Graduate Degree Guide

Kalamazoo

Location: 2320 Schneider Hall

Space for group meetings, study sessions or meeting your friends before class is available in the MBA Program Office. The office is open until 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Call (269) 387-5086 to reserve space. 

Parking permits are not required from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays, or from 4 p.m. Friday through 2 a.m. on Monday. Lot 72R at Schneider Hall is available for students, faculty and staff during these times.
Find more information about parking.

 

Grand Rapids

Location: 200 Ionia Ave SW

A student lounge and classroom space are available on the third floor. To request a classroom please submit your requested date and time, number of attendees and any specific equipment to Mallory Bourdo.

The third floor computer lab, located in room 3501, is accessible during normal building hours. Computer kiosks, located on the third and fourth floor, are equipped with a computer and printer.
Find information about parking near our Grand Rapids location.

Bronco Cards

All students may now submit a photo online to obtain a Bronco Card. Bronco cards are typically ready for pickup after 24 hours at Parking Services on the Kalamazoo main campus. Students at the Grand Rapids location may contact Mallory Bourdo, assistant director of student engagement, and request their card be sent to the Grand Rapids campus for pickup.

 

Registration

Registration

Students are encouraged to register early to secure preferred class selections. Enrollment for each semester begins on a date that is announced on the Office of the Registrar website. Graduate students may register any time during the published days and hours for registration. Degree Works is not available for graduate students. To register for courses, consult contact an advisor.

Office of the Registrar Contact an advisor

  • Career Services and advising on hand

    Master's degree candidates' career development goals vary greatly. The reasons for pursuing a graduate degree may include:

    • Exploring career pathways and deciding to continue education.
    •  Seeking a job and looking for a credential to aid in the search.
    • Looking for a career change and have a non-business undergraduate degree.
    • Seeking career advancement within current occupation or industry.

    Career advising is available for MBA and M.S.A. candidates, drop-in or by appointment.

    • Please register with the Zhang Career Center.
    • Complete your profile and choose the MBA or M.S.A. program, and expected graduation month and year. You will be emailed when there are internship or professional employment opportunities for MBA and M.S.A. candidates.

    Meet with a career advisor who can assist you with career assessment, job searching and networking, as well as transforming your undergraduate resume into an executive resume.  Flexible appointment times, including early evening, are available. Email careercenter-hcob@wmich.edu to request an appointment, or visit the website for drop-in hours.

A student, on a study abroad in Germany, holds the Western Michigan University flag.
  • Study abroad with the Haworth College of Business

    We strongly encourage our graduate students to take advantage of the summer study abroad programs offered through the Haworth College of Business. You can earn from 3 to 6 credit hours in a two- to four-week time period. The study abroad credits count as electives in your MBA. There are several summer programs from which to choose with an all-inclusive approximate cost of $5,000–$6,000. Scholarships up to $1,000 are available to all business graduate students.

    Students should contact Renuka Phillips in the Global Business Center, located in 2320 Schneider Hall, for information on study abroad programs, scholarships and general information about the application process. 

    Call (269) 387-5086 or email: mba-advising@wmich.edu for more information.

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Three students meet, before the COVID-19 pandemic, in a graduate class.

7 things you should know ...

  • You'll be challenged! Completing a graduate degree in business is one of the most challenging things you will ever do in your professional life, but once you complete the program, you will have the confidence to tackle anything.
  • You must complete your degree within a maximum of six years.
  • You will learn from your peers. In addition to expert faculty, you will learn from those studying alongside your fellow candidates who bring different backgrounds, views and approaches to business that add a great deal to the experience of earning your degree.
  • Students have free access to WMU's online library via GoWMU. This is an essential service for successful assignment completion, and it is important to participate in the online tutorial.
  • American Psychological Association (APA) formatting is required for written assignments. Familiarize yourself with APA formatting to avoid plagiarism.
  • Flexibility is central. Although a graduate degree requires a significant investment of your time, the courses you choose can be worked into existing professional and personal commitments, and HyFlex options may be available.
  • It's worth it! Yes, a graduate degree requires a significant financial investment, and it will mean time away from family and friends, but it’s a degree that is for life and will increase in value each year as you make your mark in the business world.
Photo of door to Haworth College of Business with flowers blooming.

Academic Planning and Policies

Check out requirements for our master's degrees and graduate certificates to design the program plan that works well with your personal schedule and goals. The flexibility of our graduate programs, including HyFlex options, allows customization of studies to suit your goals. 

You can view course offerings by semester via WMU course offerings website.

Fall and spring semesters are 13 weeks long, with classes meeting one night per week. Summer I and Summer II sessions are 6.5 weeks long, with classes meeting two nights per week. Most classes meet on weekdays from 6 to 9 p.m. Some weekend and blended class options are also available.

If you have questions about courses or your program requirements, contact Renuka Phillips, academic advisor.

Master's degrees

 

Graduate certificates

  • Academic standards policy

    Please view information on academic standards policies and information.

