Master of Business Administration at Milligan
Complete the 36-credit program in 12, 18, or 24 months, and choose from six specialized tracks—Transformative Leadership, Operational Analytics & Technology, Non-Profit Administration, Ministry Management, Human Resource Management, and an integrated option that allows for a selection of track courses tailored to your specific needs.
Benefit from one-on-one coaching and direct access to expert faculty, gaining the skills and knowledge needed to excel in your career, all on your schedule.
WILLIAM B. GREENE JR., SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)
I am so grateful for Milligan’s MBA offering. I was able to effectively manage the workload, even while working full-time and parenting young children.”
Chrissy Idlette | Class of 2019
Accreditation
Milligan University’s business programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. Contact the ACBSP at 11520 West 119th Street, Overland Park, KS 66213 or call 913.339.9356 for questions about Milligan University’s membership.
Milligan also holds SACSCOC accreditation, which accredits the entire institution and its programs, including the MBA. SACSCOC accredits degree-seeking institutions in the South, including the University of Tennessee and East Tennessee State University.
Milligan University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of Milligan University.
Tracks
Transformative Leadership
- Designed to cultivate future leaders who can drive positive change within organizations with a focus on leadership, team dynamics, and organizational innovation and change.
- This track puts a strong emphasis on personal growth, emotional intelligence, and collaborative relationships.
- Prepares graduates to lead with vision and impact.
Operational Analytics and Technology
- Designed to forge leaders capable of leveraging data and technology to improve operational efficiency and decision making through courses in operations management, technological applications, and advanced quality control.
- This track offers the opportunity to pursue Six Sigma Green Belt Certification.
- Equips graduates to optimize processes and implement technological solutions.
Ministry Management
- Designed to equip leaders of faith-based organizations to lead and manage effectively.
- This track includes courses in leadership, ministry team dynamics, and financial stewardship.
- Graduates will be prepared to effectively address the unique leadership challenges found in faith-based institutions.
Non-profit Administration
- Designed to develop future leaders in the non-profit and public service sectors through courses in leadership, non-profit management, and governance and building stakeholder trust.
- This track offers opportunities in grant writing training for securing funding and sustaining organizations.
- Graduates will gain the practical skills essential for fostering stakeholder relationships and effectively leading in the non-profit and public service sectors.
Human Resource Management
- Designed to cultivate professionals who can effectively lead HR functions within organizations.
- This track emphasizes leadership, HR management, employee selection, promotion, training, and retention.
- Graduates will be equipped to excel in HR roles within organizations.
The Integrated Experience
- Designed to allow personalization of your learning journey by selecting track courses tailored to your specific career goals.
- This track allows you to choose courses from five different tracks to build the strengths you need to reach your individual aspirations.
Admission
To apply to The Milligan MBA, please complete the following:
1. APPLICATION: Completed application, resume, and personal statement.
- Application: Apply online now!
- Resume: Provide a copy of your resume to describe your employment history. Include the name of the employer, dates of employment, job title, responsibilities (identify any international business experience, as well as managerial responsibilities, including reporting relationships, budgetary scope and authority). Include professional associations or other organizations you are involved in as a member or a volunteer, as well as any honors or awards received. Submit online with application.
- Personal Statement: Submit a two page (typed, double spaced) personal statement to serve as a writing sample that demonstrates a strong written command of the English language, organization, creativity, and analytical skills. The writing sample is your opportunity to introduce yourself in a professional manner. You are specifically asked to discuss how the Milligan University MBA will help you achieve your professional goals, as well as address the significant factors in your personal and/or professional development which you believe may distinguish you from other candidates. Your personal statement should highlight any special achievements/ accomplishments, and as applicable, how you have overcome any past academic weaknesses. Submit online with application.
2. RECOMMENDATIONS: Two professional recommendation requests will be sent from the online application. (References may be waived for applicants to the MBA who have a 3.5 or above.)
3. UNDERGRAD DEGREE & TRANSCRIPTS: Official transcripts from every college attended whether or not the applicant graduated from that school.
4. PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite courses or a demonstrated competency in Accounting, Economics, Statistics, Business Law, and Global/International Business are required for admission into the MBA.
- Business-related degree holders who did not achieve a satisfactory grade in one or more prerequisite courses may need to complete Individual Proficiency Modules in the course(s) as determined by the admissions committee. The modules are $44 online courses to help you develop the foundational business knowledge you need to be more successful with your Milligan MBA courses. Please refer to your MBA acceptance letter to determine which courses you must complete, or email mba@milligan.edu. Students also have the option to pursue prerequisites at any accredited institution.
- Non-business-related degreeholders are required to complete Individual Proficiency Module(s) if determined by the committee. The modules are $44 online courses to help you develop the foundational business knowledge you need to be more successful with your Milligan MBA courses. Please refer to your MBA acceptance letter to determine which courses you must complete, or email mba@milligan.edu. Students also have the option to pursue prerequisites at any accredited institution.
An Interview with faculty admissions committee may be required.
