Gary Vance, Dean of College of Adult and Professional Studies
Rex Nestor, Assistant Dean of College of Adult and Professional Studies
Offices of the Dean and Assistant Dean are located in the Mendel L. Rivers Library
The College of Adult and Professional Studies offers the Master of Science in Organizational Management.
Charleston Southern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Charleston Southern University.
The Master of Science in Organizational Management (MSOM) graduate degree program at Charleston Southern University is an accelerated, affordable program designed for current and future business leaders to succeed in today’s global marketplace. Accepted students in the MSOM program at Charleston Southern can earn their degree completely online in our flexible, accelerated format.
This high quality, online master’s degree enhances our service to the local and global community, and provides additional support to the vision of CSU by integrating faith in learning, leading and serving. Our focus is on presenting an applied approach to all of the management courses presented in the MSOM. Many nontraditional students are seeking alternative master’s level degrees in business, given the demand level to enhance their professional lives for promotions and career enhancement opportunities through education. The MSOM allows students to increase their relative worth within the organizational setting and to improve the overall productivity of their respected organizations. In today’s society, there is an increasing need for individuals with solid critical thinking, problem solving, interpersonal, and communication skills that understand how to operate in a global economy. The MSOM also provides an alternative pathway for past or current Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management students to complete and enhance their educational experience by completing their master’s degree in management.
The Master of Science in Organizational Management consists of thirty-six (36) semester-hours of credit. All courses in the MSOM are eight-weeks in length, completely online, and offer a distinct, applied approach to learning. Each course will offer the following distinctions:
- Use multiple books for the course that includes college textbooks and books from today’s business “thought” leaders
- Use a concept called “Course Shorts” that take the most applicable concepts from the books and apply them without having to read the entire book.
- Focus on critical thinking and problem solving that requires the student to research and determine fact versus opinion
- Move from the traditional model of question/answer assignments to case studies and projects that require students to research and apply in order to solve problems
Master of Science in Organizational Management Program Requirements
All courses are taught in an asynchronous format. Students and faculty member meet at least one time during the 8 week course in a live chat session. The time and day of the meeting will be determined by the students and faculty. Students and faculty will utilize the online platform chat room capabilities to include live audio and video.
An admission decision for the MSOM is based on a balanced appraisal of the applicant’s overall scholastic and professional record, and aptitude for graduate study. All students, regardless of admission status, must submit a graduate application for the MSOM program with a nonrefundable admissions application fee to the College of Adult and Professional Studies. Exceptions to this policy require the permissions of the Dean of the College of Adult and Professional Studies, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Application Procedures
Interested persons with backgrounds in all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. Prior study in business and/or economics is not a requirement for admission. Anyone holding a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university (or a parallel curriculum and degree from an equivalent international program) is eligible for consideration.
Prospective students are encouraged to submit their initial application with the application fee as soon as possible, to allow the College of Adult and Professional Studies’ Recruitment/ Admissions Coordinator to begin processing the file. The Recruitment/ Admissions Coordinator is available to help guide the prospective student through the admissions process.
Admission requirements are as follows:
- A completed graduate application (either submitted online or paper form)
- Nonrefundable application fee
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) detailing professional experience
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Must include evidence of a completed undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution or an equivalent from a foreign institution. An undergraduate degree GPA of 2.75 is required for regular admission.
- All students who do not have a GPA of 2.75 in their undergraduate degee may be considered for admission at the discretion of the Dean of CAPS.
- Additional documentation for International Students, as listed below under “International Applicants”.
Preferred Application Deadlines
CSU’s MSOM has a rolling admissions policy. There are two start times in each semester (Fall, Spring, Summer); students can choose to enroll in any of the six entry terms. Deadlines for admission are flexible, but for full consideration, applicants are encouraged to ensure that all materials required for the application are received at least two weeks prior to the first day of the term they intend to begin. If an applicant has particularly strong credentials, it is possible that the application may be processed more quickly, and for that reason, applications will be accepted until classes begin. International student applicants are subject to separate deadlines. Please see the section about international applicants.
Regular Admission
Regular admission is granted for the student who has met all of the requirements for admission to the MSOM program as listed in the section on Application Procedures. Regular admission also includes students who are assigned the academic standing of probation during the admissions decision process.
Provisional Admission
A student seeking the MSOM degree from Charleston Southern University who has not submitted all of the required documentation and materials for Regular Admission may be accepted on the provision that he or she submit the missing required materials as determined by the College of Adult and Professional Studies prior to preregistration for the next term. The minimum requirements for Provisional Admission are (1) the completed graduate application, (2) the application fee, and (3) evidence of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution with a minimum 2.75 GPA. Enrollment cannot exceed 9 credit hours during the provisional period. Students admitted under Provisional Admission will not be eligible for financial aid.
