MBA Program Highlights (Pending approval of the Commission for Academic Accreditation) 1. Program Mission 2. Program Goals and Learning Outcomes 3. Program Delivery Mode 4. Program Structure 5. Study Plan 6. Admissions 7. Program Completion Requirements 8. MBA Bridge Program 1. Program Mission The mission of the 36 credit MBA Program is to provide students with advanced business, management and leadership expertise and skills that are necessary to meet the demands of today s business and corporate world. We achieve our mission through offering a multi-dimensional curriculum that is designed to equip students with a broad based knowledge of multi-dimensional business operations with a focus on specific business discipline. The mission is further achieved through a set of expected learning outcomes that are carefully linked to the course learning outcomes. 2. Program Goals and Learning Outcomes The 36 credit MBA program is an advanced extension of the current BBA program. It is a broad-based program designed to enhance students' management and analytical decision-making skills necessary to function in a globally diverse and challenging business environment. The diverse range of courses offered in the MBA Program is intended to introduce students to a wide range of expertise and knowledge in advanced level business functional areas. The objective is to broaden the extent and develop the intensity of learning in order to enhance their management, analytical and leadership skills required by today s UAE and Global job markets. MBA Program Goals have been developed to achieve these objectives. The program goals and the associated learning outcomes are outlined below: The Learning goals of the MBA program are developed to impart knowledge in four Key areas: a. Core Business Knowledge b. Leadership, Management & Problem Solving skills c. Current business issues awareness d. Focus on specialized areas Page 1 of 8
a. Core Business Knowledge Learning Goal: To provide strong integrated skills in the theory and practices of core functional business areas. Learning Outcomes: 1A. Demonstrate broad based knowledge of key business areas. 1B. Demonstrate ability to apply ethical standards in real-life business situation b. Leadership, Management & Problem solving skills Learning Goal: To prepare students for a leadership role in corporate and business world by enhancing their leadership, management, problem solving and analytical skills. Learning outcomes: 2A. Students will develop analytical skills to generate, collect, analyze and interpret data for making decisions as leaders. 2B. Students will demonstrate effective communication skills that will influence and improve performance of teams and organizations. c. Current Business Issue Awareness: Learning Goal: To equip students with an awareness of contemporary business challenges, problems and opportunities. Learning Outcomes: 3A. Students will develop insightful understanding of complex and diverse issues that pervade today s business world and how it affects business decisions. 3B. Students develop ability to analyze market conditions and evaluate competitors that will enable them to design and develop successful competitive strategies. d. Focus on Specialized areas Learning Goal: To provide students with an opportunity to concentrate on a specialized area that enables them to develop skills in the theory and practices of a focused area. Learning Outcomes 4A. Demonstrate critical business thinking, sufficient knowledge and analytical understanding of a specialized discipline. 4B. Demonstrate analytical skills to generate, collect, analyze and interpret data for better decision making in a focused area. 3. Program Delivery Mode A. Regular mode In this mode, the proposed MBA program will be delivered through face to face classroom teaching. It is expected that the full time studies of the program will take three regular semesters with a classroom workload of 12 credits per week. Students studying on part time basis with a load of 6 credit hours per week will take 6 regular semesters to complete the program. The classes will be conducted during the weekdays from Sunday to Thursday. B. Accelerated mode The program may also be offered in an accelerated weekend mode for working class adult students. In this mode, students will be offered the option of completing the entire program through intensive studies over the weekends- Fridays and Saturdays. Friday classes will be conducted from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday s classes will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Page 2 of 8
