Graduate Studies in Business

Graduate Studies in Business

The School of Global Commerce & Management is comprised of the department of economics & business, the organizational management program (a program for the adult learner seeking a baccalaureate degree), and the following graduate-degree programs: master of business administration (MBA), MBA in international management, and master of international management (MIM).

The School of Global Commerce & Management seeks to equip students to serve and successfully lead in business throughout the world via a rigorous, collaborative, values-based education.

Vision in Action: As part of our vision, the School of Global Commerce & Management students will have done the following by the time they obtain their graduate degrees:

• Received comprehensive training and education in business and management with an international emphasis
• Developed an understanding of the nature and complexities of business decision-making in times of change and uncertainty
• Participated in an academic culture in which students learn through relational interaction with outstanding faculty who are highly qualified as scholars and practitioners, from each other, and from other stakeholders (alums and other business professionals) of the university through challenging, relevant and diverse teaching methods
• Joined top-quality students who are not only interested in becoming competent in traditional business disciplines, but who want to live out lives of distinction and meaning as world citizens in an ever-changing, competitive environment
• Gained practical business experience through application, while developing essential communication, interpersonal and leadership, and critical-thinking skills
• Further developed character, integrity, and a capacity for ethical analysis and judgment, traits that are important to an increasingly complex, diverse and globalizing world
• Enhanced their value in the employment marketplace
• Connected to a worldwide alumni network

Programs and Curricular Focus

The School of Global Commerce & Management is recognized as an academic leader in preparing graduate students to successfully compete in today’s international marketplace. Our goal is to provide comprehensive training and education for the business leaders of tomorrow, based on the dynamic globalizing environment of business in the 21st century. Courses in finance, ethics, operations and project management, marketing, human resources, law and communications are designed to give students the business skill-sets needed to be competitive in the job market, while developing their intercultural intelligence and expanding their knowledge of world markets. Evening seminar-style courses offer students the choice of full- or part-time study. Full-time enrollment of two courses per each six-week module provides students the opportunity to earn an MBA or MIM degree in 12 months. Part-time enrollment allows a student to take only one course each module and still complete his or her degree in less than two years. A special five-year MBA program is available to international students wanting to complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees at Whitworth within five years. Students in this program may be exempt from taking the GMAT exam for admission into the MBA program. The faculty of the School of Global Commerce & Management is committed to sharing its expertise with students of all ages and levels of experience.

Faculty

Faculty members are active in the fields of international business and management studies, and they bring practical business and cross-cultural experience to the classroom. Faculty members engage in research and consulting for governments and corporations locally and throughout the world. Qualified business practitioners from the community bring added expertise and experience to the classroom through special courses, guest lectures, and supervision of internships, special projects, and business-plan development.

Application Procedures and Admission Criteria

Due to the graduate programs’ unique eight-module design, students may apply for admission throughout the year.

Admission decisions are based on an applicant’s undergraduate academic record, recommendations, prior experience, graduate examination (GMAT or GRE) score, and approved English-language exam (TOEFL) score for students whose native language is not English. Students may also be invited for an interview.

The following guidelines apply:

• Transfer courses from other graduate programs will be assessed carefully; typically, only six semester credits, or 10 quarter credits, will be considered for transfer as a student enters the MIM or MBA program.
• A TOEFL score of at least 213 (550 computer-based or 79 Internet-based TOEFL) or a 6.5 IELTS score is required for students who are not native speakers of English, unless a student has received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university.
• A minimum GMAT score of 500 or a minimum GRE score of 970 is generally required for admission to the MBA or MIM programs. However, the committee takes a holistic perspective in their review. Appropriate consideration is given to all components of the application packet.
• All applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited or chartered college or university. Students holding a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, from a college or university outside of the United States may be asked to submit their transcripts to an independent transcript-evaluation agency for review.

Prerequisites

Undergraduate introductory courses in the following disciplines are generally required for admission to the MBA, MIM, and MBA in international management programs:

• Accounting
• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Marketing
• Statistics
• Finance

Application Procedures

Submit the following:

• MIM or MBA Application for Admission
• $35 (U.S.) non-refundable application fee (please make checks payable to Whitworth University)
• One-page, typed essay stating your purpose for wanting to enter the MIM or MBA program. Please explain how this relates to your short-term and long-term goals.
• Two complete recommendation forms from persons who have worked closely with you and are familiar with your academic and/or professional background
• Official transcripts from ALL colleges or universities you are now attending or have previously attended. Photocopies/unofficial copies will not be accepted. Originals must be sent to the SGCM office at Whitworth University directly from the granting college or university registrar.
• Official GRE or GMAT score reports sent directly to the SGCM office at Whitworth University from the Educational Testing Service. To request GMAT scores, contact GMAT, Educational Testing Service, Box-6103, Princeton, NJ-08541-6103. To request GRE scores, contact GRE, Educational Testing Service, Box-6000, Princeton, NJ-08541-6000. The Whitworth University code is-4953
• Professional résumé that highlights your work experience, significant achievements and responsibilities

