The online MBA curriculum

Solve linear and quadratic equations. Exponential and logarithmic functions are discussed with applications to the mathematics of finance. Revenue and profit maximization and cost minimization applications using derivatives. The basic statistical tools needed to make decisions in business situations, including descriptive statistics, probability and statistical inference.

Accounting is frequently referred to as the “language of business.” MBA Accounting is the study of understanding, analyzing and using relevant financial information for management decision-making. The knowledge and skills learned in this course will equip the student for success as a 21st-century professional in world class organizations.

Economics is the study of how people, firms and governments allocate scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants.

Microeconomics focuses on 1) the behavior of individuals as consumers and employees, 2) the behavior of businesses firms as producers and employers, 3) how the behaviors of individuals and business firms is coordinated through a system of markets and prices, 4) how various government policies affect market outcomes, and 5) how society’s scarce resources are allocated and how income is distributed in a modern mixed (market/government) economy.

Macroeconomics is the study of the economy as a whole and looks at topics including 1) total production in a society, 2) business cycles, 3) inflation and unemployment, 4) global product, service and financial markets, and 5) how various government policies affect domestic and international markets.

This course will provide an overview of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. The course will integrate current economic conditions, events, and issues in order to make economic theories relevant to everyday situations.

This class will cover the core concepts and basic tools in finance including time value of money, compounding, discounting and different types of cash flow. In addition, different types of financial assets (e.g. bonds, stocks, and loans) and how to analyze their value, their risk and the return of your investment in these assets from both standalone and portfolio perspectives will be covered. This course is also designed to show how to analyze business decisions from a financial point of view. After taking this course, a student will know how to choose between business projects using financial criteria and how to finance these business projects optimally (whether you should issue bonds, stocks or a combination to minimize the cost of capital and maximize the value of your company). Moreover, students will learn about different methods of distribution that companies use to give back to their investors (e.g. stock dividend, cash dividend and stock repurchases).

Course provides a broad overview of information systems and applications used in organizations. Topics include data analytics, data visualization and an exposure to database systems. Lectures will be supplemented with online team activities utilizing software labs with an introduction to Python, SQL, Excel and Tableau.

The understanding of marketing principles and application of marketing variables are underscored in terms of analyzing, planning, implementing, and controlling marketing activities such as positioning, differentiation, segmentation analysis, and target market selection within a firm. Emphasis is given to understanding the plethora of ways firms manage their approaches to the marketing mix parameters; namely, the product strategy, pricing strategy, distribution strategy, and integrated marketing communications for their products and brands.

This course introduces essential topics and skills in the function of marketing by applying an array of marketing concepts to a multitude of business scenarios. The understanding of marketing principles and application of marketing variables are underscored in terms of analyzing, planning, implementing and controlling marketing activities such as positioning, differentiation, segmentation analysis and target market selection within a firm. Emphasis is given to understanding the plethora of ways firms manage their approaches to the marketing mix parameters; namely, the product strategy, pricing strategy, distribution strategy and integrated marketing communications for their products and brands. After successful completion of this course, students will have an essential base in marketing as well as a necessary foundation for future marketing courses or roles.

This course introduces essential topics and skills in the planning, designing and managing of operations and supply chain management in the firm. Topics include supply chain strategies, sourcing and supplier relationship management, demand planning, inventory management, sales and operations planning, MRP, global logistics, and Industry 4.0. Course includes a mix of lectures and online activities involving research, readings, case studies and tutorials.

Introduces concepts for understanding and managing human behavior in organizations. Topics include: individual differences, motivation, group/teamwork, national and organizational culture, as well as organizational change. Emphasis is on applying these concepts to real-world organizational challenges through leadership and human resource management skills. Students leave with a set of tools for enhancing key performance indicators and success in their own organizations.

Presents frameworks and tools for formulating successful strategies. Focuses on identifying and analyzing the internal and external sources of competitive advantage available to the firm and on developing strategies to access these sources of profitability. Strategy is viewed as a link between the firm and its environment. Implies that there are two primary areas of analysis: the external industry environment of the firm and the internal environment of the firm (the resources and capabilities it possesses). Pre-req: MBA 6010, MBA 6040, MBA 6050, MBA 6060, MBA 6070, MBA 6080, MBA 6090

Provides a structured and effective way of tackling a wide range of managerial problems using analytics. Introduces students to basic concepts in business analytics and several quantitative techniques that are important for the practical analysis of a broad range of business problems and widely accepted by the practitioners. These techniques provide a framework to support managerial decision making. Also stresses the importance of critical thinking skills to make sound managerial decisions, to apply ethical reasoning to business situations and to communicate effectively in business settings. Pre-req: MBA 6010

Explores the application of theories of ethics to the moral dimensions of business endeavors and their effects on individuals, organizations, society and the environment. Topics may include: issues of responsibility, discrimination and affirmative action in the workplace, whistleblowing, economic justice, environmental impact and the effects of the global economy. Engrains understanding of the ethical principles that guide business leaders. Seeks to integrate basic theory of business ethics via applied projects or cases. The applied projects and cases also require integration and application of concepts in functional areas of business: accounting, economics, finance, information technology, marketing, and operations and supply chain.

