Master of Business Administration
Set Yourself Up for Success
Overview
The skills gained in an MBA program can set you up for success. In today’s business-focused world, organizations recognize the value of hiring MBA graduates.
Benefits to earning a
Master’s Degree in Business Administration:
Improve your communication and conflict management skills
Expand your professional network
Stand out from your peers
Become a more effective, adaptive leader
Increase your earning potential
What’s the Difference at DWU?
-
100% online
Complete your coursework anywhere, anytime. -
7-week courses
Courses are accelerated, so you only focus on the skills that are relevant to the business world today. -
Start class now.
After you are accepted, you can start taking classes within seven weeks. This means you can start when it’s convenient for you. -
No GRE, GMAT or Thesis
Graduate entrance exams are not needed for admission, and you will not have to write a thesis at the conclusion of this program. -
12 months
If you attend full-time, you can complete the program in just one year. If you need greater work-life balance or a more flexible schedule, you can take classes part-time. -
Designed by working professionals for working professionals
Our MBA program is designed specifically for working professionals looking to increase knowledge, skill and ability. With experienced faculty, relevant courses and tons of flexibility, you will be successful in this program, even if you work 40 or more hours per week. -
Auto Acceptance
Auto acceptance for DWU graduates with at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.
Pick Your Path
Earning an MBA can change your life professionally. Depending on your field, you can gain professional skills and qualifications that will set you apart.
Your MBA will allow you to focus in one of three areas:
- Strategic Leadership
- Athletic and Activities Administration
- Nonprofit Administration for Ministry Leaders
Professional Development
Interested in just taking one MBA course for professional development? We’ve got you covered! Take one course, like conflict management, coaching or high performing teams, by enrolling as a nondegree seeking student. If you love it, sign up to complete the entire MBA or add courses as needed. Visit with your admissions representative about your options.
"I chose the MBA through Dakota Wesleyan because it was a nice mixture of business and leadership courses. And truly the flexibility was going to work best for my schedule."
- Matilyn Kerr, Brookings, S.D.
"An MBA had always been something I wanted to do, but life always seemed to get in the way. I loved the fact that it was online, and the flexibility is really what attracted me to it."
- Jami Gates, Sioux Falls, S.D.
"The affordability of the DWU MBA program played a big factor in my decision. The online learning allows virtually anyone to receive their MBA degree with some of the most competitive prices in the nation."
- Bradley Dean, Mitchell, S.D.
Further your professional career with practical and relevant courses.
Master of Business
Administration - Strategic Leadership
The MBA in Strategic Leadership is distinct in its strong focus on adaptive leadership, management and technical business skills. You will be positioned to make an immediate impact in your organization and ascend more quickly to your professional goals. The program requires 36 coursework credit hours.
BUS 617 Employee Life Cycle
3 Hours
Students will learn the employment cycle and the performance management cycle. Knowledge and skills developed will help student recruit, hire, develop, retain, and reassign or release coaches, staff and volunteers.
BUS 625 Practical Economics
3 Hours
Students will explore aspects of the global economy including resources acquisition, development, global shocks, international business, and trade. Students will investigate globalization and seek to provide an understanding of today's interdependent world. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to: evaluate elements of global economics and reflect on their impact to local context, analyze economic interdependencies created by globalization and synthesize economic metrics for financial, marketing, and operational performance.
BUS 626 Data-Informed Decision Making
3 Hours
This practical managerial decision-making class will incorporate analysis of financial statements and accounting metrics. Using case study and application students will: improve their ability to use data to drive financial, marketing, and operational decisions as well as use appropriate metrics to measure performance. Students will demonstrate the ability to: analyze financial statements, use financial analysis for business planning, use statistics and data to drive business decisions.
BUS 695 Strategic Business Analysis and Management
3 Hours
This course covers the determination and analysis of strategic goals and objectives for an organization, both in theoretical approaches and actual application. Students will learn how to do environmental and competitive analysis. Students will also learn to assess various internal and external factors that influence strategic planning such as: economic, social, legal, political, technological and competitive factors. This course will include the completion of a business content area exam. Students will be able to: conduct and present findings of an environmental and competitive analysis and apply principles of strategy and organizational analysis through simulation.
BUS 650 Financial Analysis
3 Hours
Acquire working knowledge of financial analysis principles and practices, including cost of capital analysis, cash flow and budget analysis, forecasting, financial risk management, and capital budgeting that are required to support management decision making. Upon completion of the course students will be able to demonstrate an ability to: conduct cash flow analysis that is appropriate for her/his/their industry and develop a future-focused capital forecast that incorporates working knowledge of current markets and trends.
