Graduate Admission

Southwest Minnesota State University and the College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies are proud to offer Master’s degrees in Business Administration (M.B.A.), Education, and Special Education. These programs assist professionals and practitioners in acquiring the knowledge needed to assume increased levels of responsibility and to enhance the opportunity for career development and advancement.

Master of Business Administration

The M.B.A. is designed to help working individuals acquire the knowledge and skills that they will need for professional advancement within their organizations. Students can pursue graduate education while maintaining ongoing responsibilities. Classes are scheduled for weekday evenings for the convenience of the students who have home and work obligations. The program’s curriculum is designed to meet the management needs of organizations now and in the future. The enhancement of a person’s managerial, financial and market decision-making abilities is at the core of our curriculum. In addition, our program includes topics such as global markets, ethics, effective communication, diversity management, and leadership/teamwork skills. The entire program is aimed at enabling students to be competent managers in a rapidly changing world.

Master of Science: Education

The integrated core curriculum in the Master of Science: Education includes current research on community building, teaching and learning, inquiry, ethics, technology, social action, and the life experiences of the participants. Participants also enhance their expertise in content areas. The themes of the program are consistent with concepts of diversity, democracy, and dignity. The themes include technology scholarship, community building, leadership, teaching/learning theory, and portfolio assessment. Students will choose one of the following emphases: Teaching, Learning & Leadership; Sports Leadership; English; or Reading. The Reading emphasis adds a Reading specific licensure area to a current teaching license.

Note: Student must be a licensed teacher to enter the Reading, Math, and ESL programs.

Master of Science: Special Education

This degree program includes courses in the core competencies for special educators, specialty/licensure courses, field experiences, and a research component. Candidates have a choice of specialty/licensure areas in Developmental Disabilities (DD), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), Emotional Behavioral Disorders (EBD), or Learning Disabilities (LD). Guiding principles for this degree program include the Code of Ethics and standards of practice by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC).

Note: Student must be a licensed teacher in order to enter this program.

Graduate Admission Notes:

Each of the programs listed above have individual entrance requirements. Students are encouraged to contact the Graduate Office for admission criteria for all Master’s Programs. Visit the Graduate Office section of our web site for program and application information.