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Pacific Asian Consortium for International Business Education and Research Diploma

Pacific Asian Management Institute

Pacific-Basin Finance Journal

Pacific Research Institute for Information Systems and Management


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Shidler College of Business

Graduate Programs

Shidler College of Business offers the only AACSB-International accredited MBA and MAcc programs in Hawai'i. The AACSB seal of approval guarantees students that their programs satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality standards relating to strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students in the educational process, and achievement of learning goals in degree programs. There are less than 720 AACSB accredited institutions worldwide, and Shidler College of Business is proud to be one of them.

Application Deadlines

Master’s Degree Programs:

The MBA and MAcc programs both admit students during the fall semester. The fall application deadline is March 1 for international students and Full-Time MBA students interested in scholarships and May 1 for all other students. The fall deadline for the Executive MBA, Distance Learning Executive MBA, Distance Learning Executive MBA in Health Care Management, and Master of Human Resources programs is June 1. The fall deadline for the Vietnam Executive MBA program is July 1.
The MAcc program is the only program that admits students during the spring semester. The spring application deadline for the MAcc program is November 1, and October 1 for international students.

Master of Business Administration

Full-Time Global MBA–The Full-Time Global MBA program offers students a comprehensive foundation in business fundamentals with an Asia-Pacific focus. The Full-Time Global MBA program features a first-year cohort experience designed to help students learn the inner-workings of group dynamics crucial for the leaders of today's organizations. The MBA curriculum is predominantly focused in international business and stresses developing the skills and breadth of judgment required of top-level managers and executives in both the private and public sectors.

Students spend their first year learning the principles and theories of management strategies through a sampling of courses in various functional areas. Next, students spend the summer taking part in an internship experience allowing them to build upon the foundation created during their first year. The second year is spent customizing their degree through the completion of seven elective courses. With the assistance of an advisor, students select courses that fit their personal and professional goals and interests. In their last semester, students register in the consulting practicum, synthesizing and applying knowledge from their MBA course work to an existing organization.

Country Focus–The Full-Time Global MBA program at Shidler College of Business offers students a comprehensive foundation in business fundamentals with an Asia-Pacific focus. Students have access to internships, career development assistance and strong networking opportunities with fellow students, alumni, and the business community at large. The Full-Time Global MBA program features a first-year cohort experience designed to help students learn the inner-workings of group dynamics crucial for the leaders of today's organizations. Throughout the program, students meet their personal and professional goals while preparing them for leadership in today's global business environment.

To receive a certificate recognizing that an MBA meets the level of a country-specific focus, international experience and language proficiency or training are both required. The international experience will generally be achieved through a combination of overseas internship and course work. The internship will generally be accomplished during the summer following your first complete year of study in the country of focus. This will be followed by elective business course work at one of our partner institutions in that country that will coincide with the fall term of the second year. The combination of this for-credit internship and course work should equal twelve credit hours to maintain your pace toward graduation with in two academic years.

For the country focus certification, there is a language requirement that can be met in one of two ways. You can pass a proficiency test that would waive the requirement to take language courses. This would be administered by the language department here at UH Manoa. The level of proficiency required to pass this test would be equal to testing out of third year language courses. The program is not limited to those that arrive at Shidler with language proficiency, and so the language requirement can also be met by taking language courses here at UH Manoa during the first year of the Full-Time Global MBA program. After proficiency testing, there would be placement into one of three levels of language class, and there would then be two terms of progressive language course work.

Chinese Partner Schools:
Sun Yat-Sen University
Shanghai University of Finance & Economics College of Business
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) MBA Program
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Antai College of Economics & Management
Japanese Partner Schools:
International University of Japan
Nagoya University of Commerce and Business

Part-Time MBA–The Part-Time MBA program provides working professionals a way to leverage their education while maintaining full-time employment. The global business environment is constantly undergoing changes, therefore the Part-Time MBA program stresses the development of analytical skills and their application to decision-making rather than simply reviewing current practices. Students gain a solid academic foundation for professional careers in management.

