Ball State University’s Miller College of Business (MCOB) is partnering with American University at Iraq – Baghdad (AUIB) to offer AUIB-affiliated students an opportunity to earn a Ball State Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree through online instruction.
This collaborative program begins in August 2023 with a pilot cohort for the 2023-2024 academic year. The pilot cohort will contain a maximum of six students. Numbers of students in subsequent cohorts may vary.
On March 31, Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns and AUIB President Michael Mulnix participated in a ceremonial signing of the memorandum of understanding for the partnership on Ball State’s Muncie campus.
“This collaboration between our universities represents a great opportunity for Ball State to provide a premier education to AUIB students,” said President Mearns. “This partnership with AUIB allows Ball State to extend its global impact. And this partnership provides an exciting opportunity for members of our University community to make new connections and to build new relationships with the people of Iraq.”
AUIB had a great demand for an MBA program, because so many people already working in business and government wanted a U.S.-accredited degree—that would be recognized around the world—at an affordable price, said AUIB President Mulnix.
“Dean Stephen Ferris of the Miller College of Business at Ball State stepped up to partner with us, and Miller College of Business is proving to be the perfect partner for working with us to transform business leadership in the Iraqi private sector,” AUIB President Mulnix added. “With its highly experienced professors—who have broad international experience—working with our faculty in Baghdad, we are confident our joint program with Ball State will promote Iraq’s economic development and diversification into a broader economy that creates more jobs for young Iraqis. Those Iraqis will have the skills needed to make Iraq competitive on the global scene.”
The Ball State/AUIB program’s core lectures will be provided online by Ball State instructors to the AUIB campus. AUIB-affiliated students can attend the lectures at the AUIB campus, where AUIB instructors will be on-hand to facilitate—offering local context and applications, elaboration and clarification, office hours, and academic services in efforts to increase the relevance of the content in the Iraqi context. Ball State instructors will not travel to Iraq. Grades and academic assignments, including tests, will be conveyed by Ball State instructors electronically via Canvas, Ball State's learning management system. Students are awarded Ball State’s MBA degree on completion of all graduation requirements.
“Miller College of Business is proud to provide the expertise of its faculty and staff in ways that can be impactful on an international level,” said Dean Ferris. “I am very pleased that I responded to their initial invitation to collaborate, and I anticipate our partnership will grow in value and importance.”
AUIB-affiliated students with a business undergraduate degree who apply for admission will meet Ball State’s Graduate School admission requirements, MBA admission requirements, and requirements for International Admissions. Students who do not meet Graduate Management Admissions Test/Graduate Record Examination (GMAT/GRE) requirements can be admitted to a certificate program. Such admission will waive GMAT/GRE requirements. Students who earn a 3.2 GPA in the Certificate program can apply for and be admitted to the MBA program.