Academics

The core curriculum for the MBA@FaySate consists of 27 credit hours, followed by 9-12 elective credit hours which can be used to acquire a concentration in one of 8 areas described in further detail at the links below.

Here are links of degree plans that can help you visualize what your degree experience may look like:

• Degree Plan (General)
• Degree Plan (Healthcare Management)

You can take courses for the degree requirements from a variety of locations both in-person and online. To learn more about prerequisites and tuition, visit the Admissions page.

Concentrations

Business
The general Masters of Business Administration degree is perfect for those wanting a broad knowledge of the field, flexibility in choosing an eclectic mix of courses or preparing for doctoral studies.

Business Intelligence and Data Analytics
The MBA concentration in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics will provide you with profound knowledge of the business analysis techniques. In newly established SAP lab you will learn to apply those techniques to the real world problem and connect with SAP customers. Among the other highlights of this concentration is the SAS Joint Certificate from SAS Institute that you will receive upon completion of all required classes.  

Cybersecurity Management
The MBA concentration in  Cybersecurity Management is aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) framework, that provides a "prioritized, flexible, repeatable, performance-based, and cost-effective approach" to manage cybersecurity risk for those processes, information, and systems directly involved in the delivery of critical infrastructure services.

Digital Enterprise and Cloud Management

The MBA with Digital Enterprise and Cloud Management concentration will provide the skills to lead a digital enterprise, the ability to manage IT teams, have expert knowledge of cloud management  and collaborate with business processes creates the need for professionals that understand and can lead the digital transformation.

Entrepreneurship
The MBA in Entrepreneurship is designed to give students the opportunity to develop innovative business plans and solutions and equip them with the tools to do so for their current business ventures.

Finance
For those focusing specifically on financial related fields, the MBA in Finance offers a comprehensive study of financial theory, mathematics, quantitative finance, investments, markets, financial reporting and analysis, and valuation. The program may also help students prepare for professional certifications such as CPA or CFP.

Health Informatics
Our MBA in Health Informatics will combine the core knowledge and concepts of business administration with equipping students with knowledge of the technologies and information systems used in healthcare industry in management and medical services. 

Healthcare Management

Our MBA in Healthcare Management is an especially popular concentration, given North Carolina's unique access to a variety of world-class healthcare providers, including UNC, Duke, Fayetteville VA, and the local Cape Fear Valley health systems.

International Business
For those wishing to conduct business overseas, or advance their careers in an increasingly multi-cultural, international market, the MBA in International Business offers an excellent, practical option, with the possibility to travel overseas.

Marketing
The MBA in Marketing provides learners with hands-on, real-world projects to increase their communication and promotional business skillsets. The CBE has an especially close relationship with other organizations on campus that operate in IT and cyber, which will help you gain the edge in an increasingly digital, marketing world.

Management
Gain the skills you need to improve your current leadership role or to climb the corporate ladder with the MBA in Management.

Project Management
Our MBA in Project Management is a newer offering that is already making an impact in the field; we were recently named #5 in online project management for our exceptional quality and affordability. Students will be prepared to become part of the vibrant PM community, such as by pursuing a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Business

The Graduate Certificate in Business is designed to provide you with a foundation in business basics if you lack a bachelor's degree in business. A key feature of this fully-online, a competency-based program is the ability to complete courses at your own pace.

Business Intelligence and Data Analytics
The Graduate Certificate Program in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics provides students with the perspective, skills, and methods for interacting with, and becoming an interface between business and data science professionals in companies. The certificate will demonstrate how statistics, information technology, management science and data visualizations all converge to actionable insights on a business intelligence platform.

Cyber Security Management

The Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security Management is designed for business and military professionals, who work or plan on working in cyber security organization.

Digital Enterprise and Cloud Management

The students will gain the skills to lead a digital enterprise, the ability to manage IT teams, have expert knowledge of cloud management  and collaborate with business processes creates the need for professionals that understand and can lead the digital transformation.

Enterprise Resource Planning Management

Enterprise Resource Planning, also known as ERP, is a management tool to integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that meets company needs. Enterprise resource planning is becoming a business tool more companies are employing to help them manage resources and information. This program will better prepare our students for the workforce and give them a competitive edge. In addition, it will enable students to gain foundation knowledge in business.

Health Informatics
The Graduate Certificate Program in Health Informatics will provide the training and skills for post bachelor and masters graduates who want to acquire skills in health informatics, and learn how to apply computer technology, cognitive, information-processing, and communication strategies in healthcare practices.  

