Barney School of Business

Programs of Study

Courses

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 that meets our students’ and partners’ talent acquisition and development needs.

Supporting this vision, the mission of the Barney School of Business is to prepare individuals to be leaders and decision makers who are ready to pursue careers by:

Creating a student-focused learning environment that emphasizes high impact, experiential, and applied learning.
Engaging in a broad range of scholarly activities to improve the practice of business, enhance and strengthen our teaching, and provide intellectual stimulation to our faculty.
Maintaining strong partnerships with business, not-for-profit, and government entities to facilitate their interaction with our students and faculty in a wide variety of activities.
Advocating global awareness, social responsibility, and ethical behavior.
Promoting student competence, confidence, and connections.

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 non-managerial 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 approximately 5% accredited business programs around the world, the school is committed to providing high-quality business and management education.

Degree Requirements

Barney School graduate students must complete a minimum of 30 credits in residence.

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 courses both online and onsite.

All graduate courses (fall, spring, summer) follow a 7-week format. Typically, part-time students take one course each 7-week term, which is the equivalent of 2 courses a semester.

Students

The majority of Barney graduate students are employed on a full- or part-time basis. Students bring 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 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 after a deposit has been made by the student. In some cases, if the student is an employee of an educational partner with the University, the deposit is waived.
E-bills are sent to the student’s University e-mail account; paper bills are not used.
Students may view class grades online through the self-service center.
Students must complete the “Financial Terms & Conditions” form on the self-service center prior to registering each semester.
In most cases, the Program Director registers all new students.
Students are provided a registration PIN subsequently, in order to add or drop classes.

Post Graduate-Certificates

Students holding a graduate degree from an accredited institution may apply for a specialized certificate in Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurial Studies, Finance, Healthcare Management, Risk Management and Insurance, International Business, Management, Marketing, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, and Taxation. To receive these specialized certificates, students must complete four graduate courses in the same discipline, including any required prerequisite courses for the specific certificate.

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
	D+	1.33
	D	1.00
	D-	0.67
	F	0.0
	W	Withdrawal
	I	Incomplete
	V	Intra-University Transfer (course exempted from grade point average computation, regardless of grade assigned)

Withdrawals

Due to the compressed time of a graduate class (7 weeks), any student who wishes to withdraw from a class must request the withdrawal by the end of the first week in order to receive 100% tuition credit. Students have 14 days to drop the course to receive 50% tuition credit. After 2 and 1/2 weeks, students will not be allowed to withdraw from a class.

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 9 credits to establish a cumulative average. Once a cumulative average is established, students are expected to maintain the 3.0 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 in writing within 14 days after the beginning of the next regular semester to the Associate Dean of Academics and Services, of the Barney School.

If a graduate student receives an F grade in any course for a violation of the Academic Honesty policy, they will be dismissed from the program.
If a graduate student receives an F in any course for a reason other than a violation of the Academic Honesty policy, they must retake the course if it is a required course, or if repeating the course will improve the GPA to remove the student from probation.

Time Limit

The MBA should be completed within seven years (7) from the semester of admission. The MSAT, MSBA, and MSM should be completed within five years (5) from the semester of admission. All graduate students who require more time to complete their degree must request an extension in writing from the appropriate Program Director.

Winterterm

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 Program Director.

Admission

Admission to the Barney School is competitive and selective. Applications are available online and general information is available by calling the school’s Office of Academic Services at 860.768.4444 or the Graduate Admissions department 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 can expect a decision within 10 business days after their application materials are complete.

An awarded bachelor’s degree is required to enter a graduate program at the Barney School.

Applicants who hold a master’s degree or higher from an appropriately accredited institution will 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, EA, 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.

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 application fee is waived for those applicants who use WES or NACES.

In addition, international applicants must submit an acceptable TOEFL or IELTS score, and a Guarantor’s Statement of Financial Support.

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.

Guaranteed student loans are administered through banks in the home state of the individual students.

Awards and Scholarships

Edith Cartin

Prize awarded in memory of Edith Cartin Goldberg by her children, Arnold and Fanchon Cartin. This award is given to an employed female graduate student based on academic excellence.

Regents’ Award

This award is presented to a graduate student based on academic excellence.

Nancy and Stanley Wells MBA Scholarship

This award was created by Nancy and Stanley Wells to honor their three children, who earned MBAs from the Barney School of Business. This award is presented to a graduate student based on academic excellence.

Programs

Master’s Degree

Certification

Dual Degree