Hands-on, Relevant, Non-traditional
The MBA program at the University of Maine emphasizes experiential, hands-on learning, teamwork, critical thinking and leadership while still delivering a core set of knowledge in the traditional business disciplines. Our MBA program produces graduates with practical business skills and a global perspective, but more importantly, produces business leaders who can think strategically and critically, who can adapt to change and foster change, who can inspire and lead, and who can create and convey a vision.
The Maine Business School is accredited by AACSB International --The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB International accreditation assures stakeholders that business schools provide high-caliber teaching of quality and current curricula and produce graduates who have achieved specified learning goals.
The Maine Business School MBA combines course work with experiential learning. The major components are an opening residency week, a core set of classes emphasizing required business skills and knowledge as well as integrated thinking, a consulting/internship requirement, and a required international field experience. Students may pursue a general MBA and choose their electives from a broad array of courses, or choose instead to pursue a defined track and take a more specific set of electives in that area. The MBA tracks are finance and decision science.
Students may study full-time or part-time. Courses are offered at the main campus in Orono and at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast, Maine. Students may matriculate in August, January, or the summer, although most students begin their studies during the August residency week. Most of our full-time students finish in two academic years; however in some circumstances it is possible for students to accelerate the pace.
Program details and Requirements
The MBA program consists of 42 credits: 33 credits of classroom-based courses, and 9
experiential credits. There are 6 required courses covering the basic disciplines, and 5 elective courses . The experiential courses are an opening residency week, an internship or consulting project experience, and an international, project-oriented field experience.
In addition to courses listed in the University's Graduate Catalog, we offer a wide variety of timely, relevant special topics courses. In the past two years we have offered special courses in managing innovation, technology commercialization, cyber-law, marketing to emerging markets, leadership, negotiation, doing business in the European Union, sales management, financial risk management, environmental issues and sustainable business, and many others.
Highlights of the program:
Core Courses: There are six required courses including:
- BUA 601 Statistical Analysis & Modeling for Organizational Operations
- BUA 605 Creating & Capturing Value in the Digital Economy
- BUA 620 Law, Business, & Society
- BUA 626 Behavioral Analysis for Administrative Decisions
- BUA 649 Management Policy
- BUA 651 Financial Management
These courses cover the following topics:
- the global, environmental, political, economic, legal, and regulatory context
- individual ethical behavior and community responsibilities in organizations and society
- management responsiveness to ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity
- group and individual dynamics in organizations
- human resource management and development
- quantitative methods and models used to support business decision making
- financial theories and methods, reporting, analysis, and markets
- creation of value through the integrated production and distribution of goods and services
- information acquisition, management, and reporting for business
Experiential Courses:
1. Residency Week: This required course immerses new student in hard and soft skills of business. The week-long intensive course, which begins before fall semester, teaches students leadership, team-building, basic core functional business disciplines, international awarness, ethics, social responsibility and government among other activities.
2. The Field Experience/Trip: All students will be required to complete a group field experience, typically in an international environment, near the end of the program. In the past our students have joined students from other countries on projects for foreign firms in countries such as China, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Bulgaria, the Cayman Islands, and Canada. This experience gives our students broader, practical experience in the global economy. Additional trip fees are collected with each credit hour in the 42- hour program to cover the costs of these trip.
3. The Consulting/Internship Requirement: All students will be expected to pursue an opportunity to apply the skills from the program to an organization in a hands-on environment. This may be an internship in a profit-making firm, volunteering with a not-for-profit, or being part of a consulting team from the Maine Business School working on a project for an organization.
Business Tracks: Students may pursue a general MBA or a defined track in finance or business & sustainability.
Additional information about course descriptions, MBA tracks, and other details about the program is available in the online graduate catalog.
Prerequisite Courses:
Students are expected to have course work completed in financial and managerial accounting and micro and macroeconomics. These four courses at the University of Maine include:
- BUA 201: Financial Accounting
- BUA 202: Managerial Accounting
- ECO 120: Micro Economics
- ECO 121: Macro Economics
These may be taken at an accredited college or university or at the University of Maine prior to graduation from an undergraduate program. Students who have an undergraduate degree are eligible to take two accelerated courses to meet this requirement-BUA 400 combines both financial and managerial accounting, and ECO 410 combines micro and macroeconomics. Students will be required to have a minimum of a B- in financial and managerial accounting and micro- and macroeconomics for it to be accepted for the accounting and economics prerequisites. A student may be asked to retake a course if his or her grade falls below the minimum. Students are also expected to have computer competency, including common word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software.
