Kentucky Convergence Conference

Using Digital Resources to Build a Self-Paced MBA Foundations Solution

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree has been a popular choice for continued education across almost every discipline since its inception in the early 20th century. Today, MBA programs have become even more popular because of a prevalent need for post-Baccalaureate education as a criterion for continued advancement in the workplace. Because MBA programs are not limited to those who hold a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in a business discipline, most programs require completion of a set of undergraduate courses in business fundamentals as a prerequisite to MBA program admission. This requirement often creates a critical barrier to entry for many potential MBA students due to its time and expense. Schools and colleges of business have implemented many different solutions; however, in most cases, the solutions are still expensive, rigid in structure, and require months (often more than a year) to complete. This presentation describes the collaboration between the Gordon Ford College of Business and the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach at Western Kentucky University to create a fully digital, self-paced solution to provide instruction in the business fundamentals necessary for a student entering the MBA program without a BS degree in a business discipline. This single course can be completed in as few as seven weeks or as many as nine months, and the student can select the order and timeline in which to complete the eight subject areas within the course.