POLICIES AND STEPS TO EARN AN M.B.A. DEGREE

Admissions and Waiver Policy
Formal application for admission to the M.B.A. program must be made on an official application form. This form may be obtained from the Graduate Admissions Office, 2501 N. Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 or by calling (405) 208-5351 or by visiting the Oklahoma City University Web site at www.okcu.edu/admissions. Students may enter at any one of four times during the year for the traditional on-campus program: at the beginning of the fall, spring, summer I, or summer II terms. The accelerated and international M.B.A. programs begin at numerous times throughout the year.

Official transcripts of all previous college or university studies are required. These should be requested from the institutions previously attended and sent directly to the Graduate Admissions Office. See Admission Procedure in this catalog.

English language proficiency is required in all business courses. Students who demonstrate a score of 560 (220 computer-based or 83 internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a 6.0 overall and 5.5 on each band score on the I.E.L.T.S., or have achieved level 112 in the ELS program prior to their admissions are considered to have met English language proficiency requirements. Applicants who completed their undergraduate studies at institutions where English is the language of instruction also are considered to have met English language proficiency requirement. International students with a score of 510 (180 computer-based or 64 Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or who have achieved level 110 in the ELS program will be considered for admission; however, if admitted, they must enroll in Essentials of Business English (MGMT 5003) during their first enrollment cycle at Oklahoma City University.

Applicants to the M.B.A. program must have bachelor's degrees from accredited institutions or be eligible for admission to graduate programs under the United Kingdom system. Applicants to the accelerated M.B.A. program are expected to have at least three years of relevant experience and provide appropriate documentation and recommendations from their immediate supervisors.

Students applying to the M.B.A. program are required to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) before admission. Students admitted into the Oklahoma City University Law School applying for the JD/M.B.A are not required to take the GMAT. The test, administered by the Educational Testing Service, is given throughout the year around the world. A bulletin of information about the test may be obtained by writing directly to the Educational Testing Service, Box 966, Princeton, NJ 08540 or by contacting the Graduate Admissions Office or by visiting the GMAT Web site at www.gmat.com or www.mba.com. GMAT scores are valid for five years. If the test is taken more than once, the highest score will be used for application evaluation.

The GMAT is one of many factors including letters of recommendation, academic and professional experience, undergraduate GPA, and TOEFL score (for international students), etc., that are considered when reviewing an application. GMAT scores must be competitive with the current applicant pool to be considered for admissions. GMAT scores are also considered when awarding graduate scholarships. The GMAT score are utilized in the following formulas to determine degree candidacy:

GMAT score + Overall undergraduate GPA x 200 must be at least 950

Applicants not meeting this standard could be evaluated under this secondary formula:

GMAT score + last 60 hours of undergraduate GPA x 200 must be at least 1000

Other accepted graduate admissions tests may be accepted in lieu of GMAT for specific international sites where cohort programs are offered as specified in the GMAT Waiver Policy below.

Applicants without satisfactory academic business background are required to complete the foundation block courses offered online or on campus. The student's background, work experience, and exposure to business issues will determine which of these learning experiences will be required. This determination will be made by the dean of the Meinders School of Business.

Those not meeting the above admissions criteria may be considered on a case-by-case basis for conditional admissions by the Meinders School of Business Graduate Studies Committee. Applicants must petition their request in writing to the Graduate Studies Committee via the MSB Dean's office.

Academic Advising
Upon receiving a letter of admission, a student should contact the Student Services Office at the Meinders School of Business. The student services specialist will assist the student in selecting courses and planning the program for the degree. The telephone listings and office hours for the student services specialists are available in the office of the dean of the Meinders School of Business.

Transfer Policy
For students admitted to the M.B.A. program, the Meinders School of Business may accept transfer credit at entrance only. A maximum of 6 credit hours of graduate-level business courses may be eligible for transfer if completed at other accredited universities within the five years prior to the student’s entry date into the Meinders School of Business, provided they have not been credited toward a previous degree. Any course accepted for transfer credit must have been completed with a grade of B or better. Requests for transfer credit hours will be considered and processed only after a request is documented on a petition form and must be accompanied by a course description, list of texts used, and official transcript of the final grade assignment. This information must be submitted to the dean at or prior to initial registration. If approval is granted, credit for the hours will be reflected on the official OCU transcript. Grades earned for transferred work do not count toward the M.B.A. cumulative GPA.

