Business Administration (MBA)
Department website: http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu
Graduate study is offered in the following areas: accounting; business, government, and society; finance; information, risk, and operations management; management; marketing; and technology commercialization. Students in the full-time program may concentrate their coursework in one of these areas by choosing from among 22 available concentrations of elective coursework. The concentration selected by a student determines whether their degree program is Business Administration, Business Administration-Management Science and Quantitative Methods or Business Administration-Financial Mathematics. The latter of these programs are classified as STEM-Designated Degree Programs by the Department of Homeland Security for the purposes of the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension.
Graduate Handbook
Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.
Admission
Several scheduling options are available to students seeking the MBA: full-time, executive, and evening programs in Austin; alternating weekend programs in Dallas and Houston.
Admission decisions for all programs are based on the applicant’s academic and professional background, letters of recommendation, and other factors such as a pre-recorded or live interview.
With the following exceptions, all applicants must submit a valid score from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Executive Assessment (EA) or the Graduate Records Examination General Exam (GRE).
The admissions committee may consider waiving the GMAT/GRE/EA requirement for MBA programs when one of the following conditions is met:
- an expired GMAT, GRE, or EA score, or
- a general merit-based test waiver is approved prior to application submission.
TOEFL or IELTS scores are required of all applicants who are not United States citizens or permanent residents and who do not meet one of the following waiver criteria:
- You have lived and worked full-time in the U.S. or in a country where English is the only official language for at least two of the past four years, or
- You hold a master's degree from a college or university located in the U.S. or from a country where English is the only official language, or
- You were educated solely in English for your undergraduate and/or prior graduate degree in a country where English is not the only official language.
Upon admission to the program, students must pay a nonrefundable enrollment deposit to indicate that they accept the offer of admission. The deposit is applied to the payment of tuition when the student enrolls. The deposit is also required of students admitted to the dual degree programs. More information about the admission process for each program is published by the McCombs School of Business online.
Total Hours Required: varies by program
Full-time MBA: 60
Executive MBA: 42
Working Professional MBA: 44
Houston MD/MBA Dual Degree: 30
Full-time MBA
Total Hours Required: 60
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core courses taken in assigned cohort | 22 | |
| Career management course (taken first semester) | 1 | |
| Hours of approved graduate electives | 37 | |
| All students must also follow the requirements and policies below: | ||
| Graduate Business Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
During the first semester of the program, students are organized into four cohorts of approximately 65 members. The students in each cohort take most core courses together. Within the cohort and in particular courses, students may be assigned to four or five-person study groups to encourage group problem solving and teamwork and the development of leadership skills.
The student may concentrate the elective coursework within a discipline, such as marketing, by choosing from among 22 available tracks of elective coursework; each concentration consists of a sequence of courses that offers strong preparation for a particular career path. Further information about prerequisites, requirements, and concentrations is available from the MBA Program Office, online and by email.
Executive MBA
Total Hours Required: 42
The Executive MBA program is a 20-month program designed to meet the needs of academically qualified mid- to senior-level professionals who wish to pursue an MBA degree while continuing to carry the full responsibility of their jobs. Typical in-person class weekends are held once per month, Thursday through Saturday, with a series of distinct three- to six-day domestic Executive Immersions, in addition to one six-day Global Immersion. This rigorous and demanding program is offered in a face-to-face format and requires serious commitment from both the student and the student’s employer. A minimum of eight years of work experience is required. The average work experience of currently enrolled students exceeds 14 years. Information is available online and by email.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework | 34 | |
| Electives | 8 | |
| Graduate Business Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 42 | |
Working Professional MBA
Total Hours Required: 44
These rigorous 21-month graduate business programs are designed for managers and professionals who wish to pursue an MBA degree outside normal working hours. The programs include a week-long international trip in addition to coursework. The high academic standards and dedicated faculty are the same as in the full-time MBA program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework | 36 | |
| Electives | 8 | |
| Graduate Business Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 44 | |
Dallas and Houston
Classes are typically held on Friday evenings from 4:00pm to 8:00pm and Saturdays from 8:00am to 5:00pm on alternating weekends. Classes held in Dallas meet at The Centrum building located in Uptown Dallas. Classes held in Houston meet at 990 Town and Country Blvd located in Houston’s CityCentre district. Occasional three-day weekends and weeklong immersions in Austin will be scheduled to meet minimum contact hour requirements. All courses required for program completion are offered in accordance with University policies that govern non-formula-funded (Option III) programs.
Evening (Austin)
Classes are typically held two evenings each week from 6:00pm-9:15pm. Occasional three-day weekends and weeklong immersions in Austin will be scheduled to meet minimum contact hour requirements. Classes held in Austin meet on the University of Texas at Austin campus. All courses required for program completion are offered in accordance with University policies that govern non-formula-funded (Option III) programs.
Doctor of Medicine/Master of Business Administration (Houston)
Total Hours Required: 30
The Texas MBA at Houston offers a dual degree program with either the McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center or the John Sealy School of Medicine at The University of Texas Medical Branch, leading to the Doctor of Medicine from the student's medical school and the Master of Business Administration from the McCombs School of Business. Students accepted into the dual degree program complete the program of work required by both schools. The degrees are conferred separately by the respective institutions. Additional information is available from the director of admissions at the McCombs School of Business.
The objective of the MBA programs is to develop influential business leaders who are able to assume high-level responsibilities in the rapidly changing national and international environment of the public and private sectors. The curriculum is designed to stimulate intellectual curiosity; to develop analytical and research ability; and to give students the ability to make sound managerial decisions, to plan, organize, and control activities in order to achieve established goals, and to manage people, organizations, and change. Students are expected to acquire the concepts, tools, and understanding to operate in and contribute successfully to new economic environments. Such environments are characterized by rapid technological change, global competition, and information-rich or information-deficient management decisions. Each program is designed to accommodate students with baccalaureate degrees in a wide variety of fields. Each affords the student a wide range of choices to complete a course of advanced study that integrates developments, theory, and applications involved in the exercise of executive and managerial administrative responsibilities.