Wayne State University MBA Program: A Comprehensive Overview

Wayne State University's Mike Ilitch School of Business offers a diverse range of MBA programs tailored to accommodate various schedules, preferences, and career aspirations. These programs are designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and networks essential for success in the dynamic world of business. Whether one seeks the traditional on-campus experience or the flexibility of a fully online format, the Ilitch School provides a supportive and engaging atmosphere to empower students to reach their full potential.

Traditional MBA Program Structure

The traditional MBA program at Wayne State University is structured around three phases of coursework: foundation, core, and electives or concentrations.

Foundation Requirements

Depending on a student's academic background, there may be no foundation courses or as many as four foundation courses required. These courses are designed to ensure that all students have a fundamental understanding of key business concepts. The following foundation courses are open only to students who have been formally admitted to a graduate program at Wayne State University - undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and non-matriculated students are not eligible. A cumulative grade point average of 3.00 ('B') is required for foundation requirements and no individual grade below 2.0 ('C') is acceptable. All foundation requirements must be completed before a student begins core and elective courses.

The foundation courses include:

ACC 6000: Introduction to Accounting and Financial Reporting (3 credits)
FIN 6005: Basics of Financial Management (3 credits)
MGT 6020: Contemporary Principles of Management
MKT 6015: Marketing Foundations (2 credits)

In general, a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from a regionally accredited institution fulfills most foundation requirements. However, each applicant's background will be individually examined to determine if any foundation course work is needed. If courses proposed to satisfy the foundation requirements of the M.B.A. program are over six years old, the Graduate Committee may require the applicant to demonstrate proficiency in the subject matter either by interview with a faculty member, by taking an equivalent course, or by taking an equivalent course by examination.

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Foundation Waivers

While all of the above foundation courses are required, students who have had equivalent course work in their undergraduate programs (except for FIN 6005, see below) with a cumulative g.p.a. of 3.00 ('B') or higher may be granted waivers of certain foundation courses at the time of their admission to the graduate program.

FIN 6005 Foundation Waiver Criteria:

Students who have earned a grade of 3.00 ('B') or higher in an undergraduate course that is compatible with FIN 6005 and the prior course was taken within the last three years from an AACSB accredited college or university. These students must also have quantitative GMAT/GRE scores higher than the 50th percentile.
Students who are Finance or Accounting majors from an AACSB accredited US or Canadian university, have obtained a g.p.a of 3.00 or higher in the major, and have graduated in the last two years.
Students who are not Finance or Accounting major but have completed FIN 3290 or an equivalent course from an AACSB accredited US or Canadian university within the last 12 months and passed the course with a grade of 3.33 (‘B+’) or higher.
Students who do not meet any of these conditions may take and pass a waiver exam administered by the Department of Finance; however, they are strongly encouraged to take FIN 6005.

FIN 6005 (Basics of Financial Management) is a prerequisite for FIN 7020.

Core Requirements

All students must complete nine core courses. These courses provide a fundamental background in business administration.

The core courses include:

ACC 7000: Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
FIN 7020: Corporate Financial Management (3 credits)
GSC 7090: Global Operations and Supply Chain Management (3 credits)
MGT 7040: Managing Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
MGT 7070: Social Perspectives on the Business Enterprise (3 credits)
MGT 7080: Strategic Management (3 credits)
MKT 7050: Marketing Strategy (3 credits)
TIS 7030: Business Analytics (3 credits)
TIS 7060: Understanding Emerging Technologies (3 credits)

BA 7080 is the capstone course and is to be taken in the final twelve credits of the graduate program and only after the completion of the other eight core courses. For those students with an undergraduate major in accounting, management or marketing, a more advanced course in a subject area (approved as part of the student’s Plan of Work) must replace the pertinent core course noted above.

Elective Requirements

Students must also choose three elective courses which can be used as part of a general curriculum. All elective courses must be at the 7000 level or higher and must be offered by the Mike Ilitch School of Business. The written approval of the Dean or his/her designee is required to take any course as an M.B.A. elective outside the Mike Ilitch School of Business. (Only students holding a bachelor's degree in business administration are eligible to take elective courses outside the Mike Ilitch School of Business.) Students may select any combination of elective courses from the following set of courses. The purpose of the concentration is to provide depth in a specialization that will contribute to the student's attainment of his or her professional objectives. The Mike Ilitch School of Business currently offers eleven areas of concentration. Students must complete at least three courses from the following.

Online MBA Program

Wayne State College offers an online MBA program designed for working professionals, requiring no campus visits or entrance exams. Nationally ranked for affordability, the program offers a flat tuition rate regardless of residency. The online MBA programs are accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, with classes taught by faculty who hold the highest degrees. Students can pursue the main MBA program or add one of four focus areas: accounting, human resources, leadership, or supply chain management.

