Online Master of Business Administration (MBA)
More than a traditional MBA
The MBA is a time-honored milestone in the path to business leadership. But more and more, businesses are looking for skills that go beyond the traditional. They’re looking for leaders who are driven to pursue growth in a business climate that is diverse, dynamic and demanding. These new skills include the ability and willingness to take calculated risks and build smart, agile teams that deliver results. You can expect to develop these talents as you complete the William Woods University online MBA program.
The MBA program at William Woods University is accredited by the ACBSP (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs) as well as the Higher Learning Commission. It’s designed to fit the schedules of working professionals and can be completed in two years or less through online courses. To make this an investment you can count on, as long as you stay continuously enrolled, your tuition will not go up. “In the William Woods online Master of Business Administration program, we want to equip you with the decision-making abilities necessary to be a successful leader in your organization,” said Stephen K. Forsha, director of the William Woods School of Business and Technology. “Many of our graduate students have developed business plans under faculty supervision that have led to successful startups. Others have completed original research and presented at academic conferences, and several have gone on to complete their doctoral studies upon graduation from our program. Whatever your path, our program is designed to provide knowledge you can apply immediately to your work or academic environment."
In this program, you can expect rigorous coursework with real-world relevance, designed and taught by professionals who have proven their expertise in the corporate world. Our faculty are approachable, knowledgeable and supportive and with our small class sizes, you will have the opportunity to work closely with them on a variety of projects. Our faculty combine professional and academic experience to provide a theoretical and applications based education, holding academic credentials from such schools as St. Louis University, The University of Southern California, The University of Missouri, Washington University and Webster University. Their professional experiences include being chief executive officers, chief information officers, United Nations peacekeeping forces commanders, directors of governmental agencies and heads of marketing, human resources and accounting and finance departments. The online MBA degree’s strong theoretical background is balanced by an emphasis on practice that puts theory to work.
Your online MBA degree at work
The skills you develop in our online MBA program — leadership, financial competency, organizational theory, information systems and more — will show your organization that you are ready to take your place among its leaders. Chief among these skills is decision-making, which will help you find new ways to lead and create solutions in a world of constrained resources, environmental challenges and competitive global markets.
Business and managerial skills are in high demand in today’s job market, with many students transitioning to MBA programs focused on broadening their career reach. Job opportunities for MBA graduates include:
- Business partner
- Entrepreneur
- Financial manager
- Health services manager
- High-end management consultant
- Marketing manager
- Sales manager
- Information technology director
Requirements/Curriculum
You will earn the degree by completing twelve 3-credit courses, including a capstone project you will present to an outside panel of business experts.
Courses you may take
BUS 500 - Management and Leadership - 3.00
This course provides an overview of management and leadership theory necessary to be successful in management positions. Students will analyze classic and emerging theories in management and leadership and apply them to practice.
BUS 517 - Human Resources & Organizational Behavior - 3.00
This course provides an overview of individual and group behavior within the context of an organization. The course will follow the basic outline of reviewing organizational behavior from a human resources perspective. Prerequisite:BUS500
BUS 524 - Economics For Managers - 3.00
This course will provide students with a general overview of basic economic concepts and their practical application to issues confronting them as managers, business leaders, business owners, employees, voters, and consumers in the marketplace. Throughout this course, students will practice the economic way of thinking by analyzing both micro and macro economic concerns of society as a whole. Prerequisite: Undergraduate Economics (3 Credits) and BUS500
BUS 538 - Accounting For Managers - 3.00
A study of financial statement preparation and analysis, accounting information systems and accounting principles as they apply to managers with emphasis placed on operations, investing and financial functions within the enterprise. Prerequisite: Undergraduate Accounting (3 Credits) and BUS500
BUS 539 - Legal Environment of Business, Government and Society - 3.00
This course will provide the opportunity for students to explore the legal environment of business and government. Students will analyze elements of the law pertaining to business and evaluate managerial issues confronting organizations from a legal perspective. Prerequisite:BUS500
BUS 542 - Finance - 3.00
The course will introduce and reinforce basic finance principles such as time value of money, internal rate of return on a project and capital structure. Students will also focus on the interpretation of financial statements from the perspective of a manager. Prerequisite: BUS500
BUS 545 - Managerial Ethics - 3.00
This course is designed to immerse the student in organizational ethical decision-making processes and issues, as well as an introduction to basic leadership theory and its role in ethical decision-making within organizations. This course is designed as an application-oriented ethics course. Prerequisite: BUS500
BUS 564 - Data Analytics for Business - 3.00
This course introduces the fundamental concepts of data analytics and prepares students to gather, describe, and analyze data, to support important business decisions. Students will learn to use advanced statistical tools and analytics methods to synthesize, analyze, and visualize data covering different business scenarios and problems. Topics include introduction to business intelligence, data science & analytics, descriptive analytics, data visualization, predictive analytics, statistical modeling, prescriptive analytics, big data concepts and practices.