Introduces practices and experiences necessary for delivering on two aspects of innovation and leadership: 1) delivers on frameworks, such as design thinking and tools, that are useful for stimulating innovation and creative problem solving through critical analysis of the problem domain, imagination, and inventive thought and action. Provides the means to become more aware of how creativity and innovation affects their own organizational work and role. Addresses the innovation processes that transform ideas into practical and sustaining goods and services. 2) develops practical experiences on innovation leadership that are necessary to create an organizational environment that develops a culture of innovation across all functional areas. Among other skills, students learn how to inspire innovative thinking among peers/employees, how to manage innovation­ driven organizational change, and how to perpetuate processes that lead to continuous improvement and innovation across all departments. Looks at the differences between creativity, innovation and invention and how to move from one to the next.

An overarching goal is to understand how business, government and society interact in addressing social issues within the U.S. and globally. Students are expected to think deeply about a wide range of social issues confronting businesses today and learn how to anticipate new issues as they emerge, consider when and how corporations address social issues effectively, define and understand the role of social entrepreneurship in addressing social challenges, think about the role that consumers play in demanding corporations be more socially responsive, assess the roles of multinational corporations in the global economy and their ability to address social challenges.

Helps identify and understand one's leadership style and the styles of others throughout their career. Assess personal leadership characteristics such as personality traits, values, competencies, and communication and conflict handling styles in order to identify current strengths and opportunities for future growth. The objective is to advance leadership capacity through heightened self-awareness achieved by examination, reflection and feedback. Exposure to both values-based leadership theories and applied ethical frameworks provide a foundation for developing a personal leadership development plan.

A risk assessment methodology and process that provides a more strategic evaluation and response to risk. Increasingly, executive leadership and boards of directors are coming to the conclusion that risk management can be a contributing element in strategic planning and strategic management only if done comprehensively on an enterprise-wide focus. The focus cannot be solely on avoiding and mitigating the effects of negative risk; instead, the organization must seek to optimize its decision-making process for risk­ taking in order to achieve its strategic goals. Prereq: MBA 6110 and 12 credits completed within GSM.

Project-based class that presents an opportunity to understand and comment on a firm's strategic management including interviewing president or CEO, appraisal on strategy and perspectives on what has been learned. Prereq: 18 credits taken from Business Analytics, Ethics and Organizations, Strategy, Leadership of which a maximum of 6 credits elective components applies toward the 18 credits minimum.

Emphasizes the role of the accounting system as a quantitative information system for decision-making. Available data are restructured in the form of internal reports to management for use in planning and controlling routine operations as well as in making non-routine decisions and formulating major strategic plans and policies. Prereq: Admitted to graduate BUAD, CCOM, ECON, HCTM, HURE, LEDR or NURS program; completion of MBA 6010 and MBA 6020; or consent of program director.

Provides the opportunity to analyze how organizations use symbols to develop and maintain organizational culture, manage organizational impressions, manage crises and advocate for particular positions using a combination of concepts from organizational communication, rhetorical criticism and public relations. Designed to build abilities to critically think about and analyze the persuasive messages of organizations. Explores roles, uses and theories of rhetoric in organizational life. By learning how to analyze examples of organizational advocacy, students are better prepared to responsibly and effectively create those messages.

Incorporates the tools and logic of microeconomics together with quantitative and statistical methods to assist managers in sound, ethical decision-making. The principal focus is on understanding and predicting economic behavior of consumers, pricing strategies of firms, and the impact of industry competition through product-line and industry modeling and model estimation. May also consider the impact of various industries. The use of current statistical software and computer technology is required. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, BUAD, CCOM, HCTM, HURE, LEDR or NURS program; completion of MBA 6010, MBA 6020; or consent of program director.

From the perspective of a manager who must make two decisions: 1) which investment projects to take and 2) how to finance these projects. Learn about advanced topics in corporate finance including capital budgeting, short-term and long-term financing, financial and asset restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. Cases are used extensively. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, ECON, BUAD, CCOM, HCTM, HURE or NURS program; completion of MBA 6010, MBA 6020; or consent of program director.

Topics vary. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, BUAD, ECON, HCTM, HURE or NURS program and completion of MBA 6010 and MBA 6020; or consent of program director. Prerequisites may vary depending on topic.

Provides an in-depth study of evidence-based organizational development (OD) processes and interventions aimed at improving organizational performance. Emphasizes planning and implementation team, as well as inter-team and organization-wide interventions. Values, ethics and the role of the OD professional/change agent are described. Prereq: Admitted to graduate HURE or MGMT program and consent of program director.

Investigates principles of human resource strategy and the link to business strategy. Concepts emphasized include resource-based theory of the firm, sustained competitive advantage, as well as fit and flexibility in the design of human resource systems. Studies approaches to evaluating and assessing the contribution and effectiveness of human resource systems. Prereq: Completion of both MBA 6140 and MBA 6160 for BUAD and MGMT graduate students, completion of 15 HURE credits for HURE students, or consent of the program director.

