Master of Business Administration

Program Description

The Cedar Crest College MBA program is a 36-credit degree, delivered in accelerated sessions, allowing students to complete the program in as little as one year. Classes are offered in both a hybrid/onsite and an entirely online format. Students in the MBA program create a customized online business portfolio in consultation with their faculty advisor, based on their own individual career goals and areas of interest.

Cedar Crest’s MBA provides a focus on women’s leadership, and an emphasis on strategic management. It is a collaborative, career-centric program that prepares students for success in today’s ever-changing global business environment, and challenges students to develop and apply strategic leadership and managerial skills.

Graduates will develop and demonstrate the skills and competencies needed to:

Evaluate principles and strategies for ethical leadership and legal compliance within organizations
Integrate and apply expert use of marketing, financial, operating and strategic management techniques that include research based analytical and statistical methodologies
Demonstrate proficiency in accounting concepts, procedures and applications which impact organizational stakeholders and strategic decision-makers
Investigate marketing approaches to understand markets (locally and globally) competitors, portfolios of products and analytic technologies
Understand the basis for economic theory and financial decision-making and use theoretical tools and practical experience to examine relationships among organization
Explore and examine models of change and the implication of emerging technologies in organizations
Examine effective team-building and intercultural communication strategies to build and sustain productive work environments

Program Mission Statement

The Master of Business Administration at Cedar Crest College prepares leaders of organizations who serve as responsible members of the community, possess advanced functional expertise, and apply best practices to shape organizational strategies that promote productivity, profitability, and ethical behavior.

Program Requirements

To complete the MBA degree, a student in the program must take a minimum of 36 credits and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

General Admissions Requirements

Students are admitted to graduate programs at Cedar Crest College on the basis of individual qualifications. Requests for application materials and all correspondence relating to admission should be addressed to:

Cedar Crest College 
School for Adult and Graduate Education 
100 College Drive 
Allentown, PA 18104-6196 
Phone: 610-740-3770 
Email:  
Fax: 610-740-3786 
Online Application Materials: www.cedarcrest.edu/graduate

On campus, the main office for the School for Adult and Graduate Education is located in Blaney Hall, Room 105 and is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to – 4:30 p.m.

The general admissions requirements for the Master of Business Administration program are as follows:

An applicant must possess a B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited college or university.
Complete an application form.
Send official transcripts to the School of Adult and Graduate Education.
Submit one letter of recommendation.
Submit flex option: one additional letter of recommendation, GRE or GMAT score, or have two years’ professional work experience.
Submit a copy of your resume.
Submit a statement of your goals (approximately 500 words).

MBA 4+1 Students do not have to submit the flex requirement.

It is recommended that the applicant have completed the following coursework at the undergraduate level:

One semester of economics
One semester of accounting
One semester of statistics

*GMAT or GRE test may be required if the applicant does not meet criteria established by the program.

Admissions Decisions

Each applicant will be considered from a holistic perspective. The Program Director reserves the right to ask the prospective candidate for additional information.

Matriculation

Matriculation is required for any student who plans to receive financial aid and obtain a graduate degree. A student applies for matriculation by submitting a completed application for admission to the School of Adult and Graduate Education. After submitting a complete application, students receive a letter from the College informing them of the decision concerning their acceptance as a degree candidate. Students are matriculated into the program once they have registered for classes during their first term of academic study. The date of matriculation is the first day of classes in the term in which the student is enrolled after having satisfied all matriculation requirements. Graduate programs may permit non-matriculated and visiting students to enroll in graduate courses on a case-by-case basis. In the event that a graduate course reaches its enrollment maximum, matriculated students are given preference over non-matriculated students.

If students do not maintain matriculation, they must request a leave of absence (see below).

Transfer Credit Policy

Students entering the program may transfer up to 6 credits of coursework. The transferred coursework, however, must be equivalent to courses listed in the curriculum and must have been completed within ten years of the date of enrollment in the program (the first day of classes of a student’s first academic year). Once matriculated in the program, students must take all remaining coursework at Cedar Crest, except for external consortium courses taken with advisor approval.

Reduced Credit, Added Certificate (RCAC) Policy

Students applying directly to the MBA cannot earn the Strategic Leadership (SLA) or Diversity and Women’s Leadership (DWL) certificates separately. They are not given in course since the credits are applied to the master’s degree program instead. Students who have previously earned them separately may apply the credits toward the MBA or Modular Master of Science, but not both.

