College of Business, Graduate Programs

Graduate Programs in Business

The College of Business offers graduate programs leading to a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a Master of Science in Accounting (MS), a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA), and an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) for working executives and professionals.

  • The Master of Science in Accounting prepares students for careers in accounting; the MS in Accounting degree requires the successful completion of a minimum of 30 SCH. For more information on the Master of Science in Accounting degree program, visit the Department of Accounting, Finance, and Management Information Systems Graduate section.
  • The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is offered in Houston at the PVAMU Northwest Houston Center. MBA courses are also available online, allowing students the flexibility to manage their coursework while working.  The curriculum and program learning goals are identical to those of the courses delivered in the classroom. Some scheduling adjustments have been made to accommodate the online environment.
  • An Executive MBA option is designed for experienced professionals and managers who will benefit from understanding the business principles they need to be successful in growing their own businesses or advancing with their employers. Faculty and corporate mentors provide useful skills and a framework to craft a better business strategy as well as understand key tactical and strategic business challenges in a global economy.
  • The DBA program seeks to serve the educational and career development needs of executives and professionals. It differs from the traditional PhD program in a number of ways. Traditional PhD programs are designed to prepare students who want to become full-time professors, emphasizing developing new theories and conducting scholarly research. Unlike most traditional doctoral programs, the DBA is designed for working adults who cannot take time off from work and is not a fully residential program. The residential component is on weekends (Friday and Saturday) once a month. The rest of the learning takes place online.

Both the MBA and Executive MBA programs require the successful completion of a minimum of 36 semester credit hours (SCH). There is no thesis option required in the MS or the MBA programs.

Accreditation

The graduate degree programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.

Admission Requirements

A student interested in the MBA, Executive MBA, DBA, or MS programs must meet the general admission requirements outlined in the Graduate section of this catalog as well as meet College of Business requirements. The admission decision is based on a combination of factors including, undergraduate cumulative GPA, an essay, an interview and professional work experience.

Regular (Degree-Status) Admission for the Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Accounting Programs

Applicants must be admitted by the Office of Graduate Studies and the College of Business.  Admission to the MBA or MS degree program requires the following: 

  1. Undergraduate degree from an accredited university. Students without a recent bachelor's degree in business or its equivalent may be required to completed additional coursework.
  2. Cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 or better on a 4.0 scale or has a GPA of 3.0 or better for the last 60 earned hours of undergraduate credit.  The admissions process takes a holistic approach to review applications. Therefore, individuals with a GPA between 2.50 and 2.74 should contact the director for individual review. 
  3. Essay describing answering the prompt: “Please share your short-term and long-term career goals. Explain how the graduate business degree contributes to accomplishing these goals.” The essay should not exceed 500 words.

Executive MBA Admission Requirements

A student interested in the Executive MBA program must meet the general admission requirements outlined in the Graduate section of this catalog as well as meet College of Business requirements. In addition to meeting the minimum requirements outlined to be admitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, applicants to the Executive MBA program will need to have earned a bachelor's degree. In addition, applicants must have at least three years of professional work experience for program consideration.  Applicants must complete an application for the program, submit three reference letters, an essay, a resume and pay an application fee. Applicants will also have to go through an interview with a member of the Executive MBA admissions committee. Given the professional work experience requirement, there is no GMAT or GRE requirement for admission to this program.

Doctor of Business Administration Admission Requirements

  1. A Master's degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum 3.0-grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 grading scale.
  2. Official transcript(s) for all college work (undergraduate and graduate from each institution previously attended) are required for admission.
  3. Seven or more years of professional or managerial experience that requires high levels of responsibility
  4. Interview with the DBA Admission Committee
  5. Two essays: Statement of Purpose essay (maximum two pages) and the Proposal of Research Interest essay (maximum five pages). The Statement of Purpose essay should describe the applicant's motivations for pursuing the DBA program and the goals the applicant would like to accomplish. The Proposal of Research Interest essay should outline planned research objectives or practical problems of interest, how they are relevant to academic literature and real-world business practices, what research methodologies are employed, how data are collected, how research outcomes can contribute to academic literature and solve real-world business problems, etc. 
  6. Three letters of recommendation from supervisors and/or colleagues who can attest to your professional and managerial experience by describing your job responsibilities and accomplishments in detail.
  7. A non-refundable fee

Academic Performance Standards

In order to show academic progress, a graduate business student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. A student with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 will be placed on probationary status, academic suspension or academic dismissal as described in the Admission Information and Requirements section of the Academic Catalog. A graduate business student is considered to be in good standing if he or she has:

  1. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  2. No more than two grades of “C” in core courses.
  3. No grade lower than “C” in core courses counted toward their graduate business degree.
  4. An approved degree plan.

