THE PAUL MERAGE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Educational Objectives

The Paul Merage School of Business offers a generalist M.B.A. degree and a learning experience that prepares graduates for a lifetime of professional and personal growth with increasingly important enterprise-wide responsibilities. The rigorous curriculum, combined with extensive professional and interpersonal training and opportunities made available through the School's M.B.A. Career Center, allows students to gain theoretical perspectives that are in turn tested and affirmed with practical application. The result is an environment that fosters the development of professional and personal skills vital to contemporary executives or managers. Students are encouraged to develop their ability to lead change by mastering communication skills, to work productively and actively within a team-oriented environment, to gain a solid grasp of quantitative skills, and to appreciate and effectively employ those solutions that involve the integration and implementation of information and technology to offer creatively viable business options.

The School has developed a thematic approach to business education: sustainable growth through strategic innovation. The goal is to graduate leaders with the exceptional ability to grow their organizations through strategic innovation supported by analytic decision making, information technology, and collaborative execution. Although a solid grounding in basic business disciplines provides the foundation for effective management, graduates are encouraged to aim higher. They learn about change as it takes place within the context of a knowledge-based, technology-driven society where information and its effective use are vital to establishing a competitive edge. Students, whether they are interested in finance, marketing, general management, strategic planning, accounting, operations, health care, human resources, international business, or other areas, will be thoroughly imbued and comfortable with the nature and importance of strategic innovation and how crucial it is toward sustaining growth in today's competitive global economy. Further, they will understand the impacts of technology and the technological processes that enable the gathering, analysis, dissemination, and use of information to change the way business is done. The thematic approach of the School provides a skill-set, core understanding, and depth of knowledge that will enable its graduates to be effective managers who are not only proficient in business procedures but have the leadership qualities and conceptual framework to affect change by transforming conventional business practices or perhaps even inventing new business processes and management techniques.

Additionally, The Paul Merage School of Business has achieved a national reputation for excellence in graduate management education in the health care industry through the Health Care Executive M.B.A. (HCEMBA) program. Industry managers and health care professionals learn about managerial challenges and issues in the health care industry where hundreds of health care providers, medical device and instrumentation companies, and biosciences firms are headquartered. A joint M.D./M.B.A. program is also available.

General Admission Requirements

Evaluation of the applicant's file for admission to the Master's and Ph.D. degree programs will consist of an integrated assessment of all materials (test scores, transcripts of previous academic work, work experience, essays, and letters of recommendation). The University admission standard of a 3.0 or better undergraduate grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) is required. The minimum TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score acceptable for study at the School for all M.B.A. programs is 550 on the paper-based test; 250 or better on the computer-based test; or 80 or better on the Internet-based test. International applicants may also take the Pearson Test of English (PTE), where the minimum score required for admission is 53; or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), where the minimum score required is 7. Substantive work experience is considered for applicants to M.B.A. programs.

Requests for application material should be addressed to either the Full-Time M.B.A. (SB 220), Fully Employed M.B.A. (SB 202), Executive M.B.A. (MPAA 101), Health Care Executive M.B.A. (MPAA 101), or Ph.D. Program (SB 418) at the University of California, Irvine, The Paul Merage School of Business, Irvine, CA 92697-3125.

For More Information

Full-Time M.B.A.
E-mail: mba@merage.uci.edu
Web site: http://merage.uci.edu/FulltimeMBA

Fully Employed M.B.A.
E-mail: mcoburn@merage.uci.edu
Web site: http://merage.uci.edu/FullyEmployedMBA

Executive M.B.A./Health Care Executive M.B.A.
E-mail: mkmorris@merage.uci.edu
Web site: http://merage.uci.edu/ExecutiveMBA
Web site: http://merage.uci.edu/HealthCareExecutiveMBA

Ph.D.
E-mail: phd@merage.uci.edu
Web site: http://merage.uci.edu/PhD

Doctor of Philosophy in Management

The Paul Merage School of Business admits students for the Ph.D. in the fall quarter only. The deadline for application is January 4. The Ph.D. program requires a commitment to full-time study. In addition to the other requirements, Ph.D. applicants are encouraged to submit a previously prepared paper (research report, research essay, case study) which may be indicative generally of the applicant's interests and capabilities.

