UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS

Graduate School of Management Center for Distance Learning
Irving, Texas

Distance Learning Program

UD is committed to providing the kind of education, programming, and service that motivates and enables success. The online environment offers professionals the flexibility to maintain current schedules and perform to their fullest in a fast-paced educational program. The aspects of flexible course delivery help to create an environment conducive to an inflexible world.

The UD courses are available from any Internet connection worldwide at any-time. The learning model is designed to serve students with a program offering the greatest level of flexibility to participate in the online classroom. It allows participation whenever it is most convenient for the individual student while maintaining the highest educational standards. All courses are developed and taught by professors who have real-world business experience in addition to their academic qualifications. This allows students to learn tools and techniques proven in the changing business world.

In addition, the online program is an integral part of the academic environment at UD. Students can chose to complete all classes online or integrate online learning with the traditional classroom environment. Each method, online or traditional classroom, provides consistent, high-quality learning outcomes. This flexibility meets the needs of students living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and students who are part of the global learning community.

GSM began its Internet-based M.B.A. program (IMBA) in 1997 with three courses and 30 students. Now GSM offers the entire M.B.A. core curriculum and ten concentrations online.

While taking an IMBA class, there is no requirement to come to the campus. However, many students take a blend of on-campus and Internet-based courses. Other students take their entire M.B.A. online. There is no distinction made on the transcript between classroom and IMBA courses.

Students are attracted to the GSM because it offers a comprehensive background in the general business disciplines, as well as industry-specific fields of knowledge, such as corporate finance, global business, health services, information assurance, interdisciplinary (custom curriculum), marketing, not-for-profit management, project management, sports and entertainment management, supply chain management, and telecommunications—all online.

Delivery Media

The virtual campus was created with the understanding that students need the ability to organize their class schedules without being confined to a certain time, campus, or even country. Students access the IMBA using a standard Internet connection and Web browser. The courses use an instructor-led, asynchronous method of teaching, which means that students and their professors do not have to be online at the same time. This allows flexibility for those students who travel or have other obligations. Classes fit into everyday life. However, both professors and students are expected to be online multiple times during the weekly sessions.

Programs of Study

The University of Dallas offers Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Master of Management (M.M.), and Master of Science (M.S.) degree programs.

The University of Dallas Graduate School of Management (GSM) is a professional school whose primary purpose is to prepare its students to become competent, responsible practitioners in the profession of management. GSM's academic programs do not emphasize theoretical courses; instead, they offer highly pragmatic programs, both on-campus and online, that focus on the practical realities of managerial life and success. While scholarly writings on business topics are carefully examined in classes, the principal emphasis is on how to manage wisely and effectively.

The University of Dallas (UD) was founded in 1956 as in independent Catholic university dedicated to excellence in its educational programs.

The Graduate School of Management (GSM) is the largest Master of Business Administration–granting (M.B.A.) institution in the Southwest. GSM was founded in 1966 with a distinctive mission: to create a professionally sound M.B.A. program accessible to individuals who are already employed in business. More than 75 percent of GSM students work full-time. The student body is made up of Americans and international students representing more than sixty countries. The UD main campus is in Irving, adjacent to the thriving Las Colinas business community and near downtown Dallas and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accredits UD. In addition, UD is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) and is in the final stages of accreditation by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Academic programs at GSM differ from those at more traditional management schools in three other ways: the faculty members have extensive business experience, and many professors are actively engaged in business pursuits; specialized M.B.A. concentrations provide detailed insights into the practical aspects of these fields; and project-driven courses give students hands-on experience with real problems in strategy and management. Since the 1960s, GSM has developed a distinct educational method in which student teams are assigned to actual consulting projects requested by a wide variety of local, national, and global firms. Students define client problems, analyze various solutions, and propose specific solutions to the client.

