Albers School of Business and Economics – Seattle University - Professional MBA

Seattle University Professional MBA Program Structure

The Seattle University Professional MBA (PMBA) program at Albers School of Business and Economics is for students with at least two years of work experience. Students can work toward their degree full-time or part-time. It’s a 54-credit program that can be completed in as little as six quarters for full-time students or nine quarters for part-time students.

Core classes are taught in two modules, Behavioral and Analytical, with each module lasting three quarters. Albers recommends taking core classes with the same cohort.

A distinctive feature of this program is that 9 of the classes (27 credits) students take are electives, which gives students the flexibility to earn a graduate certificate in areas such as global business, innovation in entrepreneurship and sustainability while they’re earning an MBA. Students can even earn their MBA concurrently with a JD in a joint degree program by Seattle University.

For greater flexibility, students can start the Professional MBA Program any quarter, and take electives at their own pace.

• Part-time MBA students taking 2 courses per quarter can complete the program in 9 quarters.
• Full-time MBA students taking 3 classes per quarter can complete the program in 6 quarters.

Curriculum

The Seattle University Professional MBA requires some preparatory and prerequisite coursework. Students who plan to take Economics or Finance electives must take Business Calculus by the end of the first year of the program unless they received a B- or higher in the course as an undergraduate. Students who scored lower than 25 percent on the verbal or written sections of the GMAT or GRE must take a professional writing course in their first quarter of the program.

The Albers Professional MBA emphasizes the importance of integrating various business disciplines to solve complex business problems. Almost all traditional MBA classes and core curriculums at other universities are discipline-focused (courses in accounting, marketing, human resources management, etc.); but, in contrast, the Albers Professional MBA core classes combine at least two different business disciplines, involve multiple professors, and are organized around solving particular business problems.

The program is split into two different tracks: the Behavioral Core (Management, Ethics, and Leadership) and the Analytical Core (Accounting, Finance, Statistics, etc.). Students can either take the two core tracks simultaneously or take the Behavioral Core first followed by the Analytical Core. The Core starts twice yearly, in fall quarter and again in spring quarter. Core classes are not offered during the summer.

The core classes are cohort-based, meaning that students move through the three courses together. This enables students to build close relationships with one another and to build a network in the Seattle business community. Because of the cohort model, students take the core classes on the same night for three quarters; so, for example, you would take behavioral core classes on Wednesday nights fall, winter, and spring quarters.

Students who haven’t satisfactorily completed coursework in statistics, financial accounting and managerial accounting are required to complete online courses, waiver exams, self-paced tutorials, or other options before taking the Analytical Core courses or quantitative electives.

The courses in the Behavioral core module are Teams & Decision Making; Building Internal and Community Stakeholder Relationships; and Creating Value Through Marketing and Operations. The Analytical core module consists of Enterprise (Business) Financial Performance and Analysis, Delivering Growth, and Managing Risk.

Students are also required to take Professional & Interpersonal Communications, Career Planning & Development and Capstone: Applications in Strategy.

Part-Time MBA Rankings

• U.S. News & World Report: 61st

Class Profile

Twenty-five students entered the most recent PMBA class. Students joined with an average GMAT score of 515, an average undergraduate GPA of 3.3, and an average of 9.4 years of professional work experience. Students from 23-46 years old joined the program with an average age of 31 years.

The class is comprised of 46 percent female students and 54 percent male students, and 83 percent of students attended part-time.

Tuition, Scholarships, and Financial Aid

Through summer 2018 and spring 2019, the cost per credit hour is $895. There is also a one-time application fee of $55. Quarterly fee’s for part-time students are $155, whule full-time student quarterly fees are $265.  The total tuition cost for the Albers Professional MBA is $48,330.

Albers offers several merit-based scholarships to NEW students who are entering the Professional MBA program. Scholarship recipients are selected based on GMAT scores, a short statement regarding the Albers Professional MBA, and undergraduate performance. They are awarded to both part-time (taking one or two courses each quarter) and full-time (taking at least three courses each quarter) students.

Graduate assistantships are available to students in all graduate business programs. Students can also apply for federal student loans.

Admissions

Applicants for the Professional MBA program submit the Albers graduate admissions application and a $55 fee. The school also requires a résumé documenting at least two years of full-time work experience, GMAT/GRE scores (which are optional), undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate transcripts and (if applicable) TOEFL scores. Personal statements and letters of recommendation are optional.

A GMAT/GRE waiver is available for select applicants. Students who plan to enter the JD/MBA joint degree program must also be accepted by the College of Law.

Albers Professional MBA Application Deadlines

U.S. applicants must apply by the following dates:

Winter – November 1
Spring – February 1
Summer – May 1
Fall – August 1

International applicants must apply by the following dates:

Winter – September 1
Spring – December 1
Summer – January 1
Fall – April 1

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