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MBA Online Program Policies & Procedures

Thank you for enrolling in the MBA online program. Please review the following program policies and procedures for important information including:

  • Program format and price
  • Student responsibilities
  • Advising
  • Degree and graduation requirements
  • Student services and resources

UL Lafayette Online Policies & Procedures for MBA Program (PDF)

The program provides a thorough education in business knowledge, skills, theories, and practices. The program is targeting time-constrained working professionals who are motivated and capable of independent learning while balancing non-educational obligations. The program is structured to meet their unique and specific needs in terms of earning a graduate business degree. The program includes 33 to 39 credit hours of business courses. Each MBA course will be worth 3 credit hours.

Format
The courses in the program will be offered online in an accelerated format in five (5) eight-week terms. Students will be able to enter the program at the start of any one of those five terms. Students may take one or two program courses per term (except for Healthcare Internships).

If a student’s Bachelor's degree was not in General Business or any discipline of Business (e.g. Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, etc.), students may be required to take foundation courses as a prerequisite to enrolling in the first MBA course. The foundation courses are not part of the package price, but will usually be offered in the same accelerated format with the same start dates as the MBA courses.

Total Program Price
The total price for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette 33 credit hour (11 courses) Master of Business Administration program delivered online is $12,800 ($387.88 per credit hour). Any concentration other than Health Care Administration is covered at this price. The price for the 39 credit-hour (13 courses) Health Care Administration concentration will also be $387.88 per credit hour, or a total of $15,093.

  • The total price does not include the application fee, the diploma/graduation fee, exam proctoring fees, and the cost of some instructional materials.
  • The total price includes all courses in the 33-hour or 39-hour contract program for the student but does not include the one credit hour foundation prerequisite courses for applicants lacking the required pre-requisite undergraduate business courses. However, foundation courses will be priced at the same per credit hour charge ($387.88).
  • The University reserves the right to increase the cost per credit hour and/or the total price at any time.
  • All tuition waivers will not apply to the total cost and will not be accepted. Some examples of tuition waivers, not accepted for this online delivery format, include but are not limited to: tuition exemption though employing school boards, a graduate assistantship, the UL Lafayette senior citizen, and any employee/staff tuition discounts.

Student Responsibilities
Having been admitted to the Program, the student agrees to the following responsibilities:

  • make timely payments per dates specified on fee statements.
  • access and use the required learning management system and electronic communication mechanisms used by the University.
  • complete the required orientation module.
  • attend classes online with full participation in all aspects of the required online courses.
  • prepare to participate in online class sessions, having read and completed all materials and outside assignments required for each session.
  • complete online assignments in a timely manner.

Students must use their university issued e-mail address/account. Students are expected to check university e-mail on a daily basis. If students receive an email from the instructor which requires/requests a reply, the reply is expected within 24 hours of the time it was sent by the instructor.

Payment Terms
The student will submit payment for the Program by the determined deadline of each Term as listed on the Academic Calendar. Payments should be made either online through the Bursar’s office or as directed by the Bursar’s Office website at http://bursar.louisiana.edu/.

Non-payment will result in the Participant being removed from the courses for that term.

All registered students are advised to check their Statement of Account via ULink to verify that payment has been received and posted or that a tuition deferment, for those students on financial aid and/or whose employer has agreed to direct billing, has been posted. In addition, students must periodically check their ULink Statement of Account throughout the term. This will ensure that students will be aware of any changes that may occur.

Advising Information
Initial advising appointments, for first time students, in the Online MBA program will consist of completing the necessary advising documents and submitting them for approval. You will receive these documents and instructions via email from your Online Advisor.

Online MBA students are required to be advised each semester. This is required in order to schedule classes for the subsequent semesters. You will receive an email including the necessary Advising Form to complete and return during the set advising weeks. The advising hold will not be released until the required advising form is returned and approved. A student cannot schedule courses until the advising hold has been released.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your advisor at mbaonlineadvisor@louisiana.edu or at 337-482-6625.

Requirements to Complete the Degree
Each degree candidate must present acceptable grades in coursework specified for a curriculum. Student must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better to remain eligible and to graduate. There is no appeal to graduate with lower than a 3.0 GPA. No more than 6 credit hours with a grade of C may be applied toward the fulfillment of degree requirements. A student who earns a C in more than 6 credit hours becomes ineligible to continue in graduate school.

Additionally, each candidate for the MBA degree is required to demonstrate a general, comprehensive knowledge of the field of study; satisfaction of this requirement is demonstrated by an overall performance of a B or better in the capstone course, MGMT 590: Policy Formulation, Strategy, and Administration. MGMT 590 can only be taken in the last term of your last semester at UL.

Unless a Leave of Absence is approved, a student will be dropped from the program after one semester of non-enrollment. The Program does not require enrollment in the Summer. The Program does require a student to be enrolled in a minimum of one term per Spring and Fall semester to remain active.

