Admissions and Requirements for Dayton School of Business Graduate programs

Dayton School of Business (DSB) offers two graduate degrees:

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Sustainable, innovative wealth creation in the economy, as well as viable, effective social institutions in the nonprofit sector, require sophisticated management skills grounded in a robust understanding of ethics and Christian virtues. Asbury University’s online MBA program educates women and men from around the world in a graduate management curriculum that will enable them to integrate their faith and work in a manner that leads to our distinctive focus on management of the triple bottom line - profit, people, and purpose. First, profit is important to sustain and grow the organization. This requires students to learn how to steward financial capital. Second, people are equally important; this principle necessitates that managers be stewards of social capital. Without trust and respectful treatment, employees and suppliers cannot create value for the customers. Third, a business needs a broader purpose. Students need to learn that spiritual capital can transform the community in which the business works. Students who complete our program will be poised to provide effective leadership in management, with integrity and conscience, across a broad range of careers and organizations.

Master of Science in Accounting (MSAC)

The accounting industry is growing and as such, accounting graduates, especially Asbury University’s Dayton School of Business accounting graduates, are in high demand. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy recognize that the accounting industry is evolving and thus are implementing changes to the Certified Public Accountant exam, beginning January 2024. The Master of Science in Accounting degree provides accounting students with the information needed to enter the accounting workforce, to successfully complete the CPA exam, and to fulfill the 150 credit hours required to become a CPA in the state of Kentucky and potentially in other states.

Program Objectives:
1. Fluency in the accounting language in order to prepare and analyze accounting information for decision-making within a variety of organization types.
2. Effective application of the IRS tax code for individual, partnership, and corporate taxation.
3. Effective application of the generally accepted auditing standards and tools for performing and communicating external and internal auditing.
4. Knowledgeable in the role of information systems and effectively apply them to organizational processes.
5. Discuss and demonstrate how faith intersects with business, accounting, tax, and auditing principles. 

Application Process for All Degree Programs:

The following information details the application process, admissions, transfer, and pre-MBA or pre-MSAC foundation requirements of the program.

Application Process for Admission to a DSB Graduate Program

1. MBA or MSAC Application. Complete the application at www.asbury.edu/applyDSB.
2. Transcript(s). Submit final official transcripts showing:

• Conferred Bachelor’s degree(s). Note: Graduate admissions may request additional transcript(s) as necessary to fulfill admissions or state certification requirements,
• All Master’s coursework or beyond, including any Master’s conferral (independent of intent to transfer)

All transcripts must be delivered directly from each college/university at which undergraduate and/or graduate work was completed (please see instructions below).

1. Mail: Asbury University, Graduate Admissions; One Macklem Drive; Wilmore, KY  40390

• Official electronic transcripts: GradAdmissions@asbury.edu
• Official transcripts from non-US institutions must be submitted through World Education Services (WES).
• Hand-carried transcripts, even in sealed envelopes, will not be accepted.

2. Recommendations. Provide at least (2) two recommendations (1 - academic or professional, and 2 -  character) from individuals who are able to objectively assess the quality of the student’s character, capabilities, and accomplishments. References should be non-family members who can measure an applicant’s overall potential as an MBA student and future business leader. Online application provides instructions. An email address for each reference will be requested on the application.
3. Resume. Submit a current resume via the application portal or by email to GradAdmissions@asbury.edu.
4. Essay. Complete the Short Essay on the online application.
5. Community Expectations. Sign and submit the Asbury University Community Expectations Statement on the online application.
6. English Language Proficiency. International students (with the exception of those who hold a degree from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education) must submit official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (written or computer exam), and the Test of Written English. International students can also submit the official results of the iBT (internet based test) for the TOEFL or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System).
7. Additional materials specific to your program as outlined below.

Students may be provisionally accepted to a program after all documents are submitted, pending further review and full acceptance into a degree program. Provisionally accepted students may register for certain recommended classes while they await full admission.

