Master of Business Administration (MBA)

MBA 601. Foundations for Decision Making.1 Credit.

This course covers basic elements of statistics, technology (including Excel), financial accounting, managerial accounting, finance and economics as well as other fundamental business concepts. The course must be taken during a student's first semester in the MBA program, but can be completed concurrently with MBA 615. The course is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, All

MBA 602. Communicating Effectively for Managers.3 Credits.

This course provides instruction and practice in the various formats and styles of writing required of executives and professionals in a business environment. This course focuses on the ability to communicate clearly, which is necessary for success in the business world. Students are encouraged to organize thoughts logically, plan communications in advance, write in appropriate formats and communicate ideas concisely. Students learn communication skills necessary for leaders in today's global marketplace. International degree students only.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

MBA 605. Graduate Teaching Practicum.3 Credits.

This teaching practicum is designed for business students who wish to explore education as part of their professional development. The practicum is a period of intensive development, which will enable students to understand beginning instructional competencies. Practicum students will have the opportunity to become involved with, and actively participate in, many aspects of classroom instruction. Through these experiences, they will learn to link theory and practice, and acquire the understanding of effective presentation in a range of professional situations.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

MBA 610. Business Decision Analysis.3 Credits.

This course is an introduction to basic quantitative tools that enable managers to analyze data and make informed decisions. Topics include descriptive analysis of survey data, introductory probability, sampling and sampling distributions, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression and decision analysis. Students apply the quantitative decision-making tools to business situations through cases.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

MBA 615. Skills for Contemporary Business Issues.3 Credits.

This is an experiential and action-based learning course that covers skills needed to address contemporary business issues. Topics include problem solving, business communication, business research and basic data analysis, cross-cultural awareness and innovation. By the end of the course, students are able to recognize and research business problems, formulate implementable solutions and effectively communicate those solutions to stakeholders.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall

MBA 620. Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making (AC 620).3 Credits.

This course provides an introduction to the use of accounting information for decision making in organizations. Topics include reporting and analysis of financial statement information and the use of managerial decision-making tools to support planning and control. Students can receive credit for either AC 620 or MBA 620 but not both.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Spring

MBA 625. Authentic Leadership within Organizations.3 Credits.

In this experiential course students will consider their individual leadership styles and determine their unique preferences for leadership, motivation, emotional intelligence, and achievement. Additionally, students will experience how communication occurs in organizations to utilize organizational networks, negotiate workplace politics, embrace change, and lead team execution. Students will also recognize that inclusive organizations contribute responsibly keeping legal, ethical, social, and human duties at the forefront of decision making.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Spring

MBA 630. Business Data Analytics.3 Credits.

This action learning course teaches how to harness the full potential of data and leverage it as a strategic asset. Machine learning and predictive modeling techniques are utilized to provide hands-on experience of working with different models. By the end of the course, students are able to apply decision trees, neural networks, regression and other techniques to recognize patterns in data, compute predictions and recommend a range of actions leading to better decision making.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall

MBA 635. Supply Chain Management in a New Era.3 Credits.

This is a problem-based and case-based course that covers concepts, strategies and analytical techniques to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a firm's supply chain. Topics are related to a firm's supply chain, such as sustainable sourcing, product availability, supply chain network design, distribution channels, coordination of supply chain, and information technology in supply chain. By the end of the course students will be able to understand the key supply chain principles, formulate solutions for supply chain problems, and recognize the technology effect in creating values and enhancing a firm's performance.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 615.
Offered: Every year, Fall

MBA 636. Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development Goals.3 Credits.

This course developed from the Oxford University Initiative AIxSDG to urge AI to deliver socially beneficial outcomes. The goal of the Initiative was to advance knowledge of AI in combination with the United Nations (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to identify global challenges that AI could help tackle and to develop a strategic guide for decision-makers based on empirical evidence. The objective of this course is to develop a mindset to use AI to positively impact individuals, societies, and the environment. This concept is the basis for AI for social good (AI4SG). Stakeholders, e.g., industry and governments, with various areas of interest are currently promoting ethical requirements for AI the same as they would for AI's human counterparts. Since the SDGs incorporate economic, social, and environmental goals for social good, they are globally recognized as a benchmark for evaluation of positive social impact. In this course we will delve into various aspects of AI and its potential to impact social good and the processes that may need to be implemented to deliver AI4SG and AI4SDGs.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Summer

MBA 640. Financial Decision Making.3 Credits.

