University of Arkansas

Walton College

The Sam M. Walton College of Business

The Walton MBA

In a global economy, professionals with broad knowledge across business fields stand out in the job market. Our full-time MBA program trains students who are eager to gain advanced business expertise and develop decision-making skills that span across business units.

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The Walton MBA is designed to be a transformational experience. Classroom learning is paired with professional development and global experiences to make you a well-rounded and competitive graduate.

Corporate internships and mentorships provide an ideal environment for you to build meaningful connections in Northwest Arkansas' thriving business community.

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Courses and Schedule

What coursework is required for this degree?

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Just the Facts

How Much? How Long?
Who can enroll?

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Funding

Tuition Assistance?
Scholarships?

How Do I Apply?

Admission to Walton College masters programs is selective. Enrollment in each program is limited. 

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Current Student Listing

Wondering who you'll meet in class? Get to know our current students.

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Top-Ranked MBA Program

The Wall Street Journal

#11 Return on Investment (2021)

U.S. News & World Report

#13 MBA with a Supply Chain Emphasis (2022)

#36 Public MBA Program (2022)

 

Just the Facts: Walton Full-Time MBA

Program Length

22 months

MBA students complete 51 credit hours with their cohort.

Start Date

Fall

New cohorts begin each Fall Semester for the MBA program.

Admissions Info

Do I Qualify to Enroll?

Complete your undergraduate degree and meet additional requirements. View Requirements

Entrance Test

GMAT or GRE

Students may be eligible for a GMAT/GRE test waiver with a 3.2 undergraduate GPA or 3 years of professional work experience. Please review our master's admissions policies. 

Application Deadline

February 15

February 15 is the priority deadline date. June 1 is the final deadline.

Total Program Cost

$34,186

 
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Financial Assistance

Paying for College

Scholarships, Graduate Assistantships, and Financial Aid

Class Profile

Current Students

View a listing of current Walton Full-Time MBA Students.

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News and Notes: Walton MBA Insider

Grace Crain (Walton MBA '23 and Homecoming Queen '21)

Walton MBA Student Grace Crain Hands Off Her Homecoming Crown

2021 Homecoming Queen Grace Crain (Walton MBA ‘23) handed off her crown to fellow Little Rock native Karlie Barnett at the Arkansas vs. Liberty Homecoming football game this year. Grace sat down with Walton MBA Insider to discuss her homecoming experience and what it means to be a leader, a role model and a Razorback.

December 5, 2022 | By Ariel Sibley

Raleigh Woods posing with SpaceX sign

MBA Graduate Reaches New Heights at SpaceX

Raleigh Woods (MBA ’22) secured a full-time position with SpaceX after graduating from the Walton MBA program. She will be working as a sourcing specialist supporting Starlink in the Seattle, WA area.

September 1, 2022 | By Lori Speer

(L-R) Remko van Hoek, Jason Ridge, Tomas Jandik, Rogelio Contreras

Congratulations to Walton MBA Faculty Awards Winners

The 2021-2022 Walton College Faculty Awards have been announced! The recipients were selected based on nominations, their current curriculum vitae and a personal statement that includes teaching evaluations, student comments, sample assignments, summaries of recent research publications, citation counts, grant awards and program innovations.

May 4, 2022 | By Lori Speer

Tina Winham

Alumna Tina Winham Makes a Positive Community Impact

Walton EMBA Program alumna Tina Winham graduated with her MBA in 2018 and currently works as the Walmart lead at Conair in the Hair Beauty Accessories division. With over 15 years of experience overseeing multi-million dollar budgets, Winham has extensive experience with operations, sales and marketing efforts for several major global brands.

May 4, 2022 | By Taylor Poe

Willard J. Walker building

Custom Tracks Through the Walton MBA

Students are specializing their graduate school experience by developing custom degree plans. In this business climate, niche talents can find their place to shine. Currently, the University of Arkansas’ Walton MBA program offers five different career tracks in entrepreneurship and innovation, retail marketing, supply chain management, financial management and data analytics.

