Master of Business Administration

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Cottrell Master of Business Administration enhances essential skills and knowledge required of managers in organizations today. The Cottrell MBA is a cohort program for working professionals with approximately 20 to 25 students starting each August on the Cumming (Cumming City Hall) and Gainesville campuses. The graduate program is organized to be completed in 21–24 months with students meeting two nights per week. Additional course work before the start of the Cottrell MBA program may be necessary for students with non-business undergraduate degrees. Students carry six or seven semester hours during both the fall and spring semesters and usually no more than ten semester hours during the summer.

Students may also pursue graduate certificates in Technology Leadership, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Cybersecurity (see “Graduate Certificates” below). Certificates provide specialized skills and knowledge in a specific area of business. Courses for the certificate programs simultaneously are MBA electives.

Graduate Admissions Procedures

Application materials may be obtained from Graduate Admissions or the Cottrell MBA website www.ung.edu/mba. Applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee, and admission requirements are listed below. When all application materials have been received by Graduate Admissions, notification will be sent to the applicant and a copy of all materials will be forwarded to the program. Once application materials have been authenticated and reviewed, the candidate will receive an official admission letter from the program verifying acceptance or denial.

Students who are admitted, but do not enroll with the cohort must reapply to the program by submitting a new application to Graduate Admissions for readmission. Students who were previously enrolled but have not been in attendance within the last three semesters must also reapply to the program by submitting a new application to Graduate Admissions for readmission. All documents and materials submitted to fulfill the application requirements for entry to a program at UNG become the property of the university and will not be returned. Materials are kept for one year for incomplete application files and three years for completed application files.

Cottrell MBA Admission Eligibility

1. Bachelor’s degree in business from a college or university with separate accreditation for the business program.
2. Bachelor’s degree (non-business) from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog).

Transcripts of non-business degree applicants will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis. Applicants who are deficient in one or more foundation content areas must complete foundation courses before starting MBA courses.

Evaluation of Credit for Meeting Foundation Requirements

The Cottrell MBA academic advisor will evaluate students’ prior academic credit for meeting the following foundation content requirements:

• Accounting Concepts (Financial)
• Understanding Corporate Finance
• Fundamentals of Economics (Macro)
• Business Math or Statistics

If their prior credit is deficient, students must complete required foundation courses with a score of 80% on the final test in each class. The Director of Graduate Programs for MCCB may grant exceptions to this requirement based on the applicant’s professional history.

An official letter will indicate foundation requirements that must be satisfied before starting the program. The Director of Graduate Programs for MCCB will meet with each student individually to address options for completing foundation requirements upon request.

Cottrell MBA Admission Requirements

1. Graduate Admissions application.
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. Official scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE), or evidence of a graduate degree. Only test scores that are less than five years old will be considered.
4. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended. Official international transcripts must have a foreign course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) with a minimum grade point average of 2.75.
5. Professional resume.
6. Two professional letters of recommendation from those familiar with your work, e.g. current or past supervisors or managers. Family and friends of applicants are not permissible recommenders.
7. Minimum of two years of professional work experience. This professional experience can be waived with a minimum score of 500 on the GMAT (or equivalent GRE score).
8. Proof of lawful presence in the United States, if applying for in-state tuition.

GMAT or GRE Exemption/Waiver Policy

Applicants may be exempted from the GMAT or GRE if at least one of the following conditions are met:

• At least 5 years of professional work history (including relevant work before earning an undergraduate degree)
• An undergraduate GPA higher than 3.75 in upper-level courses
• A graduate degree from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog)
• A professional certification (e.g., CPA, CFP, CFE, CEcD, CFRE, etc.)

Transient Student Admission

An individual currently enrolled at an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) as a graduate student in good standing may apply to UNG as a transient student. Transient students may only enroll in MBA elective courses. These are typically offered in summer semesters. Individuals must receive pre-approval from the Director of Graduate Programs for MCCB before enrolling in courses. Requests will be considered on a space-available basis.

The following documents must be received before admission:

1. Graduate Admissions application.
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. Letter of good standing or transient permission form documenting that the student is not on academic probation or suspension or disciplinary suspension at the student’s home institution. The letter or form should state that the student is in good standing and should indicate the course(s) the student is allowed to take at UNG.
4. Proof of lawful presence in the United States, if applying for in-state tuition.