This course introduces students to the theory and techniques of financial analysis with application to real-world problems and situations. Topics include risk and return, asset pricing, capital budgeting and corporate investment decisions, capital structure decisions, dividend policy, corporate merger, divestiture and takeover decisions.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 615.
Offered: Every year, Fall

MBA 645. Marketing Decision Making.3 Credits.

Students learn to formulate, manage and evaluate the marketing strategies that create the firm's products and services and deliver those products and services to the market. Both tactical day-to-day operating decisions and longer range strategic decisions are examined through topics that include buyer behavior, market segmentation, demand estimation, product positioning, product development, branding, pricing, distribution channels, and integrated marketing communications. Students also explore the relationship between the marketing and the overall corporate strategy.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 615.
Offered: Every year, Fall

MBA 650. Strategic Public Relations and Reputation Management.3 Credits.

The focus of this course is reputation management and its importance to business success. Students analyze the function of corporate communications and examine a range of topics including organizational identity, image and reputation; issues and crisis management; institutional ethics and corporate social responsibility; strategic public relations planning; integrated marketing communication; public relations theories and best practices; and global public engagement. The class also explores specialty public relations practice areas such as media relations, investor relations, employee relations and government relations. Class discussions, case studies, in-class exercises, team projects and essay exams help students improve their critical thinking and reasoning skills, develop research and strategic planning skills and increase diversity awareness and sensitivities that are important to professional and business success.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

MBA 660. Decision Making in a Global Economy.3 Credits.

Students come to understand the global trends and issues that create business opportunities in foreign markets as well as the impact of the global environment on domestic business practices and opportunities. Students examine the economic, social and political issues that affect a firm's strategy for entering international markets and how cross-cultural issues affect internal business processes. Some sections of the course can include an international travel experience while others include a virtual study abroad experience.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

MBA 675. Special Topics - MBA.3 Credits.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

MBA 681. Co-Operative Experience I.3 Credits.

This is the first of a four-part course series supporting immersive student learning through professional experience combined with professional and industry research.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 688.
Offered: Every year, January Term

MBA 682. Co-Operative Experience II.3 Credits.

This is the second of a four-part course series supporting immersive student learning through professional experience combined with professional and industry research.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 681.
Offered: Every year, Spring

MBA 683. Co-Operative Experience III.3 Credits.

This is the third of a four-part course series supporting immersive student learning through professional experience combined with professional and industry research.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 682.
Offered: Every year, Spring

MBA 684. Co-Operative Experience IV.3 Credits.

This is the fourth of a four-part course series supporting immersive student learning through professional experience combined with professional and industry research.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 683.
Offered: Every year, Summer

MBA 688. Graduate Internship I.3 Credits.

Internships provide students with opportunities to obtain important experience in fields related to their programs of study under the supervision of a sponsoring faculty member and a practicing manager. Prior academic approval is required before registering for any internship course. Details may be obtained from the graduate business programs office. These courses are normally only open to full-time MBA students. Students must complete a minimum of 150 hours in their internship

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

MBA 689. Graduate Internship II Administration.3 Credits.

Internships provide students with opportunities to obtain important experience in fields related to their programs of study under the supervision of a sponsoring faculty member and a practicing manager. Prior academic approval is required before registering for any internship course. Details may be obtained from the graduate business programs office. These courses are normally only open to full-time MBA students. Students must complete a minimum of 150 hours in their internship.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

MBA 690. Strategic Management.3 Credits.

This is a capstone course in strategic decision making for MBA students. Students learn concepts and theory relevant to the field of strategic management, as well as review and integrate the accumulated functional business knowledge from the other MBA core courses. The course covers such topics as internal and external firm analysis, industry analysis, value chain, competitive strategy, corporate and functional strategy, top management leadership and firm performance evaluation. Emphasis is placed on developing decision-making skills through company and case analyses.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 615, MBA 620.
Offered: Every year, Fall

MBA 695. Action-Based Learning Lab.3 Credits.

This course is a hands-on, action learning capstone for the MBA that asks students to integrate the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the program. The course engages students in solving a real-world business problem or developing a new business. By the end of the course, students have further developed their skills in the problem-solving process, business knowledge integration, and written and oral presentation.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 620, MBA 625, MBA 630, MBA 635, MBA 645, MBA 690. Take MBA 640 or FIN 610;
Offered: Every year, Spring

MBA 699. Independent Study.1-6 Credits.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed