Master of Management

Why Study Management?

Aquinas’s Master of Management (MM) program offers a broader view of business. Our graduate students learn to think strategically, understand organizational culture and effectively motivate the people who power a business.

Our small classes and flexible schedules allow you to learn at your own pace. On a fast track, you can finish the program in as little as 18-months for full-time students, and 24-months for concentrations. Or, take as long as seven years. It’s completely up to you. That’s just part of the AQ advantage.

Customer service focus and 12-month extended accessibility to the program director, professors, and staff ensure a stimulating and rewarding academic experience throughout the entire calendar year. Faculty with real industry experience offer the needed balance of theoretical and applied perspectives. Eight-week evening classes offered five periods a year allow students the opportunity to complete the program in as little as 16-months, or take as long as 84-months. GMAT waiver is available for students with 5-years of professional experience and a 3.2 GPA. Personalized academic advising with three-year course scheduling and two-year course sequencing allows students the needed flexibility to plan around work, travel and family commitments. Study abroad opportunity to Munich, Germany allows students to integrate international cultural and business perspectives into the existing strategic management curriculum. Multiple concentration options, including Organizational Leadership, Marketing Management, and Sustainable Business allow students to further advance their knowledge in a single discipline. Independent study modalities allow students the needed flexibility when traveling, and independent research options allow students to customize a research topic to match their curricular interests and industry experience. Online and hybrid format class options offer convenient alternatives for working professionals. Small class sizes ensure each student has the opportunity to lead, plan and participate.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Master of Management program is to develop professionals who are able to provide meaningful leadership within their organizations through the application of advanced management practices. The program focus is dedicated to examining both functional and strategic managerial issues, with a special emphasis on the cultural and behavioral dynamics that occur within an organization. Our mission is accomplished by integrating a global perspective where managerial communication and leadership effectiveness are incorporated into an adaptive learning sequence of theory, practice, application, reflection, and growth.

Values

Our mission is further expressed and supported by several core values that ensure relevance, rigor, and consistency while maintaining the needed flexibility and convenience typically associated with graduate studies.

• We value an applied and collaborative learning environment where the classroom experience serves as the foundation for content learning, student engagement, personal growth, and professional development.
• We value multi-modal learning to further augment the traditional graduate experience by offering a flexible learning atmosphere that promotes inquiry and exploration by incorporating technology, field research opportunities, and independent study components into the core curriculum.
• We value an empirical approach to problem-solving that emphasizes the value of data-driven decision making that is supported by extensive research and analysis.
• We value a broad discipline exposure with a global perspective to foster practical learning by incorporating the use of teams, mentors, guest speakers, clinics, workshops, shadowing and graduate internships.
• We value the integration of ethics into everyday business decision-making, and encourage corporate social responsibility at all levels, among all stakeholders, at all times.
• We value industry relationships and encourage on-going engagement among local corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and governmental agencies.

All graduates from the Master of Management program will be able to successfully:

Research, analyze and identify key management issues by:

• Demonstrating an awareness of the role, responsibilities, and expectations of a manager.
• Researching, analyzing & deconstructing relevant information to advance organizational goals.
• Comparing the past, current & expected performance of individuals, products, organizations & industries.
• Contrasting expectations and resources with realized performance to validate areas of concern or opportunity.

Think critically, assess and respond appropriately to functional and strategic management issues by:

• Objectively critiquing the credibility and relevance of information, and identifying deficiencies.
• Evaluating the potential risk, cost, and effectiveness of managerial options.
• Contrasting the resource-input against the value-output for various alternatives.
• Summarizing preferred alternatives that address all aspects of a management issue.

Plan strategically by:

• Discussing the advantages of proactive decision-making.
• Explaining the risks and opportunity-costs involved when planning initiatives.
• Designing a strategy to mitigate potential associated risks.
• Composing a contingency plan to implement if the scenario or planning variables change.
• Performing a regular review of the plan, and adjusting as needed based on the plan dynamics.

Manage decisively by:

• Demonstrating a thorough understanding of behavioral science and the impact on the organizational environment as it relates to advancing productivity, morale, interaction & culture.
• Organizing the factors involved in situational managerial decision-making.
• Demonstrating consistency, logic and equitable decision-making when establishing policy.
• Applying the appropriate management theory and method to control management situations.

Communicate effectively by:

• Identifying the appropriate audiences to communicate with and actively listening.
• Deciding on the message, level of detail needed, and appropriate timing.
• Classifying approaches based on the situation, expectations and communication goals.
• Demonstrating clear, concise and proper communication etiquette in all situations.
• Engaging with teams as both a facilitative team-leader and a collaborative team member.
• Enhancing individual presentation skills in large and small audience settings.

Lead successfully by:

• Interacting with employees, engaging with teams, being accessible and approachable.
• Inspiring others to take ownership and explain how their individual role adds bonafide value.
• Positively influencing work behavior while always recognizing others for their contributions.
• Illustrating the value in performing above expectations, and always leading by example.

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission

Consideration for admission into the Master of Management program is based on the following:

A bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a regional association such as North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Evidence of interest, aptitude, and ability to undertake graduate studies in management, such as previous full-time work experience; completion of the GMAT (may be waived); an undergraduate GPA of 2.8; two letters of recommendation; and a personal interview with the Program Director.

Conditional Admission and Probation

Students may begin taking classes on a conditional basis prior to taking the GMAT. However, the GMAT must be taken within the first semester of the student’s program, otherwise, further course registrations may be placed on hold. Students conditionally admitted with an undergraduate GPA below 2.8 are considered to be on probation and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 during the first 12 semester hours of coursework. Failure to do so may result in dismissal from the program.

Pace Yourself

The M.M. degree requires a minimum of 39 semester hours or 13 courses. Students complete the degree in as few as 16 months or take as long as seven years from their first registration.

The close-knit educational environment at Aquinas develops students who thrive in all dimensions of life. Learn more, in our students' words about the Aquinas experience and the Dominican pillars of prayer, study, service, and community.

The Dominican tradition is two-fold: contemplative and communal. At Aquinas, we are committed to gathering for liturgical prayer nourished by God's Word and the Spirit. Prayer leads us into the deeper Truth needed to live out God's call for us in the world. We commit ourselves to a love of learning, both formal and informal. This necessitates an openness to learn from the most unlikely sources as well as tried and true scholarship. Aquinas encourages students to engage in service projects and service-learning programs. It also offers preparation for careers that will enable graduates to spread the truths that they have learned - "to make a difference in the world."