4+1 BBA/MBA Program
Viterbo's 4+1 BBA/MBA offers achievement-oriented, highly motivated business students the opportunity to obtain their BBA and MBA emphasizing ethics, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability in only 5 years! Students participating in this program choose from the same undergraduate majors as other Dahl School of Business students and can complete the bachelor's degree in four years. Students may begin taking graduate coursework in their senior undergraduate year and go on to graduate with an MBA degree in one additional year.
Viterbo’s 4+1 MBA program prepares graduates with sound decision-making skills built upon a foundation of ethical leadership development. To equip our students with the business acumen and systems thinking skills needed for success in the future, the 4+1 MBA program features a specific emphasis on sustainability. The September 2009 issue of Harvard Business Review claims that sustainability is now the key driver of innovation. Further, it states that only companies that make sustainability a goal will achieve competitive advantage. Our emphasis on sustainability is a natural fit for Viterbo and the Dahl School of Business. Viterbo’s Franciscan values of stewardship and service underlie the vision for the Dahl School of Business and the MBA program—to develop leaders who are committed to making a positive impact on the world.
Program Benefits
- Graduates put themselves on a career path toward any management or leadership position. More and more organizations, locally and nationally, are requiring a Master's degree for management roles.
- In a world where bachelor's degrees are becoming the norm, a graduate degree will differentiate the graduate from others entering the workforce.
- Accounting majors graduate with the 150 credits necessary to sit for the CPA exam
- The MBA degree is earned in half the time normally spent on the degree
- 4+1 students enjoy continuity of their education and the relationships they've built with peers and professors in the DSOB and VU. Students continue to receive the personal attention to student learning that Viterbo values.
- Nearly 25% of graduate credits may be taken during the senior undergraduate year at no additional tuition cost.
- Dynamic curriculum is designed to equip students with skills to help organizations meet and exceed the growing demands of sustainability and corporate social responsibility efforts
Program Requirements and Costs
Students in the 4+1 program must complete:
1) 128 undergraduate credits meeting all general elective requirements, business core requirements, and business major requirements. This course work is completed in the first four years of the program, so the student receives the BBA degree after four years.
2) 32 graduate credits. The first 9 graduate credits are taken during the student’s fourth undergraduate year. Six graduate credits are taken during the summer between the fourth and fifth year, and 17 credits are taken during year five of the program. After the fifth year, the student graduates with an MBA.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission to the 4+1 program include:
- Online application submitted during the junior undergraduate year
- Interview with MBA program administrators
- Current Degree Audit
- Two letters of recommendation
- Essay describing the student's desire to pursue an MBA and anticipated contribution to the learning environment of the program
Students are advised to apply for admission to the MBA program during their sophomore or junior year and are admitted on a provisional basis by the School of Graduate, Professional, and Adult Education. Provisional admittance will become full graduate admission if the student has maintained a B average, received no grade lower than BC on all graduate work completed, and received the undergraduate degree.
Transfer students can complete the program, but the number of semesters required will depend on the number and type of undergraduate credits transferred to VU. The 4+1 program is designed for traditional students. If you are a non-traditional student interested in an MBA program that meets your needs, please see our evening MBA program.
For more information, please contact the MBA Coordinator, Leanne Hedberg Carlson, at lmhedbergcarlson@viterbo.edu or 608-796-3357.