BUS 655 Project Management
3 Hours
Contemporary business leaders are often tasked with leading the execution of projects. Throughout this course students will learn tools and techniques for connecting the organizations mission and vision to organizational deliverables. Experiential work will engage in development of a project plan that benefits an organization of their choosing using tools such as WBS, PERT, grant charts and heat maps. Students will be able to: use appropriate project management techniques and tools for project design and delivery and demonstrate principles of benefits realization management.
BUS 656 Contemporary Marketing
3 Hours
Students who engage in this course will learn strategies for turning knowledge of consumer behavior into actionable plans designed to improve and increase operational performance. In addition to learning through text and case-study students will develop practical solutions for reaching a consumer audience in their context. Students will be able to: form data-driven predictions about consumer behaviors, analyze big-data, build insights and marketing strategies, and apply course concepts to the design of an effective marketing campaign.
BUS 636 Conflict Management
3 Hours
Conflict can be positive and negative, depending on several factors including how leaders manage. This course engages students in strategies to engage conflict in ways that are constructive for the organization and people involved. Activities will help students understand their conflict style and develop their own conflict management skills. Students will be able to: use mediation, negotiation, and other relevant conflict management strategies in professional settings, use communication effectively in high-stress environments and apply needs- and interest-based strategies to resolve conflict.
BUS 640 Managerial Accounting
3 Hours
An analysis of financial accounting provides the foundations underlying corporate financial statements. This portion of the course will provide students with the ability to read and understand financial statements, along with developing skills to analyze and interpret financial information. The use of managerial accounting tools will help students understand how to better contribute to managerial decision making, planning and controlling processes of management. Students will be able to: use tools for analyzing profitability and liquidity, leverage activity and risk through application of financial ratios and connect accounting principles to managerial reporting.
BUS 606 Adaptive Leadership and Change Management
3 Hours
Organizations are faced with constant and rapid changes in their local and global environments. This perpetual change necessitates that leaders have skills in resiliency, adaptation and innovation. During this course, students will explore theories of adaptive leadership, reflect on their adaptive leadership skills and develop strategies for improvement. In the second part of the course, students will explore principals of change management, learn how to uncover and address resistance to change, develop change plans, and implement and monitor change progress. Students will be able to: incorporate strategies to improve resiliency and adaptation in their context, conduct a stakeholder analysis, and address resistance to change through appropriate behavior change plans.
BUS 635 Coaching and Mentoring in the Workplace
3 Hours
Coaching is a trending competency in progressive organizations. Having an executive coach helps leaders move more quickly and more intentionally in their leadership journey. Coaches can be internal to the organization, working from within, as well as external to the organization, serving as a consultant. This class will help students gain skills and experience for coaching internal and external professionals. Coursework will explore coaching theory, adult learning styles (andragogy), and decision-making styles. Students will be able to: apply adult learning (andragogy) to personal change, develop executive coaching skills at the personal and managerial level and deploy a variety of decision-making styles.
BUS 605 High-Performance Teams
3 Hours
This course is designed to help students polish and develop leadership skills designed to take their teams to the next level. Throughout the course students will learn theories and principals of contemporary and effective leadership. Skill improvement focuses on areas including communication (writing, presenting, listening), time-management, information literacy, personality and strength assessment, and more. Students will also engage in practical and hands-on strategies to accelerate performance among individuals, groups and teams within organizations. Students will be able to: develop a strategy for building a high-performance team, reflect on their own leadership strengths, implement improvement plans for self and others and develop and deliver professional presentations using oral and written tools and techniques.
Want to earn a certificate in strategic leadership? Complete just two courses in each: management, quantitative literacy and leadership. Visit with our Graduate & Online Enrollment Coordinator about your options.
Master of Business Administration – Athletic and Activities Administration (AAA)
The MBA with AAA certification will offer you practical and relevant skills needed to excel in workplaces with specialized leadership and management opportunities. You will learn and apply skills for developing and managing high functioning teams, planning events, managing facilities, raising funds, working with their public, using contemporary skills for promotion and more. With this program, you will earn an MBA with a concentration in Athletic and Activities Administration. The program requires 36 coursework credit hours.
BUS 625 Practical Economics
3 Hours
Students will explore aspects of the global economy including resources acquisition, development, global shocks, international business, and trade. Students will investigate globalization and seek to provide an understanding of today's interdependent world. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to: evaluate elements of global economics and reflect on their impact to local context, analyze economic interdependencies created by globalization and synthesize economic metrics for financial, marketing, and operational performance.
