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Southern’s MBA Program: Distinguishing Professionals and Proving ROI Across Disciplines
What are your career goals? What inspires you? What sparks your passion?
Whether you want to create revolutionary new products, found a start-up or become a top executive for a large company, the world needs strong, educated business leaders who know how to influence change, deliver results and drive positive impacts on the world.
Southern’s MBA program helps prepare motivated professionals like you to realize their goals. It is not just about igniting your passion and teaching important business principles—those aspects are important—but it is about much more than that.
Our program is designed to be practical and oriented toward actual business situations. You will showcase mastery of critical course content in the development of your MBA portfolio, sharpen your business acumen through the use of relevant business simulations, and execute strategic decision-making projects rooted in real-world scenarios.
The MBA at Southern cultivates leaders who can navigate complex business environments and uphold Christian values. Our program fosters a holistic approach to business education, teaching students to stay rooted in compassion, ethics, community building, kingdom-building principles and sound business practices. Students receive training in critical and integrative thinking, applying all they learn in their rigorous coursework to experiential learning.
It is this approach that helps set Southern’s program apart. You will graduate with the confidence and business expertise to make a meaningful impact wherever you go.
Our curriculum, which we explain in more detail later in this guide, will prepare you to succeed at both the local and global levels. So, if you want to manage a chain of local restaurants or travel internationally for a multinational corporation, you’ll be ready to face whatever challenges come your way.
The MBA program offers three areas of emphasis so you can pursue your particular area of interest:
- Accounting (For CPA prep)
- Healthcare Administration,
- Management
Let’s take a closer look at what you’d learn in each of them.
Find Meaning in the Numbers with the Accounting Emphasis
This emphasis is designed for professionals aspiring to maximize their Accounting careers by embracing servant leadership and actively contributing to positive change in their communities.
Whether you have recently finished your undergraduate degree or are already well-established in your career and seeking to advance to the next level. Wherever you are on your journey, the Accounting emphasis can help you prepare for the CPA exam.
Earning an MBA will help you take on new roles and increased responsibility. Southern MBA accounting graduates have earned more advanced roles like auditing manager, tax manager, and even chief financial officer (CFO). In these types of roles, you’ll still get to work with numbers but it’ll involve making more critical decisions, building financial strategies, and managing a team of people.
On average, the MBA accounting salary is about $94,000. The average salary for individuals with an MBA in accounting, is approximately $94,000. Naturally, this figure has the potential to increase as professionals compete that could increase as people gain more experience and compete for high-level management positions.
Courses and Curriculum
The curriculum is designed to help you apply real-world skills to your accounting career. Here are a few of the courses that you could take:
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Advanced Financial Accounting and Reporting
This class will explore the following topics: basic theory of financial reporting, inventory, fixed assets, monetary current assets and current liabilities, present value concepts, deferred taxes, shareholder equity, investments, statement of cash flows, business combinations and consolidations, derivative instruments and hedging activities, and governmental and nonprofit accounting.
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Business Environment and Concepts
This class will create an understanding of business structure, information technologies within a business, economics and strategy, financial management, risk management and capital budgeting, performance measures, cost measurement, planning control and analytics.
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Advanced Issues in Auditing and Attestation
This class will develop an understanding of engagement planning and assessing audit risk, internal controls, quality and sufficiency of audit evidence, audit reports, audit sampling, audit technology, auditing standards, and information technology.
Our Accounting emphasis is also offered entirely online. Learn more about this option on our program page.
MBA in Healthcare Administration: The Business of Healthcare
Healthcare, already a vast field, is one of the world'd fastest-growing disciplines. As people strive to take more control of their health, there is a strong need for administrative leaders who can manage teams, navigate complex business challenges, and support patients in accordance with His teachings.
As a senior-level leader in healthcare administration, you can expect to spend your time navigating healthcare policy and regulation changes, adopting new technology at your facilities, developing new and innovative approaches to operations and patient care, and bringing new healthcare products to market.
With the Healthcare MBA emphasis at Southern, you’ll learn the skills needed to face these challenges head-on and step into advanced roles such as operations management, director, C-level executive, and other healthcare management jobs.
Your salary will depend on your role, location, and level of experience, but the average salary is about $85,000. However, with more experience and progressive responsibility, you can expect to make well over six figures.