The Dallas M.B.A. program's practical approach makes it unique among graduate business schools and distinguishes its graduates from traditional M.B.A. students. The M.B.A. degree is offered online, with concentrations in corporate finance, health services management, information assurance, information technology, marketing management, market logistics, sports and entertainment management, supply chain management, and telecommunications management. An interdisciplinary option is also available. The M.B.A. program can be completed in three to four trimesters of full-time study. Part-time students normally take 2½ to 3½ years to complete the M.B.A. degree. However, students can complete the program at their desired pace. For more details, students should visit http://www.thedallasmba.com/programs.cfm.

The Master of Management (M.M.) degree (post-M.B.A.) and graduate certificates are also available online in any of the above concentrations. The M.M. degree provides profession-specific graduate education for those who already hold an M.B.A. from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or the international equivalent. Adding an M.M. degree to an M.B.A. can strengthen an individual's academic credentials and help him or her stay ahead in today's and tomorrow's workplace. For more information, students should visit: http://www.thedallasmba.com/programs.cfm.

The Master of Science (M.S.) degree is a specialized graduate degree program for students who seek in-depth knowledge in a specific field. For more details, students should visit: http://www.thedallasmba.com.

Special Programs

GSM has partnerships with Fortune 500 corporations to provide classes to their employees through the Internet. Inquiries are welcomed from other organizations that may be interested in offering graduate business studies to their employees.

Student Services

The primary support structure is the IMBA professor. Class size is kept moderate, thus permitting professors and students to interact with one another.

At the Graduate School of Management there are talented individuals—all of whom have had personal experience with GSM programs—who provide customer support and service for prospective, current, and past students. Each enrollment manager specializes in one of the concentrations offered.

These professionals work for the students and are their advocates within the GSM community. Each enrollment manager stands ready to answer students' questions, address their unique concerns, and guide them through the application, admissions, and registration process—and beyond. Staff members in the Online Learning Department are available to address questions unique to distance learning. A help desk that operates 24 hours a day handles Web- and PC-based questions.

Credit Options

For the M.B.A. program, a maximum of four courses or 12 hours of transfer credits may be applied. A transfer course must be a 3-semester-hour (5-quarter-hour) graduate-level course from an accredited school. The transfer course must not be more than six years old. A grade of at least a B (3.0) is required. For further information, students can contact the GSM Admissions Office at the address below.

Faculty

GSM professors have business experience in addition to their academic qualifications. They have held positions ranging from entrepreneurs to senior-level executives in large companies. Full-time faculty members engage in consulting within their field, while adjunct professors hold jobs in their area of teaching, thus keeping the classes current and relevant.

Admission

Admission to the Dallas M.B.A. program is competitive. The program seeks highly motivated individuals demonstrating potential for management and leadership responsibility and possessing the intellectual ability, initiative, and creativity to excel in its programs as well as in the globally competitive marketplace.

Success in the Master of Business Administration program depends on a number of factors ranging from motivation to practical knowledge to academic ability. The primary purpose of the School's admission criteria and application process is to determine a prospective student's potential to successfully complete the requirements for the M.B.A. degree.

While an undergraduate degree is a prerequisite, no specific undergraduate major or concentration is required to pursue the Dallas M.B.A. program in any M.B.A. concentration.

Because the Graduate School of Management enrolls full-time, part-time, and international students, a variety of paths are available to individuals seeking admission.

Prospective students may apply for admission to the Graduate School of Management for any fall, fall II, spring, spring II, or summer II trimester, or intermester. For more information, students should go online to http://www.thedallasmba.com/admissions.cfm.

Tuition and Fees

Graduate tuition is $466 per credit hour in 2005–06 for residents and nonresidents.

Financial Aid

U.S. graduate students may obtain financial assistance through various loan programs. The University's Financial Aid Office (telephone: 972-721-5266; Web site: http://www.udallas.edu/admiss/gradaid.html) has information and application forms for loans.

CONTACT

Graduate School of Management
University of Dallas
1845 East Northgate Drive
Irving, Texas 75062-4736
Phone: 800-832-5622 (toll-free)
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.thedallasmba.com

Applying

Those interested are encouraged to contact GSM at the address in the Contact section or to visit the Web site for additional information. Students can apply online from anywhere in the world.