www.millikin.edu/mba
Jaclyn Cantwell, MBA Director, Tabor School of Business (217) 424-3503
RJ Podeschi, Dean, Tabor School of Business (217) 424-6285
Becky Nims, Administrative Assistant, Tabor School of Business (217) 424-6285
The Millikin Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a unified curriculum focusing on preparing its graduates for positions of leadership in today’s complex business world. The program starts with understanding the language of business and ends with decision-making. It develops leaders who can analyze a business situation from different perspectives and then exercise the judgment and creativity across disciplines to create a solution.
The program is not about expertise in a narrow field. Instead, it is about finding successful solutions where fields and functions intersect. The MBA program teaches how to see those intersections, how to frame quantitative and qualitative questions, and how to articulate comprehensive answers to complex questions.
The Millikin MBA offers people who want to be leaders and manager’s practical, professional experience and training in areas such as skill building, team building and project management in an environment rich in creativity, collaboration, and values. It is a student-oriented, challenging program with creative partnering among our faculty, alumni, and the business community in an adaptive, entrepreneurial spirit.
Each cohort is deliberately small to be flexible and personal. Students will find a diversity of perspectives in terms of experiences-for profits/not-for-profit, size of company and type, including health care, processing, manufacturing, banking, and family business. Students develop team relationships with faculty, business leaders, alumni and each other and emerge with a solid network within the regional business community. Graduates will leave the program with the skills and connections they need to succeed in leadership positions in an organization or run their own company.
The Millikin MBA Program is an in-person, 40-credit program.
MBA Program Mission:
To transform strong, professional candidates into exemplar leaders who:
- have an expanded and complex understanding of business matters in the global environment;
- embody their role as an ethical leader through sensitivity to people, profit, and planet; and
- distinguish themselves in their careers, business, and communities through greater analytical and application skills advanced with confidence in domestic and international assignments requiring greater responsibility.
MBA Program Goals. The MBA Program:
- Sequences the curriculum in a deliberate manner to ensure mastery of foundational business disciplines while extending the student’s propensity to augment existing professional inquiry and skills.
- Formulates professional communication strategies which focus on values, cultures, and people to assist in planning, prioritizing, and integrating the best practices of central messaging, language application, and delivery in a variety of business situations.
- Extends professional business planning and organizational skills in the principled acquisition of data and professional analyses in a global environment.
- Focuses professional business planning and organizational skills through the extensive use of case studies and Performance Learning to compel the students to strengthen their analytical and reasoning skills in the implementation, performance, and evaluative processes.
- Integrates principles and best practices of ethical leadership and partnerships throughout the curriculum to advance the graduate’s sensitivity to people, profit, and planet.
MBA Program Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of foundational business disciplines in order to apply sound business theory and concepts to diverse business matters in a global environment.
- Formulate and validate effective professional communication strategies which prioritize and integrate the best practices of central messaging, language application, and delivery in a variety of business situations.
- Validate professional business planning and organizational skills in the principled acquisition of data and professional analyses.
- Validate professional business planning and organizational skills by using integrative and adaptive approaches in the implementation, performance, and evaluative processes.
- Embody the role of an ethical leader who constructs a principled and successful team environment which is conducive of and committed to the foundational interrelationships of people, profit, and planet.
MBA Options:
Millikin’s Tabor School of Business offers one program with two deliveries:
- Evening MBA Program
- Accelerated MBA Program
MBA Program Admission:
Ideal candidates for Millikin’s MBA Program are highly motivated professionals who seek leadership positions in an organization or aspire to run their own organization. We seek to admit driven individuals who will contribute to the learning experiences of others and integrate theory with practice. Academic and professional successes are important criteria for selection into the program. Applicants are evaluated on academic record and work experience.
All applicants must submit:
- A completed Application for Admission, found at www.millikin.edu/mba
- Current Resume:
- Include all professional and educational background along with any awards, honors, or distinctions.
- Statement of Purpose:
- Submit a 1-2 page statement describing personal and professional goals.
- This is also used as a writing sample for each applicant.
- References:
- A reference form will be emailed to 3 choice individuals with direct knowledge of applicant’s education, professional background & leadership abilities.
- Evening MBA Program applicants should include a direct supervisor.
- Accelerated MBA Program applicants should include a recent professor.
- Official Transcripts:
- Applicants must request transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions from which they have obtained a degree.
- Applicants with a cumulative GPA between 2.5-3.0 may be admitted provisionally and be expected to complete an Academic Success Plan with the program Director for the first unit of courses before a full admittance to the degree program can be administered. If conditions of the provisional admission are not met within this time, it may result in dismissal from the degree program.
- Applicants with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or under may be admitted at the discretion of the program Director. If admitted, the applicant will be admitted provisionally and be expected to complete an Academic Success Plan with the program Director for the first two units of courses before the applicant is admitted to the degree program. If conditions of the provisional admission are not met within this time, it may result in termination from the degree program.
