MBA FAQs
We’ve tackled some of our most frequently asked questions below. As always, if you have questions about the MaineMBA program, please reach out to us at mba@maine.edu.
General Information
The MaineMBA offers two modalities: 100% online or a low-residency option.
Our online option is just that – 100% online. You can take your classes from anywhere without setting foot on campus. And it’s “asynchronous,” which means you do not have to sign on for specific class times but instead can do your work when it’s convenient for you.
Our Low-Residency option gives learners three week-long, in-person opportunities during their time in our program. These in-person sessions happen during your first, fourth, and fifth semesters, and culminate with the capstone MaineMBA Academy. Participants will be required to attend these in-person sessions in Portland, Maine, home to the Graduate School of Business. Funding for accommodations is available to students traveling more than 30 miles to the Portland campus.
Yes. The Maine Business School has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) since 1974. The MBA program has been accredited since 1980.
Yes. The MaineMBA and all of its concentrations are STEM-designated. A STEM-designated MBA blends core business education with a strong emphasis on quantitative, analytical, and technology-driven skills. The curriculum prioritizes areas such as data analytics, business statistics, information systems, and operations, preparing students to make evidence-based decisions and connect business strategy with technology. This designation signals that the program is designed for leadership in data-intensive and innovation-driven fields such as technology, healthcare, biotech, and finance, where analytical fluency is essential.
The MaineMBA program is located at the Maine Center, 300 Fore Street, in Portland, Maine. Our Graduate School of Business staff and a select group of faculty members are based in this building. Our Low-Residency students will use this building as their home base when fulfilling their in-person requirements. Other Maine Business School staff and faculty work at the Donald P. Corbett Business Building at the University of Maine campus in Orono.
You must hold a bachelor’s degree to apply to the MaineMBA. The exceptions to this are UMaine undergraduate business students who will complete their bachelor’s prior to entering the program or those participating in our Accelerated Pathway or 4+1 Programs. To ensure that all MaineMBA students have a foundation of business core concepts, prior coursework (either undergraduate courses or our self-paced foundation courses) in the following areas is required:
Accounting (financial and managerial)
Economics (macro and micro)
Statistics
Finance
Non-business undergraduates without these foundations are encouraged to apply for admission to the MaineMBA, and can complete foundational skills via self-paced tutorials before starting MBA courses.
Our average completion timeline for full-time students is 20 months. Some students complete their degrees much faster, while others choose a longer timeline. We take pride in our flexible options!
MBA students working full-time have the option to take one or two classes per semester. These classes are offered in 7-week sessions. If you choose to take two classes per semester, they will be taken one at a time – one during the first half of the semester and the other during the final half of the semester.
The Graduate School of Business has a dedicated professional academic advisor for the MBA program, ensuring support for all students throughout their MBA journey.
The MaineMBA in General Management is 30 credits. The MaineMBA with a concentration is 33 credits. The number of credits needed to complete a dual degree program differs depending on the program.
Our MaineMBA — like most MBAs — can benefit someone from just about any background who wants to develop leadership, management, and other business skills. Our 30-credit General Management MaineMBA covers core areas that build these important skills.
Depending on your goals, you may want to pursue one of our 14 concentrations across multiple sectors.
For example, someone who is looking for a promotion as a hospital administrator would find the MaineMBA in Healthcare Systems to be the best for them. In contrast, someone who works with investments might be interested in the MaineMBA in Finance.
The University of Maine’s Graduate School of Business currently offers 14 interdisciplinary concentrations and three dual degree programs.
Admissions
No previous work experience is necessary; however, some experience may give you a better idea of what you want to pursue in your future career path. We recommend at least two years of work experience for our Low-Residency program to ensure an equitable experience for this cohort of students.
All applicants must submit an official score report from the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, or PCAT or a qualifying waiver with their application materials.
However, many applicants are eligible for a GMAT waiver. Please include the completed waiver with your application materials if you are applying for a GMAT waiver. Your other application materials should demonstrate how you qualify for the selected option.
The GMAT is a business school entrance exam that lasts nearly 3 1/2 hours, and includes the following four components:
1. An analytical writing assessment, which measures critical thinking and communication skills.
2. An integrated reasoning section, which shows how well students can analyze data and interpret information displayed in varied formats.
3. A quantitative reasoning section, which determines whether students have strong mathematical abilities and numerical literacy.
4. A verbal reasoning section, which evaluates reading comprehension skills, editing abilities, and whether someone can make sense of written arguments.
In most cases, a decision is formally issued by the University of Maine Graduate School within three weeks of a completed application being submitted. An interview for acceptance into our program is not a requirement.
You must hold a bachelor’s degree to apply to the MaineMBA. The exceptions to this are UMaine undergraduate business students who will complete their bachelor’s prior to entering the program or those participating in our Accelerated Pathway or 4+1 Programs. To ensure that all MaineMBA students have a foundation of business core concepts, prior coursework (either undergraduate courses or our self-paced foundation courses) in the following areas is required:
Accounting (financial and managerial)
Economics (macro and micro)
Statistics
Finance
Non-business undergraduates without these foundations are encouraged to apply for admission to the MaineMBA, and can complete foundational skills via self-paced tutorials before starting MBA courses.
Curriculum
The MaineMBA Core 8 consists of the following courses:
Strategic Data Analysis (BUA 601)
Financial Accounting for Decision Making (MBA 609)
Management of Contemporary Organizations (MBA 626)
Global Supply Chain Networks (MBA 637)
Strategic Decision Making (MBA 649)
Financial Management (MBA 651)
Managerial Marketing (MBA 670)
Foundations of Business Intelligence (BUA 680)
All semesters have two 7-week online asynchronous sessions referred to as “session one” and “session two.”
Careers
Salaries vary widely among MBA graduates across the country. In Maine, the average salary for MBA holders is $87,535 a year, which is 44% higher than the Maine median earner’s salary of $56,277.
Earning an MBA gives you access to higher-level jobs that require an advanced degree. It also makes you a more desirable candidate. Earning your MaineMBA is more than just a set of skills – it’s a way of thinking. We help our students become analytical, strategic, and critical thinkers.
Through networking events, internships, capstone collaborations, and cocurricular programming, we help connect our students to professional networks and opportunities.
Financial
For all students, regardless of location, the cost per credit hour is $750.
The $650 rate per credit hour applies to all MaineMBA Core 8 classes, and all electives offered through the Graduate School of Business. The total cost for the 30-credit MaineMBA in General Management (no concentration) is $22,500.
For those pursuing a concentration, the cost per credit hour can vary depending on the department that the concentration courses are offered.
Please visit the respective sites to see the credit hour cost at our collaborating institutions:
University of Maine Graduate School
University of Maine School of Law
University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service
The Graduate School of Business offers small scholarships and Graduate Assistantships to qualifying students. For more information, click here.
Our scholarship search tool, Scholarship Universe, is available to all University of Maine students. You gain access to this tool after being accepted to the program. For more information, click here.
UMaine offers Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant positions through individual programs, as well as internships and assistantships in academic and non-academic units. For more information, click here.
University of Maine Graduate School of Business Workforce and Preferred Partners programs have been developed to help Maine employers recruit, retain, and develop the next generation of business leaders. For more information, click here.