Gordon State College and Georgia Southwestern State University signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday that will allow students who completed a Bachelor of Science in Management and Administration at GSC to be accepted into GSW’s Master of Business Administration.

“The opportunity to partner with a sister institution that is committed to student success is an easy decision for us,” said GSC President Kirk A. Nooks. “Georgia Southwestern State University has a track record for developing leaders and serving the region. Our Baccalaureate graduates who are seeking the MBA will benefit greatly from a supportive faculty and staff environment.”

GSC and GSW enter into this agreement to ease the transition between undergraduate and graduate matriculation and to allow Gordon graduates the opportunity to remain in their communities and engage in employment opportunities while completing the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree online.

“We hope that in simplifying the transition from institution to institution, more students are encouraged to further their education online while remaining in the workforce,” said GSW President Neal Weaver.

Georgia Southwestern State University, located in Americus, agrees to accept students into their MBA program who have completed the Bachelor of Science in Management and Administration degree at GSC with a 3.25 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). If the student is accepted, they will not be required to submit GRE/GMAT scores, letters of reference or application fees.

With minimal additional requirements GSW will also accept GSC students who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree but who do not have a business major. Any student who graduates from Gordon State College with at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA will be admitted to the MBA program after passing the following four prerequisite courses at GSC with a minimum grade of C: ACCT 2101, Principles of Accounting I (Financial Accounting); MGNT 3341, Applied Statistics or the equivalent to GSW’s BUSA 3050; MGNT 3200, Financial Management or the equivalent to GSW’s BUSA 3150 and MGNT 3000, Principles of Management or the equivalent to GSW’s MGNT 3600.

“As an alumnus of Georgia Southwestern State University, I am especially excited that Gordon State is signing this agreement with my alma mater,” said Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. C. Jeffery Knighton. “Here at Gordon, we have many outstanding students pursing their bachelor’s degree in Management and Administration. However, a large portion of those students don’t have the luxury of leaving the area to continue their education. This partnership with Georgia Southwestern will provide them with access to an outstanding university education that will enable them to pursue their master’s degrees and advance their careers even further.”