MBA Program
Mission Statement
The mission of Saint Joseph’s Master’s in Business Administration program is to strengthen the managerial effectiveness and leadership potential of both current and future professionals while at the same time fostering a genuine sensitivity to the ethical, moral, and cultural aspects of contemporary global society. This objective is to be accomplished through effective teaching, meaningful curricula, appropriate advising, and faculty commitment to research and service.
Stackable MBA
Saint Joseph's University is committed to helping our students thrive in a world where technology-driven mindsets and models will change the nature of business. Our innovative MBA will challenge you to become a future-focused leader with the knowledge, vision and courage to navigate unprecedented social and economic disruptions, with a passion for social benefit and sustainable success.
All students who are interested in completing the full MBA will take the five core courses which includes courses in management, finance, business intelligence & analytics and marketing. Then, you can choose two specialty certificates that fit your goals and career path. You can take these certificates in any order that you like. The capstone will be your final course.
Taking into account the rapid speed of change that characterizes the twenty-first century, the faculty of Saint Joseph’s University in consultation with its corporate stakeholders have developed courses with both on-campus and online models with opportunities for creative thinking, application of technology, and new and different ways to approach the future.
Characteristics of the Stackable MBA curriculum include:
- Focus on corporate social responsibility, business ethics, infusion of cross-functional topics, and flexibility
- Cutting edge, current, and relevant research
- Leadership development
- Focus on developing excellent oral, written, and team communication skills
- Flexible and customizable
Foundation Modules - Business Competency Requirements
The Foundation courses are designed to ensure that all students in the program have the common body of knowledge necessary for advanced study in business.
They are non credit competency modules developed by the department to develop the skills needed. Some may be waived based on undergraduate coursework.
They will be completely online, self-paced and can be worked on at any time. A “live” session is not required.
Core Courses
The Core Courses are designed to provide students with the common body of advanced knowledge which provides the base for study in the concentration areas and also to give the necessary background for future management positions. Students who have a significant background in the area of a particular, advanced Core course may substitute it with a course in that concentration. Arrangements for this substitution should be made at the Graduate Business office.
Specialty Certificates
The various specialty certificates within the MBA Curriculum allow students to choose an area of interest and gain a deeper knowledge of that subject. Students select three courses from those offered in the certificate chosen.
Order of Taking Courses
Students should take their Foundation Modules at the beginning of their MBA studies. Students have six years to complete their MBA degrees, beginning when they take their first core or elective course. Students who have decided on their specialty certificates are advised to take the Core Course related to their certificate(s) so that they are eligible to begin taking their electives. An elective is any 560 or above level graduate business course that is open to MBA students and not already part of the required MBA curriculum. Elective courses are offered on a cyclical basis. The integrative Capstone Course is normally taken as the last course; or, in some cases, as the next to last course.
Registration/Selection of Courses
MBA students obtain the course schedule from the web and register online. Students are encouraged to consult the Academic Catalog and the Degree Works tool to monitor their progress in the program. Students are advised to consult the the Graduate Business Office before registration if they have questions regarding program progress or course selection.
Students are reminded that they are responsible for successfully completing the courses necessary for graduation, including all Foundation modules stipulated by the Admissions Committee in their admission letter. Taking an upper level course out of sequence and obtaining a satisfactory grade will not eliminate the need to fulfill Foundation Requirements. Students are responsible for ensuring they have completed all required prerequisites for a course. Students who register for a course without having taken the proper prerequisite course may be dropped from the course and withdrawal penalties will be applied, including but not limited to the denial of a full tuition refund.
Goal 1: Students will gain an understanding of concepts, theories, and practices of effective leadership.
Goal 2: Students will demonstrate understanding of the concept of value and the role of the different business functional areas as they apply to company stakeholders including owners, employees, customers, local communities, interest groups and society as a whole.
Outcome 2.1: Students will exhibit an understanding of the concepts of value creation and measurement for different stakeholders.
