MBA - Master of Business Administration

This is the first course in the MBA program. It provides foundational knowledge in core business subjects, fundamentals and applications. The course also orients the student to the educational philosophy, academic resources and operational practices employed in delivering the MBA program. Prerequisite(s): None. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course is designed to introduce students to leadership styles, such as inclusive leadership, purpose leadership, values-driven leadership, and strengths-based leadership, that support and help create diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environments that cultivate high performing, innovative teams. Other topics include diversity management, emotional intelligence, fostering inclusive cultures where employees feel trusted, valued, and psychologically safe, and ways to enhance diversity, inclusion, and equity on the workplace. Equipped with this knowledge, students will become more inclusive leaders who cultivate an inclusive workplace while solving real-world cultural business challenges. Pre-requisite(s): Admission into the Masters of Business Administration Program; or permission by Program Chair or designate. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course will introduce students to an overview of the design thinking process and how it can be used to see problems as opportunities for creative solutions. Emphasis will be placed on the connection between creativity and business success in today’s global market. Students will work in teams implementing the design thinking process to find a solution for a current business challenge. Students will gather valuable insights on the humans they are designing for, frame the challenges they hope to solve, brainstorm possible solutions, develop prototypes, and present their recommendations to business leadership. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the MBA program or completion of MBA 505 or Program Chair approval. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course introduces student to the application of microeconomic principles to managerial decision-making in the modern organization. Emphasis is placed on marginal analysis and resource allocation as well as strategic aspects of managing organizations in differing competitive environments. A variety of decision-making techniques are applied to the analysis and solving of organizational problems. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the MBA Program; MBA 501and MBA 503. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course focuses on the application of microeconomic and macroeconomic principles to business decision-making. Emphasis is placed on scarcity and resource allocation as well as strategic aspects of managing organizations in differing competitive environments. It provides an analysis of how macroeconomic and microeconomic forces impact markets and thus individual firms across a variety of industries. Pre-requisite(s): MBA 505 and MBA 507 or permission of the Program Chair. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

The purpose of this course is to improve the personal and professional financial decision making of students. We look at the behavior of a variety of economic data and Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions based upon the business cycle definitions of the National Bureau of Economic and the associated Leading Indicator approach of the Conference Board to enable students to analyze the current state of the US economy and forecast its future state. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MBA Program; MBA 500 or MBA 501, MBA 503. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course will focus on the strategic management of assets and liabilities to maximize the value of organizations. Topics include time value of money, investment decision criteria, evaluation of cash flows, risk analysis, cost of capital, working capital management, and overall financial performance. Students will learn and apply a variety of financial decision-making techniques to support the analysis and solving of managerial problems. Pre-requisite(s): MBA 505 and RES 510, or permission of the Program Director. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course will introduce the student to managerial accounting concepts and the use of those concepts in the evaluation of financial reports and other financial data. Issues addressed will include techniques to analyze and evaluate cost data for planning and control, inventory management and control, cost-volume-profit analysis, revenue and profitability analysis, and quality control issues. A variety of managerial decision-making techniques will be used in the analysis and solving of managerial problems. Prerequisite(s): MBA 505 or MBA 501 and MBA 503; or permission of Program Chair or designate. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course will focus on the behavior of financial markets, such as stock, bond, futures and options markets. Several different investment alternatives and their characteristics will be addressed. A variety of managerial decision-making techniques will be used in the analysis and solving of managerial problems. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MBA Program, MBA 500 or MBA 501, MBA 503, MBA 514, MBA 518. Co-requisite(s): none. 3 semester hours

This course will emphasize the strategic management of assets and liabilities to maximize the value of organizations. Topics include time value of money, investment decision criteria, evaluation of cash flows, risk analysis, cost of capital, working capital management, dividend policy, and overall financial performance. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MBA Program; MBA500 or MBA501, MBA503, MBA514. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course is an introduction to the marketing research process and the basics of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Students will learn to define the research problem, select an appropriate research design, create visual displays to present the findings from a marketing research study, and learn how to analyze customer databases and surveys using statistical software. Pre-requisite(s): MBA 505, MBA 507 or permission of the Program Director. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

The course is designed to provide a foundation of marketing knowledge and practical skills that will enable the student to develop and implement strategic marketing programs in future work situations. The course will examine marketing principles, behavioral economics, storytelling, and their application to strategic marketing problems in a competitive global environment. Issues addressed will include consumer research, product development, pricing decisions, distribution management, integrated marketing communications; visual and written storytelling, performance measures, and the potential financial impact. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MBA Program; MBA 500; or Program Chair approval. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This capstone course will provide students with a foundational understanding of the theory and practical application of strategy. The curriculum leads students through the strategy development process as they analyze the market and competitive environments in order to develop a strategic plan and implementation approach for an organization. Building upon the enterprise-wide knowledge and skills developed in preceding courses, students will apply a general manager’s perspective throughout this course, evaluating and debating strategic situations for a wide range of organizations.

In this capstone course, students will learn about strategic leadership and managing the strategic-making process for creating a competitive advantage. Topics include the nature of competition, completing an internal and external analysis, and various strategies, such as global, functional -level, business-level, and corporate-level strategies. In addition, students will learn how to implement these strategies with the consideration of corporate governance, , ethics, special responsibility, and technology. With this knowledge, students will apply all the concepts from the MBA program to work in teams and complete a business plan with strategic recommendations for a company to achieve a real-world initiative. Pre-requisite(s): MBA 533 or permission by Program Chair or designate. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course introduces MBA students to the discipline of project management with examples of the kinds of projects they are likely to encounter in their career, such as Facility Construction, Product Development, IT Systems, Business/Public Program Rollout, etc. Students will learn principles and apply techniques in project need/mission formation; project planning and control; risk management and mitigation strategies; project organization, leadership, and motivation issues; procurement and contract management; quality management; and project communications. Course contents are aligned with industry certifications (Project Management Professional), although the course by itself is insufficient for certification exams. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MBA Program; MBA 500 or MBA 501, MBA 503. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

The globalization of business is challenging organization leaders at all levels to come to grips with the complexities of managing business beyond the U.S. This course focuses on the interplay between the domestic business environment and the diversity of business environments across the world. It is designed to prepare graduates with diversity, equity, and inclusive skills, analytical skills, and decision-making skills that will help them enhance their leadership capabilities and successfully build an international business community. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MBA Program; MBA500; or Program Chair approval. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course focuses on how managers can leverage technology and information to improve organizational performance. Like human and financial resources, technology is a critical ingredient of modern organizations. The course addresses general patterns of technology development and evolution, and then focuses on the impact of information technology on many industries-manufacturing and services including healthcare and government. The course uses case studies and frameworks to enable general managers to be effective participants in the planning, management, and use of technology in their areas of responsibility.