In the event that a situation is not addressed below, the regulations governing that situation will be determined by the Graduate School.

The Mitchell MBA degree is accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business. It is a professional degree designed to enable individuals to study advanced concepts of business, industry, and government operations.  The business environment is constantly changing and the coursework in the MBA program is designed to facilitate decision making within ambiguous and changing conditions. The program requires ten (10) courses each carrying three semester hours of credit.

Students may earn a Master of Accounting degree in the Mitchell College of Business. The admissions requirements, academic regulations, and general degree requirements are similar to those required for the MBA Degree.

Students seeking the Master of Accounting degree are required to complete any of the foundation courses as designated by the Director of Graduate Studies. In addition, students must complete six (6) graduate accounting courses, two (2) general business courses, and two (2) elective courses.  The entire program is on-line beginning fall semester 2018.  Admission to the MAcc program is automatically approved upon application for USA Accounting graduates with an overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA in the major of 3.0. These applicants may apply for a waiver of the GMAT exam.

The Mitchell MBA has a Fall only admission policy. The MAcc program will consider admissions at other times of the academic year.

To be admitted to the graduate programs within the Mitchell College of Business, the following are required:

1. A bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by the appropriate United States accrediting agency or equivalent for international institutions;
2. A grade point average of 3.0 is required for regular admission to the MBA program.  Grade point averages below 3.0 will be considered on a case by case basis, and are subject to the approval of the MCOB Director of Graduate Programs.
3. Three (3) reference letters attesting to the qualifications of the applicant for graduate business study.
4. Applicants must take a graduate admissions test (GMAT or GRE) and report the score to the University of South Alabama. The MCOB gives preference to GMAT scores but will accept GRE scores under certain circumstances.  For details on this policy, check with the Office of Graduate Studies at the Mitchell College of Business.
5. A personal statement from the applicant explaining his/her career ambitions, the reasons for their application to the Mitchell College of Business and an explanation why they achieved the score that they achieved on the graduate admissions test.
6. Applicants may request a waiver of GMAT if they hold a regionally accredited (or equivalent) advanced degree or have a minimum of 3-5 years of demonstrated professional work experience in an applicable area.  Applicants who are currently enrolled, and in good standing, in an advanced degree program in a business related field from an AACSB institution may also be considered.
7. International students must meet or exceed the University’s standard for language proficiency. 

There is a "non-degree seeking" category for registration. Students in this category must obtain permission of the Director of Graduate Studies before registering for any graduate courses in the Mitchell College of Business. A student must re-apply if no course work has been completed within one year after admission into the Master of Accounting or the Master of Business Administration programs.

Four courses in the MBA program are suggested prospective students without sufficient prior academic training to complete preparation materials: MBA 502 Managing Accounting Information requires Principles of Accounting (ACC 211) or an equivalent course; MBA 503 Managing in the Business Environment requires Microeconomics (ECO 215) or an equivalent course; MBA 505 Managing People requires Principles of Management (MGT 300) or an equivalent course; and MBA 506 Managing Finance and Capital requires Business Finance (FIN 315) or an equivalent course.  The principle is that all students entering the classroom are appropriately prepared.  We strongly recommend that all applicants, but especially those without business background or training, successfully complete the prerequisite requirements.  Applicants may fulfill the prerequisite requirements by completing the undergraduate courses or self-study courses available from the University Bookstore.  All applicants should check with the MCOB Office of Graduate Programs for clarification.

Applicants with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher are given Regular Standing on entry into the program.  A Provisional Admission student will qualify for Regular Standing upon completion of a minimum of nine semester hours taken for graduate credit (500 level) toward degree requirements provided at least a "B" average is maintained in all such work attempted.

The following regulations apply to all graduate students and encompass all work taken as a graduate student including all graduate degree courses (core, elective, concentration, business and accounting).

1. All students must earn an overall GPA of 3.0 or better
2. A maximum of one course with the grade of “C” may be counted toward a degree program.
3. No D Grades will be awarded
4. Students may not drop (WD) from any course more than one time.
5. Students may not repeat a course more than one time

Students enrolled in the Master of Business Administration Program and the Master of Accounting Program are expected to complete all requirements at the University of South Alabama.  Once enrolled at USA, students are expected to complete the degree requirements at USA. Transient student requests will be approved only under the following conditions:

1. The student is graduating and the specific course requirement is not offered at USA during that term.
2. The student is moving from the Mobile area and can complete the degree requirements at another accredited institution.
   Transient approval will not be granted for students to enroll in graduate classes at other local (non-AACSB accredited) institutions.

All requirements for the MBA and MAcc programs must be completed within seven (7) calendar years from admission to the program.

Graduate Assistantships are awarded on an annual basis and are granted for the academic year. The stipend is for two semesters totaling $8,000 and a tuition waiver of up to 12 semester credit hours per semester. Out of state fees are also waived. Any additional fees or cost are paid by the student.

Application forms can be obtained from the Office of Graduate Programs in the Mitchell College of Business.

MBA students must satisfactorily complete ten (10) three semester-hour graduate courses. Students seeking the Master of Accounting degree must complete ten (10) three semester-hour graduate accounting courses.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Management, Marketing, and Business Analytics is primarily designed for individuals desiring to transition to an academic career or consulting. The program's weekend format is designed to allow students to complete classes in an intensive series of Friday through Sunday classes.  The PhD degree is awarded in recognition of the student's demonstrated ability to conduct original, scholarly research at the highest levels without extensive supervision. The degree is not granted upon completion of a stated amount of course work, but rather after demonstration by the student of a comprehensive knowledge and research capability in a specialized field of study. The student must demonstrate this ability in writing and by defending the research component based upon the result of an original investigation.

Applicants must have successfully completed an MBA, a specialized Master's degree in business, or a professional degree in related areas of study, from nationally accredited programs subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Admissions Committee; Applicants must have a minimum of five years of professional experience in business or other professional fields. Instructors from business schools or colleges who want to upgrade their academic status with a doctoral degree are also eligible to apply. Classes are admitted once per year, starting in May. International students must meet or exceed the University’s standard for language proficiency.

Students may apply on-line at http://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/mcob/dba/index.html.

Required Credits

A minimum of 60 semester hours of approved graduate credit is required. 

A comprehensive examination is scheduled for the summer of the third year of the doctoral program. Failure to complete the work within the periods specified will necessitate reevaluation of the student's program and may result in a recommendation for dismissal by the MCOB Director of Graduate Studies to the Graduate Dean.