4. Program Structure The 36 credit MBA program consists of three major components of studies: (i) Core courses, (ii) specialization courses, and (iii) capstone course/project. Through its core and specialization courses, the program is expected to cover the breadth and depth of management theory & practice. It was decided that the normal length of the program would be one full academic year consisting of three regular semesters of studies: Fall, Spring and Summer. The development of leadership and management competencies are achieved through the completion of 21 credit core courses and the development of professional skills in a specific area is achieved through 12 credit concentration courses. Further, the development of collective competencies is ensured through the completion of a 3 credit capstone course/project that will be offered in the final semester. The following table summarizes the credit structure of the program. Credit structure of the program Requirement Number of Credits 1. Core Courses 21 2. Specialization 12 3. Capstone course/project 3 Total 36 a. Core Courses (21 Credit Hours are required) The core courses are common to all specializations that are designed to cover the breadth of business management concepts across the major domains of Human Resource Management, Finance, Marketing, Economics, Strategy, and Quantitative techniques. Course Code Course Title Credit hours 1. MGT 5101 Managing People In Organizations 3 2. MGT 5102 Strategic Management 3 3. MKT 5101 Advanced Marketing Management 3 4. FIN 5101 Managerial Finance 3 5. MGT 5201 Management Decision Making 3 6. ECON 5201 Business Economics and Environment 3 7. OPM 5301 Operations Management 3 Total 21 b. Specialization (12 credits are required to be completed in a specialized area) Five specialization areas have been chosen based on student opinion survey that allow students to complement their core knowledge with advanced knowledge of a specific business area. The specialized areas are the following: Leadership & Organizational Development Human Resource Management Finance Marketing Strategic Management Page 3 of 8
Leadership & Organization Development specialization (choose any four) 1. MGT 5204 Organizational Development & Change Management 2. MGT 5302 Conflict Management and Negotiations 3. MGT 5303 Team Effectiveness 4. MGT 5205 Leadership and Ethics 5. MGT 5304 Managing organizational diversity Human Resource Management specialization (choose any four) 1. HRM 5303 Performance Management & Reward System 2. HRM 5302 Learning & Development 3. HRM 5201 International HRM 4. HRM 5301 Strategic Human Resource Management 5. HRM 5202 HR Analytics Finance specialization (choose any four) 1. FIN 5202 Strategic Financial Management 2. FIN 5301 Corporate Finance 3. FIN 5302 Investment Management 4. FIN 5203 International Finance 5. FIN 5303 Financial Economics 6. FIN 5201 Risk Management Marketing specialization (choose any four) 1. MKT 5201 Global Marketing 2. MKT 5302 Services Marketing 3. MKT 5202 Marketing Strategies 4. MKT 5301 Marketing Research 5. MKT 5303 Advertising and Brand Management Strategic Management specialization 1. MGT 5305 Strategy and Competitive Advantage 2. MGT 5206 Mergers & Acquisitions 3. MGT 5203 Management of Innovation and Technology 4. MGT 5304 Strategic Modeling and Business Dynamics BUS 5900: Capstone Course/Project (3 Credit hours required) The capstone course is a culminating project undertaken by each student in the MBA program. It is expected that the student will utilize learning, knowledge and skills acquired from core, specialization and elective courses to propose and complete a research project in the field of business administration. Specifically, it is will be required that the students demonstrate original research skills and submit a written report that will demonstrate significant contribution to both management theory and practice. Page 4 of 8
5. The Study Plan The Study Plan of the program arranges course offerings over a period of three semesters in order of course hierarchy, cognitive understanding and progress of learning outcomes in an ascending manner. Most of the core courses are covered in the first and second semesters that prepare the students for focused-area studies. The capstone course is offered in the final semester that would require culminating knowledge of core and concentration courses. The following road map is typical for a student who enters the program in semester - 1, and successfully completes it in semester - 3. The number of courses to be taken in each semester is as follows: Semester-1 (Fall, 4 courses), Total