The School offers the Ph.D. in Management to students with backgrounds in a variety of disciplines. While a master's degree is preferred, students may be admitted to the doctoral program directly from the baccalaureate degree. There are many appropriate undergraduate majors, including (but not limited to) psychology, political science, business or public administration, mathematics, computer sciences, economics, sociology, and so forth. Students with academic strengths in disciplines not usually considered as precursors for management (e.g., natural sciences, humanities, and the arts) are encouraged to apply. The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare students for academic careers in a number of the fields of management, e.g., organization and management, strategy, operations and decision technologies, management information systems, finance, accounting, and marketing. Requirements of the Ph.D. program include a broad knowledge of core management disciplines. In addition, the Ph.D. student must qualify as a skilled researcher and must complete a dissertation demonstrating these skills.

The Ph.D. program is divided into two phases: qualification and dissertation. In the qualification phase the student prepares for dissertation research in an area of specialization. This phase is completed when an oral qualifying examination is passed and the candidacy committee recommends advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. The normative time for advancement to candidacy is three years. The dissertation phase involves a significant original research project which demonstrates the Ph.D. student's creativity and ability to launch and sustain a career of research. The normative time for completion of the Ph.D. is four years, and the maximum time permitted is six years.

Requests for information should be addressed to the University of California, Irvine, The Paul Merage School of Business, Doctoral Program Admissions Office, 418 School of Business, Irvine, CA 92697-3125; phd@merage.uci.edu; http://merage.uci.edu/PhD.

Master's Degree Programs

The Paul Merage School of Business offers a variety of programs leading to the M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) degree. These include a two-year, Full-Time M.B.A. program, and three part-time M.B.A. programs including: a 21-month Executive M.B.A. program, a two-year Health Care Executive M.B.A. program, and a three-year Fully Employed M.B.A. program. Additionally, a four-year concurrent J.D./M.B.A. program is offered in conjunction with the School of Law, and a five-year M.D./M.B.A. program is offered in conjunction with the School of Medicine.

The M.S. in Engineering Management is offered jointly with The Henry Samueli School of Engineering.

M.B.A. PROGRAM

The Paul Merage School of Business admits students to the two-year, Full-Time M.B.A. program in the fall quarter. Students from a variety of undergraduate disciplines, including liberal arts, social sciences, physical or biological sciences, computer science, and engineering, are encouraged to apply. The final deadline for completion of all phases of the application procedure is generally around April 1. However, since admissions are received on a rolling basis, applicants are encouraged to check with the M.B.A. Admissions Office regarding application submission. In addition to the general University rules governing admission to graduate study, the School normally requires the completion of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). There are no specific prerequisite requirements for the Full-Time M.B.A. program. However, the Admissions Committee does look for evidence of quantitative proficiency in all applicants.

The evaluation of an applicant's file for admission consists of an integrated assessment of all materials submitted including test scores, transcripts of previous academic work, work experience, essays, and letters of recommendation. The M.B.A. program at The Paul Merage School of Business is distinctive for its focus on providing students the capabilities and skills to succeed in the technology-rich Innovation Economy. Students develop a sophisticated understanding of the new requirements for success in the School's new curriculum that emphasizes the three critical drivers of the Innovation Economy: Strategic Innovation, Information Technology, and Analytical Decision Making.

This understanding is advanced through experiential learning course work in which teams of students work on challenging assignments for leading companies. Another distinctive feature of the program is the "Edge" capstone course on the future of business where students explore specific industries and companies and discover what actions must be taken today to reap the benefit from long-term trends in technologies, geopolitics, demographics, and macroeconomics.

The Full-Time M.B.A. program requires a minimum of 92 units with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the Core and overall. The curriculum consists of courses divided into two groups designed to achieve specific educational objectives. The courses are divided as follows: 13 required Common Core Courses (50 units) and 42 units of elective courses which students select to emphasize career goals and educational interests. A thesis is not required.