Probationary Status

A student is placed on probation when his or her cumulative GPA falls below 3.0. A student can stay in probationary status for a maximum of 12 semester credit hours or two consecutive semesters.

Academic Suspension

A student who is on academic probation for more than two consecutive semesters will be suspended from the program. A student under suspension cannot enroll in any course for one semester. A suspended student may request to return to the program by submitting a written petition to the Director of Graduate Programs in Business at least 30 days prior to the start of the semester in which they intend to return. In the petition, the student must identify the problem(s) with their academic performance and steps intended to improve their academic performance. If the petition is approved, the student may return to the program in probationary status.

Academic Dismissal

After the second academic suspension, a student will be dismissed from the graduate business program. A dismissed student may request readmission to the program by submitting a written petition to the Director at least 30 days prior to the start of the semester in which they intend to return. The petition must identify the problem(s) with the student’s past academic performance and steps planned to improve future academic performance. Readmission to the program may be possible, but no specific time for a decision is established.

The Two-C Rule

A maximum of two “C” grades in core courses (or six SCH) will be accepted toward the graduate degree.

Repeating a Course (“C” or lower grade)

A student may petition to retake a course to improve a grade. Courses with a grade of “C” or lower may be repeated only once.

Transfer Credit

A new student may transfer a maximum of two courses (6 SCH) from an accredited institution by:

  1. Submitting an Approval for Transfer of Credits form to the Director of the Graduate Programs in Business.
  2. Submitting a (official catalog) description of the course to the Director.
  3. Submitting an official transcript showing a grade of "B" or better in the course(s).
  4. Obtaining written approval for the courses from the Director, who will include the transferred hours in the Graduate Degree Plan.
  5. Transfer coursework will not be considered or applied to the student's degree that will be more than six (6) years old at the time the degree is awarded.

A current student in good academic standing may transfer a maximum of six graduate credit hours from an accredited institution by:

  1. Attaining degree status and having a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
  2. Submitting the official catalog description of the transfer courses to the Director at least four weeks prior to enrollment. A course syllabus may be required.
  3. Obtaining written approval for the course by the Director prior to enrollment.
  4. Earning a “B” or better in the course.
  5. Requesting that the university where the student took the course send an official transcript (showing the final grade) to the Director.
  6. Adhering to the University guidelines and policies regarding the transfer of courses.

Admission to Candidacy and Degree Plan

Admission to the graduate business program does not constitute admission to candidacy. Admission to candidacy will be granted to a degree status student who has completed at least 12 semester hours of graduate credit with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or more. The student must submit an Application for Admission to Candidacy form.

The Director and the Dean must approve the Application for Admission to Candidacy. The approval of the Application for Admission to Candidacy is granted by the Dean upon approval from the Office of Graduate Studies. Failure to fulfill this requirement may prevent the student from enrolling in the next semester

Accounting for Executives Courses

EACC 5321 Accounting for Executives: 3 semester hours.

Managerial accounting within a global environment; covers advanced accounting tools, concepts, and techniques for decision making in a global environment.

Doctorate of Business Administration Courses

EDBA 7311 Research and Academic Writing: 3 semester hours.

This course is designed to assess various research methodologies commonly adopted by social researchers in conducting business research from the perspective of their research problems, strategies, domains, and technologies. In addition, students learn about the effective dissemination of their research findings in a written paper and presentation.

EDBA 7312 Applied Statistical Analysis I: 3 semester hours.

This course focuses on enabling students to choose relevant statistical methods and implement them correctly in the course of collecting data and generating statistical inference. Topics include sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression models, residual analysis, and others. Students gain proficiency in using statistics software, such as SPSS, SAS and others.

EDBA 7313 Qualitative Research Methods: 3 semester hours.

