial course registration.
- E-bills are sent to students’ University e-mail accounts; paper bills are not used.
- Students may view class grades online through the self-service center.
- Students are provided registration pins to register courses online once they have completed their core business courses.
Facilities
The Barney School is located in Beatrice Fox Auerbach Hall. Two information technology centers are housed in this facility, as is the Mali Global Center. The Information Technology Center contains 31 computers, arranged in a classroom setting with a multimedia projection system. In addition, another laboratory has 14 computers. Auerbach Hall is equipped for WiFi connectivity to the Internet. All computers have DVD players. All computers use Windows XP and Windows applications. The labs are wired for access to the Internet. The software contained on the systems includes the latest versions of Microsoft Office, SPSS, and SAS.
Mali Global Center
Auerbach Hall houses the Mali Global Center, which provides the Barney School with the most sophisticated communication and research capabilities. The Center makes possible a wide range of global outreach programming.
Programs
Graduate degree programs prepare students to meet the future by offering the opportunity to develop analytical skills, general business knowledge, and specific professional training. The curriculum includes the study of accounting, economics, finance, information systems, insurance, management, marketing, leadership, and quantitative analysis. The Barney School offers master’s degree programs that prepare students for advanced positions in private, public, and not-for-profit organizations in local, national, and international settings.
The degree programs are as follows:
| MBA |
Master of Business Administration
|
| E2M |
Joint MBA and Master of Engineering |
| MSAT |
Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation |
The MBA program provides general management knowledge and skills while allowing students to concentrate in a specialized area of their choice. For a description of the E2M program and a list of the required courses, please click here .
The MSAT program provides specific knowledge and skills for the accounting, tax, and financial management professions. It qualifies students to sit for the CPA examination in those states requiring 150 hours of academic education. More information on this program may be found here .
Academic Guidelines
Grading
Professors assign the following grades:
| |
A |
4.0 |
| |
A– |
3.67 |
| |
B+ |
3.33 |
| |
B |
3.0 |
| |
B– |
2.67 |
| |
C+ |
2.33 |
| |
C |
2.0 |
| |
C– |
1.67 |
| |
F |
0.0 |
| |
W |
Withdrawal |
| |
I |
Incomplete |
| |
V |
Intra-University Transfer (course exempted from grade point average computation, regardless of grade assigned) |
Withdrawals
A W designation is assigned to a student who has attended a course for four to 10 weeks. A withdrawal before the fourth week of classes removes the course from the transcript. Withdrawals are not permitted after the 10th week of classes. To withdraw, a Change of Program form must be filed with the registrar. These dates are adjusted for terms that have a duration of less than 15 weeks.
Incompletes
An I (incomplete) designation may be assigned by an instructor to a student who, due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, needs an extension to complete course requirements. Incomplete work should be submitted no later than one year from the last class day of the course, at which time the professor would assign an appropriate final grade. The student and professor may agree to an additional extension; it is the student’s responsibility to initiate a request for an additional extension. If such an extension is not arranged, the incomplete grade will automatically revert to a W.
Pass/No Pass
Courses that are part of a student’s program of study must be taken for a letter grade. The option of Pass/No Pass is not available in the graduate program of study.
Academic Standards
Students need 6 credits to establish a cumulative average. Once a cumulative average is established, students are expected to maintain the average needed to complete their degrees. Dropping below that average will result in being placed on probation. Probationary students who receive a semester average below the required standard for their degree will be dismissed from the school. Dismissals may be appealed by writing within 14 days after the beginning of the next regular semester to the dean of the Barney School, Auerbach Hall, room 306.
Any grade of F in a graduate course will result in dismissal from the graduate program.
Time Limit
The MBA should be completed within seven years from the semester of admission. The MSAT should be completed within five years from the semester of admission. MBA students who require more time to complete their degree must request an extension in writing from the Office of Academic Services of the Barney School. MSAT students who require more time to complete their degree must request an extension in writing from the director of the MSAT program.
Winterm Term
Enrollment by graduate students is restricted to one class each Winterterm session. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved, in writing, by the appropriate faculty advisor or dean’s representative and be forwarded to the appropriate person for student files in the Office of Academic Services.
Double Degree
Students who wish to pursue a double degree may develop a program of study with overlapping requirements. A maximum of 25 percent of the smaller degree program may be transferred under this option.
