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Weekend MBA: Frequently Asked
Questions
General Program
Questions
How long does it
take to complete the Weekend MBA
Program?
When and where are the
Weekend MBA classes?
How much flexibility does
the Weekend MBA offer in course
selection?
Will I be able to take all
of my courses at Washington DC?
Can Weekend MBA students
transfer into the Full-Time Program?
What is the cost of the
Weekend MBA classes?
Are there differences
between the Full-Time, Evening, and
Weekend MBA degrees?
What is the teaching
methodology?
How can I contact the
Weekend MBA Program staff?
Can I take a course at the
Smith School without being admitted as a
degree-seeking student?
What type of financial
assistance is available?
Application and
Admission Questions
Is the GMAT required
for admission to the Weekend MBA?
What type of student is
the Admissions Committee looking for?
What are the application
deadlines?
Is an interview required?
Can students transfer
coursework?
Can students waive
coursework?
Can I apply online?
Where do I send my
application for the Weekend MBA Program?
Can I apply for both the
Evening MBA and Weekend MBA at the same
time? Or can I apply to more than one
Evening MBA campus?
Can I defer admission to
the part-time MBA?
International
Applicant Questions
Do I have to take
the TOEFL?
What is the minimum TOEFL
score required?
What degrees are
acceptable from international
applicants?
How long does it
take to complete the Weekend MBA
Program?
You can complete the Weekend MBA in 33
months. Once the core curriculum is
complete, students who wish to complete
the program in less than 33 months can
accelerate their studies by taking
electives during the week with the
Evening MBA Program.
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When and where are
the Weekend MBA classes?
Weekend MBA students typically meet
8:50
a.m. to 6:10 p.m. alternate Saturdays in
the Smith School of Business's
facilities at the Ronald Reagan Building
and International Trade Center, 1300
Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest,
Washington DC.
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How much flexibility
does the Weekend MBA offer in course
selection?
Students follow a prescribed core
curriculum during the first six
semesters. Upon completion of the core
curriculum, electives will be available
based on student demand. Because Weekend
MBA students have already developed
depth in a particular field, the program
does not offer formal majors but rather
a general management focus.
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Will I be able to
take all of my courses at Washington DC?
Students who want to take advantage of
the wide variety of electives offered at
the Smith School should be prepared to
demonstrate flexibility in campus
location. While many of the electives in
the popular areas, such as Finance and
Marketing, are offered frequently at
each campus, the more specialized
electives are typically offered once a
year at College Park.
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Can Weekend MBA
students transfer into the Full-Time
Program?
After completing the core curriculum,
you may choose to take a full-time
course load, which is 9 or more credit
hours per semester. However, you must be
available during the week to take
electives with the Evening MBA or
Full-time MBA at College Park. You are
still considered part of the Weekend MBA
Program and must fulfill the Weekend MBA
requirements. All students, regardless
of their credit load, may participate in
MBA program activities upon approval of
the Masters Program Office.
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What is the cost of
the Weekend MBA Program?
There are three components to the
pricing structure of the program:
tuition, site fees, and student service
fees. Your total costs vary depending on
your state residency status, the
location at which you choose to study,
the semester in which you study, and the
number of credits in which you enroll.
For example, based on 6 credits, your
tuition cost for the fall semester is
approximately $4,818, and $5,621 during
the spring semester based on 7 credits,
$1,606 during the winter semester based
on 2 credits, and $3,212 during the
summer based on 4 credits. The average
student enrolls in 6 credit hours per
semester during their elective phase.
Based on 6 credit hours, your tuition
cost per semester during your elective
phase is currently $4,818 when taking
electives at a satellite campus.
Fees vary by campus and currently are
$44/credit hour for students enrolled at
the Baltimore campus; $50/credit hour
for students enrolled at the Shady Grove
campus; and $120/credit hour for
students enrolled at the Washington,
D.C. campus. In addition, students are
also charged an MBA/MS fee for all
courses which is currently $92 per
credit.
Books are approximately $120 per class.
Please note, tuition and fees are
subject to change. To see a more
detailed listing of tuition and fees,
click here.
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Are there
differences between the Full-Time,
Evening, and Weekend MBA degrees?
All MBA graduates receive a degree that
reads Master of Business Administration
from the University of Maryland, College
Park. All three programs have the same
admission criteria, require 54 credit
hours, and utilize the cohort system.
Weekend MBA students do not participate
in the MBA Consulting Project because
they are typically employed full-time.
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What is the teaching
methodology?
Courses are integrated and taught using
a team-based approach. Professors
utilize lectures, cases, simulations,
and group presentations. Each course
uses a different amount of these
teaching methods based on the subject
and the professor's personal approach.
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How can I contact
the Weekend MBA?
Telephone: (301) 405-2278
Fax: (301) 314-9862
E-mail: mba_info@rhsmith.umd.edu
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Can I take a course
at the Smith School without being
admitted as a degree-seeking student?
Students who wish to attend courses
without being admitted as degree seeking
students must be a graduate of or be
admitted to a graduate program that is
accredited by AACSB. You must submit an
application through the Graduate School
for admittance as an Advanced Special
Student (graduate of an AACSB-accredited
institution) or a Visiting Graduate
Student (currently enrolled in an AACSB-accredited
institution).