- Interview with MBA Program admin.
International applicants must complete admission requirements listed above, along with:
- Complete the International Application for Admission. For translation and evaluation, contact World Education Services
- Send Official College Transcripts in English. Transcripts must be evaluated by a professional evaluation service such as World Education Services or Education Credential Evaluators
- Proof of English language proficiency must be submitted. (This requirement may be waived for students who have earned a degree from an institution using English as the method of instruction). Minimum test scores:
- 79 TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT
- 6.5 IELTS
- 56 PTE(A)
- 105 Duo Lingo
** For students who need to improve their writing skills, “conditional admission” will be issued and students will study for one semester in Millikin’s English Language Center, where they will be placed in Level 4 instruction with a focus on writing.
Application Deadlines:
Application materials must be submitted by the following dates each year:
Accelerated MBA: May 1
Evening MBA: December 1
MBA Program Requirements & Administration:
Students must successfully complete the following to graduate:
- An application to graduate
- Completion of the MBA 40 credit-hour curriculum
- Continuous enrollment must be maintained until all graduation requirements are met.
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 (B-)
- A student will be placed on Academic Recovery until the end of the next semester if the GPA falls below 2.7 for any given semester. Once on Academic Recovery, the student must meet with the program Director for a “progression review” to determine if and how to proceed.
- A degree will not be granted if the final GPA is below 2.7. The student is placed on program suspension and may re-apply after 1 year to repeat courses deemed appropriate by the program Director after a “progression review.” The student may then graduate if the final GPA is raised to at least a 2.7.
- Students are financially responsible for any repeated courses.
- When a student repeats a course at Millikin to replace their prior grade, the second grade received will determine the student’s grade and the credit earned for the course. All course grades will appear on the transcript.
- A course repeated at an institution other than Millikin does not eliminate the previous grade from being computed in the student’s grade point average. The repeated course will be recorded for zero earned credits but can be used to satisfy degree requirements. Transfer courses do not affect the overall grade point average.
- Achieve a grade of B- or higher in all courses
- Grades are determined by the instructor of each course.
- If a student fails to achieve a B- or higher in a course, the student is placed on immediate program suspension and may re-apply after 1 year to repeat the course/continue their curriculum after a “progression review.” The student may then graduate once all courses are completed with a grade of B- of higher.
- Students are financially responsible for any repeated courses.
- When a student repeats a course at Millikin to replace their prior grade, the second grade received will determine the student’s grade and the credit earned for the course. All course grades will appear on the transcript.
- A course repeated at an institution other than Millikin does not eliminate the previous grade from being computed in the student’s grade point average. The repeated course will be recorded for zero earned credits but can be used to satisfy degree requirements. Transfer courses do not affect the overall grade point average.
- Completion of an exit exam
- Tuition paid in full as verified by Student Financial Services
Advising and Registration:
- Students in the MBA Program are advised by the program Director,
- The program Director will assist each cohort in course registration prior to each semester.
- Students enroll for one semester at a time.
- All returning students must validate their registrations prior to the first day of class for the fall and spring semesters.
- Advisors and students have access to electronic degree transcripts & evaluations via muOnline.
- Graduate students are considered full-time if:
- Summer Term: 6 credit hours are completed
- Fall & Spring Terms: 9 credit hours are completed
Grading Policy:
- The grading policy of the MBA Program reflects a commitment to the relationship between theory and practice, and the need for the student to be able to apply theoretical learning in the working world.
- The MBA Program has adopted the following standard for numerical assignment of letter grades:
- 93% - 100% A
- 90% - 92.99% A-
- 87% - 89.99% B+
- 83% - 86.99% B
- 80% - 82.99% B-
- 77% - 79.99% C+
- 73% - 76.99% C
- 70% - 72.99% C-
- 67% - 69.99% D+
- 63% - 66.99% D
- 60% - 62.99% D-
- below 60% F
University Accelerated Course Attendance Policy:
Millikin MBA students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled classes; students are responsible for material covered in class, whether or not they are present.
Absences due to illness of the student, serious illness or death in the immediate family, religious holidays, or extenuating circumstances generally carry no penalty. Students are expected to notify their instructors in advance about anticipated absences and to make appropriate arrangements to make up work.
Students may sometimes have events scheduled in conflict with their classes. Students should notify their instructors well in advance of these dates. Individual faculty may have different policies about attendance and makeup privileges for students.
Any absence will likely have a negative impact on the student’s participation and grade in the course. Students who miss more than 25% of the scheduled contact hours of an accelerated course will be notified they should drop the course, or they may be assigned a failing grade for the course*. A student who officially drops from a course prior to the last day of class will receive the grade of W on their transcript. Students who fail to officially drop will receive a grade of an F on their transcript.
