graduate studies in business

return to: all graduate programs

pfeffer graduate school of business

• master of accountancy
• master of business administration
• master of health administration
• dual degree master of management in health care/pharmd
• dual degree mba/ms in sustainability
• graduate certificate in professional accountancy

ray eldridge, dean
allison duke, senior associate dean
suzanne sager, associate dean, professional development and engagement
jacob arthur, assistant dean, center for data analytics and technology
rebecca burcham, chair, management, entrepreneurship and marketing
jeff jewell, chair, accounting, finance and economics
jeff cohu, executive director, center for entrepreneurship & innovation
nina morel, executive director, coaching and leadership development
bonnie brown, director of accreditation
perry moore, director, macc program
lesley tomaszewski, director of health care programs and director of mba programs

core faculty

jacob arthur, assistant professor of information security and analytics
andy borchers, professor of management
bonnie brown, assistant professor of accounting
donita brown, assistant professor of healthcare management
rebecca burcham, assistant professor of healthcare management
jeff cohu, associate professor of management
lindsay dillingham, associate professor of marketing
allison duke, professor of management
ray eldridge, professor of management 
joe ivey, professor of management
jeff jewell, professor of finance
mark jobe, professor of accounting, hilton and sallie dean chair of accountancy
bart liddle, associate professor of management
perry moore, professor of accountancy, charles e. frasier chair of accountancy 
nina morel, professor of leadership development
julio rivas, associate professor of finance
lesley tomaszewski, associate professor of healthcare management
ashley yarbrough, assistant professor of operations management

college of business

for over 100 years the lipscomb college of business has pursued one mission: educate learners to do what is right and live the words of psalms 78:72, “and david shepherded them with ‘integrity of heart;’ with ‘skillful hands’ he led them.” our purpose is to prepare students to work, live, and lead with strong business competence and character.

it’s an exciting time to be part of the college of business. lipscomb’s undergraduate program was recently recognized by poets & quants as one of the 10 undergraduate business schools to watch nationally and one of only two tennessee business schools to be ranked nationally for eight years in a row. the undergraduate business program is also honored to be nationally ranked by us news & world report and niche.com which ranked us as #1 business school in tennessee.

the college’s accounting program has many accolades to include #1 in tennessee and #47 in the country by college factual. christian universities online ranked our accounting program as #1 in tennessee and #2 in the nation and niche.com ranked our accounting program #3 in tennessee. 

our part-time mba program has been ranked in the top 50 in the nation by bloomberg businessweek and both the pmba and fast-track mba ranked by us news & world report. 

the college has achieved the prestigious aacsb international accreditation, joining an elite group of business schools with less than 6 percent of all business schools worldwide accredited. aacsb accreditation covers these degrees:  b.b.a., m.acc., m.b.a., and m.h.a.

in addition, the college of business has the rare distinction of being dual accredited as we also are accredited by the accreditation council for business schools and programs  separately, the accounting program was one of the first four programs worldwide accredited for accounting by this global accreditation.

our graduate degrees integrate leadership, team work, decision-making, technology, communications skills, ethics, and a global emphasis into our academic programs.  hands-on practical applications can be achieved through directed work experiences, pitch competitions, financial trading lab powered by bloomberg, business consulting, alumni engagement, formal mentoring, and global travel.

our outstanding business faculty brings both practical business experience as well as a depth of scholarship and knowledge into the classroom. the faculty of the college of business is committed to fostering relationships with the business community and encouraging exchanges among students and businesses.

the college of business is comprised of the pfeffer graduate school of business, the school of data analytics and technology, the center for entrepreneurship and innovation, and the initiative for purposeful business. the college’s own career connection office provides career assistance and professional development for current students and alumni at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

master of business administration (mba)

mission

the 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 mba program will integrate christian faith, servant leadership and innovation in the mba classroom to provide excellent academic training for lipscomb mba students to prepare them for higher service in their current and future organizations. the mba is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in either business or a non-related field. 

