Business Administration (MBA)

The AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration program offers convenient and time-efficient ways to earn an MBA. In just one year, you will gain the strategic thinking, problem solving, analytical and leadership skills to enable you to excel in our competitive business environment. The program combines small, highly interactive classes at our state-of-the-art Metro Campus in Providence with a required internship and international experience to ensure inclusion of practical real-world experience. A joint JD/MBA program option is also available.

Format

On Campus (Providence)

Schedule

Daytime; Tuesday-Thursday

Credits Required

36

Time Commitment

One year

Cost

2023-2024
$1,091/credit

Fees

2023-2024
$475/semester

Ways to Save

Free course senior year (RWU and local students)

Limited scholarships

Apply By

December 1 for senior spring

August 1 for Fall 2023

Getting the International Business Experience of a Lifetime

One after another, the Master of Business Administration students, fresh off a plane from Greece, said their week serving as consultants to four Greek companies was nothing less than a life-changing experience that has prepared them like no other to be competitive in the global business world. 

Read more
Some of our latest MBA hires and promotions

Accelerated +1 Options

Our accelerated options allow students to complete both undergraduate Business and graduate MBA degrees in four or five years. 

3 + 1 MBA 

Students, by accelerating their undergraduate work, earn their Bachelor’s degree in three years and their MBA degree at the conclusion of their fourth year at the University.

4 + 1 MBA

Students in the 4 + 1 option complete their Bachelor’s degree within four years and their MBA degree at the conclusion of their fifth year at the University.

Key Features of the Master of Business Administration Program

  • Complete in just one year - Students complete the MBA program in one calendar year, including the internship and study abroad experience, allowing them to enter the workforce sooner than many programs.
  • Internationally accredited - The RWU Gabelli School of Business and the MBA program are fully accredited by AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB accreditation is a designation earned by less than five percent of business schools worldwide.
  • Required internship - A hallmark of the RWU MBA is the opportunity to gain industry experience while pursuing the program with a required internship.  
  • International experience - Each spring break, students travel to a prominent international business destination to learn about culture, regional business practices, major corporations, and more. 
  • Study in Providence - The MBA program is offered at our state-of-the-art Metro Campus in Providence, RI, located right in the heart of one of the busiest business hubs in the state.

International Experience

The International Experience (IE) in the Gabelli School MBA program is intended to provide students with exposure to other cultures and individuals and to develop a broader appreciation of what it means to better understand and build working relationships with individuals whose cultures and business practices may differ greatly from those in the U.S.

This is a distinctive feature of the GSB MBA program and it is expected that all students will participate.  Recent visits abroad have included those to organizations such as Microsoft, FM Global, DHL, Flextronics, Daimler, Mazars and the U.S. Embassy.  The travel portion of the course usually ranges from eight to ten days.

The program is funded by a U.S. Department of Education Business and International Education Program grant in the amount of $184,094, with a matching amount provided from non-federal sources.

91% Three-Month Job Placement
99% Graduation Rate
114 MBA Students To Date
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In just one year, you will gain the strategic thinking, problem solving, analytical and leadership skills to to enable you to excel in our competitive business environment. The MBA program combines small, highly interactive classes in key business disciplines at our state-of-the-art Metro Campus in Providence with a required internship and international study to ensure inclusion of practical real-world experience, both at home and on the global stage.

Course Schedule

Spring Semester (Senior Year - current undergraduate students only): 3 Credits

Ethical Leadership of Organizations
(Offered at the Bristol Campus)

Summer Term

Roger’s Review workshop – 3-4 days in August

Fall Semester (Graduate): 12 Credits

Financial and Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
Decision Analysis (3 credits)
Managerial Economics (3 credits)
Decisions in Marketing Management (3 credits)
Ethical Leadership of Organizations* (3 credits) 

Spring Semester (Graduate): 15 Credits

Corporate Finance (3 credits)
Global Business (3 credits)
Strategic Management (3 credits)
Electives (6 credits)

Summer Semester (Graduate): 6 Credits

Internship (3 credits)**
International Experience (3 credits)**

* Only required if students did not complete the Ethical Leadership of Organizations course previously.

** May be completed in alternative semesters, i.e. summer between senior year and MBA year; in January of MBA year; or summer after completion of MBA coursework.

Requirements, Deadlines, & Financial Aid

Application Requirements

Applicants to the MBA program should have an undergraduate degree (or be completing an undergraduate degree) from a regionally-accredited institution. Please contact the Office of Graduate Admission if you have questions about your eligibility.