Number of Weeks: 15 (45 Hours / Course) Semester-2 (Spring, 4 Courses), Total Number of Weeks :15 (45 Hours / Course) Semester-3 (Summer, 4 Courses), 10 Intensive Weeks: (45 Hours / Course) Any deviation from the study plan must be first approved by the faculty advisor and finally by the Dean of Academic Affairs. SEMESTER 1 Core Courses Offered: 1. MGT 5101 Managing People in Organizations (Core) 2. MGT 5102 Strategic Management (Core) 3. MKT 5101 Advanced Marketing Management (Core) 4. FIN 5101 Managerial Finance (Core) SEMESTER 2 Core Courses Offered: 1. MGT 5201 Management Decision Making (core) 2. ECON 5201 Business Economics and Environment (core) Specialization Courses Offered A. Leadership & Organizational Development 1. MGT 5204 Organizational Development and Change Management (specialization) 2. MGT 5205 Leadership and Ethics (specialization) B. Strategic Management 1. MGT 5203 Management of Innovation and Technology (specialization) 2. MGT 5206 Mergers and Acquisition (specialization) C. Human Resource Management 1. HRM 5201 International Human Resource Management (specialization) 2. HRM 5202 Human Resource Analytics (specialization) D. Finance (to chose any two on rotation basis) 1. FIN 5201 Risk Management (specialization) 2. FIN 5202 Strategic Financial Management (specialization) 3. FIN 5203 International Finance E. Marketing 1. MKT 5201 Global Marketing (specialization) 2. MKT 5202 Marketing Strategies (specialization) Page 5 of 8
Core Courses Offered: SEMESTER 3 1. OPM 5301 Operations Management (core) 2. BUS 5900 Capstone Project Specialization Courses Offered: A. Leadership and Organizational Development (to choose any two) 1. MGT 5302 Conflict Management and Negotiations 2. MGT 5303 Team Effectiveness 3. MGT 5304 Managing Organizational diversity B. Strategic Management 1. MGT 5304 Strategic Modeling and Business Dynamics 2. MGT 5305 Strategy and Competitive Advantage C. Human Resource Management (choose any two) 1. HRM 5301 Strategic Human Resource Management 2. HRM 5302 Learning and Development 3. HRM 5303 Performance Management & Reward System D. Finance (Choose any two) 1. FIN 5301 Corporate Finance 2. FIN 5302 Investment Management 3. FIN 5303 Financial Economics E. Marketing (choose any two) 6. Admissions 1. MKT 5301 Marketing Research 2. MKT 5302 Services Marketing 3. MKT 5303 Advertising & Brand Management Admissions to the MBA Program will be considered on the basis of a combination of four key factors: 1. Academic background of the applicant 2. English proficiency 3. Demonstrated potential to succeed in the program regardless of race, nationality, gender, religion, age or ethnic backgrounds. 4. Candidate s work and industrial experience. There will be two types of admissions: (a) Regular admissions without any preconditions (b) Provisional or conditional admissions a. Regular Admissions Applicants must meet the following criteria for regular admissions: A Bachelor s Degree in Business or in an allied area from a MOHESR recognized institution in the UAE or overseas with a minimum GPA of 3.00 or equivalent. TOEFL score of 550 (213 CBT, 79-80 ibt) OR 6.0 IELTS or another standardized, internationallyrecognized test that is approved by the Commission for Academic Accreditation. Student interview with the Program Director for a formal evaluation At least one year work experience in business organizations (preferable but non- binding) A completed application for admission Page 6 of 8
Exception to the Language Requirements 1. Anyone who has completed his/her undergraduate education from any of the native English speaking countries. 2. A native speaker of English who has completed his/her undergraduate education in an Englishmedium institution in a country where English is the official language. b. Conditional Admissions For students who don t possess appropriate GPA in an earned baccalaureate degree or language requirements for regular admission as mentioned above, conditional admissions are granted with following terms and conditions: 1. Has the appropriate GPA of 3.00, but has not met the English Language requirement: a) Must achieve a TOEFL score of 550, or equivalent, by the end of the student s first semester of study, failing which the admission and registration will stand cancelled. b) Cannot take more than 6 credit hours in the first semester of study, not including intensive English courses; c) Must achieve an overall grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the first 6 hours of credit-bearing courses studied for the Master s program. d) If condition (c) is not met, students can only take a maximum of 9 credit hours in the following semester in which the student must achieve an overall GPA of 3.00 on 4.00 scale. 