Ball State’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program has a reputation for quality teaching that delivers the practical and rigorous experiences necessary to excel in today’s global and digital economy. All of this, plus convenience and personal attention, is wrapped into a degree that focuses on building your strategy, ethics, leadership knowledge and skills. Our emphasis on decision making is one of the great differentiators of a Ball State MBA.
The Ball State MBA is consistently ranked in the top 20 of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online MBA Programs.
View the ranking.
Offered with the flexibility of classes on campus, online, or a blend of both, you can customize your MBA further by choosing one of five concentrations or a general MBA:
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Health Economics, Policy, and Administration
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management
- Sales Management
- General MBA
Accredited
We are among the world's top five percent of all business schools to have accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, placing the quality of our instruction among the best in the world. Learn More.
Flexible Delivery
We understand that many of our students have families, full-time professions, and countless other responsibilities outside of their schoolwork. That is why our program offers flexibility in how you complete your degree.
Earning your MBA at Ball State means you may:
- take classes on campus, online, or through a blend of both
- complete your degree either full-time or part-time
- begin your program in the fall, spring, or summer
Program Requirements
Ball State’s MBA includes 24 credits of core courses and 6 to 9 credits of MBA electives covering in-depth knowledge of entrepreneurship, finance, management, marketing, sales, and more.
Also, if you don’t already have equivalent undergraduate business course work on your transcript, you might need to take certain foundation courses.
Total Credits
- You have a business degree—30 to 33
- You do not have a business degree—up to 51 (depends on how many foundation courses you need and which concentration you choose)
Core Courses
Core courses are the heart of a Ball State MBA and will give you the advanced skills you need for strategic thinking, decision-making, leading, and communicating. You will take eight core courses for a total of 24 credits.
- MBA 601 Entrepreneurial Leadership
- MBA 611 Statistics and Quantitative Methods
- MBA 621 Information Systems
- MBA 631 Accounting and Decision Making
- MBA 651 Economic Analysis for Managers
- MBA 661 Managerial Finance
- MBA 671 Marketing Management
- MBA 691 Global Strategic Management (or MGT 649 Entrepreneurial Strategy for students in the entrepreneurship concentration)
If you do not have an undergraduate degree in business or certain undergraduate courses in business-related topics, you will need to take up to five courses designed to give you foundational business knowledge that will prepare you for the rigorous courses that are within the Ball State MBA program.
You may need all or only some of the following courses, depending on your academic background. After you apply, your transcript will be reviewed and you will be notified which foundation courses you may need.
- ACC 501 Financial Accounting
- ECON 509 Survey of Economic
- FIN 500 Corporation Finance
- MKG 505 Survey of Marketing
- MGT 500 Managing Organizational Behavior
- ISOM 551 Operations Management
Concentrations
You can choose from five concentrations that let you develop keener expertise in your career field. Or you may select our general MBA program to gain a wider understanding of business.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Whether you want to launch your own business, become a senior-level executive, or pursue an entirely different career goal, Ball State’s MBA concentration in entrepreneurship will empower you to recognize and seize opportunities in the economy.
Required Courses
- MGT 640 Entrepreneurial Innovation and the Discovery of Opportunity
- MGT 647 Entrepreneurial Planning and Feasibility
- MGT 649 Entrepreneurial Strategy (instead of MBA 691 as a core course)
Finance
Finance
Finance requires a special blend of creativity and critical thinking skills. You have to know the numbers and see the big picture at the same time. If you want to leverage an MBA in such fields as commercial banking, corporate finance, insurance, private equity, real estate, or financial planning, then our finance concentration is right for you.
Required Courses
- RMI 570 Insurance
- FIN 650 Investment Management
- FIN 680 Global Financial Policy
Health
Health Economics, Policy, and Administration
Ball State’s MBA concentration in health economics, policy, and administration will give you an edge in one of the nation’s largest (and fastest growing) industries. You’ll learn to analyze the benefits and costs of different methods of health care delivery and financing from all viewpoints—patients, providers, and manufacturers—while mastering the analytical skills and policy perspectives needed to navigate the industry.