*Example: 25% of an 8-week course (3 credit hours) with 28 scheduled contact hours is 7 hours, or 2 class periods.
Any portion of a missed class (coming in late, leaving early, or taking excessive breaks) may be counted toward total unexcused absences.
The instructor may set additional requirements for a course but will not modify the minimum class attendance policy. Accepting makeup work, late, or missing assignments is at the discretion of the instructor as established in the requirements for each course. The instructor’s willingness to accept makeup, late, or missing work will apply only to the student’s recorded grade in the regularly scheduled course. Acceptance of makeup, late, or missing work will NOT allow the student to complete the course unless the faculty have assigned an incomplete for the course. It is the student’s responsibility to understand and abide by these policies.
Guests or family members of MBA students should not be attending class sessions, unless of an emergency and approved by the instructor.
Online Participation Policy:
The Millikin MBA Program is an in-person program. Should you need to miss an in-person session, we are offering you options to help you not miss any class content and to remain engaged with your instructors and your peers by means of virtual attendance and/or recordings with permission from your instructor, at least 24 hours in advance. However, these options are only available on a limited and exception basis; this option is not intended to be used over an extended amount of time, unless approved by the Director of the MBA Program.
Students will only be able to virtually attend a course 25% of the schedule contact hours for the course*.
*Example: 25% of an 8-week course (3 credit hours) with 28 scheduled contact hours is 7 hours, or 2 class periods.
If attending a session online, all students are expected to rigorously participate in class discussion during the regularly scheduled class time. Those who are joining online must keep their cameras on during the class time, be in front of the camera in a classroom-like posture the entire class time and present a professional business attitude. Students must have adequate bandwidth to be actively engaged during the class and in an environment free of background distraction.
Class participation will count for 20% of your final grade, so it is important that you be available during class time.
Guests, family members, or pets of MBA students should not be visible on camera during virtual class sessions, unless of an emergency and approved by the instructor.
Dress Code Policy:
MBA students are expected to dress in business casual attire for every class session, unless the session’s tasks require otherwise. MBA students must always present a clean, professional appearance. Clothing with offensive/inappropriate designs or clothing that is revealing are not allowed; students will be asked to leave the classroom.
Team Member Performance Discrepancy Policy:
If a team member isn’t contributing/participating fairly to a team project, the following actions should be implemented:
- The team, preferably with all team members present, should meet/discuss with the appropriate team member.
- The team, preferably with all team members present, should meet/discuss with the respective faculty member, with evidence from prior steps.
- The team, preferably with all team members present, should meet/discuss with the MBA Program Director, with evidence from prior steps. This meeting will determine the best course of action moving forward.
Course/Program Evaluation:
- A brief evaluation is administered at the three-week mark of each course. The instructor and the program Director review this evaluation to address any perceived needs of the class at that time. It can be anonymous and is not used for grading.
- An evaluation is administered online at the end of each course so the instructor and program Director can review perceptions of the course & the instructor. It can be anonymous and is not used for grading.
- A verbal feedback session is administered at the half-way mark of the program by the program Director and Dean of the Business School.
- A Program Exit Survey is administered at the conclusion of the MBA Program.
Commencement:
Students are ultimately responsible for knowing University, College/School, and Departmental Graduation requirements for their degree(s). While the University is committed to advising, it is the responsibility of the student to seek out the advisor in a timely fashion, provide information on personal and academic issues relevant to the student-advisor interaction and to be familiar with appropriate sections of the University Bulletin, including but not limited to the requirements for graduation. Advisors and students have access to electronic degree evaluations via muONLINE.
MBA degrees are granted at the close of the Spring term. Students must submit an application to graduate prior to the close of the Spring term. Degrees are voted on by faculty and the Board of Trustees at the end of each term.
Two formal Commencement Ceremonies are held in May and December. Students who complete their degree in time for one of these ceremonies or who have no more than 2 courses left to complete their degree are invited to participate in one of the two ceremonies dependent upon when they complete their degree. It is important to note that participation in Commencement ceremonies does not obligate the University to confer a degree unless all requirements have been satisfactorily completed.
Honors designations do not exist for graduates in the MBA.
Although attendance is optional, students are strongly encouraged to attend this celebration to receive their degrees. A graduation fee is charged to all graduating students whether they participate in ceremonies or not and must be paid prior to the day of Commencement.
Withdrawal Policies:
Students enroll for one semester at a time. Students who leave the University during or at the end of the semester must report to the program Director and the Office of the Registrar to complete the necessary procedures and forms.
- Students who drop their registration prior to the first day of classes will not be charged tuition. However, the deposit/registration fee is non-refundable.
- Current students who do not withdraw officially from the University prior to the start of classes may be liable to pay all tuition and fees owed for that term.