MBA students without other transfer credit may earn the MBA and a selected graduate certificate at a reduced credit load, applying 6 credits from the certificate into the MBA’s requirements. This reduced credit, added certificate (RCAC) option is only available with the Health Care Management (HCM), Human Resource Management (HRM), and Management Information Systems (MIS) graduate certificates. Students must request this option of the Program Director in writing. Students choosing this option must still complete all certificate courses required for their chosen certificate.

Students requesting this option should have undergraduate preparation in a business discipline as a major or minor. Students from allied undergraduate disciplines may also be considered.

MBA 4 + 1 Policy

Undergraduate students may apply for the MBA 4+1 program. Students majoring in Business Administration or Accounting do not have to complete any additional course requirements to apply. Students majoring in other majors must complete the Business Administration undergraduate minor. Generally, up to 11 credits of graduate work can be completed in the MBA during the undergraduate Senior year, by advisement. Please contact the program director for additional information.

PLEASE NOTE: Any graduate courses taken while an undergraduate CANNOT be counted towards the 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.

Degree Program Retention Policy

Students must maintain a B or 3.0 average. Students who receive a C or withdraw from a course are only allowed to repeat the class one time. If students do not maintain a 3.0, they will be dropped from the program. Students receiving three or more grades of C or below may be dropped from the program. Students receiving a grade of F in a course taken for the first time will be put on probation and can be dropped from the program.

Students committing a substantial and documented academic integrity violation may be dropped from the program.

Leaves of Absence and Course Withdrawals

Students wishing to take a leave of absence from the program may request to do so in writing to the Director of the program. The granting of the requested leave is at the discretion of the Program Director.

Completion of the Graduate Program and Graduation

To successfully complete the MBA, a student must adhere to the following:

Complete all required coursework (36 Credits) with a 3.0 average.
Apply to the Registrar for graduation by the published application deadline
Fulfill all financial responsibilities to the College

Graduate 2023-2024 Tuition and Fees

Application fee (non-refundable) $50.00 
Tuition, per credit $865.00 
Student Activity Fee, per semester $20.00 
Full-Time Technology Fee, per semester $100.00
Part-Time Technology Fee, per semester $50.00
Note: The College reserves the right to change fees and charges as necessary. Books, supplies, lab materials and other program costs are not included in the tuition.

Courses Required

BUA 500 Managerial and Leadership Skills (1-3 credits by advisement)
MBA 501 Women in Leadership, Men as Allies (2 credits)
MBA 502 Women in Leadership, Men as Allies (project, 1 credit)
MBA 503 Governance, Ethics and Public Policy (2 credits)
MBA 504 Governance, Ethics and Public Policy (project, 1 credit)
MBA 507 Change and Innovation Management (2 credits)
MBA 508 Change and Innovation Management (project, 1 credit)
MBA 535 Financial Accounting and Reporting (2 credits)
MBA 536 Financial Accounting and Reporting (project, 1 credit)
MBA 537 Marketing Management, Strategy and Analytics (2 credits)
MBA 538 Marketing Management, Strategy and Analytics (project, 1 credit)
MBA 541 Organizational Financial Management (2 credits)
MBA 542 Organizational Financial Management (project, 1 credit)
MBA 543 Managerial Economics and Modeling (2 credits)
MBA 544 Managerial Economics and Modeling (project, 1 credit)
MBA 620 Operations, Process and Emerging Technologies (2 credits)
|MBA 621 Operations, Process and Emerging Technologies (project, 1 credit)
MBA 640 Career Mentoring Workshop (1 credit)
MBA 622 Intercultural Communication and Global Perspectives (2 credits)
MBA 623 Intercultural Communication and Global Perspectives (project, 1 credit)
MBA 624 Gender in Communcation and Negotiation (2 credits)
MBA 625 Gender in Communication and Negotiation (project, 1 credit)
BUA 650 Integrated Practicum (capstone, 3 credits)

Graduate Program Handbook

Each student will be given a copy of the Graduate Program Handbook prepared specifically for the Master of Business Administration program. The purpose of the handbook is to provide students with information pertaining to the curricular requirements, policies, and procedures associated with the program. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and understanding the information presented in the Graduate Program Handbook. MBA students are also bound by policies established by Cedar Crest College for graduate students, as indicated in the Graduate Catalog, Faculty Handbook, or other official college publications. Questions regarding the content of the handbook or other graduate student policies should be directed to the MBA Program Director.

