Business


Viterbo University offers three ways to obtain an M.B.A. degree: (1) a two-year program offered in the evenings for experienced professionals, (2) a one-year daytime program, and (3) a 4+1 MBA one-year program for Viterbo undergraduate students wishing to continue on to the MBA degree.
 

Mission 

The Dahl School of Business values every student and prepares each one to make a difference as an ethical and effective leader in organizations and society.
 

The mission of the M.B.A. program of Viterbo University is to develop an influential network of informed, ethical, and effective leaders who are committed to making a positive impact on organizations, the community, and the world.
 

Goals 

The goals of the MBA. program are:

  • to meet the emerging needs of organizations through rigorous, innovative curricula built around the central themes of leadership, ethics, and decision making;
  • to develop principled leaders with the technical expertise and ethical foundation to be visionaries and critical thinkers who provide creative solutions to organizational challenges;
  • to foster a community that highly values life-long learning and engagement to benefit the common good;
  • to provide a thriving intellectual, supportive, and collegial climate to attract and retain exceptional students and faculty;
  • to demonstrate excellence in teaching by quality faculty who have extensive practical and educational experience.

Graduate Learning Outcomes 

The M.B.A. program prepares individuals for advanced business roles in which they:

  • Are able to create innovative business strategies and processes on the basis of systems thinking and sustainability within a global business environment.
  • Are capable of ethically leading change through individual, team, organization and systemic collaboration.
  • Are able to apply integrative and critical thinking skills to organizational decisions.
  • Are accomplished at communicating effectively with a high level of professionalism.

Accreditation 

Programs in the Dahl School of Business are accredited by the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs, the leading specialized accreditation association for business education supporting, celebrating, and rewarding teaching excellence.

Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs, 11520 West 119th Street, Overland Park , KS 66213, 913-339-9356, Fax: 913-339-6226 , www.acbsp.org

Admission 

Prerequisite Competencies
Viterbo University welcomes students from all walks of life into the M.B.A. program. However, students must demonstrate competency in foundational business subjects before enrolling in the M.B.A. core classes.

Applicants who hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited business school generally satisfy these prerequisites by virtue of their previous coursework. Students who have not developed these skills in their undergraduate coursework may still enter the M.B.A. program, however, they are required to demonstrate their proficiency in these prerequisite competencies (accounting, business law, economics, finance, and marketing) by: 1) completing MGMT 501, a three-credit course designed to develop the prerequisite competencies; 2) completing the missing undergraduate courses online or face-to-face through Viterbo University’s Center for Adult Learning (CAL) or elsewhere; 3) passing CLEP examinations; or 4) completing work/life experience portfolios. As part of the application process, the M.B.A. director will make a determination of the fulfillment of these prerequisite competencies.

Admission to the Two-Year Evening and Daytime M.B.A Programs 

Viterbo University evaluates all parts of the M.B.A. application to understand what the applicant has done, what they can add to the Viterbo community, and how Viterbo’s M.B.A. program will help the applicant meet their personal and professional goals. In addition to reviewing grades and experience, the admissions committee requires a personal essay providing evidence of a passion for learning and critical thinking that helps foster a stimulating class discussion and a vigorous learning environment. To understand how applicants will contribute to and benefit from Viterbo University’s M.B.A. program, the committee also encourages a personal interview with the M.B.A. director or M.B.A. coordinator as part of the application process.

To be considered for acceptance into Viterbo University’s M.B.A. program, an applicant must satisfy the following minimum criteria:

  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university;
  • Minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Exceptions may be made to this requirement if the applicant has either (1) significant professional organizational experience OR (2) taken the GMAT examination and scored a 550 or higher OR (3) successfully completed other graduate level coursework.
     

For an application to be considered complete the following must be submitted to the M.B.A. coordinator:
 

  • An official Viterbo University application form for the Dahl School of Business M.B.A. program. The application form is available at www.viterbo.edu/applyonline.
  • An official transcript evidencing the baccalaureate degree sent directly from a regionally accredited, degree-granting institution.
  • Two letters of reference from individuals attesting to the applicant’s business aptitudes and attitude, values and ethics. One letter shall be from a direct supervisor, if possible.
  • A three- to five-page personal essay setting forth: 1) the reasons why the applicant desires to attain an M.B.A. degree; 2) what they can add to Viterbo University’s M.B.A. program; and 3) what they hope to get out of Viterbo University’s M.B.A. program.

Admission to the 4 + 1 M.B.A Program 

Viterbo University’s 4+1 M.B.A. option offers achievement-oriented, highly motivated students the opportunity to obtain their bachelor degree and their M.B.A. in five years.
 

Application to the 4 + 1 .M.BA. program occurs during the junior or senior undergraduate year with an online application. Students are admitted on a provisional basis and will be advised during the remainder of the junior and senior years by their undergraduate advisor and an M.B.A. administrator. Provisional admittance will become full graduate admission if the student maintains a 3.0 grade point average, receives no grade lower than a “C” on the graduate coursework taken, and earns the undergraduate degree.
 