- Students who withdraw from the University on the first day of classes and thereafter will receive a refund of charges assessed by the University in the following manner:
- Each student’s individual record is reviewed in accordance with program policies below and in conjunction with Federal and State regulation.
- In the event a credit balance exists after calculations are complete and funds have been returned to individual programs, the University will issue a refund to the student.
- If it is determined that a student is eligible for a post-withdraw disbursement of Federal funds, notification will be provided in writing.
- Calculations and return of funds will be completed no later than 45 days from date of withdrawal.
If a student voluntarily withdraws from a course in the term,
- They must notify the program Director and/or the advisor. The student will be given a time ticket to withdraw.
- Tuition charges will be applied accordingly. It is strongly recommended that students consult with the Student Financial Services prior to withdrawing from a course. Financial aid eligibility and/or financial aid awards may be affected.
- Grades will be applied accordingly:
- Withdraws after the first day of class and prior to completion of a course will result in a grade of W (withdrawal). The student may re-take the course one time in the following year.
- If a student withdraws from any course more than two times, dismissal from the MBA Program will be initiated, unless approval is given by the program Director.
- Students who fail to officially withdrawal from a course will receive a grade of an F on their transcript.
If a student voluntarily withdraws from the MBA Program,
- They must meet with the program Director and/or the advisor and complete an exit interview/survey
- The program Director will notify the Office of the Registrar of the withdrawal
- The Office of the Registrar will complete the withdrawal process
- Tuition charges will be applied accordingly. It is strongly recommended that students consult with the Student Financial Services prior to withdrawing from the program. Financial aid eligibility and/or financial aid awards may be affected.
- A grade of W (withdrawal) will be given accordingly in each course.
- Students who fail to officially withdrawal from the program will receive a grade of an F on their transcript.
Billing, Payments, Fees:
Billing and payments for the MBA Program are handled by Student Financial Services. University charges are billed by term (summer, fall, spring). Tuition and required fees for all students are billed and are due prior to the beginning of each term. Students must arrange for full semester payment at the Student Financial Center prior to the billing due date in order to attend classes. Monthly payment arrangements may be set up in the Student Financial Center per term. Accounts not paid in full by the due date are subject to a late fee equal to 1.75% of the unpaid balance. Accounts placed with our collection agency will be assessed an additional fee for collection equal to 25% of the total balance due.
Tuition will be charged at the current graduate rate per credit hour (millikin.edu/cost-aid/cost-attendance). Tuition does not reflect charges for textbooks and course material.
Students must have satisfied their entire account balance before grades can be released, diplomas awarded, transcripts issued, and before participation in Commencement.
Self-Pay students must pay the cost of each semester prior to the start of each semester or sign-up for a payment plan.
Employer-Pay students must verify their status and make payment arrangements with Student Financial Services. Payments will be accepted directly from the employer according to the Student Financial Services payment schedule. If the employer does not pay the full tuition and fees associated with the MBA Program, the student must pay in full any outstanding balance prior to beginning the next semester.
All MBA students will be responsible for paying for:
- A travel insurance fee prior to the International Immersion course
- A graduation fee prior to graduation, which covers costs relating to graduation
- If applicable, the Big Blue Access Textbook Fee (charged per credit)
- If applicable, an online course administrative fee (charged per credit)
- If applicable, a fee for a 1-year parking pass
Financial Aid:
Graduate students primarily have loan options as sources of financial aid. Federal loan options will be awarded each academic year by the Office of Student Financial Services with successful completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Instructions to apply for financial aid are available by contacting Student Financial Services at 217-424-6317 or visiting www.millikin.edu/financial-assistance/graduate-financial-assistance.
Millikin participates in the following federal programs for veterans and eligible dependents:
- Montgomery GI Bill®
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Post 9/11 GI Bill®
- Yellow Ribbon Program
Please see Millikin’s “Veteran’s Benefits” webpage for further details on certification.
The MBA Program offers a scholarship for Millikin alumni; please contact the program Director for further details.
Graduate Assistantships are available in the Accelerated MBA Program and are competitive in nature. Please visit the Millikin MBA website for application, availability, and details.
The Evening MBA Program offers a full tuition waiver for one Millikin University employee each cohort; please contact the program Director for further details.
Auditing a Graduate Course:
Students who wish to attend classes and lectures regularly, but without responsibility for outside work and examinations, are classified as auditors and do not receive college credit. Current graduate students and degree-holding alumni of Millikin University graduate programs are permitted to audit a regularly scheduled graduate class, tuition-free, with instructor and program director approval, if space is available. The Office of the Registrar handles these registrations. There is a $100 fee charged for registrations to cover access to Millikin’s computer network and access to the Staley Library.
Master of Business Administration
Graduate Certificate
