Davis College of Business & Technology - Graduate Programs

The Davis College of Business & Technology builds thoughtful, engaged leaders who create sustainable high performance and value in their careers, organizations, communities and world. A graduate degree from the Davis College assures well-developed critical thinking skills and a strategic mindset. The innovative curriculum balances the development of “hard skills,” such as statistical and financial analysis, and critical leadership skills, such as effective communication and change management. Though delivered in a variety of ways to a variety of students, the graduate programs all meet the objective of preparing participants for a broad-based business career, and meet Jacksonville University’s requirements and standards for the various graduate degrees.

Additional Information

Additional details about the graduate programs are published in separate publications. Copies of these publications can be obtained from the Davis College Graduate Office or Graduate Programs’ Blackboard sites.

Grad2Grad Program

The Grad2Grad (undergraduate to graduate) program allows a student to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the same time. Students can develop educational credentials that distinguish them in the job market by earning two degrees in just 4 or 5 years.

Graduate Degrees

Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business & Technology offers the following graduate programs:

Master of Business Administration* (MBA) with concentrations in:

Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) Program – This cohort-based program is offered on weekends (Friday and Saturday) once a month. It is designed for experienced professionals preparing to move into executive leadership or to launch their new ventures. Ideal candidates have at least six years of work experience with increasing responsibility. It requires an orientation and a week-long international trip or other immersive experience.
Master of Science in Applied Business Analytics* (MSABA) – This is a program designed to develop strategic business skills, technical competencies, and analytical expertise. Students will practice project management, data mining, and data interpretation and learn skills with SQL, Tableau, Python, and R.
Master of Science in Cybersecurity – The MS in Cybersecurity is a highly specialized program that equips students with the skills and knowledge to protect organizations against cyber threats. Students earn 2 stackable certificates from JU and one from Carnegie Mellon University’s Information Networking Institute as they complete the 39-credit degree.
Master of Science in Organizational Leadership* (MSOL) - The MS in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) is designed for professionals who want to develop management knowledge and leadership abilities. The program is less quantitative than the MBA, with a focus on people skills for successful leadership.
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) - This program is an applied terminal degree program where candidates use analytical tools to solve current work problems and challenges and is ideal for executives, aspiring consultants, and “clinical” or applied faculty. The cohort-based program meets on campus one weekend (Friday and Saturday) per month for the first two years of the three-year program. The final year is spent working with the dissertation chair and committee. Optional concentrations in Management, Accounting and Finance, Healthcare Leadership, or customized concentrations are available. Students are also eligible for an optional post-graduate certificate in Business & Management Education.
Dual Degrees:
- Master of Science in Applied Business Analytics (MSABA)/Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program * Program details see here.
- Master of Science in Applied Business Analytics (MSABA)/Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) Program* Program details see here.
- Master of Public Policy (MPP) / Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program *Program details see here
- Master of Public Policy (MPP) / Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) Program *Program details see here
- Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Business Administration (MBA) * Program details see here.
Undergraduate 2 Graduate Program Grad2Grad – The Grad2Grad program allows a student to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the same time. Students can develop educational credentials that distinguish them in the job market by earning two degrees in just 4 or 5 years.

Graduate Certificates

Business Foundations Graduate Certificate - The Business Foundations Graduate certificate will give students a broad exposure to the core functional areas of business. Students completing the certificate will be prepared to continue on to a Master’s degree in business, potentially shift to a different industry, or be promoted in their current role.
Graduate Certificate in Business Law - The graduate certificate in business law is designed to develop skills in executive decision-making and management. This certificate is available to all post-baccalaureate students enrolled in a JU graduate or professional degree programs.
Cybersecurity Essentials Certificate - Students completing this certificate will understand the foundations of cybersecurity, cyber threats, risk analysis, risk management, and networks and wireless communications.
Cybersecurity Operation Certificate - Students completing this certificate will learn about cyber forensics, penetration testing, and network security administration.
Cybersecurity Management Certificate - Students completing this certificate will understand risk modeling, the legal and ethical environment of cybersecurity, browser security, and AI in business modeling. This certificate is offered in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University.
FinTech Graduate Certificate – The FinTech Graduate Certificate is designed to help prepare students for careers in the FinTech industry, especially within portfolio management.
Executive Thought Leadership Graduate Certificate – Students completing this certificate will expand their managerial expertise, better understand the business environment, and be equipped to make ethical decisions.

FLEX Graduate Program Format:

Graduate programs are offered on all JU campuses and online in a FLEX format. FLEX classes allow students to come to class, stream the class online, or watch a recording of the class at a time of their choosing. This allows maximum flexibility in attending any scheduled classes.

Academic Standards and Grade Appeals

A masters-level business or Grad2Grad student must maintain an academic GPA of at least 3.0 (B) during enrollment in their program. To graduate, a student must have at least a 3.0 GPA in the graduate program. No course in which a grade below a C (2.0) is earned will be accepted as fulfilling a requirement of the graduate degree. For the purposes of determining academic standing, Grad2Grad, purely elective courses, foundation courses required but not included in a programs, or courses taken on a transient basis will not be included in the GPA computation.

