Master in Business Administration at Oklahoma State University - Dr. Matt Bowler, MBA Director

What is your name? My name is Matt bowler. Okay and what is your position within Spears? I am the MBA Director, directing the Tulsa, Stillwater, and online MBA programs. 

We have the Stillwater full-time MBA program, which is designed for the traditional MBA student. It's 36 hours in length, takes about a year and a half usually. Some people do it and take their time and get an extra certificate, which we can talk more about that if you want to and sometimes they'll stretch it out, and do two years. Also in Stillwater, we have the four plus one program where you can start your MBA program in your senior year. You apply for that in your junior year, take up to 10 credit hours in your senior year. Those credits apply to your undergraduate degree as well as your MBA, and their build as part of your block to your undergraduate block tuition. How do they get started with the four plus one? They see their advisor and apply in their junior year, before the end of their junior year. 

Tulsa and online are both considered part-time. They are 33 hours in length and that usually takes people two to three years, depending on their schedule. We build it around their lifestyle, the amount they work, their family obligations, things like that. Typically when do they meet? Like what times? days of the week? So the Tulsa program is um the core classes are on the Tulsa campus and they're hybrid in nature, so they meet anywhere from two to seven or eight times depending on the length of the course. We have five week courses that need two times face to face. We have eight week courses that meet three times face to face. We have 16 week courses, those more quantitative courses, that meet seven to nine times, depending on the course. All the core classes in Tulsa are on Tuesday evenings, starting at 4:30. There's a 4:30 session and a 7:20 session, so if you want to be a Tulsa MBA student, if you can commit to Tuesday nights that is the commitment. Then we switch in and out each week which classes you're taking. 

Online program is what I would call a semi-synchronous program . A fully synchronous programs are ones where you actually meet on Zoom each week, and asynchronous programs where you never meet and you work at your own schedule. So we're somewhere in between there. We have recorded video and lectures and activities and group work. But, they happen on a week by week basis some of those weeks overlap to give some flexibility. But then we have most of our classes will have some sort of an optional Zoom meeting each week so you can be in touch with your faculty member, your fellow students, and have discussions about the topics. 

The basic application there's application fee um and that is usually you get one fee waived for an alumni, and we have two application deadlines for the year. We admit students for August and for January. The August deadline is June 1 and to have your application and all your materials in. Sometimes it takes a little while for some of the letters of reference, and we'll go into that in a minute but June one of the deadline. For January start dates November 1 is the deadline. The application includes; your application, your transcripts, your resume, statement of purpose, three letters of reference, and the GMAT. Unless you receive a waiver or come in with a different option. 

Our basic waiver program is, if you have five years of work experience and a 3.5 undergraduate GPA. We're also looking at some other options for those waivers. The waivers do not apply for the full-time program. Additionally, within the MBA program there are graduate teaching assistantships available. With these positions, you are working closely with the faculty member across Spears or specifically within the MBA program. These positions offer a monthly stipend, tuition waiver, as well as health insurance. The work is typically about 10 to 20 hours per week.