COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Business, Distance M.B.A. Program
Fort Collins, Colorado

Colorado State University's College of Business offers a comprehensive M.B.A. program to professionals around the world who desire not only to learn the concepts and theories behind sound business practices but also to understand how to apply these ideas to their day-to-day operations. The Distance M.B.A. Program is offered through mixed-media DVD technology; students gain the benefit of the full lectures, student discussions, questions, and special topics presented by the guest speakers. Students are at a distance—not in isolation.

CSU strives to make all of its students feel part of the activities experienced on the main campus. The degree earned is not a diluted form of the on-campus degree but rather encompasses the same academic content and rigor as the on-campus M.B.A. program. Our distance M.B.A. students earn an M.B.A. from Colorado State University, not as an online or distance degree.

Accredited by AACSB International–The Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business more than thirty years ago, the Distance M.B.A. Program at Colorado State University was the first to earn this coveted accreditation and remains one of the only distance M.B.A. programs to be so accredited. The program strives to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and functional competencies they need to become effective decision makers and leaders in a business environment that is becoming more global, more competitive, and increasingly dynamic.

Distance Learning Program

Founded more than thirty years ago and one of the nation's oldest distance degree programs, the Distance M.B.A. Program delivers a high-quality education while providing students with the flexibility needed to earn their degrees. This program was the first distance M.B.A. program to earn the coveted AACSB International accreditation more than thirty years ago and remains one of the only distance/online M.B.A. programs with the prestigious accreditation. Program content is cross-functional and has a strong emphasis on leadership, entrepreneurship, and global issues. Nearly 2,000 professionals have earned their M.B.A. degrees through the CSU Distance M.B.A. Program.
Most individuals in the CSU Distance M.B.A. Program are working professionals, with an average of thirteen years of work experience. They are drawn from all fifty states, many provinces in Canada, and, increasingly, from around the world. Over the years, U.S. military personnel have been frequent participants in the program and continue to be heavy supporters of this flexible and convenient M.B.A. program. The average age of the distance students is 33; their average GMAT score is 610.

Delivery Media

Distance M.B.A. students are linked to each other and to the epicenter of the M.B.A. programs at CSU through a technologically advanced classroom and an online communications network. By virtue of the unique connectedness, all students come together as one class, even though they may be located across the country or in another part of the world.

The classroom lectures and discussions are recorded using a mixed-media DVD format for the distance M.B.A. students and are shipped the following day. The DVD format gives CSU's distance M.B.A. students a direct link to the classroom, the on-campus students, and the professors. In addition to lectures and discussions being delivered using the DVD technology, students also are part of the unique M.B.A. intranet for communication with professors, other students in the sections, and team members. The chat rooms and threaded discussions keep students engaged with others in the program, assignments, and group collaboration.

Program of Study

The Distance M.B.A. Program is designed to serve the needs of working professionals who need flexibility in schedule and location. There is no requirement to come to the campus during the course of the program; however, about 55 percent of the Distance M.B.A. Program graduates come to take part in commencement each year. The 36-credit program may be completed in as little as twenty-one months, or a student may take up to five years to complete the program; summer classes are required regardless of the time sequence selected. The College's M.B.A. adviser works with students throughout the program to match course offerings with professional and personal schedules. There is no thesis required in this program.

In this comprehensive and progressive M.B.A. degree program, students study the five major functional areas of a business and the interrelationship among those areas. Students are not only exposed to the concepts and theories of modern business practices but they also have the opportunity to apply those concepts and theories to their own companies/businesses or to others around them. This application-based course of study is lauded by CSU's students as immediately valuable in their day-to-day professional lives.

Student Services

A student in the Colorado State University Distance M.B.A. Program is afforded all the student–support services offered to those on campus. Each student is assigned to an M.B.A. adviser to help with course sequencing or special situations impacting program participation. In addition, each student has electronic access to the main CSU library's business databases and the library's reference materials, journals, and periodicals. Students can even sign up to receive books and articles directly from the library. In addition, each student has access to technical support and an operations assistant for the M.B.A. intranet.

Credit Options

The Distance M.B.A. Program is an offering of courses in a lock-step sequencing mode, so each class builds on the previous classes. Because of the lock-step sequencing of the program and because of the group collaboration, CSU does not accept transfer credits; however, there are no prerequisites for the program. For students who feel they could benefit from a refresher with accounting, finance, and statistics, an MBA Survival Kit is available through the bookstore. These self-paced CDs take students through the basics of each of these subject areas providing foundation knowledge and confidence.

Faculty

What differentiates CSU's Distance M.B.A. Program from other programs is the high quality of its faculty members, who not only teach the material but also demonstrate how to apply it to the business world. With the exception of a few extraordinary individuals with private-industry experience, the professors who teach in the M.B.A. program are full-time faculty members with Ph.D.'s in their disciplines. Their research efforts and work in their respective industries keep the faculty members in the forefront of what is happening in business today.

Admission

Admission to the Distance M.B.A. Program is predicated on an individual's performance at the undergraduate level; their professional experience, including management of projects or people; their GMAT scores; and their application materials. A balance of these four criteria is sought in the determination for admission. In special cases, petitions for GMAT waivers are considered.

Colorado State University seeks to balance each class with a representation of industries, years of experience, and a mix of undergraduate degree concentrations. In addition, attention is paid to provide a balance along gender lines and a rich mix of backgrounds. Applicants with all types of undergraduate backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The program does not have prerequisites.

Tuition and Fees

For the 2005–06 academic year, the tuition for the distance M.B.A. courses was $523 per credit hour. There is a small increase expected in the 2006–07 academic year. The $523 per-credit-hour cost includes the production of the course-delivery DVDs, shipping, the M.B.A. intranet, technical support, production assistance, and all other student services. Students are responsible for their own textbooks and course materials.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to qualified students admitted to the Distance M.B.A. Program who take at least 5 credits per semester. More information can be obtained at the Financial Aid Office; telephone: 800-491-4622 Ext. 7, (toll-free).

Applying

The application deadlines for the Distance M.B.A. Program are July 15 for the fall semester and December 8 for the spring semester. Applicants must submit a resume; a cover letter that reflects carefully considered reasons for pursuing a business degree at the master's level; GMAT scores (unless a petition for a waiver to the GMAT is submitted and approved); TOEFL scores (for international students); a completed data sheet for the College of Business; three references from individuals who know the applicant's work, each in a sealed envelope; two copies of official transcripts in sealed envelopes; a completed application (GS1 or GSF1); and a $50 application fee. To request an admissions packet, students should contact the College.

CONTACT

Rachel Stoll
Graduate Admission Coordinator
Colorado State University College of Business
1270 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1270
Phone: 800-491-4622 Ext. 1 (toll-free)
Fax: 970-491-3481
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.CSUM.B.A.com