Admission
Admission to the Barney School is competitive and selective. Application forms and general information about graduate programs are available by calling the school’s Office of Academic Services at 860.768.4444 or the Center for Graduate and Adult Academic Services at 860.768.4371. The School operates on the rolling admission basis. Students may begin their studies in the fall, spring, or summer terms. Applications should be received at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the term for which the student is seeking admission. International students should submit their applications six months prior to the beginning of the term. Applications are reviewed continuously; candidates may expect an answer shortly after their application materials are complete.
All candidates must submit (1) a complete application form and fee, (2) official transcripts of all previous baccalaureate and graduate study, (3) two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources, (4) the results of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and (5) a letter of intent and résumé.
Applicants who hold a master’s degree or higher from an appropriately accredited institution may be exempt from taking the GMAT/GRE. Applicants for the MBA program with three or more years of continuous, significant work experience may apply for a waiver from the GMAT. (Note: Applicants to the MSAT program may waive the GMAT requirement if they have passed the CPA, CMA, CFA, or bar exams). In the MSAT program, GMAT waivers based on substantial work experience may be granted in extraordinary circumstances. Each request for a GMAT waiver is individually evaluated through a personal interview and a letter from a work-related supervisor. The GMAT examination has a flexible schedule of test dates. Students may call test centers and arrange for individual computerized testing. Scores are available within a few weeks. GMAT scores are valid for five years.
All international applicants must provide an official evaluation of all foreign academic credentials (examination and grade report) that correspond to a four-year baccalaureate degree or its U.S. equivalent. Transcript evaluation requests must be performed by the World Education Services (www.wes.org). The $45 application fee is waived for those applicants who use WES.
In addition, international applicants must submit an acceptable TOEFL or IELTS score, and a Guarantor’s Statement of Financial Support.
Admission Standards
The Barney School adheres to the standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business—International (AACSB) and reserves admission to those students showing high promise of success in postgraduate business study. To assess the potential of candidates for admission, the school looks carefully at scores on the GMAT/GRE and performance in undergraduate and other graduate programs. In addition, it will review professional and academic recommendations as well as the motivation of the applicant as evidenced in the letter of intent. All application materials, with the exception of the GMAT/GRE score and three letters of recommendation, must be submitted prior to initial registration for classes. Prospective students will only be allowed to take from one to three nonaccounting courses in two consecutive semesters (fall, spring, summer) without having submitted their GMAT/GRE scores. Before the end of this course, the official GMAT/GRE score must be provided in order to complete the application. No further registration is permitted until a student is accepted into a program.
Financial Assistance
A limited number of graduate assistantships are available to full-time (9 credits), matriculated graduate students in the Barney School. These positions require the student to work for a faculty member or an academic office for 300 hours per semester, 20 hours per week, or 150 hours per semester and 10 hours per week for half-time positions.
Appointments are competitive and based on academic ability, work experience, and the needs of faculty or the academic office. Applications may be obtained from and then submitted to the Office of Academic Services in Auerbach Hall, room 227. Graduate assistantships are awarded only after the student has been admitted to the Barney School of Business, has registered for the minimum number of credits, and has been interviewed by the appropriate faculty or administrative staff member.
Guaranteed student loans are administered through banks in the home state of the individual students.
Awards and Scholarships
Edith Cartin
Prize Given in memory of Edith Cartin Goldberg by her children, Arnold and Fanchon Cartin, this award, based on academic excellence, goes to a working female graduate student.
Regents’ Award
This award, based on academic achievement, is presented to an outstanding graduate student.
Nancy and Stanley Wells MBA Scholarship
This award is created by Nancy and Stanley Wells to honor their three children, who earned MBAs from the Barney School of Business.
Registration
Advance registration begins in late March for the summer and fall semesters and in October for the spring semester. Registration continues through the first week of classes. Academic Services, Auerbach Hall, room 227, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays; or by appointment. Course registration after the first week of a class requires the permission of the instructor.
All degree candidates should agree on a program of study with an advisor before beginning their studies. MBA candidates make advising appointments through the Office of Academic Services, Auerbach 227. Candidates for the MSAT degree and taxation and accounting certificates are advised in the Department of Accounting and Taxation. Students with a program of study have the option of registering in person or, if they have been enrolled in courses the previous semester, by mail, by telephone, or through the Internet. Post-MBA certificate students and nonmatriculated students should register in person through the Office of Academic Services.
Master’s Degree
Certification