STEM Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

Pursuing your STEM Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree at Rowan University drives you to learn technology-driven strategies outside of your comfort zone. You will explore the latest business trends, learn and apply new management tools and techniques, and challenge yourself to improve in decision making, analytical leadership, and collaboration. Pursuing your STEM M.B.A. prepares you for an ever changing business environment including quantitatively oriented fields, such as accounting, finance, analytics, data analytics, MIS, economics, engineering, computer science, and related disciplines.

With the AACSB-Accredited STEM M.B.A. program, you’ll have the ability to hone your skills in specific areas of STEM coursework with a curriculum designed to support students preparing for or advancing analytically intensive and technology enabled business roles.

The STEM MBA is a 36-credit graduate program. Students complete 18 credits of required core coursework and 18 credits of Concentration and elective coursework. To earn the STEM MBA, students must complete at least 18 total credits of STEM-designated coursework, representing 50% of the degree. STEM-designated credits may be drawn from required core courses, Concentration courses, and approved electives.

STEM M.B.A. concentration

The completion of a STEM-designated Concentration requires 3 STEM-designated courses, allowing students to gain expertise in areas like business analytics, data analytics, finance and accounting, information systems, and more.  

STEM students can build significant competency in two STEM areas by pursuing the two STEM Concentrations option. However, the STEM MBA structure remains flexible, allowing the pursuit of 1 Concentration and 3 electives for students targeting specific skill sets or looking to grow their business knowledge in distinct areas.

Students will work with an Academic Advisor or Success Coach to select a course plan that ensures at least 18 credits of STEM-designated coursework while supporting their academic and career goals. 

The STEM Master of Business Administration program includes 50% STEM-designated coursework to meet federal eligibility standards. Students must complete at least 18 credits of STEM-designated coursework within the 36-credit MBA. These STEM credits may include STEM-designated required/core courses, STEM-designated concentration courses, and approved STEM-designated electives. May support a STEM OPT extension— up to 36 months of work experience post-graduation —for qualifying F-1 international students (subject to federal regulations and individual eligibility requirements).

The 36-credit program is made up of two parts:  

1. Core/required courses (18 credits): These are the same as the traditional MBA and cover fundamental business topics such as finance, operations, leadership, and marketing. Currently, 3 core/required courses are STEM-designated (worth 7.5 STEM credits).
2. Customizable elective courses (18 credits): These 18 credits can include STEM-designated and graduate business studies (non-STEM) courses.

The 18 customizable elective credits can be arranged in 2 ways: 

1. 2 STEM-designated Concentrations 
2. 1 STEM-designated Concentration and 3 electives (at least 1 elective must be STEM-designated to reach the 50% STEM credits* requirement)

Core/Required Courses 

The following is a list of items required to begin the application process for the program. There may be additional actions or materials required for admission to the program. Upon receipt of the materials below, a representative from the Rowan Global Admissions Processing Office will contact you with confirmation or will indicate any missing items.

• Completed Application Form
• No application fee required
• Bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution of higher learning
• Official transcripts from all colleges attended (regardless of number of credits earned)
• Current professional resume
• Typewritten statement of professional objectives
  • Provide reasons for pursuing the program. Describe how you might use this program to advance your career (educational goals beyond the master's level, if applicable, are also relevant).
• Two letters of recommendation
  • Letters of recommendation should be from professional administrators, current or prior supervisors or peers in professional settings, and/or faculty from prior academic pursuits. For those that are self-employed, letters may come from long-time clients. Content in letters should include information which attests to applicant's ability to pursue a graduate degree. Letters of recommendation from the applicant's family and friends are not accepted.
• Minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale)
• GMAT (or GRE) is optional. Candidates with strong academic records, relevant professional experience, and/or that hold specific business-related credentials are automatically waived from the GMAT (or GRE); learn more about the GRE/GMAT waiver criteria. Candidates that do not meet the waiver criteria may want to submit a GMAT (minimum score of 450) or GRE test result to strengthen their application.
• Foundation Courses:
  
  
  • Calculus Techniques & Applications
  • Statistics I
  • Foundations of Accounting OR Principles of Accounting I and II
  • Principles of Economics: A Survey or Microeconomics & Macroeconomics
  • Principles of Marketing
  • Principles of Finance
  • Operations Management

In order to ensure all students are equipped with key baseline and foundational business knowledge for graduate-level coursework in business. Typically, students with an undergraduate degree in business will have satisfied many of these course requirements. Students can begin in the MBA program prior to satisfying all Foundation requirements. However, these requirements must be satisfied early in the program to maintain forward momentum towards degree completion.

There are many ways that students can satisfy Foundation requirements: equivalent courses from their undergraduate studies, affordable online modules, non-credit tests, online or face to face courses at your local community college or 4-year institution, and of course online or face to face at Rowan University. See the Foundation Fact Sheet for details on requirements plus options to consider so that your pursuit matches your learning style, timeline, and budget.