Required Course Work. Common Core Courses, each of which is four units, are Management of Innovative Organizations, Statistics for Management, Management Science, Operations Management, Organizational Analysis, Financial and Managerial Accounting, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics or Business and Government, Information Technology for Management, Marketing Management, Managerial Finance, Business Strategy.

International Requirement. Students must fulfill the requirement in one of the following ways: completion of a Paul Merage School of Business international elective in a functional area; participation in a Paul Merage School of Business international exchange program; or completion of an upper-division or graduate international course offered by another UC school, with the approval of The Paul Merage School of Business Associate Dean.

Electives. In addition to the core courses, 42 more units of elective courses are required. The major emphasis in the elective courses is to develop additional depth in a discipline or interdisciplinary area or specialized competence in the use of a particular set of technical tools and methods. Students select their electives in light of their educational and career goals and interests.

J.D./M.B.A. Degree Program

Highly qualified students interested in combining the study of law with professional qualifications in business are invited to undertake concurrent degree study under the auspices of UC Irvine's Program in Law and Graduate Studies (PLGS). Students approved for this concurrent degree program pursue a coordinated curriculum leading to a J.D. degree from the School of Law in conjunction with an M.B.A. degree from The Paul Merage School of Business. The objective of the program is to promote interdisciplinary study of law while also enabling students to obtain both a J.D. and a business degree in less time than would be required to acquire both degrees separately. The normative time for completion of the J.D./M.B.A. program is four years.

UC Irvine's PLGS program is well suited to students interested in professional or academic careers focused on the interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary study of law and legal institutions, policy analysis, and/or applied research in law-related fields (for example, taxation, corporate reporting and governance, regulation and compliance, discrimination, securities, property, real estate, and intellectual property).

Applicants must submit separate applications for admission to the School of Law and to the Merage School. Once admitted for study into both components of the program, concurrent degree students will work with the PLGS director and the director of the Full-Time M.B.A. program to develop a program of study that will permit efficient pursuit of both degrees. Concurrent degree students' law enrollments will include a required 1-unit "Graduate Legal Studies" colloquium and a 3-unit "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Law" course. Concurrent degree students will be eligible to apply for financial support through the Merage School while pursuing their M.B.A., and through the School of Law while pursuing law studies.

Program Structure. Students in the program complete a four-year combined curriculum leading to a J.D. degree from the UCI School of Law and an M.B.A. degree from the The Paul Merage School of Business. The total number of units required to graduate from each program separately are satisfied by completing the J.D./M.B.A. program. There are several curriculum scheduling options available to complete this program.

Program Overview. The School of Law requires students to complete 86 law semester units of study for the J.D., 68 of which must be classroom units of law instruction. The remaining 18 law units can be completed outside the School of Law, at the student's discretion, and with approval of the School's Dean of Students. Ten of these 18 law units of non-law instruction can be obtained in courses undertaken in the concurrent degree department. The remaining eight law units are typically spent in non-classroom clinical practice.

The Full-Time M.B.A. program operates on a quarter system and requires a minimum of 92 M.B.A. units. The curriculum consists of courses divided into two groups designed to achieve specific educational objectives. The courses are divided as follows: 13 required Common Core Courses (50 M.B.A. units) and 42 M.B.A. units of elective courses which students select to emphasize career goals and educational interests. A maximum number of 120 hours of classroom instruction, or 16 M.B.A. units (normally four 4-unit quarter courses) may be utilized toward the M.B.A. degree, total, from sources outside of UCI's Merage School. This includes any "non-Merage course approvals" taken in other UCI units, intercampus exchange courses, etc.

The M.B.A. component of the J.D./M.B.A. requires that the 16 M.B.A. units of electives permitted from outside the Merage School may be (but are not restricted to be) taken from among appropriate School of Law electives, but may not be counted simultaneously toward satisfying concurrent degree requirements in the School of Law.

Detailed information about J.D./M.B.A curriculum paths is available online at http://merage.uci.edu.