the mba program:

• incorporates ethics and values into every course so you can learn to identify and cultivate a values-based business environment.
• is built around the principle that doing business right is the only right way to do business.
• features courses taught by outstanding faculty with substantial business experience. our faculty members bring expertise in their field and an ability to integrate faith into their teaching.
• requires thirty-six hours for graduation.

the mba degree program is offered to different groups of students in several cohort models. completion time of each cohort varies, from 11 to 22 months. the recommended amount of work experience also varies by cohort. 

fast track students

fast track 11 cohort

students with 0-3 years of work experience will complete this cohort, which can be started only in june. this program can be completed in 11 months.  

students in the fast track 11 cohort complete a directed work experience (dwe), and the corresponding dwe courses fulfill the mba program elective requirement. students have the opportunity to interview with college of business partners or are allowed to identify their own work opportunity, subject to appropriate approval by the lipscomb graduate business office. lipscomb cannot guarantee the student will get a full-time job offer after the program, but many do. the dwe is a required component of the fast track cohort. students without a dwe cannot continue in the program. students who are terminated from their dwe will be removed from the program and will be responsible for any tuition due.

professional students

professional cohort

a cohort is available for students with three or more years of work experience.  students start in august and complete their coursework over two academic years.  

dual degree mba and sustainability

the dual degree program combines cutting edge business training with state-of-the-art training in sustainability to create a “green” degree program that incorporates the best of two worlds, resulting in two diplomas.

students enrolled in the dual degree program will complete the core courses required for each degree (23 hours in business and 24 hours in sustainability). upon completion of the 47 hours of course work, students will be awarded both an mba and an ms in sustainable practice.

students enrolled in the mba program can pursue the dual degree option. dual degree students should consult with the director of the sustainability program about specific requirements related to global travel.

the dual degree option must be selected before the student graduates with either degree. once a student has graduated, the dual degree option is no longer available.

master of accountancy (macc)

mission

to prepare students to pass all four parts of the cpa exam the first time and to excel professionally.

the master of accountancy is primarily designed for students who seek additional academic training and/or credit hours in preparation to sit for the uniform certified public accountant examination. it also provides the working professional with the additional knowledge needed to succeed in today’s business environment.

most courses will be taught in the evening during eight-week terms. the macc program can be completed in one year for those students who have completed all prerequisite requirements. no work experience is required for admission to the program.

students needing additional leveling course work in accounting should see the section on “integrated accounting seminar (accounting boot camp)” below and discuss the appropriate options with the graduate business recruiting team.

graduate certificate in professional accountancy

for those students who do not want to complete the entire master’s degree, the 12-hour certificate program will provide them with the additional hours needed to sit for the uniform cpa exam or cma exam. these hours can be applied towards the macc or the mba should the student decide to pursue a graduate degree at a later date. students complete twelve macc hours from the following list to earn the graduate certificate:

macc 6303     advanced financial reporting i 

macc 6323   advanced financial reporting ii

macc 6403    advanced accounting

macc 6603     advanced auditing and forensics

macc 6763     advanced taxation

macc 6633  professional certification preparation

appropriate prerequisite requirements apply to all certificate courses.

certificate students can shift from that program to the macc or mba program. such students must notify the graduate business office of their intent to change programs and submit the appropriate paperwork. a minimum 3.00 gpa is required to shift programs. admission requirements are the same as the macc program.

dual degree master of management in health care and pharmd 

mission

our mission is to shape tomorrow’s generation of agile leaders for the ever-changing healthcare environment. through experiential learning and by embracing the values of virtues and jesus in pursuit of healing as a ministry, we will develop leaders who focus on continuously improving the quality of healthcare delivery and serving the community by integrating the business discipline with compassionate care.

the dual degree program combines cutting edge business training with the student’s pharmacy training to create a degree program that incorporates the best of two worlds, resulting in two diplomas.