MBA Program Course Registration

Course registration is available to graduate students in good financial standing with the College. If a student is not financially eligible to register, the student may not register online or with a completed registration form in the Registrar’s Office until that hold is removed. A copy of the registration will be kept in the Registrar’s Office until notification of a change in the student’s status is received from Student Financial Services. Policies pertaining to online course registration vary across programs.

Diversity and Women’s Leadership Graduate Certificate

Program Description

The Cedar Crest College graduate certificate in Diversity and Women’s Leadership (DWL) is a 12-credit program, delivered in accelerated sessions. Students may complete the program in as little as one year. Classes are offered in both a hybrid/onsite and an entirely online format. The program uses four core courses from Cedar Crest’s MBA and is intended for individuals with an undergraduate degree and mid-career professionals seeking to advance their career or start a new one in the field of business. Students may optionally transfer their coursework into the MBA program upon completion of the certificate or complete the certificate as a stand-alone credential. Students in the DWL program work collaboratively with their faculty advisor to develop their career plan as they build portfolio-ready projects demonstrating their strategic leadership and management skills to share with potential employers.

Graduates will develop and demonstrate the skills and competencies needed to:

Develop ethical and effective strategies for business and non-profit leadership on the personal, workgroup, and organizational levels.
Appreciate and leverage diversity within organizations, and develop positive organizational policies, practices, and cultures directly supporting equity and inclusion.
Understand and address the unique agency and advancement challenges gender roles present in the workplace, including challenges faced by women leaders, male allies, and those holding non-traditional gender identity.
Develop strategies for working across culture boundaries, language barriers, national borders, and time zones to form effective intercultural business and organizational relationships.
Assess and enhance a personal career trajectory culminating in the potential for serving in an organizational leadership role supporting gender, diversity, and cultural equity.

Program Mission Statement

The Diversity and Women’s Leadership graduate certificate will enable students to develop strategies to successfully address the challenges related to advancing women’s and diverse leadership within businesses and organizations, as well as developing equitable and inclusive practices and cultures.

Program Requirements

To complete the Diversity and Women’s Leadership certificate, a student must take a minimum of 12 credits and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

General Admissions Requirements

On campus, the main office for the School for Adult and Graduate Education is located in Blaney Hall, Room 105 and is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The general admissions requirements for the Diversity and Women’s Leadership certificate program are as follows*:

An applicant must possess a B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited college or university
Complete an application form
Send official transcripts to the School of Adult and Graduate Education
Submit two letters of recommendation
Submit a copy of your resume
Submit a statement of your goals (approximately 500 words)

It is recommended that the applicant have completed the following coursework at the undergraduate level:

One semester of economics
One semester of management or leadership
One semester of statistics

*GMAT or GRE test may be required if the applicant does not meet criteria established by the program.

Admissions Decisions

Each applicant will be considered from a holistic perspective. The Program Director reserves the right to ask the prospective candidate for additional information.

Matriculation

Matriculation is required for any student who plans to receive financial aid and obtain a graduate degree. A student applies for matriculation by submitting a completed application for admission to the School of Adult and Graduate Education. After submitting a complete application, students receive a letter from the College informing them of the decision concerning their acceptance as a degree candidate. Students are matriculated into the program once they have registered for classes during their first term of academic study. Graduate programs may permit non-matriculated and visiting students to enroll in graduate courses on a case-by-case basis. In the event that a graduate course reaches its enrollment maximum, matriculated students are given preference over non-matriculated students.

If students do not maintain matriculation, they must request a leave of absence (see below).

Degree Program Retention Policy

Students must maintain a B or 3.0 average. Students who receive a C or withdraw from a course are only allowed to repeat the class one time. If students do not maintain a 3.0, they will be dropped from the program. Students receiving three or more grades of C or below will be dropped from the program. Students receiving a grade of F in a course taken for the first time will be put on probation and can be dropped from the program.

Students committing a substantial and documented academic integrity violation may be dropped from the program.