April 27, 2022 | By Heidi Rolf

Students at networking event

Walton MBA Students Make Connections at Networking Event

The Walton MBA programs teamed up with Walton Career Services to host a networking event for students prior to the Walton College Spring Business Fair. The event included 51 companies, and all expressed an interest in hiring MBA students. Many second-year students attended the event actively seeking employment, and first-year students made connections with representatives for internships or full-time positions after graduation.

April 2, 2022 | By Ontario West

Career Development

Close ties with our corporate partners facilitate recruiting and networking opportunities, internships, and careers.

Students can participate in corporate internships, career counseling, and take advantage of all the Walton College Career Services has to offer.

Career Connections

 

The Northwest Arkansas Community

Join a supportive and engaging community located in the vibrant business network of Northwest Arkansas, with over 300 Fortune 500 companies with a presence in the region.

Business leaders and Walton College alumni are closely connected to the college and the Executive MBA, not just during your studies, but throughout your career.

More About Northwest Arkansas

Courses and Program Schedule

Our 51-credit hour program offers a balance of core business fundamentals, professional development, internship and career support, along with the ability to build skills customized for your specific career path

Summer

Prerequisite online courses as needed

Fall Intersession – Year One

Walton MBA Orientation Attendance to orientation is required.
Business History and Practice This course provides students with an overview of how businesses evolve over the years, and how they are run today. Using examples from research and practitioner articles, it allows students to learn about hands on concepts such as business models, Integrative Performance, Organization Structure, Competitive Advantage, Value Networks, and Business Obligations in an experiential manner. (SEVI 5391)

Fall Semester – Year One

Professional Development Each semester, you will have opportunities to participate in workshops, listen to guest speakers from some of the largest companies in the world, and more. Topics differ each semester and, although you must participate in a minimum number, you are never limited in how many you can take.
Introduction to Marketing Introduction to marketing concepts and practices as applied to the retail consumer environment. Focuses on the strategic development, positioning, and management of products, promotion, distribution, pricing, and store environments in building customer relationships from retailer and supplier perspectives. (MKTG 5103)
Financial Markets & Valuation Analysis of financial information by capital markets in the determination of security values with specific applications to retail and logistics companies. This course views these and other companies from the point of view of the capital markets. (FINN 5223)
Foundations for New Product Launch and Integrated Demand-Driven Value Networks Supply chain management is the integration of key business processes from end user through suppliers. The focus of this course is on the core processes that must be linked throughout the supply chain with an emphasis on logistics processes. Foundational topics in logistics and supply chain management will be covered. (SCMT 5633)
Business Analytics This course in managerial business analytics provides future managers with the key concepts of decision modeling and information technology management concepts. Students will learn to utilize real time operational business data, as well as quickly process and effectively leverage information. In addition, students will exercise strategic IT deployment skills for supply chain and marketing processes as well as develop strong decision modeling abilities. (ISYS 5363)

Spring Semester – Year One

Professional Development Each semester, you will have opportunities to participate in cutting-edge workshops, listen to guest speakers from some of the biggest companies in the world, work with our image consultant experts to make sure you look your best for that dream job interview, and more. Topics differ each semester and, although you must participate in a minimum number, you are never limited in how many you can take.
MBA Accounting Analysis Highlights the role played by accounting information in managing supply chains and retail operations. Provides tools for managing cost flows, including activity-based costing, retail accounting, and operational budgeting. Focuses on improving decision making processes, and linking the impact of retail/supply chain decisions to financial statements and shareholder value. (ACCT 5223)
Intro to Global Business Integrated overview of the global business environment and the organizational challenges of a multinational firm. To enhance understanding of the business and cultural environment of prominent emerging markets, the course includes a 2-3 week overseas immersion project to fulfill a predefined goal. Project is integrated with global content upon return. (MBAD 5231)
Managerial Economics This course will provide students with a strong foundation in core economics principles, with emphasis on industrial organization issues and applications geared toward the supply-chain and retail focus of the redesigned MBA program. (ECON 5243)
Career Track Class 1

Summer Semester – Year One

Global Experience The Global Experience project involves travel overseas, where students work to fulfill a pre-defined objective that is set for them earlier in the Global Business class. Provides MBA students with the opportunity to explore a business problem in-depth under the guidance of a graduate faculty member.
Internship This course allows students to experience an internship within a business and benefit from the applied experience. The internship may be designed to offer a wide range of business experiences. The internship must be supervised by a faculty member as well as a member of the firm. MBA Director approval required.