Students in the part-time program generally take two courses per semester with classes held once a week per subject area. Classes meet during the weekday evenings and are offered each semester and during both summer sessions. Students in the part-time program enjoy the flexibility of being able to complete their degree at their own pace. Depending on the number of courses taken each semester, part-time students can usually complete their degree in three years.

Joint Programs–The Shidler College of Business also offers four joint MBA programs. The JD/MBA and the MS in Nursing Administration/MBA. Applicants must meet the admission requirements and apply to both programs to be eligible for joint programs.

Executive MBA

The Executive MBA (EMBA) program is a 22-month degree program designed for highly motivated managers who want to increase their knowledge and acquire the skills needed to assume broader corporate responsibility. A total of 48 credit hours is completed during this accelerated degree program. Classes are uniquely scheduled to allow working individuals to participate with maximum convenience to themselves and their sponsoring organizations. The program consists of a short residence session at the start of the first academic year, with classes meeting Tuesday evenings and alternating Saturdays. An undergraduate degree, GMAT exam, at least five years of progressively successful work experience, and a current management position are required for admission. A new EMBA cohort begins in August of alternate years.

Distance Learning Executive MBA

The Distance Learning Executive MBA is a 22-month program designed to meet our neighbor islands' business demands by providing advanced business training to their residents. The 48-credit hour program is geared toward individuals who have shown leadership or management potential. It enables students from the neighbor islands to pursue a graduate degree without having to travel and with limited interruption to their professional obligations or family life. The distance learning executive MBA classes are highly interactive and are broadcast in real time so that all students on the receiving sites will receive instruction simultaneously. Class meetings are held online every Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and alternating Saturdays. In addition, students will have 16 visits to UH Manoa to engage and interact with professors and classmates beyond the virtual classroom environment. The instructors, curriculum, and academic standards are the same as our regular evening UH MBA/EMBA program. As such, it requires the completion of 48 semester credit hours of graduate level courses divided into two parts: the required core and elective courses. Electives will be determined by the students as a group based on collective needs.

Distance Learning Executive MBA–Health Care Management

The Distance Learning Executive MBA-Health Care Management Program provides a unique insight into the health sector, which is undergoing transformational growth and change. The program combines a dynamic and rigorous MBA core business curriculum with health care-focused electives to prepare candidates for successful and rewarding careers. The program is a track within the Distance Learning Executive MBA, where students enrolled in the Health Care Management track will take Health Care elective courses in the second-year of study. These elective courses will enable students to understand the dynamic landscape of the medical industry and eventually, demonstrate the ability to provide sound business acumen to health care organizations.

Vietnam Executive MBA (Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi)

The Vietnam Executive MBA (VEMBA) is a 22-month degree program in business administration, conducted in cooperation with the International University in Ho Chi Minh City and the Foreign Trade University in Hanoi. The 48-credit-hour program is modeled after the Executive MBA conducted in Honolulu, with the same faculty and curriculum. Faculty members teach courses in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in one-month modules, partly as distance learning. Participants in the program are established Vietnamese executives, some Americans, East Asians, and other expatriates. EMBA has Asian business as its focus but constant consideration is given to the impact of globalization on business and economics in the region.

MBA Requirements

All MBA students are expected to enter the program with computer competency and English language proficiency. Up to six courses of English as a second language may be required of international students depending upon placement exam results.

The MBA program consists of 21 credit hours of core courses: BUS 621, 622, 623, 624, 626, 627, 628, 629, 630, and 631; 21 credits hours of electives; the capstone experience, which consists of BUS 632 Business Policy and Strategy (3 credit hours) and BUS 696 MBA Consulting Practicum (3 credit hours).

Required Core Courses

  • BUS 621 Business Statistics (1.5)
  • BUS 622 Economic Foundations of Strategy (1.5)
  • BUS 623 Marketing Management (3)
  • BUS 624 Accounting for Decision-making (3)
  • BUS 626 Leadership and Organizational Behavior (3)
  • BUS 627 Business, Government, and External Environment (1.5)
  • BUS 628 Ethics (1.5)
  • BUS 629 Managerial Finance (3)
  • BUS 630 Managing Information Technology for Strategic Advantage (1.5)
  • BUS 631 Operations and Supply Chain Management (1.5)

Electives (21 credit hours)

Of the required 21 credit hours, six may be at the 400-level. Students may also take graduate electives from outside the college as long as at least nine elective credits are completed within Shidler College.