Provides a holistic view of project management. Focuses on impact of effective project management on myriad aspects of the organization and includes the following topics: alignment of projects with organizational strategy; project elements, organization and structure; estimating project times and costs; developing a project plan; risk management; resource and project scheduling and management; being an effective project manager; managing project teams; managing inter-organizational relationships; progress and performance measurement and evaluation; managing international projects and project teams; vendor management; management of cross-functional project teams. Supplemental activities include hands-on project management, as well as speakers from the Project Management Institute, industry and project management software (e.g., MS Project, SIM software). Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, ACAN, BUAD, COSC, ECON, HCTM, HURE, MSSC or NURS program and completion of MBA 6030; or consent of program director.

Introduces a number of fundamental concepts of database management systems used in enterprise-level organizations. Topics include: data modeling (conceptual, logical, entity-relationship, etc.); SQL query language; Microsoft Access; management and administration of databases including index tuning, concurrency control, data security, backup and recovery; and emerging topics such as distributed and NoSQL databases. Covers data visualization and also discusses big data and data analytics. Students work on semester-long projects to design and implement a relational database. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, BUAD, ECON, HCTM, HURE, LEDR or MSCS program and completion of MBA 6030; or consent of program director.

In-depth study of the transformational and transactional leadership models and a review of emerging thought on authentic leadership. Learning activities include an in-depth review of the literature on transformational and transactional leadership theory and discussion and presentation of either a qualitative or quantitative study in contemporary leadership. Prereq: Admitted to graduate BUAD, CCOM, HURE, LEDR, MGMT or PUBS program and completion of MBA 6140 or MBA 6160; or consent of program director.

Emphasizes developing competencies for ethical, values-driven leadership. Presents models of leadership that build ethical cultures and character-driven organizations. Focuses on values-based decision-making and delivering related organizational performance. Also addresses diversity of thought and the global/international context of leadership. Learning outcomes include: 1) Ability to apply ethically based tools and models to leadership challenges, decision-making and culture-building; 2) A deepened self-awareness of how one’s personal values fit within a character-based leadership approach; and 3) Ability to identify and apply key concepts related to thought diversity and global business practice as part of an ethically based leadership model. Prereq: Admitted to graduate BUAD, CCOM, HURE, LEDR, MGMT or PUBS program and completion of MBA 6140 or MBA 6160; or consent of program director.

Topics vary. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, BUAD, ECON, HCTM, HURE, LEDR, MGMT or NURS program or consent of program director. Other prerequisites vary depending on topic.

Provides a comprehensive investigation of the process and dynamics surrounding a diverse variety of negotiations and conflict resolution efforts. Both academic models of negotiations and actual events, historical and contemporary, are examined in detail. Strategies and tactics for achieving objectives, limiting losses and maintaining positive relations are emphasized in light of radically changing social and business climates. Methods for becoming an effective negotiator are presented through both analytical frameworks and experiential opportunities. Cost benefit assessment of negotiations are developed in the actual costing of an agreement and the impact of failing to achieve an agreement and having to resort to alternative options. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, BUAD, ECON, HCTM, MGMT or NURS program or consent of program director.

Examines the buying process of planning, purchasing and using economic goods and services. Interdisciplinary in nature and applies concepts from psychology, sociology, economics and anthropology. Additional topics include services and industrial buying behavior. Case analyses are used. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, BUAD, ECON, HCTM, HURE, LEDR or NURS program and completion of MARK 6200; or consent of program director.

Develop skills to be successful leaders as sales managers. Learn and apply skills toward designing, organizing and training a sales force; selling to medium and large accounts; expanding business operations; and coaching sales professionals to exceed forecasted goals. Class is highly interactive. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, BUAD, ECON, HCTM, HURE, LEDR or NURS program and completion of MARK 6200; or consent of program director.

Develops an understanding of international marketing concepts and shows how these concepts can be applied to different international marketing environments and situations; examines the major environmental factors influencing the development of international marketing strategies; critically evaluates the developments in global economic, technological, political and ethical/social environments; and examines the different international marketing mix configurations in terms of their strategic orientations and market relevancy. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, BUAD, CCOM, ECON, HCTM, HURE, LEDR or NURS program and completion of MARK 6200; or consent of program director.

Explores marketing’s role in leading companies to more innovative products, services, processes and business models. Demonstrates the importance of innovation to the modern corporation, the core marketing practices that drive corporate innovation and the role of pricing in successful innovation. Students receive hands-on practice in developing innovative products and services and in applying data-driven techniques to the innovation process. Prereq: Admitted to graduate ACCO, ACAN, BUAD, ECON, HCTM, HURE, LEDR, MGMT or NURS program; completion of MBA 6030; or consent of program director.

Team-learning approach dependent upon each student contributing to the overall examination of the NCAA and the issues it faces. Students conduct individualized study and research based on directed assignments and present their work. Examines the NCAA’s history, structure, criticisms, accomplishments and challenges within the context of current issues. Prereq: Admitted to graduate BUAD, ECON, HURE, LEDR, MGMT or SPLE program or consent of program director.