About the Program
The Frank J. Rooney School of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) at Barry University, in collaboration with the Adrian Dominican School of Education (ADSOE) and the Andreas School of Business (ASB), offers a Master of Arts in Administration degree program. It is designed as a graduate degree program for adult learners and practitioners focusing on administration, leadership, communication, and teamwork. NOTE: This is not a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program. Students who are interested in an MBA should consult the section of the University’s Graduate Studies Catalog on the D. Inez Andreas School of Business.
The degree program places an emphasis on developing the critical administrative competencies which contribute to workplace success in all organizations - public, private, and not-for-profit - through both theoretical course content and also by application and practice throughout the curriculum. The degree program consists of thirty semester credit hours, not including prerequisites. Students complete the requirements for the administration degree and, if qualified, may add, through the School of Business, a post-graduate certificate in Business Management by completing an additional twelve semester credits of business/management courses.
Upon completion of the degree program, students will be able to:
- Understand and apply the knowledge and skills critical to administrative effectiveness in today’s organizations.
- Assess the various administrative and managerial theories/perspectives as they relate to problem solving within a wide range of organizational structures.
- Evaluate the various administrative theories, applications and approaches within the broad social, economic, technological, and political environments of private, public, or not-for-profit organizations.
- Synthesize the degree’s knowledge and skills in order to develop administrative competencies and applications.
- Apply the degree program's knowledge and skills to their own organization.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The program is open to persons with the following qualifications and who submit the appropriate documentation:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or the equivalent from an internationally recognized institution, with a cumulative grade average of B or higher (an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher on a four-point scale). Official transcripts of all previous college or university studies must be submitted.
- Submission of a completed application form with a $30.00 non-refundable fee. The fee is waived for Barry University alumni.
- An acceptable score on one of three entrance exams: Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). The entrance exam (GMAT, GRE, or MAT) may be waived if the applicant has accumulated a minimum of five years of full-time professional work experience in administration, executive decision making, training and development, leadership, or comparable fields. The applicant must provide original and verifiable evidence of work experience supplemented by a resume or vita and professional references (see below – Professional Work Experience). Upon review of the documented evidence, the applicant will be notified if the entrance exam requirement is waived.
- Two original and verifiable letters of recommendation from professional and/or academic sources.
- An essay of at least 750 words, which explains why the applicant wishes to pursue the degree and how it will help to fulfill their personal and professional goals. Applicants should also describe in detail their accomplishments, experiences, values, potential for professional excellence, and commitment to completing the degree program. Moreover, applicants should include information about how they work, think, and interact with people, as well as on any other potentially relevant topics.
- International applicants whose previous college or university studies were not in English must earn a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 213 on the computer-based or 80 on the internet-based versions of this test. Applicants must also satisfy all of criteria which are outlined in the section of the University Graduate Catalog on International Applicants.
In order to receive full admission, all of the above items must be submitted. If any item is missing or incomplete, applicants may be granted provisional acceptance and may be allowed to register for a limited number of credit hours while stipulated admission or academic requirements are being satisfied. In this situation, full admission to the degree program is neither implied nor guaranteed.
Professional Work Experience
Applicants seeking to have the entrance exam waived must provide original and verifiable documentation of five years of full-time professional work experience on letterhead stationary written by their supervisors. They must also include the names of references from the organization(s) where they have worked. An applicant’s resume or vitae must include the following items:
- Complete employment history in reverse chronological order, with name of organization, titles, dates, and whether worked part-time or full-time.
- Educational history in reverse chronological order, indicating dates of attendance and degree(s) earned.
- A complete list of all training or workshop activities attended or participated in.
- A complete list of all publications and presentations authored or co-authored.
- A complete list of projects actively participated in, including responsibilities; positions held; and dates of the project duration, including contact names(s) and contact information for each project.
- A complete list of academic and/or professional awards received, including the basis for selection and the date(s) of the honor(s).
- A list of hobbies, interests, and activities, including any significant accomplishments related to them.
NOTE: Falsification of any information in this documentation will be considered a violation of the University’s Academic Dishonesty Policy and appropriate measures will be taken. Measures may include rejection of an application or dismissal from the degree program, if the applicant has begun course work. Refer to the University Graduate Studies Catalog and the ACE Student Bulletin for more details on these policies and measures.
TRANSFER COURSES
The transferability of credits from another institution to Barry University is at the discretion of the Dean, who has the final word on how many credits and which courses may transfer, subject to an upper limit of six semester credit hours. Potential transfer courses/credits must be graduate level, must have been completed at a regionally accredited college or university, not used in the completion of any other degree, and must show on an official transcript with a grade of B or higher. Only credits will be transferred, not grades or grade point averages, and any credits, which are accepted, will be counted as having been taken in year one of the time limitation to complete the degree program.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
To graduate, candidates for the degree of Master of Arts in Administration must:
- Satisfactorily complete the program of study;
- Have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale (with no more than two C’s). No more than three courses may be repeated and a course may only be repeated once;
- Complete degree requirements within seven years of the date the student is fully accepted as a degree-seeking student for study in the graduate program; and
- File an application for the degree with the University Registrar on the appropriate form signed by the relevant (site) advisor in the School of Adult and Continuing Education.