Students in the 4 + 1 M.B.A. program must meet all undergraduate degree requirements. This coursework is completed in the first four years of the program. Up to nine graduate credits of the graduate program are taken during the student’s fourth year (senior year) of undergraduate work (see undergraduate catalog criteria). The remaining credits are taken during year five of the program, and the M.B.A. is generally earned after the fifth year. The work toward the M.B.A. degree may be pursued part-time over a longer period of time, not to exceed five years of graduate coursework. Non-continuous enrollment is subject to curriculum changes of the catalog currently in place. 

To be considered for acceptance into Viterbo University’s 4+1  M.B.A. program, an applicant must satisfy the following minimum criteria:
 

  • Bachelor’s degree from Viterbo University; and
  • Minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Exceptions may be made to this requirement if the applicant has either (1) significant professional organizational experience OR (2) taken the GMAT examination and scored a 550 or higher.
     

For an application to be considered complete the following must be submitted to the M.B.A. coordinator:
 

  • An official Viterbo University application form for the Dahl School of Business M.B.A. program. The application form is available at www.viterbo.edu/applyonline.
  • A Viterbo University degree audit.
  • Two letters of reference from persons attesting to the applicant’s business aptitudes and attitude, values and ethics. One letter must be from a Viterbo University faculty member.
  • A three- to five-page personal essay setting forth: 1) the reasons the applicant desires to attain an M.B.A. degree; 2) what they can add to Viterbo University’s M.B.A. program; and 3) what they hope to get out of Viterbo University’s M.B.A. program.

International Applicants
International applications are processed in conjunction with the director of global education.  International applicants who are not native English speakers will need to provide evidence of proficiency in the English language, showing a TOEFL (or equivalent) score of 550 or higher. English language (ESL) courses are also offered at Viterbo University and may be required as a condition to acceptance into the M.B.A. program.  
 

Reservation of Rights
Viterbo University reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant it deems unfit to participate in its M.B.A. program.

Transfer Credit

Participants may transfer up to 12 graduate credits taken within the last 10 years from a regionally accredited college or university into the M.B.A. program. Requests to transfer credit should be directed to the director of the program.

Policies 

Grades
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for all M.B.A. coursework, with no individual course grade lower than a C.

Attendance
All graduate business students are expected to attend all class meetings. However it is understood that busy professionals may have to miss a class. If a student is unable to attend a class, the student must contact the instructor and take responsibility to meet the class objectives. This makeup will ordinarily require additional written work. It is the duty of the students to make arrangements for missed work. Outside of class, students must be able to schedule their time carefully and condition themselves to meet the rigorous demands of the program. If more than one class meeting will be missed within a course, the student shall contact the instructor and/or the M.B.A. director in advance to discuss whether the student should enroll in the course at another time.
 

Requirements 

M.B.A.
 

  • BLAW 530, FINA 510, MGMT 512, 525, 550, 565, 584
  • Nine credits of ACCT, BLAW, CISS, ECON, FINA, HMGT, MGMT or MKTG at the graduate level
  • Daytime program students: MGMT 681
  • Evening program students: MGMT 681 or 683 or 685
     

Health care management emphasis: the above requirements, including HMGT 630 and 640 as the electives. In addition students pursuing this emphasis must complete MGMT 681, 683, or 685 and focus their research project on issues related to health care.
 

Faculty

Michael Boland
Adjunct Professor
B.S., M.B.A., University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Rochelle Brooks
Associate Professor
B.S., University of Wisconsin-Stout; M.E.P.D., University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; Ph.D., Capella University

Sara Schwarz Cook
Assistant Dean, Dahl School of Business/Associate Professor
B.S., University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; M.B.A., University of Baltimore; Ph.D., Capella University

Heather Kujak-Coon
Adjunct Professor
B.S., University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, M.S., University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Derek Cortez
Assistant Professor
B.A., Trinity College, M.S., University of Portland, M.Div., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Robyn Gaier
Instructor, Philosophy
B.S., B.A., Bowling Green State University; M.A., Ohio University, Ph.D., Saint Louis University

Kem Gambrell
Interim Director, Master of Business Administration/Assistant Professor
B.S. Concordia University; M.S., Ph.D., University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Karen Gleason
Adjunct Professor
B.S.N., M.S., Winona State University; Ed.D., Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Thomas E. Knothe
Dean, Dahl School of Business/Associate Professor
B.S., Viterbo University, J.D., Willamette University College of Law

Richard Kyte
Director, D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership/Associate Professor
B.A., Hamline University; M.A., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University

James Murray
Adjunct Professor
B.S., University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; M.A., University of Notre Dame; Ph.D., Indiana University

J. Todd Ondell
Assistant Professor
B.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison; M.Ed., University of Florida; Ed.D., Indiana University

John Robinson
Assistant Professor
B.S., Brigham Young University; Ph.D., Arizona State University

Paul Robinson
Assistant Professor
B.B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison; J.D., Brigham Young University

R. Jean Salk
Assistant Professor
B.A., B.S., Evergreen State College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Minnesota

Hajo Siemers
Adjunct Professor
B.S., Viterbo University; M.B.A., Duke University

Gary Van Domelen
Adjunct Professor

B.A., St. Norbert College; J.D., Marquette University Law School

Lisa Wied
Adjunct Professor
B.S., M.B.A., Viterbo University

Anita Wood
Assistant Professor
B.A., Concordia College; M.B.A., Monterey Institute for International Studies


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