Laura A. McEwen, Director of Graduate Business Programs; Emma D. Bojinova, Donald I. Bosshardt, Michael J. Braunschneidel, Robert R. Davis, Lynn A. Fish, Lawrence W. Franz, Edward J. Garrity, Michael J. Gent, Guy H. Gessner, James C. Goldstein, Edward J. Gress, Scott W. Hegerty, Patricia A. Hutton, Patricia A. Johnson, George F. Kermis III, Ji-Hee Kim, Rev. Frank LaRocca, S.J., Larry Lichtenstein, Gordon W. Meyer, Stephen C. Molloy, Joseph B. O’Donnell, George M. Palumbo, Philip Pfaff, Erin E. Makarius, Michael S. Piemonte, Ian J. Redpath, Ronald R. Reiber, Ronald M. Rivas, Craig D. Rogers, Paul L. Sauer, Girish Shambu, Richard A. Shick, Coral R. Snodgrass, David J. Snyder, Howard Stanger, Edward J. Szewczak, Kevin J. Trainor, Raymond W. Vegso, Thomas J. Vogel, Linda A. Volonino, Richard A. Wall, Gregory R. Wood, Mark P. Zaporowski.
Degrees
The Richard J. Wehle School of Business offers graduate programs leading to the following master’s degrees:
Master of Business Administration (MBA)All five programs are professional in nature and the MBAA and the MBPA are derivatives of the MBA Program. Their objective is to educate forward-looking leaders for business, industry and government. They are all registered with the New York State Education Department. The MBA, MBAPA, MBAA, MIB, and MFA programs are fully accredited by AACSB-International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The professional accounting program (MBAPA) is for those who enter on the graduate level without an accounting background. The MBAA is for those who begin as accounting undergraduates at Canisius College. The MBAA is designed to meet the 150-hour requirement of the American Institute of CPAs. The MBAPA and MBAA programs qualify students to sit for the CPA examination in New York State. Graduates of the MBAPA and MBAA are required to complete one year of experience for certification in the State of New York.
Evening Program (part-time or full-time)Master of Business Administration in Professional Accounting (MBAPA)
One-Year Program (full-time)
Master of Business Administration in Accounting (MBAA)
Master of Science International Business (MIB)
Master of Science Forensic Accounting (MFS)
Students should check the registrar’s schedule each semester to determine whether a given course is taught on the Main Street campus or at the business school’s suburban facility: Canisius Center @ Amherst, 300 Corporate Parkway, Amherst, New York 14226.
Mission statement
The Richard J. Wehle School of Business develops business professionals to lead within their organizations, to excel in the globally competitive marketplace and to behave as ethically and socially responsible individuals. This is a achieved through teaching excellence, intellectual vigor and community involvement in the Jesuit tradition.
The objectives of the graduate business programs are to provide the best business education offered and serve the employer market through:
1. The development of graduates who are known for:
Technical and professional skills which allow them to make an immediate contribution to their organization.2. A learning environment characterized by concern for the maximum development of our students who have a variety of abilities and backgrounds.
Application of high ethical standards to decision making.
The ability to manage effectively in a changing business environment.
Effective communication skills.
The ability to confront issues and solve problems in an organized and effective way by integrating a number of different disciplines.
Engagement in life-long learning and professional development.
Interpersonal and team skills.
3. An outstanding faculty of teacher-scholars who are excellent classroom instructors, who provide a blend of theoretical and practical aspects of their discipline, and who engage on a regular basis in professional and community service and scholarly activity involving a blend of basic, applied and instructional research.
4. Maintaining a network of graduates and friends to provide advice on the school’s programs, lend their expertise to the school, serve as a teaching resource and provide counseling, internship and job opportunities for our students.
5. Operating the school with sound management practices including continuous improvement and the efficient allocation of resources.
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The Evening MBA is designed for either full or part-time study. Working adults can complete their program of studies on a parttime basis. Students attending full-time can take up to 12 credit hours a semester and complete in 16 months. The majority of students come from the Western New York area and they have a variety of undergraduate majors.
One-Year MBA Program
The One-Year MBA Program is a full-time program designed for individuals who wish to minimize the delay in starting their professional career or reduce the time away from their present career. This intense program begins in the fall semester and continues through the spring and summer semesters. Because of the special nature of this course of study, candidates for the One-Year MBA are admitted as a single group in the fall and complete the program together. Classes are during the day at the main campus.
Master of Business Administration in Professional Accounting (MBAPA)
In addition to enabling them to earn an MBA degree, this program makes it possible for holders of undergraduate and graduate degrees with majors other than accounting to:
1. Complete a major in accounting.
2. Prepare to enter the accounting profession.
3. Acquire the credentials to take the CPA examination leading to professional licensing.
Master of Business Administration in Accounting (MBAA)
This program is designed for undergraduate accounting majors at Canisius College. It meets the 150-hour requirement of the American Institute of CPAs and qualifies students for CPA Licensure. Graduates are required to complete one year of work experience for certification Students should apply for admission in the fall of their junior year. They should take the GMAT at the earliest opportunity and no later than February 1 of their junior year. The admissions criteria for this program are different from those that apply to the MBA and MBAPA programs. Candidates must have: (1) a minimum cumulative average of 2.75 in all accounting courses taken at Canisius, including junior accounting courses, (2) a minimum cumulative overall average of 3 by the end of junior year, and (3) a minimum score of 500 on the GMAT.