To apply, applicants must submit the following items to the Office of Graduate Admission:

  1. Completed application form and $50 application fee
    An application fee is not required for RWU students. Please contact the Office of Graduate Admission for your fee waiver code. 
  2. Letter of Intent (no more than two double-spaced pages) describing your interest in the MBA program, career goals, and how you can positively contribute to the graduate program at Roger Williams University
  3. Two (2) letters of recommendation attesting to your potential to succeed in graduate school
  4. Official transcripts from all institutions where undergraduate credit was earned. The Office of Graduate Admission will obtain transcripts on behalf of RWU students. Transcripts from other institutions must be official and sealed from the issuing institution and be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admission.

It is recommended that students present at least a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA in order to be considered for admission to the M.B.A. program. While standardized test scores are not required for admission to the program, students may be asked to submit scores to strengthen their applications. 

Each application will be reviewed using a portfolio approach - all parts of the application will be considered, inclusive of grades and trend of grades, letters of recommendation, the letter of intent, and other information that candidates for admission may wish to submit.

Where appropriate, documents should be submitted online through the applicant portal or via email to gradadmit@rwu.edu. Any official documents that must be mailed (i.e. transcripts) should be sent directly to:

Office of Graduate Admission
1 Old Ferry Rd.
Bristol, RI 02809

Have questions about the application process? Visit the How to Apply page from the Office of Graduate Admission.

Priority Application Deadlines

December 1st for undergraduate seniors who wish to take the spring semester course
August 1st for all others for fall 2023 consideration

Applications will be considered after these deadlines on a space available basis. Please contact the Office of Graduate Admission for more information. 

Scholarships and Institutional Aid

All accepted MBA students will be considered for limited scholarships and grants. Scholarships will be made on the basis of academic performance in undergraduate coursework. Limited grant opportunities will be considered for students with demonstrated financial hardship. Awards will be made at the time of application or soon thereafter. 

Offered with the RWU School of Law. 

View our latest virtual session about RWU Dual Degree programs.

Increasingly, individuals are called upon to understand multiple specialized fields that are inclusive of law and business. Familiarity with business concepts is particularly important for those who seek careers in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property, among others. Drawing on the strengths of the Roger Williams University School of Law as well as the Mario J. Gabelli School of Business, RWU offers a concentrated joint degree program for students interested in pursuing a Juris Doctor degree and a Master of Business Administration degree. The dual degree program allows students to complete the Juris Doctor (JD) and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) in an accelerated period of study – within four years, instead of the typical five years.

The MBA program combines classes in core business disciplines at our state-of-the-art Metro Campus in Providence with a required internship and international study to give you practical, real-world experience both at home and on the global stage. With strong connections to the legal and judiciary fields in the heart of Providence, the juris doctor program offers the highest-quality JD degree with classes at the RWU School of Law on our Bristol campus.

To earn the JD/MBA degree students must complete 78 credits at the School of Law and 24 graduate credits in the Gabelli School of Business. The School of Law and the Gabelli School of Business will each accept 12 transfer credits from the other school. The effect of these credit transfers between the School of Law and the School of Business will reduce the overall time needed to complete both degrees from five years to four years or less, assuming continuous, full-time study.

How to Apply

Applicants applying for the Joint JD/MBA degree must be in good standing at the end of their first year of study in the RWU School of Law. Application should be made through the RWU Office of Graduate Admissions. Applications should be submitted sufficiently in advance of the application deadline to assure adequate processing time at both Schools. Student transcripts will be obtained from the School of Law. Applicants must apply to and earn acceptance into both programs separately. Applicants to the JD/MBA program may use their LSAT scores in place of the normally required GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) or GRE (Graduate Record Examination) upon notifying the RWU Office of Graduate Admissions that this is their intent. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis and using a portfolio approach, wherein all aspects of the application are considered by the admission committee in the Gabelli School of Business.

Apply Online

Transferable Course Requirements for the joint JD/MBA Degree Program:

School of Business courses that are transferable to the Law School:

ECON550     Managerial Economics (3 Credits/Fall)
MGMT510   Decision Analysis (3 Credits/Fall)
FNCE 550    Corporate Finance (3 Credits/Spring)
MGMT599   Strategic Management (3 Credits/Spring)*

Joint degree students must also take Roger’s Review in the summer prior to the full matriculation in the MBA Roger’s Review provides a comprehensive overview of functional subjects necessary to MBA course work in fields that include accounting, finance, economics and analytics.

