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. 
  • 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