Leaves of Absence and Course Withdrawals

Completion of the Graduate Program and Graduation

To successfully complete the Diversity and Women’s Leadership certificate, a student must adhere to the following:

Complete all required coursework with a 3.0 average.
Apply to the Registrar for graduation by the published application deadline.
Fulfill all financial responsibilities to the College.

Graduate 2023-2024 Tuition and Fees

Note: The College reserves the right to change fees and charges as necessary. Books, supplies, lab materials and other program costs are not included in the tuition.

Courses Required

HRM 640 Diversity and Inclusion Leadership (3 credits)
MBA 501 Women in Leadership, Men as Allies (lecture, 2 credits)
MBA 502 Women in Leadership, Men as Allies (project, 1 credit)
MBA 622—Intercultural Communication and Global Perspectives (2 credits)
MBA 623—Intercultural Communication and Global Perspectives (project, 1 credit)
MBA 624 Gender in Communication and Negotiation (lecture, 2 credits)
MBA 640: Career Mentoring Workshop (1 credit)

Graduate Program Handbook

Each student will be given a copy of the Graduate Program Handbook prepared specifically for the Diversity and Women’s Leadership s program. The purpose of the handbook is to provide students with information pertaining to the curricular requirements, policies, and procedures associated with the program. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and understanding the information presented in the Graduate Program Handbook. DWL students are also bound by policies established by Cedar Crest College for graduate students, as indicated in the Graduate Catalog, Faculty Handbook, or other official college publications. Questions regarding the content of the handbook or other graduate student policies should be directed to the Program Director.

DWL Program Course Registration

Strategic Leadership Graduate Certificate

Program Description

The Cedar Crest College graduate certificate in Strategic Leadership (SLA) is a 12-credit program, delivered in accelerated sessions. Students may complete the program in as little as one year. Classes are offered in both a hybrid/onsite and an entirely online format. The program uses four core courses from Cedar Crest’s MBA and is intended for individuals with an undergraduate degree and mid-career professionals seeking to advance their career or start a new one in the field of business. Students may optionally transfer their coursework into the MBA program upon completion of the certificate or complete the certificate as a stand-alone credential. Students in the SLA program work collaboratively with their faculty advisor to develop their career plan as they build portfolio-ready projects demonstrating their strategic leadership and management skills to share with potential employers.

Graduates will develop and demonstrate the skills and competencies needed to:

Evaluate principles and strategies for ethical leadership and legal compliance within organizations
Investigate marketing approaches to understand markets (locally and globally) competitors, portfolios of products and investigate and analytic technologies
Explore and examine models of change and the implication of emerging technologies in organizations
Examine effective team-building and intercultural communication strategies to build and sustain productive work environments

Program Mission Statement

The graduate program in Strategic Leadership at Cedar Crest College prepares leaders of organizations who serve as responsible members of the community, possess advanced functional expertise, and apply best practices to shape organizational strategies that promote productivity, profitability, and ethical behavior.

Program Requirements

To complete the Strategic Leadership certificate, a student must take a minimum of 12 credits and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

General Admissions Requirements

The general admissions requirements for the Strategic Leadership and Analytics program are as follows*:

An applicant must possess a B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited college or university
Complete an application form
Send official transcripts to the School of Adult and Graduate Education
Submit two letters of recommendation
Submit a copy of your resume
Submit a statement of your goals (approximately 500 words)

It is recommended that the applicant have completed the following coursework at the undergraduate level:

One semester of economics
One semester of accounting
One semester of statistics

*GMAT or GRE test may be required if the applicant does not meet criteria established by the program.

Admissions Decisions

Each applicant will be considered from a holistic perspective. The Program Director reserves the right to ask the prospective candidate for additional information.

Matriculation

Matriculation is required for any student who plans to receive financial aid and obtain a graduate degree. A student applies for matriculation by submitting a completed application for admission to the School of Adult and Graduate Education. After submitting a complete application, students receive a letter from the College informing them of the decision concerning their acceptance as a degree candidate. Students are matriculated into the program once they have registered for classes during their first term of academic study. Graduate programs may permit non-matriculated and visiting students to enroll in graduate courses on a case-by-case basis. In the event that a graduate course reaches its enrollment maximum, matriculated students are given preference over non-matriculated students.

