Master of Business Administration
(Progress Report Submitted in 2006)

Master of Business Administration [PID 69]

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is for students with business liberal arts, scientific or other professional backgrounds. The curriculum stresses broad knowledge of professional management, including both abstract, theoretical concepts and their real world applications. Courses reflect the latest in management theory and practice, remaining flexible so that they can be adapted to a changing business world. Borrowing from mathematics and behavioral sciences, the program fuses quantitative analytical skills with the finer, more subtle aspects of management.

In general, UALR’s MBA program imparts the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that help management understand and assess management situations and problems, evaluate options in light of their consequences, select courses of action, and implement solutions. Students are encouraged to think broadly of their tasks and function. Teaching techniques include lectures, case studies, group projects, simulation games, video sessions, and field assignments. The program allows considerable interaction among students and faculty, fostering an atmosphere of support and cooperation.

Contact Person

Judyth Swingen

jaswingen@ualr.edu
(501) 569-8893

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Program Goals:

The goal of the MBA program is to graduate management generalists who are skilled in one or more specific functional areas. In general, our MBA program seeks to impart the knowledge, proficiency, and attitudes that help managers understand and assess business opportunities and problems, evaluate options in light of their consequences, select courses of action, and implement solutions.

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Program Objectives

MBA

1. Expose students to current topics and established principles in the following areas: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing
2. Expose students to various methods of understanding and managing business risk by including coverage of business risk topics in multiple graduate courses
3. Provide students multiple opportunities to hone their written and verbal communications skills by including at least one critically graded written or oral assignment in every graduate course.
4. Integrate topics related to the impact of diversity on business, international business, and/or business ethics into most graduate courses
5. Ensure student utilization of applications software including word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.
6. Enhance students' leadership and interpersonal skills by requiring students to work in groups
7. Assist students in developing analytical and critical thinking skills by requiring students to analyze and solve real-world business challenges

EMBA

1. Expose students to current topics and established principles in the following areas: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing
2. Assist students in developing analytical and critical thinking skills by requiring students to analyze and solve real-world business challenges
3. Provide students multiple opportunities to hone their written and verbal communications skills by including at least one critically graded written or oral assignment in every graduate course
4. Expose students to various methods of understanding and managing business risk by including coverage of business risk topics in multiple graduate courses
5. Ensure student utilization of applications software including word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.
6. Integrate topics related to the impact of diversity on business, international business, and/or business ethics into most graduate courses.
7. Enhance students' leadership and interpersonal skills by requiring students to work in groups.
   Provide students an opportunity to obtain international exposure by organizing a trip to a foreign country that includes interaction with foreign educators, business people, and/or government officials.

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Brief Statement of Methods

Program Objectives Assessed This Year
Student learning objective “A” was assessed this year:
A. To demonstrate written communication and presentation competencies

Dr. Nancy Landrum collected and evaluated writing samples from students in MGMT 7380 - Corporate Strategy. Papers were evaluated using the rubric in Appendix A.

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Results and Use for Program Building

Eight out of 27 papers (30%) were randomly selected for evaluation.
The evaluation form includes 5 aspects of written reports, as well as an overall score comprised of the five areas. The five areas evaluated are:

• Organization/Layout/Appearance of Paper
• Writing Skills
• Evidence of Research
• Continuity and Flow of Paper
• Coverage of Information

The average overall score for the students sampled is 94.75%. The 94.75% is well above the standard 70% benchmark established for most objectives. Ranking the areas from weakest to strongest produced the following ranking ( 1= weakest, 5 = Strongest) :

• Coverage of Information
• Organization/Layout/Appearance of Paper
• Continuity and Flow of Paper
• Evidence of Research
• Writing Skills

Students scored highest on the writing skills and lowest on coverage of information.

Assessment Recommendation

Additional data must be collected to support curriculum changes based on assessment data.

The Assessment Plan for the MBA program must be revised to incorporate the new program learning goals and student learning outcomes.

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Faculty and Stakeholder Involvement

During the assessment retreat, faculty pursued ways to coordinate the learning experience across disciplines in order to integrate the functional areas of business and enhance learning of concepts, skills and content. College of business administrators offered input to facilitate the coordination efforts of faculty.

In Fall 2005 Dr. Nancy Landrum collected and evaluated writing samples from students in MGMT 7380 - Corporate Strategy. Dr. Cynthia Taylor compiled and analyzed the evaluation forms completed by Dr. Landrum.

Involvement of Other Stakeholders

Industry

During the assessment retreat, College of Business Advisory Council members identified marketable knowledge and skill areas needed in UALR graduates.

Students

During the assessment retreat, current and former graduate students discussed concepts, skills and content learned in their programs that benefited them most in their search for and performance in jobs.

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