BUS 628 Advanced Public Relations and Promotion
3 Hours
Advanced Public Relations and Promotion will prepare students to develop community partnerships, manage public outreach and engagement, work with the press, and use technology for promotion.
BUS 629 Revenue Generation and Management
3 Hours
Throughout this course students will develop skills needed to raise funds from their public, write grants, and manage budgets. Students will learn contemporary practices for generating funds and managing budgets.
BUS 627 Event and Facilities Planning and Management
3 Hours
This course prepares students with skills they need to plan events and use tools for event planning and management. Students will also learn how to manage and oversee facilities and contract with other entities for facilities management.
BUS 617 Employee Life Cycle
3 Hours
Students will learn the employment cycle and the performance management cycle. Knowledge and skills developed will help student recruit, hire, develop, retain, and reassign or release coaches, staff and volunteers.
BUS 626 Data-Informed Decision Making
3 Hours
This practical managerial decision-making class will incorporate analysis of financial statements and accounting metrics. Using case study and application students will: improve their ability to use data to drive financial, marketing, and operational decisions as well as use appropriate metrics to measure performance. Students will demonstrate the ability to: analyze financial statements, use financial analysis for business planning, use statistics and data to drive business decisions.
BUS 695 Strategic Business Analysis and Management
3 Hours
This course covers the determination and analysis of strategic goals and objectives for an organization, both in theoretical approaches and actual application. Students will learn how to do environmental and competitive analysis. Students will also learn to assess various internal and external factors that influence strategic planning such as: economic, social, legal, political, technological and competitive factors. This course will include the completion of a business content area exam. Students will be able to: conduct and present findings of an environmental and competitive analysis and apply principles of strategy and organizational analysis through simulation.
BUS 656 Contemporary Marketing
3 Hours
Students who engage in this course will learn strategies for turning knowledge of consumer behavior into actionable plans designed to improve and increase operational performance. In addition to learning through text and case-study students will develop practical solutions for reaching a consumer audience in their context. Students will be able to: form data-driven predictions about consumer behaviors, analyze big-data, build insights and marketing strategies, and apply course concepts to the design of an effective marketing campaign.
BUS 636 Conflict Management
3 Hours
Conflict can be positive and negative, depending on several factors including how leaders manage. This course engages students in strategies to engage conflict in ways that are constructive for the organization and people involved. Activities will help students understand their conflict style and develop their own conflict management skills. Students will be able to: use mediation, negotiation, and other relevant conflict management strategies in professional settings, use communication effectively in high-stress environments and apply needs- and interest-based strategies to resolve conflict.
BUS 606 Adaptive Leadership and Change Management
3 Hours
Organizations are faced with constant and rapid changes in their local and global environments. This perpetual change necessitates that leaders have skills in resiliency, adaptation and innovation. During this course, students will explore theories of adaptive leadership, reflect on their adaptive leadership skills and develop strategies for improvement. In the second part of the course, students will explore principals of change management, learn how to uncover and address resistance to change, develop change plans, and implement and monitor change progress. Students will be able to: incorporate strategies to improve resiliency and adaptation in their context, conduct a stakeholder analysis, and address resistance to change through appropriate behavior change plans.
BUS 635 Coaching and Mentoring in the Workplace
3 Hours
Coaching is a trending competency in progressive organizations. Having an executive coach helps leaders move more quickly and more intentionally in their leadership journey. Coaches can be internal to the organization, working from within, as well as external to the organization, serving as a consultant. This class will help students gain skills and experience for coaching internal and external professionals. Coursework will explore coaching theory, adult learning styles (andragogy), and decision-making styles. Students will be able to: apply adult learning (andragogy) to personal change, develop executive coaching skills at the personal and managerial level and deploy a variety of decision-making styles.
Master of Business Administration - Nonprofit Administration for Ministry Leaders
Earning an MBA with an emphasis in nonprofit administration will help you elevate your leadership and business management skills within a church setting. Projects and coursework will be focused on practical application, and you will have opportunities to network with others in the program to create a synergy that lasts beyond the program. The program requires 36 coursework credit hours.
NPA 620 Governance, Personnel and Volunteer Management
3 Hours
In this course, students will learn the different roles and responsibilities of governing boards, staff members and volunteers, and learn how to navigate roles, responsibilities and relationships within these structures. Students will discover ways to respond to challenges, and how to design appropriate structures and methods for recruiting, training, developing, sustaining and retaining the right talent for important roles and responsibilities in the church.
NPA 661 Communications and Community Outreach
3 Hours
In this course, students will develop an understanding of their churchs alignment with the needs of their congregational community as well as the needs of their community of geographic proximity. Students will explore a variety of mediums and communication strategies to design (or modify) methods of internal and external communications, develop skills in marketing and messaging to and for their church, and evaluate and engage strategies for effective outreach.