Online MBA Program Structure

The online MBA program consists of 30 credit hours. For students choosing a focus area, an additional 6 credit hours are required. Up to 9 credit hours may be transferred in from another regionally accredited graduate institution (subject to evaluation by the dean of the School of Business and Technology). Only transfer credit with a "B" grade or better is accepted. A "B-" is not acceptable. Additionally, students must have satisfactory knowledge covering business topics in the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).

Online MBA Focus Areas

Accounting: This focus area enhances analytical skills for financial analysis.
Human Resources: This focus equips students with current trends and best practices in human resources.
Leadership: This focus is designed to develop leadership skills.
Supply Chain Management: This focus is suited for students seeking to advance their careers in supply chain management.

Student Learning Outcomes for the Online MBA Program

Utilize core concepts to make informed business decisions. The core areas include marketing, management, finance, accounting, and strategic integration.
Apply business-related methods and tools to formulate management decision alternatives.
Construct and present effective business communications to reach diverse audiences.
Create a cohesive team environment by building on contributions of members to accomplish a team goal.

Online MBA Program Courses

The MBA program consists of 30 credit hours. For students choosing a focus area, an additional 6 credit hours are required. Up to 9 credit hours may be transferred in from another regionally accredited graduate institution (subject to evaluation by the dean of the School of Business and Technology). Only transfer credit with a "B" grade or better is accepted. A "B-" is not acceptable. Additionally, students must have satisfactory knowledge covering business topics in the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).

Credits: 3 Description: A study of financial decision making in the firm; development of a decision-making framework for determining the most efficient allocation of resources within the firm; emphasis placed on the analysis of capital investment projects, long-term sources of funds, and short-term financing problems. Prerequisite: CBK Accounting, CBK Business Finance
Credits: 3 Description: Application of principles of communication to the managerial setting. The course investigates the influence of organizational climate, manager’s style, and use of motivation on the communication process. Communication strategies appropriate to business reports, speeches, interviews, and conferences are explored along with emphasis on managerial problems with employee communication and conflict management. The course includes a focus on methods of analyzing and resolving communication problems.
Credits: 3 Description: Underlying structure of quantitative business decisions and their solution. The course emphasizes problem recognition, formulation, and analysis, using software to perform necessary calculations. Topics may include linear programming, goal programming, simulation, queuing, and other MS/OR techniques. Prerequisite: CBK Statistics
Credits: 3 Description: Application of microeconomic theories in private and public managerial decision-making including an analysis of market structure and its effect on price and output determination. The course incorporates a global perspective and estimation of econometric models for business, government, and non-profit organizations. Prerequisite: CBK Economics
Credits: 3 Description: An examination of management uses of accounting data with particular reference to decision-oriented cost classification, methods of cost estimation, data appropriate for decision models, standards and controls, and special problems. Prerequisite: CBK Accounting
Credits: 3 Description: A study of concepts useful in understanding marketing systems and buyer behavior and developing skills in making marketing decisions. Students will choose from graduate-level business (BUS), economics (ECO), or computer information systems (CIS) electives to total 6 credit hours. For a complete listing of courses and their descriptions, please view the course catalog.

Online MBA Focus Area Courses

Accounting MBA

Students choosing the Accounting focus area will take the following courses in addition to the MBA core:

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BUS 531 Accounting Analytics (3 credits)
BUS 537 Fraud Examination and Forensic Accounting (3 credits)
BUS 544 Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting and Auditing (3 credits)
BUS 546 Federal Tax Accounting II (3 credits)

Additional CBK courses must also be taken for the Accounting focus:

BUS 347 Intermediate Accounting I (3 credits)
BUS 348 Intermediate Accounting II (3 credits)

Human Resources

Students choosing the Human Resources focus area will take the following courses in addition to the MBA core. Students who earned their bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management from Wayne State College and have already completed the undergraduate equivalent of these courses will substitute other courses by advisement.

BUS 552 Human Resource Development (3 credits)
BUS 553 Workforce Planning and Employment (3 credits)
BUS 554 Total Compensation (3 credits)
BUS 555 Employment Law and Labor Relations (3 credits)

Leadership

Students choosing the Leadership focus area will take the following courses in addition to the MBA core:

BUS 610 Managing Organizational Change (3)
BUS 661 Leading Human Capital (3)
BUS 628 Dispute Resolution Management (3)
BUS 665 Leadershp Seminar (3)

Supply Chain Management

Students choosing the Supply Chain Management focus area will take the following courses in addition to the MBA core. Students who earned their bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management from Wayne State College and have already completed the undergraduate equivalent of these courses will substitute other courses by advisement.

BUS 585 Introduction to Predictive Analytics (3 credits)
BUS 586 Seminar in Supply Chain Management (3 credits)
CIS 577 Project Management (3 credits)
CIS 632 Information Systems Technology and Management (3 credits)

Joint Degree Programs

Wayne State University offers several joint degree programs that allow students to leverage coursework across disciplines, providing a more efficient path to earning multiple degrees. Joint degree programs are those in which credit for some courses may be applied to both degrees.