  • Academic forgiveness policy

    Students who are readmitted into graduate study may apply for academic forgiveness through the Graduate College. Students who are granted academic forgiveness will not have grades and credit hours count in the computation of their grade point average that were earned more than seven years prior to their new entrance date. In such cases, the transcript will read, "Grades and credit hours earned more than seven years prior to current entrance date were not included in the computation of the grade point average." The request for academic forgiveness must occur at the time of readmission.

  • Full-time vs. part-time status

    For all graduate students taking courses for a stated degree or certificate program, six hours constitutes full-time status, and three hours constitutes part-time status in fall and spring semesters. In summer I and summer II sessions, three hours in either session constitutes full-time status for that session and two hours constitutes part-time status.

  • Repeat course policy

    With the exception of courses that are approved by the University Curriculum Review Policy as repeatable for credit (e.g. multi-topic or umbrella courses), no more than two courses may be repeated more than once during the student's graduate career, inclusive of both master's and doctoral programs at WMU.

    The original grade for the course will remain on the student's transcript, and both the original and repeated course will be computed into the degree program grade point average.

  • Transfer credit

    Graduate business students must complete a minimum of 24 credit hours at WMU. Some credits may be transferred from other institutions if they are from an AACSB-accredited program and meet the requirements outlined in the WMU graduate catalog.

    Review transfer credit information

  • Grades

    A student receives one grade in each course taken. This grade combines the results of coursework, tests and final examinations. Grades are indicated by letters, to each of which is assigned a certain value in honor points per hour of credit.

    Credit in Graduate Degree Program

    Credit toward a graduate degree or certificate program will be granted only for courses in which a grade of "C" (2.0) or better is earned. In addition, the student must still meet the minimum standard for overall graduate grade point average of 3.0.

    Credit (CR) or No Credit (NC)

    The Credit /No Credit grading system (A, BA, B = Credit; CB, C, DC, D, E = No Credit) is used in all 7000-level courses, as well as some departmental courses and programs approved by the Graduate Studies Council. The student’s permanent record will indicate "CR" when the course is passed and "NC" when the course is failed.

  • Graduation audit: Application for graduation

    A graduation audit must be performed by the Office of the Registrar for each student prior to graduation to determine the student's eligibility for graduation. The audit, initiated by a student’s application for graduation, determines whether University, degree and program requirements have been met satisfactorily.

    Visit Graduation Information for more details.

    Students who do not graduate at the time of the application must contact the Office of the Registrar to request a new graduation date, and will not automatically be moved to another graduation date upon failure to graduate. The commencement ceremony for students graduating in June (summer I) or August (summer II) is held in June.

  • Time limit for completion of a degree

    All work, including transfer work, for the master's degree must be completed within six years preceding the date on which the degree is conferred. The six years begins once the first graduate course is taken. This does not include prerequisites taken at the undergraduate level. If an extension is necessary, please see your advisor for options.

    Throughout your academic career, you will be subject to the WMU Student Code.

  • Accreditation

    Western Michigan University is proud to be among the best in business education. Preparing for a career in business requires choosing the best business school—one with top faculty, impactful research, driven students and the highest standards of quality. AACSB-accredited schools must pass very rigorous quality standards. They have been proven to provide the best in business education worldwide. AACSB-accredited schools are recognized by top employers. Also, they have more access to recruiters and have graduates that receive higher, more competitive salaries.

Financial Information

Information regarding assistantships, associateships, fellowships, financial aid and other funding for graduate students is available from the Graduate College website.

The Haworth College of Business offers several graduate assistantship positions each year. If interested, please submit the application. Once the application is received, it will be distributed to the five Haworth College of Business departments: Accountancy, Business Information Systems, Finance and Commercial Law, Management and Marketing. If there are positions available, and you meet the qualifications, you will be contacted by the individual department for an interview. Positions become available throughout the year, so there is no deadline. University-wide graduate assistantship positions are posted on Handshake. Learn more.

  • Tuition

    The tuition rate for Western Michigan University is set by the board of trustees; tuition is due the first day of the semester or session (payment plans are available).

  • Employer deferment payment plan

    This plan is available to students who qualify for their employer's tuition reimbursement program which is contingent upon receiving a grade before the employee is reimbursed. Learn more.

  • Third party billing

    WMU participates in third party billing to companies, embassies or other organizations that have agreed to pay a student's tuition and fees. Any student who is sponsored by a third party must submit a letter of authorization on company/organization letterhead or have the third party complete the Third Party Authorization for Payment form.

    Any third party who is sponsoring more than five students will need to complete the Third Party Annual Profile form. Learn more.

  • Financial aid

    The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Questions may be emailed to finaid-info@wmich.edu.

    It is WMU's goal to help you find the resources you need to pay for grad school. If you have questions, call Bronco Express at (269) 387-6000 or send an email to finaid-info@wmich.edu.

Additional Resources