Shape Your Future as a Leader
In today’s global economy, an MBA opens the doors to opportunities in almost any industry. It signals to employers that you are a strategic thinker, a decision-maker and a change agent. With a degree this versatile and interdisciplinary, you will acquire the kind of business acumen to create real impact. If you are ready to advance your career, the residential, accelerated MBA program at Clarkson University can help you get to the next phase.
9 Months. 35 Credits.
The Reh One-Year MBA has been designed to be rigorous and efficient, with a global outlook that offers you the chance to gain real-world experience abroad. You can earn the 35-credit degree in as few as nine months at our Potsdam Campus.
Our curriculum is about equipping you with the tools to make decisions in ambiguous and complex situations. You’ll learn how to influence and make decisions by combining knowledge with leadership prowess. Upon program completion, you’ll have developed a solid foundation in essential business competencies with our core courses and learned skills specific to your unique goals and interests through electives.
Top Ranked Full-Time MBA
Clarkson’s David D. Reh School of Business is considered one of the best in the nation by U.S News & World Report, Fortune magazine and others. You will graduate with a degree that is well-respected by employers and with experiences that will make you stand out in the job market. We offer what few business schools do: high-quality, competitive opportunities within a tight-knit community.
Get Hired With In-Demand Skills
Some of the skills you’ll develop in the residential MBA include:
- Analytical abilities and decision-making
- Business and management principles
- Effective strategy and operations
- Effective written and verbal communication
- Ethics and social responsibility
- Finance, accounting and economics
- Leadership and teamwork
4+1 MBA Partnership Program
Clarkson’s accelerated, cohort-based MBA prepares you for success in just nine months so you can start your career sooner. Our partnership with other undergraduate schools helps students earn their degree in less time and at a reduced cost.
Exclusive 4+1 Scholarships
Clarkson offers exclusive scholarships to students participating in the 4+1 Partnership Program:
- $3,000 Travel Scholarship (applied only to international business experience)
- Select Graduate Assistantship positions available to apply to (annually)
- $1,000 Early Decision award for candidates who submit their intent to matriculate by March 1st (fall enrollment) or November 1st (spring enrollment)
Additional merit awards are given at the time of admission based upon each applicants merits.
Guaranteed Admission & Accelerated Decisions
4+1 applicants with a 3.25 or higher cumulative GPA are eligible for automatic admission to the MBA program.
Explore Current 4+1 Partners
- Alfred State College
- Castleton State College
- Champlain College
- Elmira College
- Farmingdale State College
- Hartwick College
- Hilbert College
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- Houghton College
- Mercyhurst University
- Paul Smith’s College
- Saint Michael’s College
- Siena College
- Skidmore College
- St. Lawrence University
- SUNY Brockport
- SUNY Canton
- SUNY Cobleskill
- SUNY Cortland
- SUNY Dehli
- SUNY Fredonia
- SUNY Geneseo
- SUNY Morrisville
- SUNY Oneonta
- SUNY Plattsburgh
- SUNY Potsdam
- Susquehanna University
- Vermont Technical College
The Clarkson Reh MBA was the right choice for me because it provided the hands-on experience I had been searching for in a master’s program. As graduate students, we were given the opportunity to develop our own startup businesses while making executive decisions. In one year, this program has provided me with the tools to expand my capabilities and seek out new opportunities. With a smaller classroom size, I’ve made lifelong friendships and excellent connections that have aided me throughout my career search.
Carolyn Spittler ’22
Master of Business Administration
Curriculum and Requirements
The Master of Business Administration consists of 15 courses, for a total of 35 credit hours. You can complete the program in as little as nine months, but we also offer one-year, 18-month and two-year options. Classes are offered at our Potsdam Campus.
Core Modules
All students must complete the following required courses:
- AC603 Management Accounting
- OM606 Supply Chain Management
- EC604 Applied Economics
- OS608 Organizational Behavior & Performance Management
- FN607 Financial Management
- OS610 Strategic Planning
- IS605 Information Systems
- MK609 Marketing Management
- OM602 Decision Analysis and Supply Chain Modeling
- SB609 Corporate Ethical Decision Making
A Strategic Planning module (2 credits) is offered as a 12-week course during the spring semester or as an accelerated winter semester online course. The other modules are taught for seven weeks each during the fall semester.
Concentrations
You can choose to use your electives to earn an advanced certificate in an area of interest or pursue a local concentration. The options include:
- Data Analytics (Local Concentration)
- Environmental Management (Advanced Certificate)
- Innovation and New Venture Management (Advanced Certificate)
- Supply Chain Management (Advanced Certificate)
Experiential Course
To round out your studies, there is an experiential learning requirement. This is an opportunity to apply your expertise to a real-world global scenario while traveling abroad with your classmates — a valuable résumé booster.