If students do not maintain matriculation, they must request a leave of absence (see below).

Degree Program Retention Policy

Students must maintain a B or 3.0 average. Students who receive a C or withdraw from a course are only allowed to repeat the class one time. If students do not maintain a 3.0, they will be dropped from the program. Students receiving three or more grades of C or below will be dropped from the program. Students receiving a grade of F in a course taken for the first time will be put on probation and can be dropped from the program.

Students committing a substantial and documented academic integrity violation may be dropped from the program.

Leaves of Absence and Course Withdrawals

Completion of the Graduate Program and Graduation

To successfully complete the Strategic Leadership and Analytics certificate, a student must adhere to the following:

Complete all required coursework with a 3.0 average.
Apply to the Registrar for graduation by the published application deadline.
Fulfill all financial responsibilities to the College.

Graduate 2023-2024 Tuition and Fees

Note: The College reserves the right to change fees and charges as necessary. Books, supplies, lab materials and other program costs are not included in the tuition.

Courses Required

MBA 507—Change and Innovation Management (2 credits)
MBA 508—Change and Innovation Management (project, 1 credit)
MBA 537—Marketing Management, Strategy and Analytics (2 credits)
MBA 538—Marketing Management, Strategy and Analytics (project, 1 credit)
MBA 620—Operations, Process and Emerging Technologies (2 credits)
MBA 621—Operations, Process and Emerging Technologies (project, 1 credit)
MBA 622—Intercultural Communication and Global Perspectives (2 credits)
MBA 623—Intercultural Communication and Global Perspectives (project, 1 credit)

Graduate Program Handbook

Each student will be given a copy of the Graduate Program Handbook prepared specifically for the Strategic Leadership program. The purpose of the handbook is to provide students with information pertaining to the curricular requirements, policies, and procedures associated with the program. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and understanding the information presented in the Graduate Program Handbook. SLA students are also bound by policies established by Cedar Crest College for graduate students, as indicated in the Graduate Catalog, Faculty Handbook, or other official college publications. Questions regarding the content of the handbook or other graduate student policies should be directed to the Program Director.

SLA Program Course Registration

Post-Baccalaureate CPA Certificate

According to the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy, a person who is interested in sitting for the CPA exam must have a baccalaureate or master’s degree and have completed at least a total of 36 semester credits in accounting and auditing, business law, finance or tax subjects. This specialized certificate is for those individuals who possess a bachelor’s degree in a field other than accounting. By completing the 36-credit certificate, students will be able to meet the educational requirements mandated by the State Board of Accountancy and will be qualified to sit for the CPA exam, as well as gain exposure to all areas of examination testing. When combined with a previously earned Baccalaureate degree, this program will fulfill the 150 semester -hour requirement required by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and by Pennsylvania and most states in the nation. At least 8 of the 12 required courses must be taken at Cedar Crest College.

Required Courses

ACC 101 Financial Accounting 3 credits
ACC 102 Managerial Accounting 3 credits
ACC 202 Business Applications and Technology 3 credits
ACC 203 Cost Accounting 3 credits
ACC 250 Principles of Finance 3 credits
ACC 309* Intermediate Accounting I 3 credits
ACC 310* Intermediate Accounting II 3 credits
ACC 315* Personal Income Tax Accounting 3 credits
ACC 316* Corporation Income Tax Accounting 3 credits
ACC 321* Advanced Financial Accounting 3 credits
ACC 322* Auditing 3 credits
BUA 221* Business Law 3 credits

*Must be taken at Cedar Crest College.

Post-Baccalaureate Certified Financial Planning Certificate

This program is offered online through the Low-Cost Models for Independent Colleges consortium (LCMC). It is available to students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree in any topic, however, undergraduate preparation in accounting and/or finance is suggested. The coursework provides students with the knowledge necessary to take the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam, offered by the Certified Financial Planner Board.

Required Courses

CFP 301 General Principles of Financial Planning (3 credits)
FP 302 Risk Management and Insurance Planning (3 credits)
CFP 303 Investment Planning (3 credits)
CFP 304 Tax Planning (3 credits)
CFP 305 Retirement Savings and Income Planning (3 credits)
CFP 306 Estate Planning (3 credits)
CFP 307 Financial Plan Development (3 credits)