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Programs of Study, 1997-1999
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION-M.S.B.A.
Head of the Department: Kent B. Monroe
Correspondence and Information: Ph.D. and M.S.B.A.: Department of Business Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 350 Commerce West Building, 1206 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL 61820
GRADUATE FACULTY
Professors: C. E. Blair, J. Cheng, R. Engelbrecht-Wiggans, R. V. Evans, D. M. Gardner, J. F. Hennart, J. Hess, R. M. Hill, J.W. Kindt, P. Lansing, H. Leblebici, K. Monroe, G. Northcraft, G. R. Oldham, J.F. Porac, D. M. Roberts, M. E. Roszkowski, M. J. P. Shaw, D. Sudharshan, S. Sudman, H. Thomas
Associate Professors: D. Chhajed, S. I. Cohen, C. Kulik, J. Mahoney, G. E. Monahan, Z. Ritz, A. Seth,
Assistant Professors: N. Hatch, D. Johnson, F. Jourden, D. Kim, M. Kraatz, B. S. Liu, R. Madhavan, E. Moore-Shay, C. Motley, S. Narayanan, N. Petruzzi, M. Pratt, T. Roehl, J. Rosa, M. Viswanathan, J. Wade, L. Wright, R. Yang
GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
The Department of Business Administration offers the master of science in business administration (M.S.B.A.) and the doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in business administration.
ADMISSION
Admission to the graduate business programs is dependent upon an undergraduate degree with a scholastic average of at least B for the last 60 hours, acceptable scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), three letters of recommendation, and a statement of career goals.
Applicants for all programs whose native language is not English are also required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Spoken English (TSE). A minimum score of 600 must be achieved on the TOEFL (550 for the M.S.B.A). For the Business Administration-M.S.B.A. Ph.D. program, a minimum score of 230 on the TSE is required.
The Ph.D. program can be started in August only. The M.S.B.A. has a June start date. The application deadline is February 1 for the M.S.B.A. and Ph.D. programs.
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION-M.S.B.A. AND PH.D.
The master of science in business administration is a 10 to 12-unit master's program best suited for those with a strong technical expertise in one of the concentrations offered within the Ph.D. program. The focus is on preparation for advanced study in the doctoral program or for a research-oriented position. The course work can usually be completed in four semesters. The program core consists of three areas of study: quantitative methods, behavioral science, and economics. These courses integrate, in the major functional areas, contributions of the qualitative, social, and behavioral sciences to administrative decision-making. A major must be specified from one of five areas offered within the Department of Business Administration: organizational behavior, business policy, marketing, international business, and decision and information science. A minor is required as well and can be chosen from another area within the Department of Business Administration or a related area outside the department or college. Admission to the program is highly selective.
Within the master of science in business administration program an option has been developed for international mangers. The M.S.B.A. for International Managers is a fourteen-month master's degree program designed to meet the management development needs of organizations involved in international business. It is intended for experienced international managers and administrators who want to earn an advanced degree while gaining valuable experience in the world of American business. Students typically are experienced managers who possess unusual potential for future achievement in international business. Those who wish to specialize in a functional area may extend their program to two years.
In addition to formal course work, students participate in a series of management development seminars, which provide an overview of American business concepts and practices. Business and industry field trips, seminars with American executives, and other special activities provide another dimension to the program.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
This program offers an in-depth education in teaching and research in selected areas of business and administration. Doctoral students can specialize in marketing, organizational behavior, decision sciences, operations management, information systems, international business, and strategic management and policy. The program is intensive, flexible, and adapted to individual needs.
Each student's program entails sufficient study and preparation to achieve the following: (1) competence in a common core covering substantive and research methods courses, which are formulated by the faculty in each area; (2) in-depth expertise in a major area; (3) expertise in at least one area in addition to the chosen major area, with this minor area selected from within or outside the department; (4) teaching competence; (5) research or problem-solving competence.
Competency is determined by comprehensive written and/or oral examinations. Following successful completion of all course work and comprehensive examinations in major and minor areas, students must propose and gain approval of a thesis topic at a public colloquium. The final program requirement is the successful oral defense of the thesis. The Ph.D. program is currently undergoing faculty review. Applicants should contact the department for current requirements and program design.
For persons entering the program from an undergraduate program, the minimum requirements are 16 course units and eight thesis units. Persons entering with a master's degree in business generally will need a minimum of eight course units and eight thesis units. The program usually is completed in four years, although students with a master's degree in business may require only three years.
RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT
Ph.D. candidates must maintain continuous registration through the approval of a dissertation proposal, unless a leave has been approved by the department.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Faculty research interests are in the areas of marketing, organizational behavior, decision and information sciences, strategic planning and business policy, international business, accounting, economics, entrepreneurship, and finance. The College of Commerce and Business Administration houses computer facilities, a behavioral science laboratory, and a separate library. The college maintains contacts with industry and government through its Executive Development Center, Executive-in-Residence Program, Survey Research Laboratory, Bureau of Economics and Business Research, and several professional and scholarly journals edited by its faculty.
FINANCIAL AID
Most Ph.D. students receive some form of financial assistance. This assistance is likely to be in the form of a teaching or research assistantship, which includes a waiver of tuition and most service fees, and/or the award of a merit-based fellowship.
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