Master of Science International Business (MIB)
This program is designed to immerse students in the global market place through a combination of course work, international research projects and international experiences. Course work emphasizes the fundamentals of international business, a focus on international trade and logistics and concentrations in international entrepreneurship and world area studies. International market research projects are carried out in the capstone international strategy course.
Master of Science Forensic Accounting (MSF)
This program will provide not only skill sets necessary to detect irregularities in financial instruments and systems but also heavily inculcates ethical values in decision making and analysis. The program is intended to provide students with the necessary background and tools to both detect and prevent possible future fraudulent behavior by those developing and using financial data. Additionally, students utilizing the skill sets provided by this program should make financial data more reliable for those who make decisions based upon that data.
The program will provide students with the ability to obtain the additional thirty credit hours to be eligible for licensure as Certified Public Accountants (CPA) as well as being able to obtain other certifications such as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Admission
The graduate programs in business are open to any qualified holder of a bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university regardless of the undergraduate major field of study. The goal of the admission policy is the selection of those candidates who indicate the greatest potential for academic and professional achievement. The candidate for admission to graduate study must present evidence of qualifications to participate successfully in a graduate level academic endeavor. The Admissions Committee recognizes the need to adjust the criteria for pre-service and in-service students.
The Admissions Committee in its decisions takes into consideration the undergraduate QPA (and any graduate QPA) and the scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The MIB program will accept the GRE in place of the GMAT. The following guidelines are suggested for those considering applying to one of the programs. The candidate should have a total of at least 1000 points for the One-Year MBA and 950 for the other programs based on this formula: 200 times the undergraduate QPA (4.0 system) + the GMAT score. A minimum score of 440 is required on the GMAT.
It should be noted, however, that candidates who meet minimum requirements are not guaranteed an offer of admission. Because of limitations in staff and resources, only the most qualified of the eligible applicants may be admitted.
Applicants should plan to take the GMAT at the earliest opportunity. Information is available at www.mba.com.
Each applicant must submit: (1) a completed application form, (2) an official transcript of all college work,: (3) other information as requested by the Admissions Committee. In addition, the applicant must arrange for an official score on the GMAT or GRE for the MIB to be submitted by the Graduate Management Admission Council or by Educational Testing Service.
Additional admissions information may be found in the sections on the individual programs.
Academic standing
MBA – Evening MBA (full or part time), MIB
A student is placed on academic probation if:
After completion of six hours of course work, the student’s cumulative grade point average is 2.00 or lower, orA student may be dismissed from the program if:
Any time after completion of nine or more hours of course work, the cumulative grade point average is less than 2.80.
After completion of six hours of course work subsequent to being placed on academic probation, the cumulative grade point average is less than 2.0, orOne-Year MBA
After completion of at least 18 hours of course work, the cumulative grade point average is less than 2.80. A student may be dismissed without having been placed on probation first.
1. A student may be dismissed from the program if the student’s QPA is 2.3 or lower, or if they fail a course upon completion of the first semester.
2. A student will be placed on academic probation if the student’s QPA is greater than 2.3 but less then 2.80 upon completion of the first semester.
3. A student may be dismissed from the program if the student’s QPA is less than 2.80, or they fail a course upon completion of the second semester.
4. A student must have a QPA of at least a 2.80 to graduate. Students dismissed from the One-Year MBA Program can request to be evaluated for the Evening MBA Program.
MBAA, MBAPA, MSF
A student is placed on academic probation if:
After completion of six hours of course work, the student’s cumulative grade point average is 2.80 or lower, orA student may be dismissed from the program if:
Any time after completion of nine or more hours of course work, the cumulative grade point average is less than 3.
After completion of six hours of course work subsequent to being placed on academic probation, the cumulative grade point average is less than 2.80, orNote: For the purpose of these policies, averages are computed according to the values listed in the Academic Procedures section.
After completion of at least 18 hours of course work, the cumulative grade point average is less than 3. A student may be dismissed without having been placed on probation first.
Graduation
Students must ordinarily complete all requirements within five years of their first semester of attendance. Extensions may be granted upon the petition of the student to the Director of Graduate Business Programs.
Evening MBA, One-Year MBA, and MIB
To graduate, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.80.
MBAA, MBAPA, and MS in Forensic Accounting
To graduate, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.
*Students interested in pursuing a CPA license should refer to CPA licensure education and experience requirements of the state for which they are seeking a CPA license. For New York State, students must have a B average or better in all accounting courses.
Transfer credit
Graduate business course work completed by a student at another AACSB accredited college or university may be accepted for transfer credit. Students desiring transfer credit should submit a written request to the program director for evaluation.
No transfer credit will be awarded for courses with grades below “B” and not more than 21 credit hours of transfer credit will be accepted for the evening MBA and MBAPA programs. No transfer credit is allowed for the One-Year MBA program.
Transfer students in the Graduate Business Programs must complete more than 50% of their program at Canisius.
Graduate business students at Canisius College who wish to transfer graduate course work at another institution must have the prior written permission from the director of Graduate Business Programs.
The Jesuit Consortium (JEBNET), of which Canisius is a member, allows MBA students from another Jesuit institution to readily transfer coursework upon approval of the program director.
Waivers
Students may qualify for waivers of foundation courses in the MBA or MBAPA Program and pre-requisite courses in the MIB program based upon their undergraduate or graduate coursework, at the discretion of the program director. No waivers are granted for the One-Year MBA program.
Policy for Waivers of Foundation Level Courses: A minimum of six credit hours of undergraduate courses with grades of B or better in the last five years in appropriate content.