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Business Administration Courses (MBA)

MBA 601. Quantitative Concepts and Methods I (2). This course considers basic mathematical concepts and methods that form the foundation for quantitative analysis of business information. Course topics include fundamentals of algebra, linear and non-linear functions, elementary differential calculus, use of graphical tools and mathematical functions in standard software packages.

MBA 602. Quantitative Concepts and Methods II (2). Prerequisite: MBA 601. This course considers basic probability and statistical concepts and methods that form the foundation for quantitative analysis of business information. Course topics include elementary statistical distributions including binomial, Poisson and normal; expected values, variances and covariances of random variables; elementary regression and correlation; elementary time series models; and graphical presentation of time series and other statistical data using standard software packages.

MBA 604. Economic Analysis (3). Prerequisite: MBA 601. This course engages students in an analysis of microeconomic and macroeconomic principles and policies with an emphasis on business applications. Topics included are: demand and supply analysis, production and cost analysis, market structure and pricing, national income determination, unemployment, inflation, economic growth, monetary policy, and fiscal policy.

All MBA students may meet the quantitative requirements by either taking MBA 601 and MBA 602 as courses or by doing self-study and successfully completing the exams for these courses.

MBA 606. Basic Financial Management (2). Prerequisite: MBA 601. This course contains an overview of basic financial concepts, tools and techniques used by financial managers of public corporations: financial statement analysis, financial instrument and project valuation, capital budgeting, risk and return, and long-term financing.

MBA 608. Financial and Managerial Accounting (3). This course includes an analysis of the accounting principles and concepts underlying the preparation and interpretation of financial statements and reports. Emphasis is placed on asset and liability measurement and the related impact on cash flows and the measurement of income. The course also addresses basic managerial accounting concepts such as different types of cost and cost behavior, cost estimation and budgeting.

MBA 610. Principles of Marketing Management (2). This course provides an intensive study of marketing processes in advanced market economies, including consideration of the environment within which marketing decisions are made. The marketing mix, relationship marketing, strategic marketing planning, marketing of services, and international marketing are some of the topics discussed.

MBA 612. The Legal Environment of Business (1). This course deals with the court system, contracts, business organizations and other basic elements of law that affect business. Emphasis is placed on preventive measures, alternative dispute mechanisms and other aspects of managing the legal environment.

MBA 620. Corporate Financial and Managerial Accounting (2). This course addresses the three main purposes for which managers use accounting: (1) accounting information allows managers to understand, and learn from, the effect of past decisions; (2) managers use accounting to communicate with external constituents; and (3) managers use accounting to communicate plans and goals to subordinates and to monitor their performance over time. The course illustrates the use of financial reports to communicate a view of the firm to outside parties. Students will explore the benefits of financial reports as well as their limitations. The course also addresses some difficulties managers and accountants face in measuring and describing the economic substance of an organization. The course develops an understanding of how formal management systems can be used as levers to implement strategy and demonstrates how accounting data can be used to control operating performance.

MBA 625. Corporate Finance (2). This course examines the strategic and tactical issues faced by financial managers of the firm along with the concepts and methods used to resolve these issues. The strategic investment issues of cost of capital and capital budgeting and the financing issue of capital structure and dividend policy are examined. The tactical issues of securities issuance and alternative financing arrangements are explored. In addition, topics of special interest are covered: derivatives, bankruptcy, mergers and acquisitions.

MBA 630. International Business (2). This course consists of an overview of the environmental framework in which global firms operate. The course focuses on the opportunities and issues of entry into global markets and operation of global firms. These issues will be explored within the context of the economic, financial, governmental, cultural and social environment.

MBA 635. International Business Study Abroad (2). Prerequisite: MBA 630. Students travel overseas with a group to gain practical experience in an international environment. Prior to departure, students research the country and businesses to be visited to gain a better understanding of the working environments of their host. Once in the country, students explore and visit cultural, social, educational, and business environment in the one-week visit. A final class project, based on the student's research and experience is required.

MBA 640. Management of Business Processes and Operations (2). This course is focused on design, integration, and improvement of the interrelated work activities that combine to produce an organization's products or services. Emphasis is placed on well-designed and well-managed operations as a source of customer satisfaction, reduced cost and sustainable competitive advantage. Topics include product and service design, process design and improvement, process technology, process planning and scheduling, strategies for dealing with fluctuating demand, procurement and supply management, and management of people. Quantitative models useful for operations analysis and decision-making are included.

MBA 645. Advanced Marketing Management (2). This course provides students opportunities to study and practice the managerial approach to marketing. Marketing managers are viewed as decision-makers and problem-solvers. The course includes lectures, case analysis, guest speakers, and team projects, which integrate the student's marketing background. Strategic choices of marketing mix variables are investigated in the context of industrial and consumer goods companies of various sizes.

MBA 650. The Entrepreneurial Challenge (2). This course explores the contemporary view of entrepreneurship as a method of management applicable in enterprises of all sizes and stages of development. Within this view, entrepreneurs are ³made, not born² as they develop different strategic orientations, different patterns of commitment to opportunity and differing perspectives on resource control, management structure, and compensation/reward policy. This orientation may be summarized as being more nimble with a persistent emphasis upon innovation. Completion of an entrepreneurship project is an integral part of the course.