Non-U.S. citizens must also include:

• Official TOEFL score report sent directly to the SGCM Office at Whitworth University from the Educational Testing Service. To request your TOEFL score, contact TOEFL, Box-6153, Princeton, NJ-08541-6153 USA This score is required of all non-native English speakers. For general information, write to TOEFL, Box-6151, Princeton, NJ-08541-6151 U.S.A.
• Completed International Student Financial Statement form with supporting verification documents (including evidence of adequate available financial resources to attend Whitworth)
• Affidavit of financial support is required from students whose financial resources are supplemented in part or wholly by someone other than themselves.

Non-degree-seeking students may be asked to meet the same requirements expected of degree candidates. Class enrollment is on a space-available basis, giving priority to degree-seeking students. Non-matriculating students are generally limited to six credits in the MIM or MBA programs before being expected to apply for admission.

International Students: In some cases, additional English-language study may be recommended, although such coursework does not apply toward the MIM or MBA degrees.

Academic Policies

Academic Standards

1. Documentation of experience will be required of anyone petitioning to substitute experience for prerequisites.
2. To be considered a full-time student in the MIM or MBA programs, a student must complete at least six credits within the academic semester at the university. International students are required to be enrolled for each module to maintain full-time status in compliance with immigration guidelines.
3. A student may apply six semester credits of MIM or MBA coursework taken as a non-degree enrollee for completion of the degree. After completion of at least two courses with non-degree status, the student is encouraged to submit a formal application for degree standing.

Registration

1. Registration each semester is submitted by the SGCM program assistant. It is based on a program plan that each student sets up with the director upon entrance to the program. This plan is reviewed at the beginning of each semester.
2. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the registrar’s office to drop or add a course. A student who officially drops or withdraws from classes during the course of the term is eligible for an adjustment of charges as follows:
   • First week 100 percent
   • Second week 80 percent
3. No refunds are given after the third week of class. If you receive a 100-percent refund and have already received the books for the course, you will be responsible for paying back the cost of the books directly to the School of Global Commerce & Management, unless books are returned in new condition (as determined by the university bookstore).

Special Features of the MBA Program:

• Unique design for full- or part-time study
• Courses taught by Whitworth faculty and area business professionals
• Prepares students with a range of managerial and financial competencies required by today’s employers
• Evening seminar-style classes, with textbooks included in tuition
• Small interactive classes

Special Features of the MIM Program:

• Intercultural focus in student experiences, including internationally connected faculty, innovative and interactive teaching styles, culturally diverse student cohorts, and team study
• Innovatively integrated with Whitworth’s MBA curriculum, the MIM degree program grounds students in essential business-management skills while helping them to develop effective intercultural competencies
• Practical knowledge of a foreign language for business, management, and cross-cultural relationship building
• Overseas study centers throughout the world available for academic exchange and language immersion
• International alumni network
• Foreign language instruction is offered in small groups focusing on business vocabulary at the more advanced levels.  For advanced placement, entering students will take a foreign language placement test.  Any of the three credit language courses may be taken overseas through an accredited program.  Special arrangements must be made in advance.  The following language courses are currently being offered in  Arabic, Japanese, Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Korean and other languages as needed:

            IM 540 Elementary Language for Managers I

            IM 541 Elementary Language for Managers II

            IM 542 Intermediate Language for Managers I

            IM 543 Intermediate Language for Managers II

            IM 544 Advanced Language for Managers I    

            IM 545 Advanced Language for Managers II

Special Features of the MBA in International Management Program:

• Enhances student competitiveness by combining the benefits of an MBA degree with specialization in a foreign language and international management
• Practical knowledge of a foreign language for business transactions, management, and cross-cultural relationship building
• Overseas study centers throughout the world available for academic exchange and language immersion
• International alumni network
• Foreign language instruction is offered in small groups focusing on business vocabulary at the more advanced levels.  For advanced placement, entering students will take a foreign language placement test.  Any of the three credit language courses may be taken overseas through an accredited program.  Special arrangements must be made in advance.  The following language courses are currently being offered in Arabic, Japanese, Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Korean and other languages as needed:

            IM 540 Elementary Language for Managers I

            IM 541 Elementary Language for Managers II

            IM 542 Intermediate Language for Managers I

            IM 543 Intermediate Language for Managers II

            IM 544 Advanced Language for Managers I    

            IM 545 Advanced Language for Managers II