A masters-level business or Grad2Grad student will be placed on academic probation at the conclusion of any term in which the student’s cumulative GPA is less than a 3.0 (B). The student has the following one semester (or two courses) to raise the cumulative GPA to a 3.0. A graduate student will be dismissed from the program if the student does not raise the cumulative GPA to a 3.0 within one semester (or two courses) of being placed on academic probation. If the student is unable to raise their GPA to a 3.0 within one semester (or two courses) but demonstrates significant academic improvement, the student may be given up to one additional semester (or two courses) to raise their GPA to a 3.0 at the discretion of the Graduate Director or Associate Dean.

A masters-level business student earning on grade of “F” in any graduate course will be placed on academic probation. The student has the following one semester (or two courses) to raise the cumulative GPA to a 3.0. . A graduate student will be dismissed from the program if the student does not raise the cumulative GPA to a 3.0 within one semester (or two courses) of being placed on academic probation. If the student is unable to raise their GPA to a 3.0 within one semester (or two courses) but demonstrates significant academic improvement, the student may be given up to one additional semester (or two courses) to raise their GPA to a 3.0 at the discretion of the Graduate Director or Associate Dean.

A masters-level business student earning a second grade of “F” in any graduate course will be dismissed from the program. Students dismissed from a Davis College of Business & Technology Graduate Program have 10 business days to appeal the action to the Graduate Committee. Within five business days, the committee must review the case via electronic communication or a face-to-face meeting and issue its final recommendation to the dean who will rule on the appeal. The ruling by the dean will be issued to the student in writing along with a brief explanation of the rationale for the recommendation. A dismissed student will be dropped from any classes they are enrolled in, and the registrar will be notified that they no longer have graduate student status, nor should they be allowed to register for graduate classes.

An “I” indicates that a student did not complete a course for a reason acceptable to the professor and requested and received permission to complete the course within the first four (4) weeks of the next Fall, Summer or Spring semester. The student must be passing and have completed all but a particular segment of a course to qualify for a grade of “I.” The “I” will be converted to the appropriate letter grade if the course work is completed by the end of the fourth week of the next Fall, Summer or Spring semester. Faculty may grant an extension of the time to complete the “I” grade to the last day of classes of the next semester by submitting a written request to the Registrar’s Office. If the “I” course work is not completed on schedule, the “I” will convert to an “F.” The “I” converted to grades “A” through “F” will then be used in computing the GPA and may result in a change of academic status if the resulting GPA so indicates. Grades of “P,” “I,” “AU,” and “W” are not considered in computing GPAs.

All Davis College of Business & Technology DBA students must maintain an academic GPA of at least 3.33 (“B+”) during their enrollment in the program. To graduate, a DBA student must have at least a 3.33 GPA. No course in which a grade below a “B-“ (2.65) is earned will be accepted as fulfilling a requirement for the graduate degree. A DBA candidate earning two grades of “C” or one grade of “F” in any graduate course will be dismissed from the program.

A DBA student will be placed on academic probation at the conclusion of any term in which the student’s cumulative GPA is less than a 3.33 (B+). The student has the following semester to raise the cumulative GPA to a 3.33. A graduate student will be dismissed from the program if the student does not raise the cumulative GPA to a 3.33 within one semester of being placed on Academic Probation. While the university GPA is calculated based on all graduate work at the university, the College of Business calculates average GPA separately for each program in which you are enrolled. Academic status in each Davis College degree program (i.e., the DBA program) is based upon the program GPA, not the university overall graduate GPA. Concentration classes are included in the DBA GPA as long as a concentration is actually completed (e.g., if one concentration class is taken but the concentration is not completed, the graduate office will calculate your GPA without the concentration class).

*Note: Students on dismissal will not be permitted to register for graduate study and will be dropped from any classes they are enrolled in.

Students dismissed from the DBA have 10 calendar days after notice of dismissal to appeal the action to the DBA Council. Within five business days, the committee must review the case via electronic communication or a face-to-face meeting and issue its final recommendation to the Dean who will rule on the appeal. The ruling by the college dean will be issued to the student in writing along with a brief explanation of the rationale for the recommendation. A dismissed student will be dropped from any classes they are enrolled in, and the registrar will be notified that they no longer have graduate student status nor should they be allowed to register for any graduate classes.

A DBA candidate must pass qualifying activities in order to continue into dissertation phase in the DBA program. DBA Candidates should see the most current DBA Handbook for more detailed information concerning the qualifying activities’ process and policies.

Grade Appeal Process

The graduate programs follow the Jacksonville University established procedures and appeals process for grade and academic dishonesty appeals. For more information, see the Graduate Business Program Dismissal Procedures in the DBA handbook.

Academic Honesty

All students of the Davis College of Business & Technology are expected to adhere to the highest standard of academic honesty. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that the integrity of this standard is not violated. The programs define academic dishonesty as: submission of false records of academic achievement; cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing, altering, forging or misusing a University academic record; taking, acquiring or using test materials without faculty permission; acting alone or in cooperation with others to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards or professional achievement.

Procedures for Addressing Academic Dishonesty - The Davis College of Business & Technology adheres to the established processes and procedures of Jacksonville University regarding definitions and standards for academic honesty and all appeals as outlined in the Academic Information section of this catalog.

Orientation

All students in the Davis College of Business & Technology graduate programs must attend orientation.