This course is designed to help students develop an understanding of qualitative research methods and designs. Through presentation of scholarly readings and research projects, the course explores a variety of qualitative research approaches, taking into account issues of epistemology (ways of knowing), methodology (ways of examining), and representation (ways of writing and reporting). In addition, the course provides a survey of the methodological literature on qualitative research methods paired with appropriate article exemplars. The course also covers a variety of different research strategies including case study, qualitative data collection and analysis techniques ethnography. In a nutshell, the course develops skills in designing, evaluating, and understanding qualitative research methods.

EDBA 7314 Applied Statistical Analysis II: 3 semester hours.

This course explores advanced analytical techniques for data mining, analysis, and inference, focusing on multivariate statistical analysis. It covers various topics, including multivariate data exploration, multiple regression analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis, data classification, and structural equation modeling (SEM). Students work with data analytics software, such as SAS, R, and KNIME, and advance their understanding of analytical methods for dissertation research.

EDBA 7317 Dissertation Mini-Proposal I: 3 semester hours.

This course introduces theories and research methods in business to assist students in generating several research issues they have encountered in business practice. Feasibility of these issues is evaluated from the perspective of relevant theories and research methods.

EDBA 7318 Dissertation Mini-Proposal II: 3 semester hours.

This course requires students to develop an applied research proposal by expanding their research prospectus in the prerequisite course, Foundations of Applied Research Prospectus. A student chooses his/her primary advisor. The proposal includes several necessary components, which will be part of a future dissertation, such as the identification of the research issue, expanded literature review, hypothesis development, and appropriate research methodology in consultation with the primary advisor. The research proposal will be presented before the course instructor, the primary advisor and colleagues.

EDBA 7321 Applied Research in Accounting: 3 semester hours.

This course discusses selected major topics in accounting, such as the role of accounting rules in capital markets, firm valuation, agency theory, behavior research in management accounting, and others.

EDBA 7322 Finance Theory and Applications: 3 semester hours.

This course provides theoretical and empirical foundation in finance, with a special emphasis on corporate finance. Topics include empirical research methods in finance, capital structure, payout policy, internal capital markets, financial risk management, financial distress and bankruptcy, and others.

EDBA 7323 Information Systems Research: 3 semester hours.

This doctoral seminar is designed to provide students with a broad introduction to key management, organizational, and behavioral research issues, theoretical perspectives, and challenges in contemporary topics of virtual environments, digitization, digital systems, and information technology.

EDBA 7324 Organizational Leadership Theory and Applications: 3 semester hours.

The course will present a comprehensive overview of leadership and management theories that have emerged over the years by enabling students to analyze major theories and models of leadership. Leadership would be discussed at individual, team, and organizational levels.

EDBA 7325 Strategic Business Analysis: 3 semester hours.

This course adopts an integrated approach to understand complex management strategies, which determine future organizational success. Students in the course are exposed to the broad range of academic and professional articles from the theoretical to the empirical and from the classic to the current.

EDBA 7326 Business Analytics and Supply Chain: 3 semester hours.

This course is designed to provide in-depth knowledge in data analytics, decision making process & models for effective supply chain management. Topics include probability and statistics, data visualization, regression, data mining, optimization models, Monte Carlo simulation, and decision analysis. Considering the complexity of supply chain problems, a generalized research framework, case analysis – problem description – quantitative modeling – computational analysis – client presentation, will be used for business case studies. The knowledge learned in this class should help you identify opportunities in which business analytics can be used to improve supply chain performance.

EDBA 7327 Marketing Theory and Applications: 3 semester hours.

The course will go over topics related to marketing’s role within firms, customer relationship management, marketing strategies, and impact of globalization and new media. Also, the course synthesizes extant academic findings with better marketing management practices.

EDBA 7328 Global Economic Systems and Issues: 3 semester hours.

This course will explore various global economic issues and their potential to affect management decision making. The course materials will focus on development and growth, international trade and finance, and micro and macro perspectives of the firm relating to the global economy.

EDBA 8691 Dissertation I: 6 semester hours.

The dissertation phase of the DBA program takes place in three successive semesters for doctoral students to expand and execute a research proposal that was developed in Design of Applied Research Proposal. In Dissertation I, students make necessary changes to the research proposal based on the feedback from the dissertation committee (a primary and two secondary advisors) with respect to the significance of a problem to the business practice and knowledge advancement, supporting theories and concepts, the relevancy of methodology, the availability of data, and appropriate analytical skills to proceed with research topics. Students should develop viable research hypotheses or questions.

EDBA 8692 Dissertation II: 6 semester hours.