Goal 3: Students will develop critical thinking skills, that is, the process of conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information as the basis for solving problems and making decisions.
Goal 4: Students will enhance the interpersonal skills needed for success within organizations, including an understanding of self and others, and building productive teams.
Outcome 4.1: Students will demonstrate the ability to correspond effectively and persuasively in a business format, communicate effectively with individuals and within teams, and present to both individuals and groups clearly and persuasively.
Goal 5: Students will develop an appreciation for and ability to apply the Ignatian values of: a commitment to rigorous education and lifelong learning; an insistence upon ethical decision making; a desire for social justice; and a care and concern for others.
Goal 6: Students will have a basic knowledge of world geography; and understand major economic, political and cultural differences and influences in different regions of the world: U.S./North America, Central and South America, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia, and the regions of Asia and the Pacific Rim.
Outcome 6.1: Students will gain a fuller understanding of and respect for diversity in the population and in organizations related to differences across cultures, ethnic groups, socio-economic groups, gender and sexual orientation.
The MBA curriculum consists of 36 credits which are distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | 18 | |
| Specialty Certificate Electives | 9 | |
| Specialty Certificate Electives | 9 | |
Foundation Modules - Business Competency Requirements
The Foundation courses are designed to ensure that all students in the program have the common body of knowledge necessary for advanced study in business.
They are non credit competency modules developed by the department to develop the skills needed. Some may be waived based on undergraduate coursework.
They will be completely online, self-paced and can be worked on at any time. A “live” session is not required.
The following Foundation modules are required:
-
Statistics - Required for all students
-
Business Intelligence & Analytics
-
Management
-
Economics
-
Accounting
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 550 | Creat & Meas Shareholder Value | 3 |
| DSS 610 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| FIN 550 | Shareholder Value Management | 3 |
| MGT 550 | Leadership and Ethics | 3 |
| MKT 550 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| MGT 789 | Business Strategy & Purpose (or MGT 795) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Specialty Certificates
The various specialty certificates within the MBA Curriculum allow students to choose an area of interest and gain a deeper knowledge of that subject. Students select three courses from those offered in the certificate chosen.
Students may choose from the following Specialty Certificates:
• Applied Investment Management
• Corporate Financial Management
• Data Analytics
• Data Management
• Data Science
• Financial Applications in Real Estate
• Healthcare Management
• Human Resource Management
• Leadership
• Marketing
In addition, a General MBA is offered for those students who desire a broader background. These students choose six elective courses from all the elective courses offered.
Joint DO/MBA Program in Health and Medical Services Administration
In cooperation with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Saint Joseph’s University offers an opportunity for PCOM students to qualify for the degrees of MBA and DO in a total of five years. This joint degree offers future physicians the opportunity to gain the business management expertise needed to complement their medical training to successfully run a private practice or manage in a health-care setting, by earning DO and MBA degrees concurrently.
This five-year joint degree program allows PCOM students to complete both the DO and MBA degrees with only one additional year of study. As a five-year track, the DO/MBA program represents a cooperative agreement in which a number of standard premedical courses and PCOM courses are accepted for credit or waived by the University.
A major feature is the ability to pursue uninterrupted medical education at PCOM while also completing the MBA course requirements at Saint Joseph’s University. The flexible PCOM medical curriculum allows students to complete their second year clinical didactic courses over a two-year period.
Upon completion of the standard first year at PCOM and acceptance into the joint degree program, students begin business studies in the Saint Joseph’s University summer session. The following fall and spring semesters, the medical course-load is reduced to half-time while two evening business courses are completed each semester in the MBA program. This schedule is repeated the next summer and subsequent fall and spring semesters, during which the PCOM sophomore year and all remaining MBA requirements are completed.
Upon completion of the two-year combined curriculum, the MBA degree is awarded by Saint Joseph’s University. After completion of full-time medical education in junior and senior clinical rotations, the DO degree is awarded at PCOM’s annual commencement ceremonies with special recognition of the dual degree.