If a student’s transcript review indicates that the Bachelor's degree was not in General Business or any discipline of Business (e.g. Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, etc.), the student will be required to take foundation courses as a prerequisite to enrolling in the first MBA course. The MBA Program Director may waive foundation courses if an equivalent course was taken as an undergraduate. For example, the transcript review of a student’s undergraduate transcripts shows successful completion of an economics course. Then, the economics foundation course could be waived. Determination of the number of foundation courses needed will be made at the time of the formal transcript review during a student’s initial advising. The determination of a waiver is solely within the discretion of the MBA Director. Foundation course waivers are based solely on academic credit. Work experience will not substitute for Foundation course requirements.

To apply toward a master's degree, course credit must be earned within six calendar years. All grades received, even those earned in courses over six years old, are used in computing grade-point averages for graduate work. All degree regulations must be completed within six calendar years following admission to a master's program. Admission is defined as the first semester the student is enrolled in a master's program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

A student is required to complete and submit a Candidacy Application upon completing 12 credit hours in the program. The Candidacy Application form can be found here: https://gradschool.louisiana.edu/node/302.

In addition to the policies specific to the Program, a student is subject to all applicable Graduate School and Moody College of Business Administration policies and procedures as outlined in the University catalog.

Ineligibility
To receive credit for a course, the student must have attended all class sessions for that course, completed all required work, and received a minimum grade of C.

A student will become ineligible to continue in the Program for poor performance as measured by a failing grade (D or F) for any course, failure to maintain a 3.0 grade point average, or not fulfilling his/her responsibilities as a student. In addition, a student who earns a C in more than 6 credit hours becomes ineligible to continue in graduate school.

Any student declared ineligible to continue by the University may not re-enroll in the Program without a successful appeal to the Graduate School.

Appeal Process
Students who have been unable to successfully maintain minimum requirements for progression in the Online MBA Program and are deemed ineligible may appeal to continue in the program. The appeals process can be found here: https://gradschool.louisiana.edu/current-students/appeals.

Dropping A Course
A student may drop their course with no consequences within the first 2 days of a Term start date. If the course is dropped within this time frame, the student will be eligible for a refund as set forth in the Refund Terms. If you must drop your course after this deadline, you will receive a “W” in the course. Receiving a “W” in a course will not effect your GPA, nor will it have an effect on your eligibility. However, there is a deadline for dropping a course after which you cannot obtain a “W”. Please consult the University Academic Calendar for these deadlines.

Information on schedule adjustments can be found here: https://registrar.louisiana.edu/registration/adjust-my-schedule/schedule-adjustment-dropadd-period.

Leave of Absence
A student in good standing may request a leave of absence from the program for up to one calendar year. More information on this process and the Leave of Absence request form can be found here: https://gradschool.louisiana.edu/sites/gradschool/files/Request_for_Official_Leave_of_Absence_from_Graduate_Studies_2020_07_21.pdf.

Withdrawal
The student may withdraw from the Program at any time by submitting written notification to the Graduate School and the MBA Program Director. Please see Refund Terms in these policies for information regarding refunds.

Refund Terms
A student who officially resigns from all courses after completing registration might be able to obtain a fee refund according to the regulations posted on the University Registrar website at this link - http://registrar.louisiana.edu/registration/adjust-my-schedule/resignation-university.

A schedule of the amount of refund to be received by resignation day is provided in the link above.

A student who resigns for reasons beyond their control or have extenuating circumstances have the option to appeal to the University Fee Committee. Information regarding the fee appeal process can be found on the Registrar's website: https://registrar.louisiana.edu/services-resources/tuition-fee-appeals-procedure.

Conditional Admission
An applicant who does not meet one or more of the admissions requirements may be considered for conditional admission. Conditionally admitted students who fail to meet the specific conditions of admissions may be asked to discontinue graduate study.

Conditional admission students are required to submit a Petition for Regular Status upon completion of 12 credit hours in the program. The Petition for Regular Status form can be found here: https://gradschool.louisiana.edu/node/302.

Transfer Credits
A student may transfer up to 6 credit hours into the MBA program online. Courses will only be eligible for transfer with a grade of a “B” or higher. The transfer course must be equivalent to a course in the program and have been completed through an accredited MBA program. To request a transfer credit, the student must submit the course title and a course description to the MBA Advisor for review. The determination on the acceptance of transfer credits is solely within the discretion of the MBA Director.

Repeating A
Course Success in the program is strongly correlated with timely progress through the curriculum. A “C” is considered a passing grade in our program. If you make a “C” in a course, you do not have to retake the course. Retaking the course would not replace the current grade.

If you make a “D” or “F” in a course, you will be required to retake the course should your appeal be approved to continue the program as set forth above.

Graduation Requirements
A candidate for a degree is required to file a formal application via ULink before the deadline listed in the University calendar.