Students conduct empirical investigations with respect to the research hypotheses or questions proposed with assistance from dissertation committee members regarding the sampling and data collection procedures, analyses of data, statistical inferences, and others.
Prerequisites: EDBA 8691.

EDBA 8693 Dissertation III: 1-6 semester hour.

Students produce preliminary drafts of their dissertations and receive feedback from their committee members and make a formal presentation of their dissertation in front of their committee members, faculty and students. If a student is not able to complete and defend his/her dissertation by the end of Dissertation III, he/she will continue to enroll in this course every regular semester. Prerequisite: EDBA 8692
Prerequisites: EDBA 8692.

Economics for Executives Courses

EECO 5310 Economics in the Global Environment: 3 semester hours.

The student will explore the global economy and its potential to affect management decision making. The course will focus on export, import, international trade, international finance, and micro and macro perspectives of the firm relating to the global economy. Highlights include study of the global economy, global market structure and policy, pricing in a global market, and the economics of multinational firms. The graduates will gain an awareness and skills important in negotiating contracts and agreements across national boundaries.

Finance for Executives Courses

EFIN 5310 Topics in Corporate Finance: 3 semester hours.

Integration of financial and economic theories to analyze and solve major financial problems facing corporations. Real and simulated cases will be analyzed. Covers topics such as capital budgeting, capital structure, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy and reorganization, and risk management.

Managerial Comm for Executives Courses

EMCO 5302 Executive Managerial Communication: 3 semester hours.

Management communication as the downward, horizontal, and upward transfer of information and exchange of meaning, through formal and informal channels. Also, includes the art of negotiation and identifies rhetorical strategies and guidelines for analyzing and resolving stakeholder conflicts.

EMCO 5320 Executive Managerial Communication: 3 semester hours.

Management communication as the downward, horizontal, and upward transfer of information and exchange of meaning, through formal and informal channels. Also, includes the art of negotiation and identifies rhetorical strategies and guidelines for analyzing and resolving stakeholder conflicts.

Management for Executives Courses

EMGM 5310 Data Analysis for Managerial Decision Making: 3 semester hours.

The course provides and in-depth introduction to statistics as applied to managerial problems. The emphasis is on conceptual understanding as well as conducting statistical analyses. Course covers a quantitative approach to decision making. Statistical software will be used throughout the course.

EMGM 5311 Executive Leadership: 3 semester hours.

This course addresses topics such as leadership skills necessary at the executive level, building a personal leadership brand, managing personal reputation and image, the nature of strategic thinking, how decision-making changes at different leadership levels within an organization, personal and organizational barriers to execution and implementation, and understanding one's style of relating to and leading others.

EMGM 5330 Executive Topics in Strategy and Policy: 3 semester hours.

The course is intended to provide a broad exposure to strategic management theories and various concepts and developments in this area. It will develop skills necessary to analyze a problem situation, problem identification, strategy formulation, and strategy implementation and evaluation. The process will also focus on the leader's ability to manage the process of strategy formulation and implementation.

EMGM 5340 Operations and Supply Chain Management: 3 semester hours.

This course discusses the systematic design, direction, and control of processes that transform inputs into services and products for customers. The course will focus on how processes can be designed and managed to support the strategic objectives of an organization.

EMGM 5350 Business Ethics and Law: 3 semester hours.

Understand the underlying principles of ethics, related law, integrity, and objectivity for business executives, the audit committee, and external auditors. In addition, the student should be aware of the importance to observe the ethical rules of the professional and regulatory bodies.

EMGM 5390 Capstone Project: 3 semester hours.

This course will provide an opportunity to bring the learning from the EMBA program to bear on a final real world project. The project topic must be original and have bearing to a real world problem.

Mngmnt Info Sys for Executives Courses

EMIS 5351 Information Technology and Organizational Value Creation: 3 semester hours.

Role of Information technology in value creation in organizations. Covers topics such as business value of organizational technologies (such as ERP, CRM, etc.). IT-based resources, capabilities, and competitive advantage.

Marketing for Executives Courses

EMRK 5343 Marketing in a Global Environment: 3 semester hours.

Topics related to the marketing function and how it relates to value creation, strategic corporate management, and marketing decisions in a global environment. It includes organizational market orientation and dynamics, advertising and promotion, managing customer relationships, financial value, within the scope of both domestic and international markets.