Students must also have basic knowledge of marketing,
management, finance, and statistics. These four requirements may
be fulfilled through undergraduate coursework, completed with a grade
of B- or higher. University of Maine courses are:
- BUA 370: Marketing
- BUA 325: Management
- BUA 350: Finance
- MAT 215
or 232: Statistics
or equivalent courses taken at an accredited college or university.
If the student has not satisfactorily completed any of these four courses,
the Maine Business School graduate office will administer on-line tutorials,
to be completed prior to the semester of admission.
Application Process and Requirements:
Applications are reviewed on a rolling admission basis, meaning that once the application is complete, the admission evaluation process begins. The application can be completed online or downloaded at http://www2.umaine.edu/graduate/ Paper applications can be obtained from the Maine Business School Graduate Office. The application includes submission of the following items:
- Personal essay
- Three letters of recommendation
- Current resume
- Official college transcripts from all schools attended
- Official score reports from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) taken within the last five years.
- For applicants whose native language is not English, official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), taken within the last five years (minimum score of 213 on the computer-based version and 550 on the paper-based version).
- Check or money order payable to the University
of Maine for the application fee of $60 for online application or $75 for a paper application.
Application materials should be sent to:
The Graduate School
5782 Winslow Hall, Room 2
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469-5782
To be considered for fall admission all application materials must be received by June 1, and by November 1 for the spring semester. Completed applications for students requesting financial aid must be received by the February 15 prior to fall semester.
We recommend that prospective students apply earlier if they anticipate needing to complete tutorials or foundation courses (as outlined below under "prerequisite foundation courses.")
Admission Criteria
Admission to the University of Maine MBA program is competitive. In its admission process, The University of Maine Business Graduate Program considers factors that indicate the potential to successfully complete the MBA program and achieve positions of leadership in the private or public sector. That potential is judged by academic performance, GMAT score, letters of recommendation, communication skills, and work experience.
Academic Performance : Applicants must have a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, or a four-year international equivalent. In reviewing the academic record, the Graduate Committee considers both the institution attended and curriculum. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is required.
GMAT Score: Applicants must submit official GMAT scores taken within the last five years. A minimum GMAT score of 500 is required for admission. In addition, the Business School requires a 3.5 on the analytical writing portion of the exam. Students who do not meet the minimum will be rejected or be asked to retake the GMAT exam before their application will be reconsidered.
Exceptions to the minimum requirements are made only if the Maine Business School Graduate Committee feels there is substantial alternate evidence of aptitude for business graduate work. Students who are admitted without meeting all minimum requirements will be "conditional" as specified under Graduate School policies.
Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation must be included with the completed application. If possible, MBA applicants are encouraged to submit letters from current or former supervisors or those who can comment on work-related responsibilities and accomplishments, career advancement and potential, managerial experience, and future career goals. Meaningful academic references are also acceptable, and are most relevant for recent undergraduates. References should detail your strengths, weaknesses, and potential for academic and managerial success.
Communication Skills: Students are required to submit a personal essay as part of their application. The essay is an opportunity for the candidate to describe important attributes not apparent from the rest of the application, and also to convey one's unique background, character, and ability to add value to the University of Maine 's Graduate Program. The essays are evaluated not only for content, but also for writing style and grammar. Interviews are not required for admission to the University of Maine MBA program, but may be requested by either the applicant or the Business School. If requested, candidates will interview with a University of Maine Graduate Program representative prior to the final decision on admission.
Work Experience: Work experience is not required for admission to the University of Maine MBA program, but it is preferred. Significant work experience with management responsibilities is especially important to demonstrate maturity and motivation by a student.
International Students: Applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The test must have been taken within the past five years; the minimum required score is 213 on the computer-based version or 550 on the paper-based test. Occasionally international students must submit their transcripts to a professional evaluation service (at the student's expense) in order to demonstrate course equivalencies.
Apply
Online!
Download Application Forms
All
applications are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
Arrangements for the Graduate Management Admission
Test may be made by contacting:
If you have any questions, please contact
us at 207-581-1973 or via e-mail at mba@maine.edu
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