Understanding the Factors that Contribute to Graduate Student Success: A Study of Wingate University's MBA Program

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Title

Academy of Business Education

Publication Date

2008

Abstract/ Summary

MBA programs search for ways to identify candidates who will be successful in their programs. Several studies have been done that have analyzed the relationship between graduate grade point average and factors that contribute to academic performance, such as Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) scores, undergraduate GPA, gender and business experience. This paper addresses the relationship between graduate GPA and the traditional variables; however, it will use actual years of business experience instead of a proxy, the method used in other papers. This paper will also look at how enrollment in a one semester prerequisite course for students without undergraduate business degree impacts graduate GPA. A second goal of the study is to analyze students who withdrew from the MBA program before completion. The authors will compare data of these students to students who successfully completed the program to look for potential risk indicators. The analysis shows a significant positive relationship between graduate GPA and GMAT, particularly the quantitative score.

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