Up to a total of 12 credits of the below Law School courses listed below are transferable to the Business School:

LAW.781        Antitrust (2 or 3 Credits)
LAW.805        Banking Law (3 Credits)
LAW.784        Bankruptcy (3 Credits)
LAW.635        Business Organizations (3 Credits)
LAW.805        Business and Partnership Tax (3 Credits)
LAW.729        Civil Rights (3 Credits)
LSM.888        Climate Change Law and Policy (2 Credits)
LAW.637        Construction Law (2 Credits)
LAW.756        Contract Drafting and Transactional Lawyering (3 Credits)
LAW.604        Contracts I (3 Credits)
LAW.819        Employment Discrimination (3 Credits)
LAW.820        Employment Law (3 Credits)
LAW.647        Federal Income Tax (3 Credits)
LAW.720        Health Law and Policy (3 Credits)
LAW.788        Insurance Law (3 Credits)
LAW.740        Intellectual Property (3 Credits)
LAW.792        International Business Transactions (3 Credits)
LAW.770        International Law (3 Credits)
LAW.822        Labor Law (3 Credits)
LAW.793        Marine Pollution (2 Credits)
LAW.809        Mergers and Acquisitions (3 Credits)
LAW.733        Mediation (3 Credits)
LAW.736        Negotiation (3 Credits)
LSM.744        Patent Law (2 Credits)
LAW.831        Regulatory Compliance (3 credits)
LAW.653        Secured Transactions (3 Credits)
LAW.832        Securities Regulation (3 Credits)*

*Other courses may be substituted with the approval of the Dean of the Business School and the Associate Dean of the School of Law.

For a full listing of juris doctor courses, visit the RWU School of Law site.

Each year, MBA students take advantage of a study abroad experience over Spring Break. The required experience provides students with an opportunity to visit corporations in major international destinations, learn about foreign business practices and regulations, and immerse themselves in local culture. 

Athens, Greece - April 2023
MBA students stand together on the waterfront in Athens 2023MBA students stand with RWU and Alba Business School faculty in a classroomMBA students join for a picture at dinner outside the Acropolis in Athens 2023 
RWU MBA students stand outside the Alba Business School in AthensMBA students stand next to the Acropolis in Athens  

 

Athens, Greece - April 2022
MBA students dine in front of the AcropolisMBA students stand in front of the AcropolisMBA students present their projects at Alba Business School in Athens 
MBA students stand next to the Acropolis in Athens   

 

Beijing, China - March 2019
MBA students visit DaimlerMBA students at the Great Wall of ChinaMBA students pose at Microsoft 

 

Panama City, Panama - March 2018
MBA students in Panama CityMBA students pose in PanamaMBA students tour PanamaMBA students at Alliance Transport Logistics 
MBA students visit DHL in Panama 

In the program's young history, our students have benefited from competitive internship placements and are employed at top organizations throughout the U.S. Here is a sample of where our students have interned and found employment:

EmployersInternship Placements
Citrin CoopermanAAA Northeast
DatadogChase Corporation
Dow JonesChikmedia
Ernst & YoungDell EMC
ForresterFidelity Investments
HasbroFlickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival
Health and Wellness PartnersJohnson & Johnson
Herff JonesParsonsKellogg
KPMG USPawtucket Red Sox
Macy'sRhodes Pharmaceuticals
NASAThird Spoon Creative
Rolf C. Hagen Corp.Times Union Center (Albany, NY)
The Walt Disney CompanyU.S. Sailing
 WaterFire Providence

 

  • Knowledge that allows students to better interpret the complexities of the internal and external business environment.
    • Students will appropriately apply conceptual frameworks to interpret business problems.
       
  • Enhanced decision-making skills.
    • Students will demonstrate effective decision-making skills.
       
  • Stronger leadership skills.
    • Students will demonstrate ethical leadership skills.
       
  • The ability to analyze data using interdisciplinary, sophisticated approaches.
    • Students will use diverse empirical approaches to solve business problems.
       
  • Communication skills appropriate to leadership in the business environment.
    • Students will write documents professionally.
    • Students will create and deliver presentations professionally.

Open Houses

Open Houses are scheduled on the Bristol Campus every June and November with virtual Open Houses available in January and August. Join us to learn more about your program, the admission process, and financial aid at these informative events with faculty and Graduate Admission staff.

View our upcoming events for the most current opportunities to hear about the MBA program.

Information Sessions

Join us on campus or virtually to learn more about the MBA program from faculty, staff, and current students.
There are no sessions scheduled at this time.
Please visit http://grad.rwu.edu/events for the most current information on Open Houses and Virtual Sessions.
Meet some of our faculty
Catherine HallAlexander KnightsJason Oliver
Dr. Catherine HallDr. Alexander KnightsDr. Jason Oliver
Director Assurance of Learning and Special Projects and Lecturer in ManagementAssociate Professor of ManagementProfessor of Marketing
Mark WuSusan McTiernan 
Dr. Mark WuDr. Susan McTiernan 
Associate Professor of FinanceAssociate Professor of Management 

 

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