Predicting Success in the Master of Business Administration Program at the University of New Mexico

Author

James Dee Rose

Publication Date

5-11-1970

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not success in the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program at the University of New Mexico could be predicted from known variables. These variables were both intellective and non-intellective and included such things as:

1. Undergraduate grade point average (g.p.a.)

2. Upper-division g.p.a .

3. Major g.p.a. for business majors.

4. Score on Admissions Test for Graduate Study in Business (A.T.G.S.B.).

5. Age.

6. Graduate g.p.a.

7. Undergraduate major.

8. Type of undergraduate institution and whether or not it was the University of New Mexico.

9. Student status (part-time or full-time).

10. Marital/veteran status.

The total sample consisted of 216 students who entered the M.B.A. program at the University of New Mexico between June 1, 1964, and June 1, 1969, and who earned at least three hours of graduate credit. There were 54 successes, 115 failures, and 47 students in progress. The in progress students were included only when the A.T.G.S.B. was being considered. Through the use of multiple step-wise regression, it was determined that the A.T.G.S.B. had a higher correlation with the graduate g.p.a. (r = .36) than did either the undergraduate or upper-division g.p.a. The set of variables which yielded the highest multiple correlation coefficient consisted of the undergraduate and upper-division g.p.a.’s, the A.T.G.S.B., and age (R = .415). Analysis of variance was used to determine whether or not significant statistical differences existed between the sub-groups of the category variables based on each of the continuous variables. It was determined that when certain continuous variables are being considered, some category sub-groups should be considered as being heterogeneous. Multiple discriminant analysis was used to assign members of the sample to either the success or failure group based on one or more of the following variables: undergraduate g.p.a., upper-division g.p.a., and A.T.G.S.B. score. While there were not sufficient data available to conclude that the A.T.G.S.B. is more accurate in predicting either success or failure in the M.B.A. program than the undergraduate g.p.a., it appears to be at least as good as the g.p.a. In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest that if the criteria for admission into the M.B.A. program are to be aimed at admitting as many potential successes as possible, non-intellective variables as well as intellective variables must be considered. In particular, it was found that full-time students were more likely to be successful than were part-time students; and married veterans and single non-veterans were more likely to be successful than were single veterans or married non-veterans.

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Anderson School of Management

First Committee Member

Howard Vivian Finston

Second Committee Member

Ralph Lemon Edgel

Third Committee Member

William Stanley Peters

Recommended Citation

Rose, James Dee. "Predicting Success in the Master of Business Administration Program at the University of New Mexico." (1970). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/anderson_etds/72