Professional Development (0 credit hours)

  • BUS 601 Professional Development (two semesters)
    Required for full-time MBA programs

Integrative Capstone (6 credit hours)

  • BUS 632 Business Policy and Strategy (3)
  • BUS 696 MBA Consulting Practicum (3)

Thesis Option

In consultation with their advisor, a student may opt to do a research thesis in place of BUS 696 and three elective credits. Thesis students enroll in BUS 700 Thesis Research.

MBA Admission Requirements

For admission into the MBA graduate programs, Shidler College of Business applicants must take the GMAT within five years prior to applying, have a recommended GPA of 3.0 and at least two years of full-time post-baccalaureate work experience (five years for Executive MBA, Distance Learning Executive MBA and Health Care Management, and Vietnam Executive MBA applicants). Applicants must also submit essays, a statement of objective, resume, two letters of recommendation, and as part of the admission decision, candidates may be invited for an interview. Admission is competitive. Thus, the college is not always able to admit all qualified applicants.

All applicants who received a bachelor's and/or master's degree in a country where English is not the primary language of instruction are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS. Test scores may not be more than two years old. International applicants who earned a bachelor's degree (or an equivalent) within the last five years at a regionally accredited or recognized institution in the U.S., Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), New Zealand, Singapore or the United Kingdom are exempt from the TOEFL. The minimum TOEFL score is 550 for the Executive MBA, 500 for the Executive MBA-Vietnam, and 600 for all other MBA programs, or internet based test (IBT) score of 100, or IELTS score of 7.

Information about the TOEFL may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service at www.ets.org/toefl. Information about the IELTS may be found at www.ielts.org. Information regarding the GMAT may be found at www.mba.com.

Admission requirements for the Master of Accounting programs are found in the "Accounting" section within the Shidler College of Business. Admission requirements for the PhD program in Business Administration are found in the "PhD in International Management" section of this Catalog.

For detailed information regarding the MBA programs, contact the Shidler College of Business Office of Student Academic Services, 2404 Maile Way #G202, Honolulu, HI 96822; (808) 956-8266; email: mba@hawaii.edu; or web: www.shidler.hawaii.edu.

For detailed information regarding the Executive MBA programs and Master of Human Resource Management program, contact the Shidler College of Business Executive Education Center, 2404 Maile Way #A303, Honolulu, HI 96822; (808) 956-8135; email: emba@hawaii.edu; web: www.shidler.hawaii.edu.

Master of Accounting

The Master of Accounting (MAcc) degree provides an advanced education in taxation, financial accounting, and auditing necessary for students to pursue leading positions in public practice, business, government, and related fields.

The program offers students the opportunity to adequately prepare for today's multifaceted accounting practice by strengthening their understanding of the body of accounting knowledge, as well as preparing them for the complexities and new technology facing the accounting profession. The objectives of the program include: a) providing the educational opportunity necessary for students to become qualified professional accountants for leading positions in public practice, business, not-for-profit organizations, government, and related fields; b) enhancing students' intellectual and analytical skills with research skills necessary to further educate themselves after graduation, including exposure to leading high technology; and c) enhancing students' professional communication skills necessary for success in a contemporary accounting environment. Completion of this program will fulfill the State of Hawai'i's 150 credit hour requirement for Certified Public Accountant Licensure. In addition, there are opportunities available to study abroad (Asian Field Study), as well as internships (up to 3 graduate level credits), and career development services to further enrich and support your undergraduate and graduate accounting studies.

MAcc students may choose one of two suggested concentrations: (tax or financial reporting) or create their own.

Admissions Guidelines

  • GPA 3.0
  • GMAT taken within the last 5 years
  • International Students: TOEFL 600 or IELTS 7.0 scores*
  • No work experience required

*Applicants who do not meet these requirements may still be granted admission but may be required to take a placement exam at the time of matriculation and/or to take English language classes in addition to their MAcc course work.