MBA 651. Statistical Thinking for Managers (2). This course considers concepts and methods to interpret the meaning of variation in organizational performance indicators and to take effective actions to improve performance.

MBA 652. Decision Models (2). This course considers mathematical and statistical models for decision making. These models provide important insights about a broad spectrum of management issues and problems. Topics include decision-making under uncertainty, linear programming, queuing models and simulation models.

MBA 653. Manufacturing Process Management (2). Prerequisite: MBA 651. This course considers methods to develop capability to produce high quality products at reduced cost. Methods considered include process mapping, statistical study of variation, process capability analysis, planned experimentation, design for producibility, failure modes analysis, process reliability and principles for process design.

MBA 654. Service Process Management (2). Prerequisite: MBA 651. This course considers methods to develop capability to produce high quality services at reduced cost. Methods considered include process mapping, statistical study of variation, planned experimentation, queuing studies, failure modes analysis and principles for process design.

MBA 655. Management of Technology (2). This course develops an understanding of the key information technologies that are used in organizations and provides an overview of the key concepts, theories, and themes of information science. Both existing and new, emerging technologies will be studied to provide students with an awareness of these technologies and their associated capabilities. Students will consider the various technologies that may be used to promote managing and improving organizational strategy and effectiveness. The objective of the course is to prepare students to provide leadership in managing the use of information and information technology. While some of the material may be technical in nature, the perspective taken will be that of the manager.

MBA 656. System Management (2). This course considers the application of insights from system theory to business management. Responsibilities of the manager to integrate and coordinate the organization's subsystems are considered. Systemic structures that affect interpersonal interactions, decision making, and business performance are discussed. Topics include system structures, functions, and dynamics.

MBA 659. Special Topics in Process Management (2). This course considers new developments in the area of process management.

MBA 660. Product/Service Costing and Pricing (2). Prerequisites: MBA 620, MBA 640 and MBA 645. This course examines the relationship between costs and price for products and services in a market-driven economy. Costs of producing, distributing, and selling the product are discussed, along with selecting a pricing method, such as markup pricing, target-return pricing, perceived value pricing, value pricing, and going-rate pricing. Experts representing a broad cross-section of industries will discuss their pricing methods.

MBA 665. Organizational Behavior and Management (2). This course provides a foundation and understanding of human behavior in organizations, including the effect of organization structure, design, systems and culture on that behavior. The course explores current approaches, successful practices and models that managers use to influence individuals and groups within and outside the organization.

MBA 670. Leadership and Ethics (2). This course provides an understanding of the important dynamic relationship between leadership and ethics. Effective leaders and managers must identify, understand, articulate and model ethical behavior. Students examine current literature and classical writing on both leadership and ethics. Through class exercises and case analyses, students have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills in discernment, ethics decision making and building ethically responsible organizations.

MBA 675. Strategic Management (2). Prerequisites: MBA 620, 640, 645. This course focuses on general manager's roles and needed skills, especially the ability to formulate and implement strategies. Key areas include vision, external and internal analysis, strategic alternatives and functional strategies. A variety of industry and organizational settings are examined. Instructional methods include a combination of readings, case studies, group and class discussions, guest speakers and a course project. Capstone course to be taken in the final semester.

MBA 690. Human Resource Management (2). This course provides an overview of Human Resource Management from a strategic perspective in a fast-changing business environment. Attention is given to legal compliance issues, staffing processes, compensation and benefits, performance appraisals and employee discipline. Through the use of class exercises and cases, students examine the way contemporary HR departments function and how managers can interact with HR professionals.

MBA 692. Human Dimensions of Business (2). This course provides an understanding of human behavior in the workplace and offers strategies for professional and personal effectiveness. This is primarily a reading and discussion course that deals with human dimension issues including balancing the personal and professional, setting personal and professional goals, stress and conflict management and other related topics.

MBA 693. Data Base Management Systems (2). This course addresses the design and implementation of hierarchical, network and relational database management systems. Topics include database organization, normal forms for databases, physical database design, database administration and distributed systems. The course also includes significant hands-on experience in the design of custom database application systems using a relational database programming language.

MBA 694. Decision Making and Negotiation Skills (2). This course will examine the cognitive aspects and the dynamics of decision making. In addition, the course will explore the process of negotiation and decision making when two or more individuals or groups are involved. Skills for improved negotiating will be introduced.

MBA 695. Strategic Marketing Planning (2). This course acquaints students with the marketing planning process and concepts. Various analytical tools are studied which make market planning more effective.

MBA 698. Directed Research (2). This course provides students an opportunity to apply research concepts to a particular project within a firm. The computer is expected to be extensively utilized. Prior approval of the directing professor and the Associate Dean is required.

MBA 699. Independent Study (2). Under some circumstances, an independent study may be available in any area of the program, such as accounting, finance, management, etc. An instructor in that area must agree to oversee the study. Prior approval of the directing professor and the Associate Dean is required.