M.D./M.B.A. Degree Program

The M.D./M.B.A. program requires five or six years for completion. It is aimed at individuals who are exceptional in ability and motivation and who seek a career as physicians with major responsibility for administration and management in health care organizations and institutions. Students in this program pursue a combined curriculum for an M.D. degree from the School of Medicine and an M.B.A. degree from The Paul Merage School of Business.

Students must be currently enrolled in the M.D. program and in good academic standing in order to apply to the combined M.D./M.B.A. program. During their second or third year of medical school, interested students submit an application to The Paul Merage School of Business Admissions Committee, after review by the School of Medicine. Final acceptance to the program is granted by The Paul Merage School of Business, and M.B.A. course work begins following completion of the student's third year of medical school. Students should be aware that enrollment in the M.D. program does not guarantee acceptance into the M.B.A. program.

The MCAT, along with the completion of three years of medical school training in good standing and passage of USMLE Step I, currently serve as a waiver for the GMAT entrance examination usually required for application to the M.B.A. program. The total number of units required to graduate for each program separately are satisfied in the M.D./M.B.A. program. Contact the M.D./M.B.A. Advisor at (949) 824-5388 for more information.

M.S. IN ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

The Master of Science in Engineering Management is a graduate degree offered jointly by The Paul Merage School of Business and The Henry Samueli School of Engineering that will prepare engineers for leadership roles in technology, science, government, and engineering-based companies and organizations. The curriculum includes courses in engineering from The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and courses in business administration from The Paul Merage School of Business. Students will learn to think innovatively as business and engineering project managers to solve complex engineering product development challenges through consulting projects, business plans and exposure to current issues within the engineering sector. Students will develop quantitative and qualitative skills along with business communication skills.

In this competitive program, students will learn about business from the engineering perspective and engineering from the business perspective. Students will be taught to think about their work through the lens of innovation and to develop a crucial view to enhance their careers.

For more information about the program, see pages 206-208 in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering section of the Catalogue.

Special Opportunities

The Paul Merage School of Business offers course work in health care management within the M.B.A. program. The courses provide training not only in health care and related issues, but also expose students to professionals in the areas of management, finance, marketing, and strategic planning.

In today's interconnected global business world, it has become increasingly important for management students to learn to operate in an international environment. M.B.A. students in the full-time program can gain first-hand knowledge of the culture and management practices of other industrialized countries by participating in an academic exchange with universities located abroad. This experience, combined with course work in international management, prepares students for the demands and complexities of the growing global economic environment. Currently, The Paul Merage School of Business has exchange relationships with Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; Budapest University of Economic Sciences (BUES), Budapest, Hungary; Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong; ESSEC Graduate School of Management, France; Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong; Maastricht University, Netherlands; National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore; Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (PUC), Santiago, Chile; Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Vienna, Austria; and Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.

Centers of Excellence

The mission of the Don Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is to provide thought leadership in the emerging science of innovation research, education, and consulting, with the belief that strategic innovation will be the first and best alternative for sustaining competitive advantage in today's global economy. The Beall Center will be the vehicle through which a significant proportion of research and thought leadership on the newest and most influential approaches to strategic innovation and entrepreneurship will be completed and disseminated to global business. In addition, the Beall Center will provide education and opportunities for graduate students and researchers to understand the process of innovation and benefit from the many programs available to enhance the process of successfully launching a business in today's competitive environment.

The Center for Global Leadership is an important resource for UC Irvine and The Paul Merage School of Business students. The Center offers various courses, co-curricular programs, and events to explore ideas and develop partnerships with other students, faculty members, corporate professionals, and nonprofit entities. The Center's co-curricular programs facilitate the leadership development of M.B.A. students through two flagship programs, the Executive Mentoring Program and the Social Responsibility Initiative. Both programs connect students with key professionals in the industry to learn through reflection, through practice, and through relationship building. The Distinguished Speakers Series (DSS), the largest event hosted by the Center, involves approximately 250 corporate professionals, community leaders, faculty members, staff, and students and provides an important way to exchange ideas, connect to corporate professionals, and network.