BUS 566 - Financial Decisions - 3.00
The purpose of this course is to understand and utilize quantitative methods for financial decision-making within the firm. Students will analyze issues in capital budgeting, capital structure and working capital management. Prerequisite: BUS500, BUS538 and BUS542
BUS 580 - Management Systems - 3.00
This course will provide an overall vision, framework and pedagogy to understanding information systems in the workplace. It will provide students an essential core of guiding Information Systems principles to use as they face the career challenges ahead. The application of these principles to solve real-world problems is driven home throughout each class. The ultimate goal of the course is to develop effective, thinking, action-oriented employees by instilling them with principles to help guide their decision- making actions. In addition, the course will give students exposure to a number of online Web 2.0 tools. The goal is to allow students the opportunity to experience first- hand how these tools could be effective communication devices for collaboration in business today. Prerequisite: BUS500
BUS 585 - Integrated Studies in Business Administration - 3.00
As the culminating course of the MBA program, students will be required to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the theories, concepts and practical applications presented throughout their course of study. Students will analyze and prepare a comprehensive solution to complex business issues. Prerequisite: Completion of all core MBA courses.
ORL 577 - Strategy Development and Implementation - 3.00
In this course, students will learn to formulate and implement effective strategies to manage a successful organization. They will examine various strategic issues, challenges, and concerns with practical hands-on projects and case studies. The course will refine them to gain expertise in strategic planning and decision-making. They will also develop important management skills that will enable them to shape and implement strategic projects and processes of different kinds. Students will engage in discussions to explore new areas in strategic management, strategy types, competitive advantage, and different types of techniques that support strategic planning and decision-making. Prerequisite: ORL505
Emphasis on Global Business and Small Business
You may also pursue an emphasis in the areas of Global Business or Small Business by completing 9 additional credit hours.
If you are considering working for an organization that has international divisions or serves international markets, then the Global Business emphasis will be perfect for you. You'll take three additional courses: Introduction to Global Business, Management in Cross-Cultural Context and International Marketing. In your capstone project, you'll analyze the effects of global environmental drivers on international marketing, the risk of marketing decisions in various countries, and weigh the political and legal environment in the organization's home country and the regions it serves.
If you are considering working with a small business or starting a company, then the Small Business emphasis is ideal for you. You'll take three additional courses: Marketing Decisions, Business Planning and Design and Applied Case Project for Small Business. In your capstone project, you'll develop a robust business plan built upon the company’s mission, goals, business philosophy, market research, target customer base and core competencies. You'll present the company's competitive advantage, intellectual property, and threats that'll determine the long-term viability of the company.
Requirements:
- Completed application
- Official transcripts (2.5 GPA or higher) mailed from the college/university of which you graduated
- You must have 3 hours of accounting and 3 hours of economics on an undergraduate level. (William Woods University provides these courses online.)
Your digital classroom. Available anywhere.
William Woods online graduate programs are available to students across the country. In Missouri, our students come from Fulton, Columbia, Jefferson City, St. Louis, Kansas City, Moberly, Springfield, Ozark, Cape Girardeau, Rolla and many more locations. Beyond Missouri, our online graduates hail from California, Illinois, Kansas, Washington, Arkansas and other states.
William Woods in the real world
94% of our MBA graduates are working or earning an advanced degree. You’ll find them in some amazing positions. Here are some examples:
Mardy Leathers, MBA ‘14 Accelerator & Founding Principal, ICS Advisors
Mardy describes himself as “Elected Official, Policy Wonk, Economic Developer and Planner.” He is the Founding Principal of ICS Advisors, a project management and business advisory firm specializing in financial analysis, business planning and development, M&A, economic planning and forecasting, and social media marketing.
Makele Ndessokia, MBA ’13 Human Resources Director at Missouri Department of Agriculture
Makele has 10 years of federal and state government experience in the area of Human Resources, collaborating with Missouri Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Animal Plant and Health Inspection Services, Administrative Hearing Commission, and the Bureau of the Public Debt.
One more thing
It’s not always about being the next Warren Buffett. You may have a unique plan to serve the nonprofit world, or develop a social enterprise that does well by doing good. Bring it to us and see what happens. We’re not just committed to helping you move up the ladder; we are committed to creating pathways and possibilities for the most unique and exceptional career plans to flourish.
Admissions Information
Learn more about online admissions requirements, deadlines, tuition and financial aid available to you.