students enrolled in the dual degree program will complete both the pharm d requirements and the master of management in health care requirements to earn this dual degree. 15 hours in business, 155 hours in pharmacy, and complete a 6-hour directed work experience (dwe) managed by the college of pharmacy (for a total of 170 hours). the student also has the option to replace the 6 hours from the dwe with two additional elective graduate courses from the college of business.

master of health administration (mha)

mission

the lipscomb mha program’s mission is to prepare early and mid-careerists to become transformational leaders to improve the delivery of health services within the southeastern part of the united states. our program aims to develop leaders who focus on continuously improving the quality of healthcare delivery and serving the community by integrating christian faith and practice with academic excellence.

admission policies and procedures

applicants to graduate programs must submit the following:

1. application form. each applicant must complete an application form. the application form is available at lipscomb.edu/business, then navigate to “graduate programs”; then click “program name”; and then click the “applied” button. 
2. application fee. each application should be accompanied by a $68 nonrefundable application fee.
3. standardized exam score. applicants may be asked to submit the scores of a standardized exam. scores from the graduate management admission test (gmat) may be required for students seeking graduate business degrees. waivers are available with requirements that vary by program.
4. references. two letters of recommendation are required as follows: from a college or university administrator or professor or from a professional supervisor or employer.
5. official transcript(s). each applicant must submit an official transcript, showing degree conferral when appropriate, from all schools attended.
6. resume. a resume detailing the applicant’s work experience is required.
7. written statement. each graduate degree program (macc, mba, or mha) has different specifications for the candidate’s written statement, each of which are described on the program’s specific application.
8. toefl. the test of english as a foreign language is required for international students. (see section titled international students for more information.)
9. international students who do not have us citizenship or permanent resident status are required to submit proof of financial status (see section titled international students for more information.)

after admission, students will additionally submit the following:

1. health form. each applicant must submit a completed health form signed by a health care provider. (to print a copy of the health form, visit www.fellaworld.com/healthcenter/forms.)
2. ferpa: the family educational rights and privacy act affords students certain rights of access to educational records; even if you are independent of your parents, you must submit this form prior to enrollment. 

all application items should be sent to graduate admissions, 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 , one university park drive, nashville, tn 37204, or emailed to gradadmissions@lipscomb.edu.  check website for application deadlines: //www.fellaworld.com/business/academic-programs/graduate-programs.  all applicants will complete an interview as part of the application review process. the interview for mba students will include a brief case that students will be required to analyze.

undergraduate degree and performance

the standard for admission into a master’s degree program is an accredited bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. in addition, the prospective student will have an acceptable grade-point average.

admittance or non-admittance is determined by the admission committee after thorough analysis of each applicant’s file.  the admission committee reserves the right to require the gmat of any candidate, regardless of any potential waivers the student may be eligible for.

applicants holding an unaccredited degree or who are within one semester of completing a bachelor’s degree, may be considered for conditional admission (see unaccredited degree and/or substandard admission scores section below).

candidates for the graduate certificate in professional accountancy with an overall gpa of 3.5 may petition to have the gmat waived.  professional mba cohort students and mha candidates with an undergraduate gpa of 3.00 or higher with at least three years of acceptable experience may qualify for a gmat waiver.  fast track mba cohort candidates with an undergraduate gpa of 3.20 or higher may qualify for a gmat waiver.  

in addition, some of the admission requirements (e.g., gpa) may receive less weight during the evaluation process from applicants who have been out of school for at least five years, or for those who have earned a terminal degree (e.g., ph.d., j.d., m.d.).  

unaccredited degree and/or substandard admission scores

should conditional admission be granted, the following stipulations will apply:

unaccredited degree: if the student’s transcript shows deficiencies in liberal arts courses as defined by the southern association of colleges and schools commission on colleges, the student will be required to demonstrate the understandings and skills normally associated with a liberal arts education, particularly in scientific method and computation and in oral and written communication skills. the student may be required to remove the deficiency by successfully completing undergraduate level courses. the minimum standard is as follows: 30 hours of course work drawn from three areas-humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral science and natural science/mathematics; evidence of competence in oral and written communication skills; and fundamental mathematical skills.