NPA 610 Financial Resource Development
3 Hours
This course will discuss the current state of giving within the church, examine the underlying tenets of giving from a scriptural and a human perspective, and explore different approaches for cultivating giving within the church that will enable short and long-term sustainable resource development.
BUS 625 Practical Economics
3 Hours
Students will explore aspects of the global economy including resources acquisition, development, global shocks, international business, and trade. Students will investigate globalization and seek to provide an understanding of today's interdependent world. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to: evaluate elements of global economics and reflect on their impact to local context, analyze economic interdependencies created by globalization and synthesize economic metrics for financial, marketing, and operational performance.
BUS 606 Adaptive Leadership & Change Management
3 Hours
Organizations are faced with constant and rapid changes in their local and global environments. This perpetual change necessitates that leaders have skills in resiliency, adaptation and innovation. During this course, students will explore theories of adaptive leadership, reflect on their adaptive leadership skills and develop strategies for improvement. In the second part of the course, students will explore principals of change management, learn how to uncover and address resistance to change, develop change plans, and implement and monitor change progress. Students will be able to: incorporate strategies to improve resiliency and adaptation in their context, conduct a stakeholder analysis and address resistance to change through appropriate behavior change plans.
BUS 626 Data-Informed Decision Making
3 Hours
This practical managerial decision-making class will incorporate analysis of financial statements and accounting metrics. Using case study and application students will: improve their ability to use data to drive financial, marketing, and operational decisions as well as use appropriate metrics to measure performance. Students will demonstrate the ability to: analyze financial statements, use financial analysis for business planning, use statistics and data to drive business decisions.
BUS 655 Project Management
3 Hours
Contemporary business leaders are often tasked with leading the execution of projects. Throughout this course students will learn tools and techniques for connecting the organizations mission and vision to organizational deliverables. Experiential work will engage in development of a project plan that benefits an organization of their choosing using tools such as WBS, PERT, grant charts and heat maps. Students will be able to: use appropriate project management techniques and tools for project design and delivery and demonstrate principles of benefits realization management.
BUS 636 Conflict Management
3 Hours
Conflict can be positive and negative, depending on several factors including how leaders manage. This course engages students in strategies to engage conflict in ways that are constructive for the organization and people involved. Activities will help students understand their conflict style and develop their own conflict management skills. Students will be able to: use mediation, negotiation, and other relevant conflict management strategies in professional settings, use communication effectively in high-stress environments and apply needs- and interest-based strategies to resolve conflict.
BUS 605 High-Performance Teams
3 Hours
This course is designed to help students polish and develop leadership skills designed to take their teams to the next level. Throughout the course students will learn theories and principals of contemporary and effective leadership. Skill improvement focuses on areas including communication (writing, presenting, listening), time-management, information literacy, personality and strength assessment, and more. Students will also engage in practical and hands-on strategies to accelerate performance among individuals, groups and teams within organizations. Students will be able to: develop a strategy for building a high-performance team, reflect on their own leadership strengths, implement improvement plans for self and others and develop and deliver professional presentations using oral and written tools and techniques.
Accreditation and Rankings
The Musick Family Department of Business at Dakota Wesleyan University has received specialized accreditation for its business programs through the International Accreditation Council for
Business Education (IACBE) located at 11960 Quivira Road, Suite 300, Overland Park, KS 66213. This program is also affirmed by NC-SARA.
Click Here for a listing of accredited
programs.
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Admission Requirements
To be eligible for admission, you must meet the following criteria:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- If your bachelor’s degree is not in a business-related field, you will have an opportunity to complete the required leveling courses through Peregrine Academic Services. The program is self-paced and can be explained in further detail by your admissions representative.
- Minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75.
After you have completed the online application, we will contact you to explain how to complete the submission process. You will be asked to provide:
- An official transcript from your bachelor’s degree-awarding institution
- A current resume
Complete the FREE online application now!
Paying For Your Degree
Earning a degree is a great personal investment. There are a few common paths some of our students take to finance their online education at Dakota Wesleyan University.
There are a variety of scholarship opportunities available to you. Visit with your admissions representative to learn more.
Your Contacts
At DWU, we take the time to establish personal and meaningful connections with you. As you explore the MBA program, you’ll work with an admissions representative and our program director that will focus on you and your goals.
Janet Greenway
Graduate & Online Enrollment Coordinator
Diana Goldammer, Ed.D.
Associate Professor | MBA Program Director | Director of the Kelley Center for Entrepreneurship
