Master of Business Administration (MBA)

At a Glance

  • College

    Kanbar College of Design, Engineering & Commerce

  • Degree

    Master of Business Administration

  • Campus

    East Falls, Center City

  • Format

    On Campus

  • Credits

    30 - 46

  • Duration

    12 - 24 Months

  • Enrollment Options

    Full Time, Part Time

Curriculum

All Master of Business Administration students take a core business curriculum, in addition to three concentration-specific courses. Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Preparation and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Preparation students also take a zero-credit review course.

MBA students with business backgrounds may qualify for Advanced Standing waivers from the Gateways Foundation course suite, a one semester, 9-credit set of foundational courses.

The total credit hours for the MBA program ranges from 30-46 credits, depending on previous experience.

Innovation Core (9 credits): Our Innovation Core courses foster creative thinking and leadership strategies in driving business innovation. Various courses include:

  • Business Model Innovation (3 credits)
  • Design Thinking in Business (3 credits)
  • Managing Innovative People and Teams (3 credits)

Business Core (18 credits): Our Business Core courses provide a strong foundation in key business principles and practices. Our courses cover conceptual topics and emerging issues in:

  • Competitive Technical Intelligence (3 credits)
  • Accounting for Management Decisions (3 credits)
  • Financial Policy and Planning (3 credits)
  • Operations from a Systems Perspective (3 credits)
  • International Business Innovation Trip OR International Finance and Economics (3 credits)
  • Strategic Insight and Implementation (3 credits)

Concentration (9-10 credits): Students can tailor their MBA experience by choosing a specialization in Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Leadership, Biopharmaceutical Commercialization, Real Estate Development, Cannabis Business, Health Analytics, or by creating a custom concentration to advance your unique career goals.

Unique interdisciplinary concentrations in Collaboration with other colleges

Thomas Jefferson University’s School of Business has collaborated with several other Jefferson colleges to create and offer unique interdisciplinary concentrations such as Real Estate Development (in partnership with College of Architecture and Built Environment), Health Analytics (in partnership with College of Population Health), Cannabis Business (in partnership with Institute of Emerging Health Professions), and Biopharmaceutical Commercialization (in partnership with Jefferson Institute of Bioprocessing). Enrollment in such courses must be planned in advance with the program director. Additionally, students can propose custom concentrations(s) that align with backgrounds and career interests.:

Foundation Courses (As-Needed)

Foundation courses are designed to provide students who do not have a background in business, with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to success in the MBA program. Our foundation courses cover areas such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, statistics, accounting, operations, and financial management. Each foundation course is 1.5 credits and is offered in an accelerated online format to accommodate various schedules and learning preferences. Depending on prior academic background and experience, students may be waived from some of, or all, foundation courses.

Below is a list of all foundation courses:

Course Number Course Title Credit Waivable with proof of prior coursework and/or experience
MBAF 504 Financial and Managerial Accounting  1.5      Yes
MBAF 505 Foundations of Finance  1.5 Yes
MBAF 508 Statistics 1.5  Yes
MBAF 510 Operations Management 1.5 Yes
MBAF 511 Microeconomics  1.5  Yes
MBAF 512 Macroeconomics  1.5 Yes