Since the program is designed for both those who do have and those who do not have an undergraduate degree in business, students in the program bring a variety of academic experiences with them to the classroom. In fact, we feel that more students in a classroom with diverse educational and cultural backgrounds bring a better, more realistic learning experience to the individual student. From your perspective, if you lack a business background, an MBA can diversify your education in order to gain the competitive advantage you need in the workplace.

The average age of the students in our program is 27 years old, with approximately 5-6 years of work experience in a variety of business fields. And while business experience is a plus when entering the MBA program, it is not a must. Fifty-five percent of our students are male and forty-five percent are female. The average GMAT score of students admitted to the program is 530.

The MBA program at Eastern Illinois University is designed so that students can complete their program of study on a part-time or full-time basis. Classes are offered at Eastern's campus in Charleston starting at 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Classes are also available in Champaign at Parkland College beginning at 6:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. The MBA classes offered at Parkland are taught by full-time doctoral qualified faculty in the School of Business who also teach the MBA classes at Eastern's campus. Additionally, many students opt to engage in independent research projects under the direction of a faculty mentor.