Auburn University

THE PROGRAM.Auburn University's MBA program is designed to prepare students for positions of leadership in public and private enterprise. The program consists of 36 to 42 semester hours of course work. At Auburn, the focus is on the core analytical and communications skills that better prepare students for the uncertain future. The program incorporates a mix of theory, practical applications and supplements, with a strong focus on team and group activities. While the program keeps abreast of the latest trends, it is not trendy. The curriculum has staying power; it reflects the broad, fundamental knowledge upon which students can build a successful career, while allowing students to specialize and develop further expertise in a particular area of concentration. MBA students take eight core courses in the program and four electives. Students may choose their electives to earn a concentration in a variety of functional areas, including finance, health care, marketing, operations management, management information systems, economics, management of technology, agribusiness, and natural resource management. A team strategy case analysis and presentation is the capstone requirement for the degree. Classes typically have 30 students enrolled. Most students complete the program in 15 months of full-time work. Students are required to have completed undergraduate courses in calculus and statistics prior to entering the program. In addition, students must have a strong background in fundamental business education, which can be accomplished through successful completion of course work in the following areas: accounting, economics, finance, management and marketing. In lieu of completing undergraduate courses in these fields, a competency examination may be administered through the MBA office.Since 1990, the Auburn MBA has been available off-campus through the video-based Graduate Outreach Program. Well over 800 students have completed their degrees through this flexible, innovative program. This program offers professionals the opportunity to continue their education while maintaining full-time employment, regardless of their location (limited to U.S., Canada, U.S. Territories, and U.S. Military personnel. Video-based outreach students receive the same instruction and requirements as on-campus students via DVD mailed directly to them each week. Students from across the United States in Fortune 500 companies, small firms, and all branches of the military are currently earning their MBA through the Graduate Outreach Program.The most recent program editions are the Executive MBA (EMBA), the Physicians Executive MBA (PEMBA), and the Techno EMBA degree options. These tracks were designed to give full-time working professionals the opportunity to earn a fully accredited MBA in less than two years. Both the EMBA and the PEMBA combine the video-based outreach program with the traditional, on-campus experience. Students receive DVDand Internet instruction, coupled with five campus residency experiences plus a required 10-day international study trip (included in fees). These programs offer the innovation and flexibility necessary to create a cohesive learning environment.THE COLLEGE AND THE ENVIRONSAuburn University is a land-grant institution dedicated to serving Alabama, the nation, and the world through instruction, research, and extension. In 2003, U.S. News & World Report ranked Auburn University as one of the nation's top fifty public universities, as well as ranked the Auburn MBA program in the top 10 percent of all U.S. MBA programs. Chartered in 1856, the University is located in the friendly, small-town environment of Auburn, Alabama. Auburn's beautiful 1,900 acre campus is home to more than 23,500 students (including 4,000 business students), 1,100 faculty members, a library with more than 2.6 million volumes, and more than fifty academic buildings. Auburn University has been rated as one of the "most wired" U.S. universities, with substantial computer resources available to students.