Required Courses
- ECON 683 Health Economic Analysis
- ECON 693 Health Economics and Policy
- either MGT 661 Human Resources Management or RMI 570 Risk Management and Insurance
Logistics
Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Through our MBA concentration in logistics and supply chain management, you’ll graduate with a polished skillset in the crucial business of getting products and services to customers. Plus, you’ll emerge with a critical edge in the marketplace—only 13 percent of employees in this high-paying field have a master’s degree.
Required Courses
- ISOM 651 Supply Chain Management
- ISOM 654 Project Management
- ISOM 655 Quality Management
Sales
Sales Management
If you want to develop and enhance your professional selling and sales management knowledge and skills, this MBA concentration can help you do it. You’ll learn to establish and develop customer relationships, manage the customer relationship life cycle, use sales and marketing analytics to measure performance, and manage a sales force. Ball State is the only university in Indiana, and only one of a handful nationally, to offer a graduate-level concentration in professional selling and sales management.
Required Courses
- MKG 625 Professional Selling Skills and Practices
- MKG 630 Customer Relationship Management
- MKG 635 Sales Management
General MBA
General MBA
Looking for a more general approach to your MBA studies? This 30-credit option is designed for professionals to develop knowledge and skills in fundamental business disciplines. This program will provide you with the most flexibility to customize your program to your career and educational goals.
Graduate Certificates
Not sure if you are ready for an MBA? Our business essentials certificate is an excellent way to earn credits toward an MBA by completing the foundation courses. Or if you’re interested in a more specialized area, consider our certificates in health economics, policy, and administration or professional sales. Explore our certificates.
Course Delivery Options
We offer three options: on campus, online, or hybrid. Outcomes are the same for each, and you’ll learn from the same distinguished faculty.
If you prefer the give-and-take of classroom discussions, or If you prefer to meet in-person with faculty and peers, then pursuing your MBA on campus is the right choice for you.
You’ll also have access to on-campus opportunities, including:
The majority of our MBA students earn their degrees completely online. We don’t have a residency requirement, so you never have to come to campus.
With Ball State, you don’t have to sacrifice quality to pursue an MBA online. As a virtual learner, you’ll access the same quality coursework and distinguished faculty as on-campus students. Supported by our robust technical support and student services, you’ll enjoy the type of flexibility and convenience that empowers you to continue working a full-time job while pursuing your studies. Most of our students are working professionals who enroll in an average of two courses each semester and finish within two years.
Some courses are offered in an asynchronous format, meaning there is no specific sign-on time each week. Rather, you have weekly assignments and deadlines that you complete at times and places most convenient to you.
But, the majority of our online MBA courses are webcast and synchronous. You sign on at a specific time to watch and participate in a live webcast lecture and discussion. However, your weekly assignments can be completed at times that work best for you. And, lectures are also available for you to watch after the original webcast date.
In all of our online courses, you’ll keep in contact with instructors and classmates using e-mail, discussion boards, file sharing, chats, web page posting, and possibly over the telephone. And, if some of those words sound unfamiliar right now, don't worry. We offer technical assistance to you all along the way.
Learn more about how online learning works at Ball State.
Our hybrid approach offers the best of both worlds—the convenience of online learning with the benefits of face-to-face interaction with instructors.
You can ask your advisor if you are interested in taking a mix of online and on-campus courses.
Please note that any semester you take one or more courses on our main campus, you will be charged on-campus graduate student fees.
Paying for Your Education
Financial Aid for MBA Students
On top of the many financial aid options offered through our Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, we have graduate assistantships and scholarships for our students. Learn more.
Ready to Apply?
If you’re prepared to take the next step in your academic or career journey, then we want you for the Ball State MBA. Learn more about our admission requirements and how to apply, or go directly to our graduate admissions office by clicking below.
Get Started
More Information
Have questions? Want to learn more about our program or schedule a visit?