Transient admission is for one semester only. An individual who wishes to return to UNG as a transient student for a subsequent semester must reapply to Graduate Admissions.

Admissions Requirements for International Students Non-Native English Speakers

Students requiring an F1 visa to study in the United States are not eligible for the Cottrell MBA because our program is part-time and F1 visas require students to be enrolled as full-time students.

Applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Minimum acceptable scores on the TOEFL are 550 on the paper version; 213 on the computer version; 79 on the Internet version; or 6.5 on the IELTS. This language proficiency requirement is waived for applicants who have received a degree from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) or from institutions in countries where English is the primary language.

Cottrell MBA Transfer Residency Requirement

To be awarded the MBA degree, students are expected to take all coursework as part of the Cottrell MBA cohort and must earn a minimum of 26 semester hours of graduate degree requirements in residence. The Director of Graduate Programs for MCCB and the Dean of the Mike Cottrell College of Business must approve all transfer credit. Transfer credit will be evaluated for use only in meeting elective credit in the Cottrell MBA program at the 6000-level. Transfer credit will not be given for any course in which a grade of less than a “B” was earned. All credits presented for the MBA degree must have been earned within six years of the date of graduation from the Cottrell MBA program.

Cottrell MBA Academic Policies

Satisfactory Progress

Cottrell MBA students progress through the Cottrell MBA program of study as long as no more than one grade is below a B and the final grade point average in the program is at least a 3.0. Students who earn a second C in the program will be withdrawn. The student may apply to Graduate Admissions for readmission as part of a later cohort.

If a student withdraws from a course during fall or spring, the student will not be allowed to continue in the program with the current cohort. The student may apply to Graduate Admissions for readmission as part of a later cohort.

Academic Integrity

The University of North Georgia recognizes honesty and integrity as being necessary to the academic functioning of the university. UNG graduate students are expected to uphold the university regulations addressed in the Student Code of Conduct, Article 3, Rule 2.

Professional Integrity

The Cottrell MBA adheres to the university’s definition of professional integrity as described in the Academic Information portion of the Graduate Catalog.

Cottrell MBA Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled class meetings for instruction and exams. However, it is recognized MBA students may be constrained to occasionally be absent from a regularly scheduled class meeting due to professional obligations or family emergencies. Because MBA students are generally working professionals and often family members, MBA faculty members are required to accommodate any student who is absent from up to 20% of regularly scheduled class meetings as a function of employment or family emergency. If possible, such absences should be discussed in advance with the faculty member. In all cases, documentary evidence should be shared with the faculty member within one week of the absence. Accommodations may be refused if the critical nature of the absence is undocumented. This policy will not be broadened, by students, to include non-critical events.

Faculty members must consider this policy as planning courses. An individual faculty member is allowed to have a more generous policy at his/her discretion as long as course integrity is not diminished. Faculty members will not be expected to repeat lectures. Therefore, students must work with classmates to obtain lecture notes and classroom announcements, etc. Students who must be absent from more than 20% of the regularly scheduled class meetings during a semester should not register for a course without seeking approval in advance from both the faculty member and the Director of Graduate Programs for the Mike Cottrell College of Business.

Technology

The campus for the Cottrell MBA is equipped with wireless access. Although not required for all class sessions, students are expected to provide and maintain their own laptop computer. Most assignments can be completed using a computer word processor, e.g., Microsoft Office 2016, on a Windows or Mac platform.

Work Expectations

A minimum of two years of professional work experience, after receiving a bachelor’s degree, is required before being admitted to the Cottrell MBA program. This work experience may be removed for applicants who have a minimum score of 500 on the GMAT. An applicant who has extensive professional experience before receiving a bachelor’s degree may be granted admission at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Programs for MCCB. While enrolled in the Cottrell MBA program, all students are expected to be employed full-time. Class engagement and course assignments expect students to draw from experiences in their current workplace.

Cottrell MBA Degree Requirements

Graduation requirements for Cottrell MBA students include:

1. Completion of designated semester hours of study. MBA graduates must complete 26 semester hours of designated core courses and 6 additional semester hours of electives.
2. Cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (a maximum of one C) with no grade of less than a C.
3. Completion of at least 26 semester hours of graduate degree requirements in residence.
4. Completion of all degree-related course requirements, including transfer credit, within a six-year period.