PROBATION AND DISMISSAL
A graduate student is in Good Academic Standing if his/her cumulative grade point average (GPA) is 3.00 or above. Students with a semester or cumulative GPA below 3.00 will be placed on academic probation. Also, students who earn more than two grades of "C" or a grade below a "C" during their academic program are placed on probation. Probation will be lifted the following semester if the student achieves a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above with no more than two grades of "C." If this condition is not met, the student will remain on probation. Any student failing to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 for two consecutive semesters will be dismissed. If a student receives a third “C” or below, then s/he must repeat a course, in which s/he earned the deficient grade, when the course is next offered. Any student who fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 for two consecutive semesters will not be eligible for VA benefits. A student who has been dismissed for academic reasons may not petition the Dean for readmission until one year has elapsed from the date of the dismissal notification. Upon readmission, the student will be considered on academic probation and must remove one of the earned deficient grades by repeating a course in which a grade of “C” or below was earned. A course may only be repeated once and a student may only repeat three courses. If the student fails to achieve a grade of “B” or better in that course, the student is considered to have failed to complete the conditions for reinstatement or removal of probationary status and will be permanently dismissed from the program.
PREREQUISITES (9 credits)
Prior to enrolling in the degree program, applicants may be required to take one or more of the following prerequisite courses if the subjects (or equivalent) have not been covered in previous coursework: ADM 303 Administrative Theory and Practice; ADM 353 Leadership Development; and ADM 464 Human Resource Administration.
CURRICULUM (30 credits)
| ADM 521 |
Applied Administrative Concepts |
| ADM 535 |
Research Methodologies |
| ADM 545 |
Values and Ethics in Administration |
| ADM 568 |
Changing Environment of Administration |
| ADM 680 |
Project Administration |
| HRD 646 |
Dynamics of Change and Planning |
| HRD 648 |
Group Behavior in Organizations |
| HRD 652 |
Diversity in the Workplace |
| IT 515 |
Information Technology Concepts |
| ADM 699 |
Capstone: Applied Project |
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
ADM 521 Applied Administrative Concepts (3)
The course will address the administrative competencies require to be successful in the 21st century workplace and to prepare students to work effectively in a dynamic, constantly changing work environment.
ADM 535 Research Methodologies (3)
This course provides an opportunity for students to synthesize their studies and explore topics that relate to administrative and technical processes using statistical and analytical techniques. In this course, students undertake an in-depth review and critical analysis of self-selected topics in the field of administration, information technology, and related fields using qualitative and quantitative analysis in addition to other statistical techniques presented in class. Upon this course completion, students would be exposed to various analytical and statistical applications, tools and techniques for decision-making and research. Prerequisite: Successful completion of undergraduate statistics course.
ADM 545 Values and Ethics in Administration (3)
This course is designed to create an awareness and sensitivity to the values and ethical issues inherent in private and public administration decisions. The Judeo-Christian moral basis for the values and ethical practices in government and business today will be presented along with the legal requirements for complying with legislated ethical standards.
ADM 568 Changing Environment of Administration (3)
This course addresses the impacts on administrative decision-making from external environments including the political, natural, international, technical and societal environments.
ADM 680 Project Administration (3)
This course examines the technical and administrative aspects of complex projects. Students will learn the project life cycle and tools and will be able to create functional and technical requirements to plan and control projects.
ADM 699 Capstone: Applied Project (3)
The Applied Project is a supervised capstone to the master’s program. It is an independent, web-supported study with a graduate faculty mentor/instructor. The project is designed to build from knowledge gained during the program and to make connections between academic and professional work. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all other coursework in program.
HRD 646 Dynamics of Change and Planning (3)
Examines how change that affects work related behavior takes place within organizations and individuals as a result of the intentional interventions of a change agent. Ways of obtaining both monetary funding and community/organizational support for innovative projects are examined.
HRD 648 Group Behavior in Organizations (3)
Emphasizes knowledge and skills necessary to build an effective team and team relationships to carry out a work related goal. Topics include person-to-person communication, small group processes, conferencing skills, networking, and coaching
HRD 652 Diversity in the Workplace (3)
Explores the training and development of a culturally sensitive work force. Examines and explores innovative techniques for dealing with institutional “isms” (e.g., sexism, ageism, etc.), as they relate to management training, conflict resolution, career development, mentoring, performance appraisals, team-building, and peer rating methods.
IT 515 Information Technology Concepts (3)
This course examines information technology in today’s organizations by presenting advanced information technology and practices. A review of the organization and evolution of technology, information technology infrastructure, and building and managing information technology will be discussed. Emphasis is placed on the way IT is used and applied to solve enterprise problems and the way technology is being implemented to meet corporate needs. Prerequisite: IT 200 or equivalent.
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