Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Admissions Requirements

UALR MBA candidates must possess strong academic preparation and strong aptitude for graduate study in business. Consequently, the admission requirements embody evidence of both prior academic achievement (GPA) and probability of successful performance in the MBA program (GMAT or GRE score).

Students seeking admission to the MBA program must meet one of the following criteria:

• (200 x cumulative GPA) + GMAT score (or converted GRE score) ≥1020, or
• (200 x GPA from last 60 undergraduate hours) + GMAT score (or converted GRE score) ≥ 1080

Regardless of the total points, the minimum acceptable GPA is 2.5 and the minimum acceptable GMAT score is 420, and the minimum acceptable GRE score is equivalent to the minimum GRE score when converted. GMAT or GRE scores used for admission must be taken within the past five years.

Waiver of GMAT Requirement: The MBA program coordinator may waive the GMAT requirement for applicants who

1. Hold a graduate degree or who are currently enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program with equivalent admission standards, or
2. Have at least a 3.25 GPA or a 3.5 GPA in the last 60 hours from an AACSB-accredited business school (including UALR), or
3. Can substantiate through written documentation that the combination of their academic and professional accomplishments makes them highly prepared for success in a rigorous graduate program. This may include holding analytically oriented professional or technical certification (e.g., CPA, PE, CFA, PMI, CFP, etc.), current job responsibilities that substantiate preparedness and analytical skills (e.g., P&L responsibilities, data analysis, etc.), 3.5 or higher GPA from a highly reputable non-business program, or
4. Have at least a 2.5 GPA in a degree as described in 2 or 3 above combined with a minimum of five years post-baccalaureate professional work experience showing managerial duties and promotion to increasing levels of responsibility.

All GMAT waivers will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To be considered for a GMAT waiver, candidates must first begin an application. A current resume will be required for GMAT waiver eligibility and unofficial transcripts may be requested. A brief, one page maximum, written request outlining why a GMAT waiver should be granted is required. The Graduate Committee reserves the right to interview GMAT waiver candidates at its discretion.

Conditional Admission

MBA applicants who do not meet the criteria for full admission are encouraged to apply and may be admitted conditionally. Decisions concerning conditional admissions will be made by the College of Business Graduate Committee (or a subcommittee thereof.) Factors considered in requests for conditional admission will include the following: scores on other standardized exams, grades in the undergraduate major, or other pertinent data that indicate the applicant will perform satisfactorily in the MBA program. Students conditionally admitted to the MBA program must achieve a 3.25 GPA in the first 12 hours of study, or they will be dismissed.

Undergraduate Students

UALR undergraduate seniors who are within 15 semester hours of completing baccalaureate degrees with a 3.0 GPA or higher and have a GMAT score of at least 480 may enroll for a maximum of 6 semester hours of graduate business courses during their last undergraduate semester. UALR undergraduate seniors who are within 15 semester hours of completing baccalaureate business degrees with a 3.25 GPA or higher or baccalaureate non-business degree with a 3.5 GPA or higher may enroll for a maximum of 6 semester hours of graduate business courses during their last undergraduate semester. However, if these graduate business courses are applied towards undergraduate degree requirements they cannot also be counted towards graduate degree requirements.

Program Requirements

The MBA program consists of a minimum of 32 credit hours (14 core courses) and a maximum of 36 credit hours (14 core courses plus three foundation courses and one career management course). Students who can demonstrate background preparation in accounting, economics, and finance through passage of online assessments in these areas will not be required to take the foundation course(s) (three courses, one credit hour each). Students are not required to take the assessments before entering the program; instead, students may choose to take a one credit hour course in any or all three areas. Students must either pass the assessment or take the foundation course before registering for the core course in an area.

All students must demonstrate competency in the use of Excel spreadsheets through the passage of an online assessment. Students with less than three years of professional experience (as determined by the associate dean for graduate studies) will be required to take a one credit hour course on career management. Students with three or more years of professional experience may choose to take the career management course.