Joint M.B.A./J.D. Program

The Joint M.B.A./J.D. Program leads to the receipt of both the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from the Mike Ilitch School of Business and the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Law School. The joint program allows students to fulfill the requirements of both programs concurrently. Students will need to complete all the requirements for both degrees, but Law School courses may count for up to nine elective credits toward the M.B.A.

Applicants to this program must apply to both the Law School J.D. program and the Mike Ilitch School of Business M.B.A. program. Admission to the Concurrent M.B.A./J.D. Program requires separate approval by both the Law School and the Mike Ilitch School of Business. Students seeking admission into the Joint M.B.A./J.D. program may use their Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score for M.B.A. admission consideration, as long as the student makes it clear at the time of application that they would like to pursue this option. Otherwise, the student must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and submit that score for M.B.A. admission consideration. If the student is a current J.D. student within their first year of law school, the student may apply for the Joint M.B.A./J.D.

The MBA program requires that the candidate achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 on all course work counting toward the dual JD/MBA program. The first year of study is spent in the Law School; after completion of the first year, students may elect one Business School course per semester, with a maximum of four M.B.A. graduate courses applicable toward the J.D. degree.

Students are eligible to apply a maximum of nine J.D. credits as M.B.A. elective credit, provided the following conditions are met:

The law school courses to be applied to the M.B.A. must be taken at the Wayne State University Law School, as part of the J.D. program;
Passed/Not Passed credit is acceptable only for LEX 8631 and LEX 8633;
The courses must be relevant to the student’s Plan of Work as approved by the Graduate Committee;
The courses may not be more than five years old at the time of graduation.

The Law courses which will be considered for dual applicability are:

LEX 6200 Contracts A (3 credits)
LEX 6201 Contracts B (3 credits)
LEX 7014 Taxation of Corporations: Acquisitions and Restructuring (4 credits)
LEX 7026 Antitrust (2-4 credits)
LEX 7060 Business Planning (4 credits)
LEX 7128 Consumer Law (2-3 credits)
LEX 7141 Corporate Finance (3 credits)
LEX 7156 Corporations (2-4 credits)
LEX 7221 Employment Law (2-3 credits)
LEX 7353 Health Care Organizations and Finance (3 credits)
LEX 7404 International Business Transactions (3 credits)
LEX 7603 Mergers and Acquisitions (2-3 credits)
LEX 7831 Trademarks and Unfair Competition (2-3 credits)
LEX 8631 Business and Community Law Clinic (6 credits)
LEX 8633 Business and Community Law Clinic (Advanced) (2 credits)

If a Joint M.B.A./J.D. student would like to apply a J.D. course to the M.B.A. that is not listed above, the student must petition in writing to the Graduate Committee for dual application of credit.

Warrior M.D./M.B.A. Program

In today's complex healthcare environment, physicians who have both a medical degree and a Master of Business Administration degree will be highly sought for leadership positions at hospitals, healthcare systems, and health and medical-related businesses. The Wayne State University School of Medicine's Warrior M.D./M.B.A. program equips you with the skills to excel as a physician leader, prepared to tackle the industry's complex challenges and drive positive change. This program integrates your medical and business education into a focused four-year curriculum, allowing you to earn both degrees without delaying your medical training or residency.

Students completing the M.D./M.B.A. program will:

Have the knowledge, experiences and tools needed to confidently use the language of business and effectively engage at the intersection of medicine and business.
Learn how decisions are made, understand the impact of decisions, and learn how to effectively advocate for new ideas and approaches; they will learn how to ask the right questions and to question the answers.
Learn how to work effectively as a member of a team, influence others, and lead.
Learn how information technology and data science is changing the way business operates.
Provide the knowledge base and the critical thinking, problem solving, strategic planning and leadership skills needed to navigate and shape a rapidly changing healthcare environment.
Learn to think differently, develop a network of like-minded colleagues and mentors, and grow in the role of physician leader to drive the changes needed to improve the quality of and access to care within an increasingly cost-constrained environment.
Learn basic financial skills to be able to manage budgets and personal finances.

Completion of your joint degree will open up career pathways that include roles in:

Hospital administration
Health care policy research and policy development
Pharmaceutical, medical device, health tech and insurance companies
Entrepreneurial endeavors ranging from the creation of a private practice to the establishment of a non-profit focused on addressing health disparities, to a potential role of founder or medical advisor to health care startups.

