Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 
    
Undergraduate Catalog

Business Information Systems, B.B.A. to Business Information Systems, M.S.


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Undergraduate students enrolled in the B.B.A. program Business Information Systems can apply to Graduate School using an early entry program form for admission into the M.S. program in Business Information Systems. 

The Bachelor of Business Administration to Master of Science in Business Information Systems is designed to provide a student working towards a B.S. in Business Information Systems a means to complete the requirements for their undergraduate degree along with an M.S. degree in Business Information Systems in a shorter amount of time than the traditional path.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply to the Early Entry B.S. to M.S. program before the end of their junior year to help ensure that they have the full subsequent year to begin taking appropriate courses for graduate credit, lessening the course load they will need to carry in their fifth year.

Admission Requirements


  • Undergraduate students may apply after completing 75 hours of undergraduate coursework, but cannot enroll in graduate courses until they have completed 90 undergraduate hours by the time the first graduate course is taken.
  • All applicants must have at least a 3.0 overall GPA in all their undergraduate coursework, and a 3.2 GPA in 12 or more hours in the Business Analytics program.

How to Apply


Things to Know


  • All applicants must complete an “Early Entry Program” form and have it approved by the graduate coordinator of the MS in Business Information Systems program, the graduate director of the College of Business, and the Graduate School.
  • The Early Entry form must be approved by the graduate director of the College of Business before the student begins graduate course work. Failure to obtain prior approval negates the ability to “double count” courses.
  • After the Early Entry form is approved by the Graduate Coordinator, applicants must complete the Graduate School application and be accepted into the UA Little Rock Graduate School to be officially accepted into the program.

Application Instructions


  • Complete graduate application form for the UA Little Rock Graduate School.
  • Complete the Early Entry Program form for the program.
  • Submit a list of three faculty references with contact information as part of the recommendation process. Formal letters are not required
  • Submit your Early Entry Program application to the Graduate Coordinator. Applications may be submitted by email to rbmitchell@ualr.edu as a single WORD or PDF document.

Graduate Credit


  • Once accepted into the master’s program, the student may enroll in up to 12 hours of graduate courses during the senior year.
  • These graduate courses would count toward completion of the BBA degree requirements and be credited toward the MS in Business Information Systems degree. 

Program Restrictions


  • To ensure that they follow the proper degree plan, students must meet with a graduate­ level advisor upon acceptance to the early entry program to map out the graduate courses they will take.
  • Accepted students will have provisional status in the graduate program, pending the award of their baccalaureate degree.
  • If, at the end of his/her baccalaureate degree, an early entry student has failed to meet the Graduate School admission requirement of a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA with no grades below a B, she/he will be dismissed from the graduate program.
  • Students accepted into the early entry program will be subject to the same policies as traditionally matriculated graduate students.
  • The early entry program may not be used in conjunction with the credit reservation program; therefore, no graduate courses taken before admission to the early entry program may be applied to a graduate degree.

Note: Students may request a break of up to two semesters between completion of their BBA degree and the start of their MS in Business Information Systems courses, as stated in the UA Little Rock Graduate Student Leave of Absence Policy (Policy #509.12). If a student does not resume graduate studies after the approved leave time expires, the student will then be released from the Early Entry BBA to MS in Business Information Systems Program.  The student may then reapply to the graduate program using the regular admission process.

Business Information Systems Courses


To see the courses and detailed information for the Business Analytics, B.B.A. to Business Information Systems, M.S., see links below:

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