Nondegree Admission
Nondegree Admission is granted to students who do not intend to apply for regular admission. Such students must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and have at least a 2.75 undergraduate GPA, or permission of the Dean of the College of Adult and Professional Studies. A student may take a maximum of nine graduate hours in the MSOM program under the nondegree admission status. Financial aid is not available to nondegree students.
International Applicants
Academically qualified students from foreign countries are encouraged to apply for admission to Charleston Southern University. Applicants must be sufficiently proficient in English to be able to study entirely in the English language. The following must be sent to the College of Adult and Professional Studies in addition to the admission materials for the graduate program:
1. Official Bank Statement
2. Official Course by Course Evaluation (See admissions application packet for approved agencies).
3. Official TOEFL (Students from countries where English is not the primary language will be required to submit a minimum TOEFL score of 550; computer-based score of 213 or Internet-based score of 79).
4. International Student Eligibility Form
Due to Immigration and Naturalization Service requirements and the necessity of having transcripts evaluated, the deadline for admission applications from International students is one calendar month prior to “registration day” (according to the CSU Academic Calendar) of the academic term of entry.
Applications received after the deadline may be considered for a future entry term if the applicant desires. Students are required to have their academic transcript(s) evaluated by an outside agency prior to admissions acceptance. All fees for these services are paid by the student directly to the party or agency providing them. You may call the Office of Enrollment Services for more information.
When an applicant has been accepted by the University, a Certificate of Eligibility for the nonimmigrant (F-1) student, known as Form I-20 A-B, will be mailed along with an acceptance letter. Students entering Charleston Southern University must assume full financial responsibility for tuition and charges incurred. In the event a student is being sponsored by an individual or company, an Affidavit of Support and supporting financial documents must be submitted by the sponsor on behalf of the student. After issuance of Form I-20 A-B and prior to the drop/add deadline of the respective term, an advance cash deposit is required to be on file within the business office in the amount of the total cost of the term, including any necessary insurance premium. Otherwise Charleston Southern University reserves the right to deny the student attendance for that term.
With prior approval, a maximum of six semester hours of transfer credit may be accepted from a graduate business program at a regionally accredited institution, toward the fulfillment of requirements for the MSOM degree at Charleston Southern University. Approval of the Dean of the College of Adult and Professional Studies must be obtained during the application process, and the decision whether or not to award credit at that time is final. Only courses with grades in the “B” or “A” range will be considered for transfer. Pass/Fail courses may not be transferred into the program. Credit may be considered for courses taken to obtain another master’s degree.
Students currently enrolled in any of the programs at CSU must have prior written approval to take courses from another institution for transfer credit. This approval form must carry the signatures of the Dean of the College of Adult and Professional Studies and the Registrar. Courses accepted in transfer are recorded as credit only: grades are recorded on a transfer evaluation form, but no grade points or grade point averages are computed. The grade point average used for administering policy and for graduation is computed on academic credit earned at CSU. The primary purpose of the transfer credits policy is to grant incoming students credit for work previously completed. Students are expected to take the appropriate courses offered by Charleston Southern University once they enter the program. Students may be granted the opportunity to take courses offered by other institutions only under special circumstances.
Students must take M601: Foundations of Problem-Based Thinking in their first term, and M612: Strategies for Managerial Sustainability—Capstone in their last term.
Course Limits
Under no circumstances may any student take more than three MSOM courses (9 hours) unless or until they have been granted regular admission. This includes regular admission students on probation, nondegree students, or any other enrollment status.
Academic Probation
Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 for graduation from the MSOM program. Students whose graduate GPAs drop below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation will be required to communicate with an academic advisor in CAPS regularly for advising and monitoring.
Academic Expulsion
A student who earns one “F,” one “WF, ” one “FA,” one “FD,” or who earns their third grade lower than a “B” in MSOM courses shall be expelled from the MSOM program. An expelled student may not be considered for readmission to the program for any term within one year after the date of expulsion. If and when the student’s application for readmission is submitted it must be accompanied by a letter from the student justifying why he or she should be readmitted. The student’s request for readmission must be approved by the Dean of CAPS before the student can be readmitted and begin taking classes again. Expelled students may only petition for re-admission once. If their first request fails, further requests for re-admission will not be entertained.
All students must apply for graduation in the Office of the Registrar. Refer to the Academic Calendar for deadline dates. All credits for the MSOM degree, both local and transfer, must not be more than six (6) years old at the time the MSOM degree is awarded, unless approved by the Dean of the College of Adult and Professional Studies. Candidates for graduation must complete thirty-six (36) hours of credit and have an overall GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for the MSOM degree.