Fully Online
Scholarships Available
Full-Time or Part Time
App. Deadline: Aug. 1, Dec. 15
36 Credit Hours, 12-24 Months
AACSB accredited
A Smarter, More Affordable MBA — Designed with the flexibility working professionals need, our fully online program combines real-world relevance with exceptional value.
Join us at one of our upcoming virtual Graduate School Open House events on Zoom! You'll have the opportunity to learn more about Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp, understand the Graduate School application process, and meet key program representatives.
Our MBA curriculum was designed in collaboration with employers in western North Carolina, WCU College of Business faculty, and recent MBA graduates. Our students exit the program Business Ready® to meet the employment needs of aspiring graduates and the regional business community.
Courses are led by academically qualified Ph.D. faculty and the program boasts participative engagement with regional businesses through tours, internships, and guest speakers, adding highly valued networking opportunities to the classroom experience.
Classes are offered fully online to support both full-time enrollment and working professionals who need to attend part-time. Our 36-semester hour curriculum (no prerequisites required) can be completed in 3 semesters full-time and 6 semesters part-time (for working professionals).
Our program is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the internationally recognized accrediting agency for business schools.
Prerequisites: There are no required prerequisite courses, but strong analytical and communications skills are required. An intensive pre-MBA "Boot Camp" program is required for incoming students and is scheduled each August, covering the basics in accounting, economics, and Excel.
The program leading to the Master of Business Administration degree requires the completion of 36 semester hours at the graduate level. A minimum average GPA of 3.0 must be met in all MBA core courses to satisfy degree requirements.
The curriculum focuses on the unique challenges in our regional economy, the need for global competitiveness, and the application of knowledge. The program consists of a 24-hour core and 12 hours of electives. With advisor approval, the 12 hours of electives can be chosen such that a specialization is developed. Students may also choose to complete their electives to earn a graduate certificate upon graduation. Electives may be taken from the following College of Business graduate programs: accounting, entrepreneurship, innovation leadership, project management, sport management, as well as other university programs or AACSB accredited institutions (up to 6 transfer credit hours may be accepted). Other elective options are available with advisor approval.
The core consists of:
MBA 623 Accounting: Understanding Performance & Informing Decisions
The study of how accounting information is used to both evaluate management and firm
performance as well as provide valuable information to inform managerial decisions.
MBA 625 Applied Business Economics
Apply theory to help frame challenges faced by individuals and firms.  Articulate
relationship between market structure and power, offer innovative solutions to market
function challenges.
MBA 627 Applied Business Analytics
An introduction to decision making using descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive
approaches. Topics included are data visualization, regression models, optimization
models and decision analysis.
MBA 631 Human Resource Management
Managing human assets and liabilities, including employment, labor rules, dispute
resolution, and employee benefits.
MBA 635 Managing Value-Creating Business Operations
Processes, problems, and strategies related to the creation of products and services.
MBA 637 Financial Management and Valuation
Provides a framework for analyzing financial management and investment decisions. 
Develops practical tools for decision-making and valuation in a global and dynamic
financial environment.
MBA 641 Marketing Management
Managing marketing strategy, product positioning, product, channels, communications,
pricing strategies, and marketing research.  Developing innovative strategies to respond
in the international marketplace.
MBA 643 Integrative Strategic Management
Capstone course designed to bridge other elements of the entire program culminating
with best practices to be an effective organizational leader.
Students may, but are not required to, choose to take their 4 required elective courses in a single subject area to create a specialization or earn a graduate certificate with their MBA degree.
Specializations include:
Accounting
Construction Management
Engineering Technology
Health Care Administration
Non-profit Management
Sport Management
Entrepreneurship*
Innovation Leadership*
Project Management*
...and more!
*these specializations can lead to a graduate certificate
Looking for more information about WCU's MBA Program? Click the link below to gain access to the online brochure.
Required Admission Materials:
International applicants should visit the Graduate School's international applicant web site for additional requirements.
Although tuition and fees may vary from year to year, full-time in-state students can expect to complete the program for under $9,000. Special rates are available for out-of-state students using military benefits.
WCU has limited scholarship options for graduate students. University scholarship applications are due via an online portal by June 30. The university offers a payment plan through an external vendor, and students can apply for federal loans through FAFSA.gov. For assistance with the FAFSA application, students can contact the Financial Aid Office at 828.227.7290.
College of Business Scholarships
The Freda Russell Rayburn Graduate Scholarship is available to full-time, female graduate
business who are switching to business from an unrelated field. The amount of this
scholarship varies.
The Wayte Scholarship is awarded to graduate business students who demonstrate academic achievement and financial need. The amount of this scholarship varies.
Other Scholarships and Grants
In addition, there are a limited number of University Scholarships and Graduate School
tuition awards. Students should plan to apply for scholarships by early February for
university-wide scholarships and grants awarded for the next academic year.
The Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp College of Business isn’t just about academics.  It’s also about students.  The WCU Graduate Business Student Association (GBSA) was formed with this idea in mind.
Encompassing all of the graduate business programs, the association serves many purposes.  This includes providing a networking tool for current students, alumni, and Western North Carolina businesses, a social outlet for students and faculty, as well as a support system.  The association plays an integral role in planning activities that add value to an individual’s graduate education.  In the past, the association has helped students get jobs, brought in speakers, played a part in fundraising for the business school, taken part in community service projects, and planned many fun events.
Previous GBSA events include tours and executive meetings at Harrah’s Casino and the Cancer Center at Mission Hospital.
If you would like to get involved or have any questions, please feel free to contact the association through their .
The MBA Advisory Board enriches MBA experience for students through engagement with the leadership of the program (both administration and faculty), MBA student teams working on commercial projects, and the individual students themselves.  The Board helps to facilitate the continual improvement of the program toward meeting the ever-changing needs of regional and local industry.
Objectives
The MBA-AB provides advice and recommendations to the MBA Administration and faculty on a broad spectrum of business topics and issues including:
Regional demand and opportunities for MBA graduates and interns
Needed skills and training for the employment of MBA graduates
Current business practices of regional employers
Recent trends and conditions in regional industries
The MBA-AB will provide resource and engagement opportunities for MBA students and faculty in areas including:
Tours and visits to regional business sites
Speakers in special areas of expertise not otherwise available
Facilitation of MBA internships and project opportunities