Course Descriptions
Core Courses & Required Workshops
MBA 5010 Introduction to the MBA
Taken as students begin the MBA, this non-credit workshop introduces students to the campus, one another, and, at the same time, provides skills that can help them be successful in the program. Students in MBA 5010 work on development goals they hope to achieve in their MBA education. They also participate in a leadership development exercise intended to identify their preferred leadership style while providing guidance about how to develop and improve these skills. Students also go through advanced Excel training to ensure they have the skills they will call upon throughout their coursework.
MBA 5020 MBA Case Competition
Taken as students near completion of the MBA program, this workshop revisits topics addressed in MBA 5010. Students evaluate the progress they made in reaching the goals set as they began the program and articulate new goals focused on the next phase in their careers. The signature element of MBA 5020 is the Graduating Class Case Competition. Students are challenged to provide solutions to a complex, current business case. Professional managers evaluate the group presentations, provide feedback regarding the solutions suggested, and then select each year’s winning team.
MBA 6110 Enhancing Managerial Communications (3 sh)
This course focuses on the development of skills and behaviors required for successful leadership. Emphasis is placed on enhancing the students’ communication skills, both written and oral. Extensive coverage of the techniques of report preparation and presentation, negotiations and public speaking are included. This course is designed to follow immediately after MBA 5010.
MBA 6250 Economic Policy and the Global Environment (3 sh)
An application of microeconomic theory to management decisions. A review of traditional neoclassical production and cost theory is used as a platform to delve into modern business economics. The focus is on how firms fit in the analysis of market activity, how economists see the problem of organizing economic activity, understanding when markets solve that problem and why sometimes they do not. The course ends with an examination of the impact of macroeconomic policies (fiscal and others) on business decisions, and the importance and impact of these decisions on businesses when viewed from a global economic perspective.
MBA 7150 Accounting for Managerial Decisions (3 sh)
The use of accounting information in management decision making is examined. Specific topics include cost/volume/profit analysis; product costing systems; use of accounting data in pricing, capital expenditures and product decisions; and planning and control systems, including budgeting and measures of divisional performance.
MBA 6270 Marketing Management (3 sh)
Concepts and techniques of planning, implementing and controlling the marketing function are the focus of this in-depth study. Monitoring conditions and assessing opportunities, delineating target markets, consumer/buyer research and planning and strategy procedures are given considerable attention.
MBA 7170 Financial Management (3 sh)
Selected topics in corporate finance are examined through case and seminar approach. Major topics include enterprise valuation, risk management strategies using financial derivatives such as options and futures and international financial management.
MBA 6230 Management & Organizational Behavior (3 sh)
Analysis of work behavior from the viewpoint of both behavioral research and managerial practice. Understanding of issues such as motivation, individual differences and managing change provides students with the foundation needed for managing performance, quality and operations. Students will focus on the traditional and nontraditional approaches to leadership, followership, and gaining an understanding of leaders and leadership.
MBA 6430 Analytics I: Quantitative Methods (3 sh)
This course examines the foundational business analytics skills and tools required to make effective managerial decisions. Specifically, using statistics and probability, this course examines business decisions related to marketing, supply chain and operations such as market basket analysis, RFM analysis, market segmentation, queuing, quality control and forecasting consumer demand and input availability and simple visualization techniques. In addition to Excel, this course incorporates more advanced business analytics software such as SAS Enterprise Miner and Guide.
MBA 7130 International Business (3 sh)
Students can complete this course in one of two ways. They may elect to participate in the MBA Study Abroad experience or they may elect to take the on-site course offered each winter.
Study Abroad
Students who elect to take the study abroad experience select from two trips that are offered each year; a January trip to Asia and a June trip to Europe. The emphasis of this course will be research and analysis of factors involved in establishing and operating an international business. Topics include foreign exchange, finance, regulatory requirements, and assessment of socioeconomic and political condition of off-shore destinations. We will discuss strategic positioning, marketing and organizational structure. These trips typically last eight or nine days and are scheduled to ensure that a student does not miss more than one work week. The MBA program provides a partial subsidy toward the cost of travel.
On-Site Course
Students who elect to take the on-site course will gain an awareness and appreciation of different cultures while they gain an understanding of international trade and its impact on business. This course will focus on such topics and U.S. business practices in foreign markets, the threats and opportunities facing firms and industries as they embark on the globalization process. Students will develop and/or clarify personal perceptions of foreign countries and business customs and practices of selected markets and gain an understanding of the factors of success for international firms.
MBA 7650 Strategic Management (3 sh)
This course focuses on the competitive and environmental issues confronting organizations, and discusses how firms identify, seize and defend market opportunities in today’s rapidly changing global economy. The key to organizational success in this environment is not a static strategic plan, but the agility of strategic thinking. Borrowing heavily from marketing, industrial economics and strategic management literature, related concepts such as competitor analysis, target marketing, strategy formulation, environmental analysis, market research and critical success factors are integrated throughout the course.
Organizational Systems Requirement
Students can satisfy this requirement by taking one of the following courses. Additional courses from the two listed below may be taken as electives.
MBA 6410 Advanced Operations & Supply Chain (3 sh)
This course provides tools for the assessment of performance, analysis of business processes, and evaluation and implementation of process change. The course demonstrates the importance of the integration of information systems technology in organizational change processes. It introduces database tools for managing and analyzing information and explores the implications of emerging eCommerce, supply chain and cross-functional software applications.
MBA 6450 Project Management (3 sh)
This course provides an overview of the knowledge, skills and processes associated with project management. The course covers project planning, scheduling and controlling, and will provide students with skill building using project management tools, techniques and software.
Elective Courses
MBA 6610 Analytics II: Decision Modeling (3 sh)
MBA 6620 Analytics III: Business Data Mining (3 sh)
MBA 6630 Analytics IV: Programming Basics (3 sh)
MBA 6640 Analytics V: Business Graphics & Data Visualization (3 sh)
MBA 7280 Marketing Research (3 sh)
MBA 6540 Consumer Behavior (3 sh)
MBA 6520 Employment Law for Managers (3 sh)
MBA 6500 Human Capital Management (3 sh)
MBA 7200 Human Performance Management (3 sh)
MBA 6560 Business Law for Managers (3 sh)
MBA 6580 Innovation Imperative (3 sh)
MBA 6380 Entrepreneurship I (3 sh)
MBA 7380 Entrepreneurship II (3 sh)
MBA 7260 Investment Management (3 sh)
MBA 7600 Topics: Advanced Economic Analysis (3 sh)
MBA 7620 Topics: Advanced Financial Analysis (3 sh)
MBA 7640 Topics: Applied Management (3 sh)