Admission Requirements and Workload

Applicants to this program must be admitted to both the School of Medicine four-year Doctor of Medicine Degree Program and the Mike Ilitch School of Business M.B.A. Program. The M.B.A. program is closely coordinated with your medical school requirements in mind. Students are first granted admission to the M.D. program, take the elective Business of Medicine in their first year, and then apply to the M.B.A. program during their first year of study while enrolled in the Business of Medicine elective. After a review of the students' first year performance, including performance in the Business of Medicine elective courses, students will be admitted to the M.B.A. and begin course work the first week of April. Some students may not be taken into program if there are concerns.

Students must meet the admission, enrollment and graduation requirements of both programs and enroll concurrently in the two programs during most of the period in which they are completing their degrees. M.D. students complete all but three of the M.B.A. core courses before their one-year clerkship. To ensure success in the program, students are not permitted to take any additional electives during the second year. M.B.A. courses are scheduled for Thursday evenings and many Saturdays throughout the second year. In addition to these class sessions, students should expect to spend an additional 5 hours per week reading and completing assignments. Courses will combine in-person meetings, and asynchronous, self-paced modules. The courses needed to complete the program will be scheduled during M4.

Students must complete the required courses for both programs and in accordance with the Graduate School policies and regulations. Students completing requirements for only one degree will be awarded only that degree. Students complete a minimum of 36 credits for the M.B.A. program, with six credits transferred from the M.D. program; six credit hours are double counted and used to fulfill the degree requirements for both the M.D. and M.B.A. program. Medical students in the program save time and money by completing the joint degree program under this four-year timeframe.

Tuition is paid in 12 installments starting in July of year two. The pre-requisite elective Business of Medicine is not a part of this tuition and paid as a part of the medical school tuition accounted for in year one.

Admission Requirements for MBA Programs

Admission to any graduate program is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School. In addition, applicants to the M.B.A. Admission to the Master of Business Administration program is limited to holders of baccalaureate degrees from regionally accredited institutions who demonstrate high promise of success in graduate business study. Appeals to an admission denial may be made in writing to the Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs, Mike Ilitch School of Business.

GMAT/GRE

The GMAT must be taken prior to admission to graduate study. This test is a three-hour aptitude test designed to measure certain mental abilities and skills important in the study of management. The GMAT is offered on a continuous basis by appointment at computer-based testing centers throughout North America and at selected international sites. Most prospective graduate business students will take the GMAT for admissions, although the School of Business does offer GMAT/GRE waivers to highly qualified applicants.

GMAT/GRE Waivers

The Mike Ilitch School of Business offers GMAT waivers to qualified applicants. To be considered for a GMAT waiver for admission into a master's degree program, with the exception of the Master of Science in Finance program*, you must meet the minimum GPA requirement for graduate admission and one of the following criteria:

An acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) entrance exam
GPA of 2.5 or higher
Or at least three years of relevant professional experience that shows increased responsibility

There is no need to request a GMAT/GRE waiver from the Graduate Programs Office. Once your application is reviewed and determined to have met one of the above criteria for test waiver consideration, the application will be pulled and reviewed for an admission decision. If the application is reviewed and an applicant is determined to need a GMAT/GRE for admission into the graduate program, a member of the Graduate Programs Office staff will provide feedback on the application indicating so. Contact the Ilitch School Graduate Programs Office for more information on GMAT waivers or equivalency requirements. If you've taken the GMAT more than once, we will use your highest GMAT score in the last five years when evaluating your application. Admission applications may be submitted in advance of taking one of these tests.

*To be considered for a GMAT waiver for admission into the Master of Science in Finance program, you must meet the minimum GPA requirement for graduate admission and one of the following criteria:

An acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) entrance exam.
GPA of 3.3 or higher from an AACSB-accredited business program.
GPA of 3.3 or higher from a regionally-accredited university in any major.
A minimum 3.0 GPA and at least three years of relevant professional experience that shows increased responsibility over that period.
You have passed level one of the CFA exam.
GPA of 3.0 or higher in a major in Engineering, Physics, or Mathematics.

General Admission Requirements

The minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA for admission into a graduate program is 2.75. Review Wayne State's graduate admissions requirements. An electronic (secure, certified PDF) transcript is official as long as it is not altered. A printed copy of a PDF transcript is not official. Wayne State will not accept an attested or notarized copy of a transcript, a hand-delivered transcript or a transcript that reads "issued to student." Submit an updated resume detailing work experience within the last ten years (must include start and end dates for each position held.) Alternate graduate admissions/enrollment for current business undergraduate students include AGRADE and Senior Rule. International students review the international student admissions page for additional admissions requirements.

Accreditation and Rankings

Wayne State's Business degree programs are accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) and comply with high principles of excellence.

Awards and Rankings

Best Accredited Online MBA: Wayne State's MBA program was ranked as the best in Nebraska and in the top 33 of all MBA programs accredited in the United States.
Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees: Wayne State College was identified as having the No. For 2024-25, WSC received the Silver Award. Only a select group of institutions achieve this designation.

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