Payment of the diploma/graduation fee must be made by the due date indicated in the graduation information packet email. A student will receive this email in their last semester of the Program.

Online students are welcome to walk in our commencement ceremony. We encourage you to attend the ceremony but understand if you are unable to participate.

If you are unable to participate in the commencement ceremony, you will need to complete and submit an Absentia Form. This form will be sent to you via the graduation information email mentioned above.

Exam Policy
A proctoring service will be used to administer online exams. There is a fee associated with this proctoring service. The student is responsible for paying this fee. This fee is not included in the price of your courses.

Exam dates and times will be set forth by the instructor. The exam dates and times are published in the Moodle course well in advance. If a student cannot take the exam on the scheduled day, a written excuse must be submitted to the professor at least 7 days in advance. These situations will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

A student may be allowed to make up a missed Exam only if he/she provides the instructor with a valid written excuse within two days of missing the exam. Otherwise, a grade of “0” will be given for the exam. The determination of the validity of an excuse is solely within the discretion of the instructor.

Policy Regarding Cheating and Plagiarism
Academic cheating or plagiarism is a violation of the University Code of Student Conduct. The definition of “cheating” is found in the Code and includes but is not limited to the following:

  1. All exam content is confidential, therefore questions on the exams should not be divulged to any individual.
  2. Any unauthorized possession, reproduction, or disclosure of any exam questions before, during, or after the exam.
  3. Utilizing old tests, projects, notes or written papers, or copying any part of a returned exam;
  4. Providing information to a fellow student during an exam;
  5. For online exams the following are not allowed and will be considered cheating: opening other tabs during an exam, accessing class notes from Moodle during an exam, or other inappropriate use of technology.
  6. Preparing an assignment in consultation with another person when the instructor expects the work to be done independently;
  7. Disregarding other specific policies and procedures outlined for a particular class.
  8. The sharing of any information regarding course content, assignments, quizzes, and tests online via social media or websites that promote cheating and sharing of course material.

You will find the definition of “plagiarism” in the University Student Code of Conduct.

The University considers both cheating and plagiarism serious offenses. Indulging in academic dishonesty will subject the student to disciplinary sanctions which are outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. The student may be given the minimum penalty of a grade of “zero” for the assignment in question up to the maximum penalty of dismissal from the university (Sanction 14.16).

The Code of Student Conduct can be found at http://studentaffairs.louisiana.edu/student- conduct/code-student-conduct-and-appeal-procedures. Any questions should be addressed with the instructor within the first week of classes. Disability Accommodations Disability Accommodations: Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first be registered with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) to verify the disability and to establish eligibility for accommodations. Students may call 337-482-5252 or visit the ODS office in the Conference Center, room 126. Once registered, students should then contact the professor to make appropriate arrangements. To find out more, visit the ODS website at: http://disability.louisiana.edu/.

Student Services
Graduate School
http://gradschool.ucs.louisiana.edu/
Room 332, Martin Hall
P.O. BOX 44610
Lafayette, LA 70504-4610
Phone: 337-482-6965
Fax: 337-482-1333
Email: gradschool@louisiana.edu

MBA Director – Robert Viguerie
https://online.louisiana.edu/programs/business/master-business-administration-0
214 Hebrard Blvd. Rm 328 Moody Hall
P.O. Box 43708
Lafayette, LA 70504
Phone: 337-482-5882
Fax: 337-482-5883
Email: mbadirector@louisiana.edu

Graduate Online MBA Advisor – Nicole Jones
https://online.louisiana.edu/programs/business/master-business-administration-0
214 Hebrard Blvd. Rm 338 Moody Hall
P.O. Box 43708
Lafayette, LA 70504
Phone: 337-482-6625
Fax: 337-482-5883
Email: mbaonlineadvisor@louisiana.edu

Financial Aid Office
http://admissions.louisiana.edu/financial-aid/
Foster Hall Lobby
P.O. Box 41206
Lafayette, LA 70504
Phone: 337-482-6506
Email: faonline@louisiana.edu

Bursar’s Office
Information on student tuition and fees located here
http://bursar.louisiana.edu/
Coronna Hall, First Floor
P.O. Box 44444
Lafayette, LA 70504
Phone: 337-482-6385
Fax: 337-482-5173
Email: bursar@louisiana.edu

Library Resources
Dupré Library provides services to the University’s online student are the same as those available on campus. Services include:

  • Access to all of the library's electronic holdings, including databases, journals, books, and reference collections;
  • Document and book delivery of materials that are not available electronically; and
  • Reciprocal borrowing of resources at other Louisiana institutions via the LOUIS Reciprocal Borrowing Card, a cooperative statewide borrowing consortium.
  • For up-to-date information on services and resources for online student, view the library's Research Guide for Distance Learners.

Tutoring
Tutoring is available for each online course. Please see your Moodle Dashboard for more information.