3/2 Master of Accounting

TThe 3/2 Master of Accounting (MAcc) program is an integrated, five-year 150-credit hour program designed for students who want to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting. Students in this program gain the skills necessary to build a successful career in the multifaceted, dynamic practice of accounting. Current undergraduate students may apply to the program during their junior year. This program is for students who wish to enter professional careers in public practice, business, non-profit organizations, and government sectors. Completion of this program will fulfill the State of Hawai'i's 150 credit hour requirement for Certified Public Accountant Licensure. In addition, there are opportunities available to study abroad (Asian Field Study), as well as internships (up to 3 graduate level credits), and career development services to further enrich and support your undergraduate and graduate accounting studies.

MAcc students may choose one of two suggested concentrations: tax or financial reporting.

E-mail: macc@hawaii.edu.

Master of Human Resource Management

The Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM) degree caters to individuals who are seeking to expand their knowledge in the field of human resources. The program is also offered to the neighbor islands via video conferencing.

Over the last several decades, HRM has become a much more demanding profession, requiring specialized training and appropriate work experience. Job specialties in HRM include training, staffing, compensation and health benefits, health and safety, organizational development, and career development. Each of the specialties is overseen by demanding legislation and the push to optimize the competitiveness of the organization. The human resource management curriculum is interdisciplinary in its approach, integrating other disciplines–especially organizational behavior, management systems, and labor and employment legislation.

Minimum Qualifications

  • A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university or equivalent
  • A grade point average of 3.0 or higher
  • Two years' professional/managerial post-baccalaureate employment preferred
  • Resume
  • Statement of objectives
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Interview
  • For international students: TOEFL or IELTS score

The program consists of 30 academic credit hours, or 10 courses. The curriculum will include the foundation courses (compensation, staffing, training, industrial relations, and health and safety) leadership, organizational development, negotiations, an integrative capstone experience, and an elective. The MHRM is a cohort program where students will go through the entire program as a group. Classes meet Wednesday evenings and alternating Saturdays. The program should take approximately 16 months.

PhD in Business Administration

The PhD Program in Business Administration offers an academically challenging and rigorous program designed to prepare highly motivated and intellectually gifted students for a career in research, teaching, and service with a particular focus on Asia and the Pacific. This full-time program emphasizes a strong foundation in both methodological and theoretical training. A teaching opportunity supported by ongoing seminars in pedagogy will give students valuable experience in the classroom. Collaborative work with faculty will enhance research and learning opportunities. Students will also gain valuable computing, quantitative, and methodological skills vital to effective research.

Doctoral candidates work closely with Shidler College faculty in areas of specialization that often parallel the strengths of faculty members. These areas include International Accounting, Asian Finance, Global Information Technology Management, International Marketing, and International Organization and Strategy.

The program is small and individualized, which enables students to pursue their own areas of interest. Admission, for the fall semester only, is highly competitive, and only full-time study is allowed. The expected completion time for the doctoral degree is four to five years.

For admission to the PhD in Business Administration, the candidate applicant should meet the following criteria. The deadline for application is January 31. (Note that admission to the doctoral program is not automatic, and will be determined on a case-by-case basis by a faculty committee.)

Minimum Qualifications

  • Master's degree or bachelor's degree. Subject matter of the foundation courses in business or accounting obtained at an accredited school.
  • GMAT or GRE in the top 25th percentile
  • GPA of 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale
  • TOEFL (computer-based) of 250 or the equivalent score on the IELTS
  • 3 letters of reference
  • Exceptions to the above requirements may be made by the PhD Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis.
  • Meeting the above minimum requirements is necessary for consideration, but does not automatically assure admission. Admission is granted on a case-by-case basis by the PhD Admissions Committee.

Recommended Qualification

  • Personal interview or telephone interview
  • Teaching potential as demonstrated by previous teaching performance, if available.
  • Research interests compatible with Shidler College faculty research
  • Example of previous research paper or essay written by candidate, if available.

Desirable Qualifications

  • International experience
  • Foreign language ability in area of desired specialization
  • International area academic studies, such as Japan or China area studies

For further detailed information, please contact the PhD Program in Business Administration at (808) 956-6723; email: phdbus@hawaii.edu; (Rev. 08/15) web: shidler.hawaii.edu/phd.