Healthcare Management

The Graduate Certificate Program in Healthcare Management provides students with a broad knowledge of health care business concepts, building a solid foundation for success as a leader in the healthcare industry.

Project Management

The Graduate Certificate Program in Project Management is designed for business and military professionals who manage resources to achieve organizational goals. The program provides a core framework and tools to take on leadership roles in today's workplace.

Who will be in class with me?

How are classes delivered?

Classes are offered in either hybrid or online format. Hybrid classes are taught from 6-9pm on-campus for 16 weeks in the Fall and Spring semesters. Teaching occurs in our purpose-built MBA classrooms that enable lectures to be streamed in real time using Zoom video conferencing software. Off-campus students can participate in a class via laptop, desktop, tablet, smartphone, or dial in. Microphones throughout the classroom enable off-campus students to hear and participate in class discussion. These lectures are also recorded and loaded into the cloud so students can watch the video later.

Online classes are typically delivered in one of five eight-week terms throughout the year. All foundation and elective courses are taught as online classes along with some core classes. Foundation courses are taught asynchronously but core and elective classes will always have an interactive option. About 20% of our online student population elect to attend classes in real-time. Professors are required to respond to all student inquiries within 24 hours.

Online students are also required to have at least 25% of their assessment proctored to ensure academic integrity. The MBA@FayState offers multiple proctoring solutions including human proctors (either online or at a physical location) and a software proctor that uses facial recognition, and other artificial intelligence techniques, to detect integrity issues (hosted by NC-based ProctorFree).

When are classes offered?

All core classes are offered in the Fall and Spring semester in hybrid and online formats of 16 weeks' duration. Occasionally, they may be offered in an eight-week format as well. All five foundation classes are offered in every eight-week term (i.e. five times a year).

Teams

Our students are everywhere, so our classes are, too. We use Teams to put you in the classroom in real-time. With broadcast, screen share, and dual screen capabilities, you can focus on seeing what you need. You can ask questions and collaborate with the instructors and fellow classmates, as well as participate in polls and Q&A sessions. Further, all classes are recorded, closed-captioned, and uploaded so that you can review them at your own time and pace.

Canvas

Canvas is a learning management system that integrates together all course content, from lessons and forums to assignments and grades. You'll be able to manage your studies easily through its intuitive interface and integrated capabilities. We understand that online environments can be challenging to use, and that's why we selected an LMS that students actually like to use. Some of its highlights include:

• Ease-of-use, with everything integrated and easy to access
• Interactive technology and a social-media-like experience
• Mobile access
• Dependable
• Easily adaptable to each class and student's needs
• Saves time and is quick to learn

Proctoring

FSU requires proctored exams as a way to ensure that you are getting the most that you can from our courses. However, we also realize that it is difficult for distance learners to take exams in-person. As such, we use two different proctoring services, so that you can take your exams without having to go anywhere in-person:

• ProctorFree
• ProctorU

JMP Pro

In our program, you'll learn how to improve business operations by analyzing data. To do so, we use JMP, a special analytics software tool from SAS. This tool is used by all sorts of customers, from Dow to NASA, for use cases such as:

• Consumer and Market Research
• Data Visualization and Exploratory Data Analysis
• Dashboard Building
• Design of Experiments
• Quality Engineering, Reliability, and Six Sigma
• Statistics, Predictive Modeling, and Data Mining

What is a Capstone?

In architectural terms, it is the coping stone or copestone, the stone that finishes off a wall. In more general terms, it is a high point or crowning achievement. In academic terms, a Capstone is a culminating experience, a project that demonstrates a student has developed an integrated understanding of their major field of study and can apply the tools and modes of inquiry of that field, thereby generating new knowledge.

Capstone Project

The faculty members collaborate with Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) at FSU on the Capstone Project. SBTDC provides with a pool of clients for the Capstone. All projects are based on the requirements of participating organization.A capstone project requires MBA students to use the knowledge and research skills they've gained over their entire MBA experience thus far to solve a real-world business problem or draft a business plan for an entrepreneurial effort. Capstone projects require students to draft a detailed set of recommendations for how to solve a specific business problem for an organization selected by the student with the approval of a faculty member. In creating these recommendations, students demonstrate their competency in common MBA areas of study, including finance, accounting, marketing, strategic management, and operations. However, depending on the scope of the project, students may use one skill set more than another. Additionally, students' soft skills are also tested, as they need to manage their client and work together as a team.

Learn more about ways in which you can schedule exam proctoring convenient for you. We also offer ProctorFree free of charge for our MBA students.