Experiential learning is a strong part of Clarkson’s culture so each student participating in the Residential MBA program is required to take a 3-credit-hour experiential course. Currently, the experiential requirement can be satisfied by participating in the Global Business Program or by taking the SB696 Global Business Strategies course.
The Global Business Program offers several options that are designed to give you knowledge and new perspectives regarding international business, helping you develop critical skills necessary to compete and succeed in the global market. The most popular Global Business Program option is the course that includes a 2- to 3-week trip to an international destination, often led by the faculty from that area. This course offers a unique opportunity to explore business outside the traditional classroom boundaries and to provide a unique experience to your resume. This course also helps students explore the global management issues facing business leaders and organizations in different parts of the world.
Electives Include*:
- AC623 Financial Statement Analysis
- EC660 Environmental Economics
- EC651 Industrial Organization in Supply Chain
- FN680 Strategic Financial Management
- MK689 New Product Marketing
- MK696 Marketing Methods
- OM676 Developing and Managing Technology
- OM680 Strategic Project Management
- OM685 Quality Management and Process Improvement
- OM671 Supply Chain Environmental Management
- OS657 Leading Organizational Change
- OS666 Negotiations and Relationship Management
- SB693 Seminar in International Business
- SB696 Advanced Topics in Supply Chain Management
*This list is one that represents electives that have been offered over the past several years and is provided for example purposes only. Some courses listed may not be offered each year.
Admission Requirements
A complete application includes the following:
- Online Application Form
- Résumé or C.V.
- Statement of purpose
- Two letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts
- GMAT or GRE Test Scores: the GRE requirement will be waived for spring and fall 2025 applicants
- For international applicants, an English proficiency test is required
- Minimum test score requirements: TOEFL (80) and TOEFL Essentials (8.5), IELTS (6.5), PTE (56) or Duolingo English Test (115)
Automatic admission: If you satisfy one of the below criteria, you are eligible for automatic admission into our graduate business programs:
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or higher from a regionally accredited college
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher AND a GMAT score of 500 or higher
- A master’s degree or above from a regionally accredited college
These criteria are for admissions purposes only. Full scholarship considerations should include a complete application. This applies only to regionally accredited institutions in the United States. All other applicants will follow the prescribed requirements.
Scholarships
You are automatically considered for a merit-based scholarship when applying for a graduate degree program at the Reh School of Business. You do not need to fill out a separate scholarship application. Scholarships are given based on academic achievement (GPA), standardized tests (GMAT or equivalent), work experience and other notable accomplishments.
We also offer the Early Decision Award for Residential Business Programs. Commit by March 1 for fall enrollment and November 1 for spring. Receive an additional award when you commit to the residential program. This award is added to any existing merit scholarship. Contact the MBA program for additional information on this award.
Global Business Program
In the Global Business Program, students set off on a two-to-three-week trip to an international destination, led by one of our stellar faculty members. During their travels, they meet with local organizations and business leaders to discuss current challenges, developments and innovations in their field. In the spring 2023 semester, students will travel to Thailand, Australia, Scotland and the Netherlands.
Learn more about the primary MBA trip: East Meets West trip.
Global Specialty Track
Find limitless possibilities in your career with international experience. The Global Specialty Track Residential MBA gives you the opportunity to complete up to six courses abroad during the spring semester. In this 1-1/2-year program, you complete all of your electives overseas and then come back the following fall to complete your on-campus degree requirements.
Our partner AACSB-accredited schools are:
- Monash University, Australia
- CityU of Hong Kong
- ESSCA School of Management, China
- IÉSEG School of Management, France
- KEDGE Business School, France
Career Possibilities
Holding an MBA increases your employability and earnings. Of Reh School alumni surveyed, 87 percent said their degree increased their earnings power, and 84 percent said their degree led to faster career advancement, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s “2023 Alumni Perspectives Survey Report.”
Clarkson University students are well-respected by employers, as well. Our Residential MBA Class of 2023 had a 100 percent placement rate with starting salaries as high as $130K.
Possible job titles include:
- Accounting professional
- Financial analyst
- Management development professional
- Operations manager
- Project manager
- Supply chain professional
Employers
Our MBA students have secured positions in many organizations, including:
- Amazon
- Deloitte
- General Dynamics
- Target
- The Raymond Corporation
- TransDigm
- Veritas Prime
- Walt Disney Corporation
Overview of the Accelerated MBA Program
Joshua LaFave, Director of residential and online MBA programs, discusses what sets apart Clarkson’s accelerated MBA.