Competency-Based MBA
Maximize your potential with our competency-based education (CBE) option, allowing you to progress at your own pace and potentially expedite your graduation while gaining valuable financial benefits through this mastery-based learning.
Why Choose a Competency Based MBA
The Competency-Based MBA is designed for motivated students who want to progress by demonstrating what they know and can do. Instead of moving through courses only by seat time, students advance by mastering clearly defined competencies connected to real business knowledge and workplace skills.
This option may be especially helpful for working professionals who already have business experience and want a more personalized, flexible path to completing their MBA.
Tuition: $5,000 per 16-week semester. The number of semesters required is determined by individual student progression. Most students complete the program in two or three semesters.
Best for students who want:
- A self-paced or more flexible learning model
- The ability to move faster through material they already know
- A focus on demonstrated skills and competencies
- A program designed around mastery, not just time spent in class
- A practical connection between coursework and professional experience
Contact
Laura Little, DBA
Program Director
laura.little@keystone.edu
570-945-8433
MBA Your Way
Program Goals
By the end of the program, graduates will:
- Demonstrate integrated, innovative strategic thinking and problem-solving skill sets.
- Demonstrate exceptional oral, written, and presentation skills.
- Synthesize operational knowledge of business, marketing, project management, information technology, finance, accounting, statistics, and quantitative analysis.
- Appraise environmental, corporate, and financial resource sustainability.
- Evaluate ethical and responsible behavior in business activities.
Program Format
Program Prerequisites
Applicants must possess a bachelor鈥檚 degree (any major) from a regionally accredited college or university with an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher. Applicants who do not hold a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business or a related field may be asked to complete the following undergraduate courses (or their equivalent) with a grade of 鈥淏鈥 or higher prior to matriculation into the program:
- Introduction to Business or Introduction to Management
- Economics
- Accounting
Students must have a minimum of five (5) years鈥 professional work experience.
Curriculum Requirements
Students will complete nine (9) core course requirements (27 credits) and three (3) courses in their chosen concentration (9 credits). A total of 36 credits are needed for graduation.
Core Classes
- BUSN 5100聽聽聽 Financial Statement Analysis
- BUSN 5300聽聽聽 Operations Management
- BUSN 5400聽聽聽 Strategic Marketing
- BUSN 5800聽聽聽 Business Analytics
- BUSN 6250聽聽聽 Managerial Economics
- BUSN 6910 聽聽 Strategic Analysis (Capstone)
- CORE 5100聽聽聽 Graduate Research and Writing
- CORE 6100聽聽聽 Ethical Leadership
- CORE 6200聽聽聽 Corporate Law and Regulations
Accounting Concentration
- ACCT 5250聽聽聽 Advanced Auditing
- ACCT 5300聽聽聽 Forensic Accounting
- ACCT 6150聽聽聽 Corporate and Partnership Taxation
Finance Concentration
- BUSN 5550 聽聽 Fundamentals of Financial Instruments
- BUSN 5600聽聽聽 Portfolio Management
- BUSN 6350聽聽聽 Financial Markets and Institutions
Health Systems Management Concentration
- HSM 6100聽聽聽聽聽 Health Systems Management
- HSM 6150聽聽聽聽聽 Essentials of Managed Health Care
- HSM 6200聽聽聽聽聽 Health Law and Ethics
Leadership Concentration
- BUSN 5250聽聽聽 Global Work Teams
- BUSN 5350聽聽聽 Organizational Development
- CORE 5200聽聽聽 Conflict Management Skills
Marketing Concentration
- BUSN 5450聽聽聽 International Marketing
- BUSN 5500聽聽聽 New Product Development
- BUSN 6300聽聽聽 Marketing Analytics
Project Management Concentration
- BUSN 5650聽聽聽 Project Management
- BUSN 5700 聽聽 Agile Project Management
- BUSN 6400聽聽聽 Project Management in Practice
Application
糖心logo入口 accepts students throughout the year with starts dates in August, December, and April.
Program Schedule
The competency-based MBA program will operate throughout the year based on three 16-week trimesters: fall, spring, and summer. Students must complete one course each semester but are not limited in the number of courses they can take. Courses must be taken sequentially. All competencies in each course must be met before progressing to the next course.
Why Choose Keystone
You can be confident that Keystone鈥檚 MBA Degree Programs adhere to the same high standards of quality across all delivery methods.
Keystone is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It鈥檚 ranked among the best regional colleges in the U.S., and as one of the best schools for military veterans. It鈥檚 also the oldest educational institution in Northeast Pennsylvania.
One MBA. Multiple Pathways.
No matter which format you choose, the Keystone MBA is built to help students strengthen their leadership, decision-making, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Students explore core areas of business while developing the confidence and knowledge needed to lead in today鈥檚 changing workplace.
The MBA program is designed to support students who want to advance in their current careers, prepare for new opportunities, build stronger management skills, or pursue leadership roles across industries.
What is the typical salary for a Master’s of Business Administration?
Salaries for MBA graduates vary depending on area of interest. On average, an MBA degree can deliver a 6-figure income over a period of 20 years.
$131,710
Financial Manager
$126,342
Director of Finance
$130,225
Senior Product Manager
Salary based on data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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