Information on the assessments and self-paced study modules to prepare for the assessments may be obtained from the Graduate Business office (501-569-3356).

MBA with a Concentration in Organizational Communication

This concentration requires completion of the MBA program plus three additional credit hours. Nine credit hours total are required in applied communication courses. Six of those hours will count as elective in the MBA program.

Concurrent MBA – JD

Curricular Requirements for Concurrent MBA – JD

A student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock may pursue the JD and MBA degrees under a concurrent degree program, which allows cross-credit for certain specified courses. The concurrent degree program offers a potential savings of 18 credit hours in the total credit hours otherwise required for both degrees. A student in the concurrent degree program must complete all requirements for the JD degree, as specified by the School of Law, and all requirements for the MBA as specified by the College of Business.

The concurrent degree program is subject to the following conditions:

1. To receive cross-credit, credit must be earned for the course in the degree program in which the course is offered. For instance, core courses in the MBA program listed in Number 4 below will receive credit in the JD program only if the student receives credit for the courses in the MBA program.
2. In the MBA program, a student may receive elective credits for six semester hours of approved courses in the JD program, completed with a minimum grade of C. A list of the approved JD courses is set out in Section II.
3. In the JD program, a student may receive elective credits for 12 semester hours of approved courses in the MBA program, completed with a minimum grade of C. A list of courses is set out in Section III.
4. In the JD program, a student must complete the following courses in addition to those otherwise required for the JD degree: Business Associations, Commercial Paper, Secured Transactions, and Federal Income Taxation. The student may choose up to six credit hours from the above courses for credit in the MBA program, subject to the conditions set out in number 3 above.

Administrative Policies and Procedures for Concurrent MBA – JD:

A student enrolled in the concurrent degree program is subject to all administrative policies and procedures of each program during the period of enrollment in the concurrent degree program. In addition, the following policies and procedures apply to students in the concurrent degree program:

1. A student must obtain admission separately to the JD program and the MBA program. Once admitted to both programs, a student enters the concurrent degree program by filing a Declaration of Intent to Pursue Concurrent Degrees.
2. A student currently enrolled in one program may enter the concurrent degree program by obtaining admission to the other program and filing the Declaration of Intent to Pursue  Concurrent Degrees. Credit toward the JD degree shall only be given for course work taken after the student has matriculated in the law school.
3. A student is not enrolled in the concurrent degree program until copies of the Declaration of Intent to Pursue Concurrent Degrees are filed with the Registrar of the School of Law and with the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the College of Business.
4. A student who has completed one degree may not thereafter enter the concurrent degree program to complete another degree.
5. A student who enters the concurrent degree program must select which program to pursue first and notify the other program in order that enrollment may be deferred. Concurrent degree enrollment in classes in both programs is normally permitted only when a student is within six credit hours of completion of the first degree. Earlier concurrent degree enrollment requires the written permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the School of Law and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the College of Business. Under no circumstance will concurrent degree enrollment be permitted during the first year of the full-time JD program. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may grant permission for a first-year, part-time division student who is not employed to register for both the required JD program curriculum and courses in the MBA program.
6. The total credit hour load in both programs for concurrently enrolled students shall not exceed the normal maximum load in either program without the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the School of Law and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the College of Business. Under no circumstances will concurrent degree enrollment be permitted during the first year of the JD program.
7. Grade point averages and class standings in each program are determined without consideration of the six hours of credits accepted from the other program.
8. Except as modified by Sections I and II of this statement of the concurrent degree program for JD and MBA degrees, a student must comply with all degree requirements established for each program. For instance, the School of Law has a requirement that all degree requirements be completed not more than seven years after enrollment at the School of Law. A student enrolled in the concurrent degree program must earn any credit hours in the MBA program to be applied to the JD degree within seven years of enrolling in the School of Law.

Concurrent COB – UAMS Programs (MBA- PharmD)

Students enrolling in the MBA-PharmD program will be permitted to count two relevant courses from their UAMS programs as MBA electives. Likewise, two MBA courses will be counted towards their PharmD elective requirements.