Students must meet the following GPA requirements as part of admissions criteria for acceptance:
- Applicants with an undergraduate degree and 0-2 years of professional work experience (not coaching) must have a cumulative 3.3 GPA
- Applicants with an undergraduate degree and 2-4 years of professional work experience (not coaching) must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA
- Applicants with an undergraduate degree and 4+ years of professional work experience (not coaching) must have a cumulative 2.7 GPA
Application deadlines are usually a month prior to the start of the program.
A $150 deposit (credited to your first semester’s tuition) is required to secure your spot in the cohort.
All students at Milligan are expected to uphold the expectations and responsibilities for student lifestyles at Milligan University. Milligan University adopts specific rules on the basis of the belief that God’s Word, as the final rule of faith and practice, speaks on many matters pertaining to personal conduct. Therefore, behavior that conflicts with Scripture is unacceptable. Historically, communities also have developed guidelines that help put into practice basic moral and social principles. Such standards serve as a guide toward worthwhile goals relevant to one’s academic, spiritual, social, and physical well-being.
Students should consult the Student Handbook for further guidance regarding acceptable personal lifestyle and conduct while enrolled at Milligan University. A student’s matriculation and enrollment at Milligan University is their pledge to abide by the policies and expectations outlined in the Student Handbook and Catalog.
MBA Faculty & Staff
For more information, contact Hannah Colbaugh, MBA Program Coordinator and Admissions Recruiter
The Milligan MBA is taught by qualified business faculty. Teaching you is more than a job to our faculty—it’s a mission. They are dedicated teachers, experienced professionals, and trusted mentors who invest time, energy, and ideas to inspire you and help you reach your highest potential. They bring to the classroom a broad range of business, industry, and consulting experience, as well as outstanding academic credentials. While their primary focus is teaching and mentoring, many are also involved in academic research, publishing articles and books, and serving in professional organizations. This keeps them up-to-date and ready to share the latest and most timely information with our students.
Shannon Hogan
Associate Professor of Business Administration; Chair of the Area of Business
Kimberly Melinsky
Associate Professor of Business Administration; Director of the MBA Program
Career Paths, Earning Potential, and Alumni Success
Careers
Each year, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) conducts a comprehensive, global survey of employers who hire recent MBA graduates and other graduate business students. If you’re considering whether entrance into an MBA program is for you, here are some results of that survey that you’ll find helpful.
- Almost all employers (99%) report satisfaction with their MBA employees, including 76 percent who are very or extremely satisfied.
- The majority of employers (75% or more) report that compared with other employees at the same job level employees with an MBA degree demonstrate higher or much higher abilities in:
- Managing strategy and innovation
- Strategic and system skills
- Knowledge of general business functions
- Managing decision-making processes, and
- Learning, motivation, and leadership
- The vast majority of employers that hire graduating MBA students expect that new MBAs will have some prior work experience and look for candidates with an average of three and half years of experience.
- Economically-driven factors (e.g., no job openings) and different hiring needs aside, one in four companies that did not hire MBA graduates in 2009 (22%) reported that candidates had unrealistic job expectations, including high salary demands and unrealistic job role or level expectations.
- Most graduating MBAs feel that the overall value of the MBA degree is high, and most say they are satisfied with the benefits of the degree. MBAs also report that they have more career opportunities and a significant boost in pay as a result of their degree.
MBA SALARIES AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Note: Data are 2013 annual averages for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary workers. Source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
- Salaries paid to MBA graduates are higher than those paid to people right out of college and people who graduated with other kinds of master’s degrees.
- Factors that affect your actual post-MBA salary include the following:
your post-MBA job function- the industry you work in after graduation
- the geographic region in which you work
- your pre-MBA professional experience (including whether your experience base is in the field you pursue post-MBA)
- In general, graduate business alumni report higher salaries than before they earned the degree, high rates of job satisfaction, confidence that they did the right thing by earning a graduate business degree, and satisfaction with the career opportunities that their management skills bring.
- About one in two alumni received a promotion with their current employer.
- Three out of four alumni indicated their ROI expectations were met or exceeded.
- What factored into their school choices? Biggest influences have been:
- The quality and reputation of the school
- The financial cost of the school
- Personal fit (whether the school was right for them as individuals), and
- Location
In summary, it’s important that you define quality for yourself and that you make sure that the school you choose offers the curriculum, faculty, and services you will need to further your career goals. At Milligan University, we provide all of our students an enriching academic experience within a Christian environment that will empower individuals achieve their dreams and to become change agents within their organizations.
Successful Graduates
Our alumni work in executive-level positions for employers such as Ballad Health, Eastman, AFG, Bank of Tennessee, Nuclear Fuel Services, and more. Employers represented among students and graduates include:
AFG Industries – Corporate
A.O. Smith/American Water Heater
Ballad Health
Bank of Tennessee
Bell Helicopter
Borla Performance Industries
Carrier – United Technologies
ConAgra Foods
Cooper-Standard Automotive
Computer Sciences Corporation
Eastman Chemical Company
Eastman Credit Union
First Tennessee
Holston Valley Medical Center
Honeywell International Inc.
ICG/Holliston
John Deere
King Pharmaceuticals
Lear Corporation
Milligan University
Mountain States Health Alliance
Nuclear Fuel Services Inc.
Pace Carbon Fuels
U.S. Postal Service
Wellmont Health Systems