MBA Program Admission Requirements:

Admission Requirements for the MBA Program

1. Completed MBA application materials.
2. Undergraduate degree and transcripts. Final official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework from accredited institutions. Applicants should possess a four-year undergraduate degree (or its equivalent) with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 point scale. Candidates not meeting the grade point average criteria may apply for admission on a conditional status.
3. Peregrine Exam. Students are required to take the Peregrine Inbound Assessment Exam at the time of application. A link for the exam will be provided upon submission of the online application. It is expected that students will meet or exceed a score of 40 on the Peregrine Inbound Assessment Exam.
4. TOEFL. Students are expected to have a strong command of English to be successful in the program and later in their career. All applicants whose native language is not English (with the exception of those who hold a degree from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education) must submit a TOEFL score above 550 (paper based) or 213 (computer-based test) and a score of 4.5 on the Test of Written English (TWE) meets this expectation. An IBT exam score of 79 would be equivalent to the TOEFL.
5. Work Experience. While work experience is preferred, there is no minimum requirement. Work experience and test scores are considered together to gauge the readiness of the student for graduate business success.
6. Transfer Credits. A maximum of 9 graduate course credits can be transferred from an accredited institution. Transfer credit is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pre-MBA Foundation Requirements

Generally, it is assumed that students have completed a degree in business administration or accounting (major or minor) or possess a mastery of pre-MBA skills and knowledge. However, many students will come from non-business backgrounds, or need to refresh their basic business knowledge. Certification of pre-MBA foundation courses may be satisfied in one of the following options:

1. Earn at least a ‘C’ in these pre-requisite courses at Asbury or equivalent:
   1. ECN 100 level Economics or higher, including, ECN 272 - Introduction to Microeconomics (3)  or ECN 273 - Introduction to Macroeconomics (3) .
   2. ACC 100 level Accounting or higher - including ACC 201 - Financial Accounting (3) .
   3. BU 100 level Statistics or higher - including  BU 261 - Business Analytics I (3) .

[These course credits will not be counted toward fulfillment of the M.B.A. degree.]

2. Passing equivalent courses at another accredited school online or via correspondence courses.
3. Passing college-level proficiency (CLEP) examinations.
4. Successfully completing Series 1 and 2 of the Institute for Business Management and Leadership Excellence.

MSAC Program Admission Requirements:

1. Completed MSAC application materials.
2. Undergraduate degree and transcripts. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework from accredited institutions. Applicants should possess a four-year undergraduate degree (or its equivalent) with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point scale. Candidates not meeting the grade point average criteria may apply for admission on a conditional status.
3. TOEFL. Students are expected to have a strong command of English to be successful in the program and later in their career. All applicants whose native language is not English (with the exception of those who hold a degree from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education) must submit a TOEFL score above 550 (paper based) or 213 (computer-based test) and a score of 4.5 on the Test of Written English (TWE) meets this expectation. An IBT exam score of 79 would be equivalent to the TOEFL.
4. Transfer Credits. A maximum of 9 graduate course credits can be transferred from an accredited institution. Transfer credit is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pre-MSAC Foundation Requirements

Generally, it is assumed that students have completed a program in accounting (major, minor, or undergraduate certificate). However, if the student does not have an undergraduate degree in accounting, it is expected that that following Asbury University undergraduate courses were completed: ACC 201 Financial Accounting , ACC 202 Managerial Accounting , ACC 301 Intermediate Accounting I , ACC 302 Intermediate Accounting II , ACC 305 Cost Accounting , ACC 307 Principles of Federal Income Taxation , ACC 361 Management Information Systems , and ACC 402 Basic Auditing . Students may satisfy these foundation requirements by passing equivalent courses at another regionally-accredited school.
[These course credits will not be counted toward fulfillment of the MSAC degree.]

MBA and MSAC Program Graduation Requirements

1. Maintain a 3.0 grade point throughout the program.
2. Successfully complete all program requirements in a maximum of 5 years from date of first enrollment.
3. Minimum of 36 hours of graduate credit for the MBA and a minimum of 33 hours of graduate credit for the MSAC.
4. Approval for graduation by the program faculty.
5. Submit a Degree Application showing course plan for final requirements, in the Registrar’s Office by posted deadline for the commencement year and their expected graduation date (Oct. 15 for December graduation, and Feb. 15 for May or August graduation).
6. Be approved at the vote of the Faculty Assembly for degree conferral.

The Degree Application link will be emailed from the Registrar’s Office based on student’s remaining requirements and graduation date.  Students may email Registrar’s Office for degree application information when reaching fulfillment of all requirements.