The student sends by fax a written
request to the attention of Faye Baker
in the Masters Program Office at (301)
314-9862. Once the student's application
has been submitted, the request can be
processed. Requests are reviewed
approximately two weeks before the start
of the semester and the final decision
is based on a space availability basis.
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What type of
financial assistance is available?
Students can apply for the Stafford
Loan, a low-interest loan offered by the
US Department of Education. The most
important process in applying for this
loan is filing the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FASFA). FASFA forms
are available at the beginning of
December online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or
by contacting the Office of Financial
Aid at the University of Maryland at
(301) 314-9305. The Graduate Management
Admissions Council (GMAC), in
cooperation with Sallie Mae and Wells
Fargo Education Financial Services,
offers part-time MBA students low cost
financing through its Tuition Loan
Program. For further details, contact
GMAC at 1-888-440-4MBA, or visit
www.salliemae.com/mbaloans or
www.gmac.com.
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Is the GMAT required
for admission to the Weekend MBA?
Yes, the Admissions Committee requires
an official copy of the GMAT score
before reviewing an applicant's files.
Please request Educational Testing
Service (ETS) to forward an official
copy of your GMAT to institutional code
5814 to avoid any delay.
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What type of student
is the Weekend MBA Admissions Committee
looking for?
Competitive applicants to the Weekend
MBA Program should have a GMAT in the
mid-500s or better. Their undergraduate
and/or graduate grade point average
should be 3.00/4.00 or stronger.
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What are the
application deadlines?
Applications for the Fall 2008
class are being accepted now.
Application deadlines can be found here.
Please contact the
Office of Admissions at
301-405-2559 for more specific
details. Admission
decisions are made on a rolling
basis.
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Is an interview
required?
Interviews are not required for
consideration for the Weekend MBA
program. However, applicants are invited
to meet with a program representative or
attend one the Evening MBA/Weekend MBA
Information Sessions to learn more about
the program.
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Can students
transfer coursework?
Students admitted to the part-time
program may transfer up to nine credits
earned prior to matriculation in the
SmithMBA program. In order to transfer
credits, all of the following conditions
must be met:
The credits were earned while enrolled
as a degree-seeking student in an MBA
program but were not used to meet the
requirements of any other earned degree.
The credits were earned at an AACSB-accredited
business school.
The student transferred to a new
location for professional reasons and
thus was unable to complete the program
as originally intended. (ie. A student
had a job transfer from New York to
Washington, DC and cannot complete their
current degree remotely.)
The courses are no more than seven years
old at the time of a student's
graduation. If a student's planned
graduation date is delayed for any
reason beyond this time limit, these
courses will no longer provide credit
toward the Smith School degree.
Both the Masters Program Office and the
relevant academic area must accept the
content of the course.
The student must have received a grade
equivalent to a "B" or above for the
course.
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Can students waive
coursework?
All MBA students are required to fulfill
all MBA core course requirements. MBA
core course requirements follow a strict
no waiver policy. Exceptions to this
policy are listed below. The following
core courses may be waived if the
following conditions are met.
Course
Waiver Requirement
BUSI 610 Financial Accounting
CPA license & department chair approval
BUSI 611 Managerial Accounting
CPA license & department chair approval
BUSI 630 Data Models & Decisions
Successful passing of waiver examination
BUSI 640 Financial Management
Successful passing of waiver examination
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Can I apply online?
Yes, the application is available online
at www.embark.com.
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Where do I send my
application for the Weekend MBA Program?
Send your application by mail to:
Masters Programs Office
The Robert H. Smith School of Business
2417 Van Munching Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland 20742-1815
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Can I apply for both
the Evening MBA and Weekend MBA at the
same time? Or can I apply to more than
one Evening MBA campus?
No, the Office of the Registrar at the
University of Maryland does not permit
applicants to apply for more than one
program at the same time.
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Can I defer
admission to the part-time MBA?
Admitted students begin their MBA
program in the semester for which they
have applied. If a student needs to
request a deferral for an emergency
medical reason, the admissions committee
will consider requests on a case-by-case
basis.
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Do I have to take
the TOEFL?
The University of Maryland at College
Park requires any applicant who has not
completed a university degree in a
country in which English is the
principal language (such as the United
Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and New
Zealand) to take the TOEFL. All
applicants must comply by this policy
regardless of citizenship status, number
of years residing in the United States,
and language of instruction of his or
her university.
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What is the minimum
TOEFL score for international students?
Applicants required to take the TOEFL
must submit a minimum score of 250 under
the computer format or 600 under the
paper format.
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What degrees are
acceptable from international
applicants?
All Weekend MBA applicants should have
the equivalent of a four-year US
bachelor's degree from an accredited
college or university. Please send a
photocopy of the diploma and/or degree
conferral with transcripts from
institutions outside the US.
A three year degree, such as a Bachelor
of Commerce, is not sufficient for
admission to the University of Maryland.
Applicants may not substitute one year
of a two-year master's program, but
rather must complete the master's
degree. The BA or BS are acceptable only
under a four-year program.
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