Course Repeat Policy
Graduate students may repeat a maximum of two separate courses but cannot repeat any one course more than once. The repeated course number must be the same as that of the original course. The last grade received in a course is the one that will be calculated into the student’s GPA. This grade will be posted in the semester earned. The first grade will be recorded on the transcript as an R (repeat) and excluded from the student’s GPA.

Curriculum Sequence
The curriculum block courses must be taken in a sequence. The number of foundation block courses a student is required to take will be determined on the student’s initial admission to the M.B.A. program and depends on such factors as undergraduate grades, GMAT and TOEFL scores, undergraduate major, and prior business experience. Students conditionally admitted to the M.B.A. program may not enroll in the environmental block without permission of the dean. Students may not enroll in upper-division (6000-level) courses until they have successfully completed the respective prerequisite course in the functional block. Students may not be concurrently enrolled in more than two curriculum blocks at the same time.

Candidate for Degree
A student accorded candidacy for degree status is expected to complete the M.B.A. degree. While still subject to probation, if warranted, a candidate for degree will be allowed to complete all course work (except in cases of gross violation of the university’s rules and regulations), subject to the following conditions:

1. Completion of 12 hours of graduate study with a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.00
2. Satisfaction of all prerequisites
3. No other impediments

Probation Policy
A student may be placed on probation at admission whenever his or her cumulative GPA falls below 3.00; whenever he or she receives a grade below B- in a BSAD course; whenever he or she receives more than two grades below B- ; whenever he or she receives a grade below C-; or for violation of other academic norms, standards, or behavior as determined by the university or the school.

All probationary students will have 15 credit hours to remedy the deficiencies. In any enrollment term during these 15 credit hours, the student must not receive any grade lower than a B- in any BSAD class or a B- in any other M.B.A. course at any time. A cumulative 3.00 GPA is required by the end of the 15 credit hours. Failure to receive a grade of B- or higher in any class in any enrollment term while on probation and/or failure to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.00 by the end of the 15 credit hours will result in dismissal from the university.

All students placed on probation must make an appointment within the first two weeks of the next course session with their academic advisor and the MSB Assessment Center for evaluation. Students failing to meet this criterion may be subject to enrollment cancellation.

Any student receiving probationary status due to BSAD grades below B-, more than two grades of C (note: a C grade includes C+, C, and C-), or any grade below C- must retake that course within his or her next enrollment term or as soon as it is offered again within the program of study.

On-campus probationary students may not take more than 9 credit hours in each of the fall and spring semesters and 3 credit hours in each summer session. Accelerated probationary students may not take more than 3 credit hours per cycle. A student may retake a class only once. At the conclusion of the probationary period, the academic dean will review the student’s record for one of three options: removal of probation, continuation of probation, or dismissal from the program.

Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend classes and arrive no later than the designated starting time for all classes. Absenteeism and tardiness may lead to a grade reduction at the professor’s discretion.

Academic Load
Traditional on-campus students may not take more than 12 credit hours during fall and spring semesters and 6 credit hours during summer terms. Accelerated M.B.A. students may not take more than 6 credit hours per cycle.

Dismissal Policy
The student who has been admitted or placed on probation must earn a grade of B- or higher in each BSAD course completed, a B- or higher in any other M.B.A. course completed, and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better by the end of the probationary 15 credit hour period. Following probation, if the GPA falls below 3.00, the student will be dismissed from the university. Grades for foundation block courses (BSAD) will be listed on the student’s graduate transcript but will not be calculated in the student’s graduate GPA. To remain in good standing in the M.B.A. program, a graduate student must earn a grade of B- or better in each BSAD course completed. The dismissal decision may be appealed with the registrar.

Academic Appeal Process
A student may appeal decisions affecting his or her academic progress as follows:
1. The student initiates an appeal by filing a written petition with the school’s academic dean.
2. The academic dean reviews the petition and determines if a meeting with the student petitioner is necessary.
3. The student petitioner will be informed in writing of the decision on the merits of his or her petition.
4. If the student does not agree with the decision, he or she may continue the appeal process with the associate provost.

Eligibility for Graduation
A student is eligible for graduation when the following conditions are satisfied:
1. All graduate courses have been completed with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.00.
2. The student has no grade below C-.
3. The student does not have more than two grades lower than B-.
4. The student is not on probation.
5. There are no other impediments.

Honor Code
Oklahoma City University expects students to demonstrate the highest levels of ethical behavior with respect to all aspects of their academic activities. At the Meinders School of Business, we, too, believe that students must constantly be held to the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. The values students demonstrate here will extend to their professional lives and also reflect upon the image of the university and the school.