substandard admission scores: a student may be admitted conditionally. such students must complete a minimum of nine hours of graduate work with a grade of “b” or above before the conditional admission is removed.

students who are denied admission may reapply for admission after completing 12 semester hours of approved undergraduate credits with a grade of “b” or higher from an accredited institution and/or after obtaining an acceptable score on the gmat.

transfer of courses

although all graduate credit hours may be transferred from another accredited institution, a maximum of six hours will be counted toward the macc, mba, mm, or mha degrees. the graduate director or appropriate faculty member of the graduate program will evaluate the course(s) being proposed for transfer and make a determination of suitability. no course with a grade below a “b” will be considered for transfer. requests from current students to transfer new course work into any graduate program will generally be denied. 

documentation

students are required to provide satisfactory documentation of personal identification for off-site learning experiences required in many programs of graduate study at 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 . failure to provide proper credentials will result in failure to complete the desired course of study. for complete policy, see section entitled required documentation for off-site learning in the opening section of this catalog.

student classifications

students are admitted to graduate courses in one of five categories:

1. graduate student: one who has satisfied all admissions requirements. a student with an incomplete admission file will be accepted to the program at the discretion of the program director but will be placed on an academic hold which will prevent registration for the following semester. once the proper admissions documents have been received, the hold will be removed and the student will be allowed to register for the following semester.
2. conditionally admitted student: one who has been admitted conditionally, at the discretion of the program director, without satisfying all admission requirements. students admitted with the following criteria may be required to complete a minimum of nine hours of graduate work with a grade of “b” or above before the conditional admission is removed.
   1. from an unaccredited school or with a substandard gpa or gmat score.
   2. a transfer student with a graduate gpa between 2.50 and 2.99. the transfer student must be in good standing at the previous institution attended.
   3. as a student who has not completed a bachelor’s degree program. 
3. non-degree student: one who has satisfied admission requirements. the student may take up to 12 semester hours for graduate credit. those hours may be applied toward a master’s degree if the student makes a grade of “b” or better in the courses taken for credit and if the student is formally admitted to a graduate program as a degree-seeking student.
4. visiting student: one who is currently enrolled as a student in good standing at the post-bachelor’s level at another graduate school, wishes to take courses at lipscomb and desires to have transcript evidence of course work done at lipscomb provided for the school of primary enrollment.
5. probationary student: one who has been readmitted to a graduate program following academic suspension from the program.

admission to a program does not imply admission to candidacy for the master’s degree. only those students who meet the requirements for “graduate student” described above are eligible for candidacy.

academic policies

course load

a student enrolled for six hours is considered a full-time student. a student enrolled for less than six hours is considered a part-time student. no student will be permitted to enroll for more than 21 hours (either graduate or undergraduate) per semester.

community standards

students of the pfeffer graduate school of business are expected to act with integrity and respect toward others. if a faculty member, staff, or student believes this expectation is not being upheld, the behavior should be reported to the appropriate program director. the director will determine a course of action which may include a verbal warning up to suspension or removal from the program.

academic standing

see graduate academic standing policy.

degree completion requirements

residency

no period of formal residency status is required for graduate business degrees.

statute of limitations

all requirements for the mba, macc, mm, and mha degrees must be completed within a five-year period from the time of initial matriculation.

thesis

no graduate business degree requires a thesis. a thesis option is not available.

candidacy

admission to a program does not imply admission to candidacy for the master’s degree. during the course of pursuing the mba, macc, mm, or mha degrees, the student must be admitted to “candidacy.” for admission to candidacy the student must satisfy the following:

1. complete all required undergraduate deficiencies if admitted on condition.
2. complete at least twelve hours of graduate work.
3. maintain a 3.00 gpa on all courses taken toward the requirements for the degree with no incomplete grades.
4. file an application for candidacy form with the graduate program office.
5. file a degree plan in the graduate program office which meets all requirements and is approved by the administrator of the graduate program. the degree plan must be filed at the same time that an application for candidacy is filed.

after admission to candidacy and approval of the degree plan, any changes in the degree plan must be approved by the administrator of the graduate program. the application for candidacy must be filed before the beginning of the student’s last semester in the program. no student will be allowed to graduate in the same semester in which the application for candidacy is filed.

minimum credits

exclusive of hours accumulated to satisfy academic deficiencies, the macc, mba, and mha degrees require the following hours:

• the macc degree requires 30 semester hours
• the mba degree requires 36 semester hours
• the mha degree requires 46 semester hours
• the dual mba/ms in sustainability degree requires 47 semester hours
• the dual mmhc/pharm d degree requires 170 semester hours

minimum gpa

the minimum cumulative grade-point average for all graduate business degrees is 3.00 for all graduate courses taken for graduate credit. no grade below a “c” is acceptable. such grades will not apply toward degree completion.

graduation

students who do not file their intent to graduate form in the registrar’s office by the announced application deadline may be delayed in graduating. to be eligible to graduate, all coursework required for the degree must be completed prior to the degree conferral date.

graduate students receiving degrees are hooded during the may and december commencement exercises.

appeals

any exceptions to the above stated requirements would require approval via the appeal process established by the graduate academic council.

financial information

tuition and fees for 2024-25

acceptance of a position in a graduate business class is viewed as a long-term commitment. admitted applicants must submit a non-refundable deposit to reserve their space in the class. class size is limited and admission decisions are made on a rolling basis.

*program trip fee (see program information for details)*

scholarships/assistantships

merit scholarship awards are available through the college of business. scholarship awards typically are given to offset tuition charges for one or more classes.

non-teaching graduate assistantships are awarded by the college of business. such assistantships are given for one-year terms, but students may apply for extensions.

graduate assistantship awards typically are given to offset tuition charges in exchange for the student providing assistance in the graduate business office or with a graduate faculty member. generally, students receiving an assistantship are enrolled as full-time students. there are federal income tax consequences for students receiving assistantships.

dependent children of full-time lipscomb employees are eligible to receive a lipscomb family scholarship which covers 25 percent of the program’s tuition cost for students in the mba, macc, mm, and mha programs.

to receive a scholarship or assistantship, the student must complete the main application form, which also includes the student’s essay and references. no action will be taken before these items and the gmat score report are received. applicants for graduate assistantships must also complete an assistantship application and schedule a personal interview with the graduate business director. a 3.00 gpa must be maintained to be eligible for a scholarship or assistantship.

lipscomb graduate business alumni are eligible for a 50 percent tuition scholarship on additional elective courses taken after they have graduated. this scholarship is available for courses offered only within the college of business.

integrated accounting seminar (accounting boot camp)

lipscomb provides an “accounting boot camp” where interested students can complete 12 graduate accounting hours and satisfy all macc prerequisites. this course is taught in a virtual environment, asynchronously. for more information, please visit our website at //www.fellaworld.com/business/academic-programs/accounting-boot-camp for details.

accounting boot camp refund terms

if a student wishes to withdraw, an official request must be made to the macc director in writing. for a 100% refund, the student must drop or withdraw from the class following the times outlined below for each class type:

• 6 hour online class - drop before the third week of the class term
• 12 hour online class - drop before the fifth week of the class term

other information

for more information, please visit our website at //www.fellaworld.com/business.

program of study requirements

• accountancy, m.acc.

• mba program

• sustainability, m.b.a./m.s.

• master of management / health care (34 hours)

certificates do not imply professional certification but are intended to strengthen students’ qualifications and professional portfolios in specific areas.

• graduate certificate in professional accountancy (12 hours)

• master of health administration (46 hours)

return to: all graduate programs