Limestone College

Limestone College will launch its new Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) during the Fall 2012 semester.

The degree program was approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) during its 2011 annual meeting in Orlando, FL on December 5, and is designed to prepare students for management positions in business, government, industry, and nonprofit institutions, and to provide continuing educational opportunities for those persons already so employed.

"We are excited to offer our MBA degree program; it's long been a topic of conversations among our traditional day campus and Extended Campus student populations," said Dr. Walt Griffin, President of Limestone College. "When one takes into consideration that Business Administration has been a long-time favorite among our undergraduate offerings, the strong job placement of graduates of that program, and our incredibly talented roster of professors, it's easy to see that we have a firm foundation to offer one of the best MBA programs in this region."

According to a recent survey by the Graduate Management Admissions Council, applicants with a MBA will find an encouraging job market, nearly three-quarters of businesses plan to hire MBAs, up from 58 percent in 2011. In addition, the percentage of companies expecting to increase the number of positions available for new management graduates was the greatest for those with an MBA.

Leveraging its reputation as a pioneer of online-based degree programs (Limestone was among the first institutions to offer such programs in the mid-1990s), the Limestone MBA program will primarily be an Internet-based offering, with courses offered in eight-week terms. In addition, three weekend seminars will be held on the Gaffney campus: one at the beginning, middle, and end of the program. The curriculum consists of 36 semester hours of graduate level coursework, followed by a standardized comprehensive examination. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required for graduation. The degree will be completed in approximately two calendar years.

The online program will offer the opportunity to expand skills in

• Accounting
• Financial Management
• Management
• Organizational Development
• Quality Management.

Students will expand their skills in planning, staffing, organizing, directing, and controlling business activities. They will also continue the development of their decision-making, leadership, motivation, problem solving, and teamwork skills.

Limestone will begin accepting applications for the program on February 13.

Limestone's MBA is designed so that groups of 25 students (a "cohort") proceed through the courses together. Initially the program will have only a single cohort, with an additional cohort of 25 students entering the program up to an enrollment of approximately 150.  New cohorts will usually begin the program in July, October, and March.