Fall Semester – Year Two 

Professional Development Each semester, you will have opportunities to participate in cutting-edge workshops, listen to guest speakers from some of the biggest companies in the world, work with our image consultant experts to make sure you look your best for that dream job interview, and more. Topics differ each semester and, although you must participate in a minimum number, you are never limited in how many you can take.
Enterprise Systems Enterprise Systems comprises the entire class of information technology and systems that support the mission of the company including decision support and business processes. This managerial enterprise systems course focuses on strategic issues of information technology. Students study the various elements and integration of an organization's business processes; as a result, students gain an understanding and working knowledge of systems used to support these business processes and their use in decision making. In addition, students will study concepts and develop skills needed to utilize decision-centric business intelligence and knowledge management applications. (ISYS 5433)
Business Leadership & Ethics Management for a global environment. The class will cover interpersonal workplace skills such as leadership and motivation, along with the management of human capital through well designed recruitment, selection, performance evaluation, compensation, and quality control systems. (MGMT 5223)
Career Track Class 2

Spring Semester – Year Two

Strategic Management Strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and other topics related to the long-term success of the firm. Includes role of the general manager, international issues, and the impact of management fads on decision making. (SEVI 5313)
Special Topics in Business Special topics of an interdisciplinary nature or a concentrated emphasis on one business topic.
Career Track Class 3
Career Track Class 4*

*Can be taken in another semester.

Career Tracks

  • Entrepreneurship and Innovation
  • Retail Marketing
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Financial Management
  • Data Analytics

Individual concentrations can also be created to support your personal educational and career goals.

Professional Development

Your professional development is just as important as your academic development.

Each semester, you'll have opportunities to participate in workshops and customize your own program by choosing courses specific to your interests. You can listen to guest speakers from some of the biggest companies in the world, take workshops to improve your technical skills, and work with our image consultant experts to be your best for that dream job interview.

Topics differ each semester and, although you must participate in a minimum number, you are never limited in how many you can take.

Walton MBA: Financial Aid and Tuition Assistance

Pursuing the Walton MBA is an investment in your future, and we're committed to helping you explore financing options. These include scholarship opportunities, graduate assistantships, and loans.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are a unique characteristic of the Walton MBA. Graduate assistantships may be for two years or less. During the period a student holds a graduate assistantship, he/she receives a complete tuition waiver and a stipend. In return, the student works as an assistant for 20 hours a week. Several graduate assistantships are offered.

All admitted students are automatically considered for assistantships after they are admitted to the program – no additional application required for assistantships. International applicants are also eligible to receive graduate assistantships.

MBA Scholarships

Ecklund Family Scholarship – two $4,000 scholarship available

  • Minimum incoming GPA of 3.25
  • Demonstrated leadership roles and experience
  • Limited to supply chain management or entrepreneurship and innovation career tracks
  • Demonstrated financial need

Karthikeyan Sennimalai Scholarship for International Students – two $1,800 scholarships available

  • International students only
  • Must have a 3.25 undergraduate GPA in the last 60 hours taken

MBA General Scholarship – one $1,000 scholarship available

  • Must be an MBA student to apply

Russell E. Westmeyer Fellowship in Graduate Studies - $9,000 available to award between multiple students

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better
  • Must exhibit strong financial need

*Note amount and number of scholarships available are subject to change.

Other Forms of Financial Aid

Support for financial aid applications is provided through the University Financial Aid office.

Scholarships are available to all students, including international candidates. Applications for scholarships can only be made AFTER you are admitted. Please feel free to send any inquiries you have about these options to us at mba@uark.edu.

Walton MBA Updates

The Walton MBA team frequently shares updates about our faculty, students, industry partners, and special events on our Linkedin and Instagram accounts. If you'd like to stay informed, follow us!

 

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