2. Has the English Language proficiency but has less than GPA 3.00 at baccalaureate level: a) A student may take maximum of 9 credit hours in the first semester of study. b) Must achieve an overall GPA of 3.00 on a scale of 4.00 in these 9 credit hours. c) If the condition (b) is not met, the student will continue with his/her conditional status, and will not be allowed to take more than 9 credit hours in subsequent semesters until the condition (b) is met. c. Transfer Admissions ECMIT does not have any articulation agreement with any other institution in relation to the MBA program at this stage. It may be considered if and when the approval is obtained. However, we do have an elaborate process to consider transfer admissions from other institutions as outlined in Appendix 4a. Transfer admissions will apply to students who are already studying at graduate business programs at institutions in the UAE and overseas recognized by the MOHESR. Only the courses with grades of C or above at graduate level will be considered for credit awards. The institution has a four member credit transfer committee that evaluates all cases. For details, refer to the Appendix 4a: Transfer Admission Policy and Evaluation Process d. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) MBA is considered a professional business degree. Therefore, an important criteria of admission to this program, in addition to formal academic preparation, is the candidate s real life experience in businesses and corporations. Many learners would have acquired valuable leadership, management and analytical skills through professional work experience. PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) provides such students with an opportunity to have such skills and knowledge formally assessed and recognized in the form of academic credit awards towards to the MBA degree. Credits to be awarded because of prior learning experience must be a part of the maximum permissible credits awards that is 18 credits. Page 7 of 8
7. Program Completion Requirements In order to complete and earn an MBA degree with a Specialization from ECMIT, a student with a Bachelor degree in business must: Earn 36 credits with a cumulative GPA of 3 or above Minimum passing grade of each course is C. A maximum of 3 C-grades are allowed in the whole program. Courses with grades below C must be repeated following the re-sit and grade forgiveness policies (Please refer to Academic Catalog). Complete all 21 credit core courses Complete all 12 credit specialization courses Complete the 3 credit capstone project Complete at least 18 credits at ECMIT including the capstone project Furthermore, a student with a Bachelor degree in allied areas (not directly in business administration) or a student who does not possess strong formal business educational background, must complete the 18-credit MBA Bridge Program before being allowed to offer courses from the main curriculum. 8. MBA Bridge Program ECMIT has developed a MBA Bridge Program for students who either do not possess strong undergraduate background in business education or lack adequate knowledge of management concepts. The 18 credit MBA Bridge Program consists of six courses. The credits earned in this program will not be counted towards the MBA completion requirement. Each course is of 3 credits weight that will not be counted towards the program GPA. The six courses of the program are the following: Admission 1. MGT 1101 Principles of Management (3 Cr) 2. ACCT 1201 Financial Accounting (3 Cr) 3. GE 1202 Essentials of Economics (3 Cr) 4. COSC 1101 Fundamentals of Information Technology (3 Cr) 5. MKT 2101 Principles of Marketing (3 Cr) 6. QM 2101 Business Statistics (3 Cr) Admission to the Bridge Program will be determined by the MBA Admission Committee after a thorough evaluation of the students academic portfolio. Each student s background will be evaluated on individual basis, and depending on the student background and past achievement, courses may be exempted. Students who will be required to undertake three or more bridge courses will not be allowed to offer any courses from main MBA curriculum until these courses are completed successfully. Completion For a student to graduate from the Bridge Program, the student must complete a total of 18 credits with a minimum passing score of 60% in each course. Courses that are exempted will be shown on the transcript with equivalent credits awarded and will be considered towards completion. Page 8 of 8