Academics

MBA Degree Paths

Northern Arizona University's MBA Program offers two paths, both leading to the same degree, the Master of Business Administration (MBA). If you are interested in a career in business – whether it is with a major firm, a regional or local employer, a start-up of your own or a career in the nonprofit or government sectors – you should pursue the MBA Path.

If you have an undergraduate degree in accounting and are interested in becoming a Certified Public Accountant, you should pursue the Accounting path.

Regardless of the path chosen you will take 21 hours of a team-based, integrated core courses curriculum taught by dedicated MBA faculty.

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  MBA Applied Management  Path – Translating Knowledge into Action

  This option builds on the core curriculum to provide hands-on experience in real-world business situations and the opportunity to apply what you have learned in the classroom to solve problems facing management teams in a variety of organizations.

  The 9-unit applied management module begins in the fall and concludes at the end of the spring semester. It consists of a foundation of management skills and tools and concludes with a semester-long project. You will be a member of a team working closely with the management of a local or regional organization to define the scope and objectives of the project and to produce the agreed upon deliverables. By combining the MBA curriculum with our graduate business administration coursework you will develop the management skills needed to succeed in business

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  MBA-Accounting Path – an MBA that Meets the CPA Education Requirements

  This option is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in accounting who are planning to earn the CPA certificate. By combining the MBA curriculum with our graduate accounting coursework you will develop the management skills needed to succeed in business – particularly those related to communications, presentations, and interpersonal relations – and to integrate those skills with a deeper knowledge of financial and managerial accounting, auditing and taxation.

  Graduates of the MBA-ACC will meet the CPA education requirements for Arizona and many other jurisdictions.

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  18-month Path – an MBA for the Non-business Undergraduate

  Applicants who have not completed an undergraduate business degree must first successfully complete a set of foundation courses before joining the full-time 10-month MBA Applied Management  Program.  The courses, or their equivalents, must be completed at an AACSB accredited institution or be approved by the NAU MBA  Area Coordinator. The degree may be completed in 18 months or less if some of the foundation courses were completed as part of the applicants’ undergraduate degree.

  Here is the list of Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) courses.