Courses and Curriculum
The School of Business at Southern has strong relationships with community leaders in local healthcare organizations, as well as a tight collaboration with the School of Nursing. As such, our students get incredible opportunities to learn from experienced, passionate professionals who lend their expertise to the next generation of healthcare leaders.
With this emphasis, here are a few of the courses you might have the opportunity to take:
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Operations Management
This course is an introduction to the concepts and techniques related to the design, planning, control, and improvement of manufacturing and service operations. Topics will include process analysis, materials management, production scheduling, quality improvement, and product design.
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Healthcare Policy
Healthcare Policy supports the delivery and financing of healthcare. This course reviews the policy analysis process, the push and pull of specific healthcare goals, the constraining effects of resource limitations, and the resulting healthcare system in the United States. The benefits and drawbacks associated with healthcare systems both within and outside of America will be considered.
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Contemporary Issues in Healthcare Administration
A seminar of open discussion and guest lectures relating to current issues developing within the healthcare industry. Included in the discussion will be topics in healthcare finance and legal issues.
Learn more about the Healthcare Administration emphasis on our program page.
Take on New Leadership Challenges with an Emphasis in Management
The leadership roles that you can take on with the MBA Management emphasis are as wide and varied as the world of business itself.
At its essence, the Management emphasis will build on all of the skills, strategies, and knowledge you’ll learn with the core MBA curriculum, with a special focus on servant leadership and people management.
In addition to strong understanding of business and numerical expertise, the emphasis highlights the importance of interpersonal insight, manage complex human resource situations and bring employees together toward a common goal—all within your unique, inspired calling.
The Management emphasis will allow you to take on almost any business role, whether that’s a team leader, middle manager, senior executive, or even chief executive officer (CEO). As such, the salary range varies quite dramatically. Typically, however, you can expect to start in the low six figures with strong opportunities for increased earning.
Courses and Curriculum
If you have natural leadership abilities and are looking for ways to turn them into practical business skills, then this may be the emphasis for you.
Here are a few of the courses you might have the opportunity to take:
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Business Analytics
This course is designed to equip professionals with the skills necessary to effectively analyze data within the context of business intelligence. In addition, data application and analysis software and techniques are used to uncover patterns used in decision-making.
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Corporate Intrapreneurship
Presents concepts, tools, and techniques for managing new business creations, or creating an environment of innovation/entrepreneurship within larger existing organizations. The spectrum of activities to be considered is broad including new ventures launched by both corporate and division managers in established and emerging businesses.
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Human Resource Management
Provides a framework for understanding and thinking strategically about employment relations and the management of human resources in organizations. The course builds on insights from the social sciences to explore how employment relations are influenced by economic, social, psychological, legal, and cultural forces. Specific topics include recruitment and selection; performance evaluation; compensation and benefits; promotion; job design; training; layoffs; retention and turnover; and the human resource implications of various strategies.
Learn more about the Management emphasis on our program page.
Meet the Faculty
Our team of dedicated educators is passionate about bringing their own knowledge and real-life business experience to the classroom to help students learn how to be successful. They are eager to find out what their students are passionate about and help fuel that fire toward positive results.
“The strength of our MBA program comes from both our inspiring faculty and our talented students. When I see the incredible results that our graduates go on to achieve, I know that we’ve created an effective and engaging learning environment here at Southern.”
Stephanie Sheehan, Dean
Deadlines and the Admissions Process
Eligibility Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree: Bachelor’s degree in any area from an accredited program
- GPA requirement: Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0
- GMAT: Possible exemption if GPA is 3.25 or higher
- Two prerequisites for non-business bachelor’s degrees:
- Six hours of accounting and three hours of finance (undergraduate).
OR - ACCT 505: Financial Accounting
- FNCE 505: Principles of Finance
- Six hours of accounting and three hours of finance (undergraduate).
Admission Process
- Graduate application: Submit a graduate application
- Transcripts: Submit official college and university transcripts.
- Recommendations: Submit two recommendation forms (completed by work supervisors or professors).
- GMAT requirements: Submit scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test taken within the past five years. Possible exceptions may apply.
Application Deadlines
Term
U.S. Residents
International
Fall
July 1
May 1
Winter
November 1
September 1
Summer
April 1
February 1
International Students
Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States are considered international students and must meet additional requirements for admission.
Next Steps
Ready to start your application? Apply now.
If you have questions, schedule a meeting with our advisor and we will be able to help you!
