The Joseph A. Butt, S.J., College of Business, founded in 1947, holds membership in the American Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, Association of American Colleges, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, National Catholic Educational Association, the Southern Business Administration Association, and the Southwestern Business Administration Association.
The graduate division of the College of Business was established in 1961 and first accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in 1974. The College successfully maintained accreditation most recently in 2018. Loyola University New Orleans is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
The College of Business offers advanced courses in business through its graduate division leading to the Master of Business Administration degree. For more information about the MBA program's learning objectives and curriculum, visit the MBA program website. A list of MBA Program Faculty & Staff can also be found on the website.
Degree Programs + Course Descriptions
Graduate Courses Leading to Certification
Admission Requirements for the Program
Graduation + Residence Requirements
Probation + Dismissal Policies
The degree requirements for the Master of Business Administration are given in the following degree program course listing (DPCL):
The College of Business offers the MBA degree as a part of joint programs with the College of Law (JD/MBA) and Loyola Institute for Ministry (MPS/MBA). For information about the specific requirements of these dual degree programs, see the relevant College representatives.
The MBA degree program is offered as a generalist degree, or with the option to pursue 1 of 4 specialization tracks in Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing, or Operations. The course requirements for these specializations consist of 3 electives in the appropriate area.
The College of Business offers graduate-level business courses in the following areas:
Below are links to graduate courses leading to certification:
* Loyola University does not award these certifications. The College of Business offers graduate courses intended to fulfill the educational requirements needed to earn these certifications from the appropriate external certifying bodies. Additional testing is required to complete the certification.
Applicants generally are required to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to be considered for admission. Scores older than five years will not be accepted. Scores must come to Loyola directly from Pearson VUE or ETS. Many students choose to take the test several times to ensure their application is competitive. The admissions committee will use the highest score achieved for admissions consideration. The admissions committee has no preference between the GMAT or GRE when rendering admissions decisions.
International applicants must also provide an affidavit of support showing sufficient funds to finance their course of study and living expenses. In addition to the affidavit, an official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score report is required of international students. (Students who graduated from an undergraduate institution where English was the primary language of instruction may be able to waive the TOEFL/IELTS requirement on a case-by-case basis, with the approval of the MBA Program Director).
An applicant who does not wish to pursue a graduate degree program in the College of Business may apply for admission as a non-degree seeking student. Non-degree seeking students will be eligible to take up to 9 credit hours of graduate courses in the College of Business. Some courses are restricted to degree-seeking students. A non-degree seeking student who later applies to and is admitted into a graduate degree program in the College of Business may be eligible to apply up to 9 credit hours taken while admitted under non-degree seeking status toward the equivalent requirements of the degree.
In order to graduate, a student must meet the graduation requirements of the university and college and must possess a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all MBA core and elective courses taken at Loyola. Students must successfully complete all of the required courses for their degree program(s) according to the following guidelines:
After matriculation to the MBA degree program, at most 6 credit hours (excepting Jesuit MBA consortium credit) may be taken outside of Loyola University New Orleans to be applied toward required MBA coursework. The Capstone course, BA B855, must be taken at Loyola. Course substitutions and exceptions to these guidelines or requirements are allowed only with permission of the MBA Program Director.
A student may apply for an independent study only in the following two cases:
Only one independent study may be taken in the course of the entire MBA program. An overall GPA of 3.0 is required in order to be eligible to enroll in independent study (this GPA does not itself guarantee independent study will be granted). Students must complete a formal application prior to registration and obtain approval from the desired tenured instructor and the Director of Graduate Programs. Application forms and additional information are available from the Office of Graduate Programs.
An MBA student may be placed on academic probation or dismissed from the MBA program according to the following guidelines:
If a regular admit student’s cumulative GPA in the MBA program falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation and will be given one academic semester to raise the GPA back to a 3.0. If the student is unable to raise the cumulative GPA in the MBA program to a 3.0 or higher by the end of that semester, the student will be subject to dismissal from the MBA program. Students admitted on a conditional basis should maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at all times while enrolled in the program. If the cumulative GPA of a student who is a conditional admit falls below 3.0, the student will be subject to permanent dismissal from the MBA program.
Any grade of “C-” or below will automatically cause a student to be placed on probation, regardless of the student's overall GPA. If a probationary student receives a grade of “C-” or below, the student will be automatically dismissed. An MBA student on probation will not be given permission to take a course at another school or take an independent study course, study abroad course, or internship.
An MBA student who receives a grade of “F” in any course or who is found guilty of academic dishonesty will be dismissed immediately and permanently from the MBA program. It is the responsibility of the MBA student to be aware of these guidelines and the expected conduct laid out in the MBA student handbook.
A student who receives a grade of “I” ("incomplete") in any course may not register for any further courses until the relevant coursework is completed and a letter grade is received. If a student is already registered for the next semester's courses and receives a grade of “I” ("incomplete"), the student will be withdrawn from all next semester's courses. If the “I” remains past the add date for that next semester, or any subsequent semester, the student will not be eligible to enroll for any courses in that semester.
With the exception of courses taken at Jesuit consortium schools, a maximum of 6 credit hours of transfer work may be applied to 700- and 800-level courses in the MBA program curriculum. Only courses taken within 7 years prior to enrollment will be considered. Prior written permission must be obtained. Permission will be granted only for schools accredited by the AACSB and only to students demonstrating compelling need.
A consortium agreement with selected AACSB-accredited Jesuit schools is in effect. Students may transfer up to 50% of course requirements of the MBA program, exclusive of the BA B750 Competitive Strategy Capstone, at the 700- or 800-level under this agreement. A grade of "B" or higher is required in any course taken at another school to apply to degree requirements. Students must meet the admission requirements of the other school.
A full-time student not on probation may not take more than 14 credit hours during a fall or spring semester or 12 credit hours during a summer session without permission of the MBA Program Director.
All course requirements for a graduate degree must be completed in a 7-year span. Exceptions to this regulation require approval of the Dean of the College of Business and are only granted in extremely rare circumstances.