MBA Courses and Descriptions

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MBA Core Courses

MBA 500 Business Fundamentals

This overview course covers business practices across a number of disciplines. Topics include theory bases for management, organizational behavior, leadership, finance management, economics, marketing, and decision-making. Students can petition for exemption from this course if they have already earned an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in business. However, most students will find that this course serves as a good review of the business fundamentals and theories, laying the groundwork for the subsequent courses. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: None

MBA 600 Management and Organizational Behavior

Contemporary leadership requires managers to excel at skills in challenging the status quo, sharing the vision, creating systems where others can act to meet organizational objectives, model good leadership to others, and inspiring others to carry on. In this course, students develop these competencies, demonstrate how to support and encourage good leaders, analyze the concept of accountability in leadership, and understand the importance of succession planning. Students also learn about the roles, behaviors and skills that are required for a manager to operate effectively in an organization. Theories of motivation, perceptions and attitudes, group and intergroup behavior, culture, organizational structure, change management and quality will be topics in this course. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 606 Research and Decision Making

This course helps the student to establish skills in research methods for the business environment. Topics include development of inductive and deductive reasoning, problem development, research design, proposal preparation, data gathering, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, interpretation of results, report preparation and presentation of research findings. Students will also learn decision-making tools used to analyze data under conditions of uncertainty and payoffs based on probabilities must be determined. Sampling, organizing, and analyzing empirical data are covered in this course. Case studies are used to illustrate the uses of data and decision tools. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 615 Marketing

Major elements of the marketing process include domestic and global market assessment, strategic marketing planning, and the development of an effective marketing mix (product, price, promotion, and distribution) to create customer value. Topics include marketing concepts such as consumer/business buying behavior, market research, brand management, product development, and techniques for pricing, promotion and distribution. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 620 Accounting for Managers

Developing, interpreting and applying financial information for internal users and decision-making is the focus of this course. Topics include cost accounting and activity based costing, product pricing, profit planning, variance analysis, capital and operational budgeting, cost of capital, investment analysis, and time value of money. Students will learn practical business tools and models that they can apply in their organization to assist in planning, organizing, and controlling their operations, providing internal analysis and decision support. Case studies are included to illustrate the use of these tools and models throughout the course. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 626 Information Systems and Technology

In this course, students examine the information requirements for an organization, including the different kinds of information needed at operational, administrative, strategic and administrative levels. Assignments include definitions and uses of technology, information technology planning, implementation management, project and vendor management, and assessments of system effectiveness. Particular attention is paid to issues of data security in today’s evolving business environments, such as the impacts of SOX and HIPAA on technology applications. The course will also address the vast array of other technology used by organizations. Analyses of case studies are used to underscore techniques and methods for solutions in each topical area. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 631 Operations and Project Management

Meeting the needs of both internal and external customers is the goal of operations, defined as the methods to convert resources into goods and services. Topics include demand forecasting and management, capacity planning and scheduling, inventory control, purchasing and materials management, facilities management, project management strategies and tactics, defining user needs and project scope, scheduling and budgeting, and performance objectives. Control methods such as PERT/CPM, Gantt charts, project management software, and project audits, will also be addressed. Students will focus on developing an overall operations strategy based on common business assumptions in the application of these tools. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 641 Business and Labor Law

This course focuses on the meaning of the “rule of law” and conduct of a business, elements of contracts and their role in a market economy, regulatory law and how it affects an organization’s choices, and discrimination and employment law from the employer’s perspective. Skills in recognizing ethical issues are built through discussion of current case studies to emphasize the impact of these topics on the daily operations of an organization. Topics related to labor law and how it impacts the management of employees will also be addressed. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 645 Finance

An understanding of financial statements, expense and income recognition and matching expenses and income, financial projections, auditing requirements, working capital management, ratio analysis, reporting and disclosures for outside users, oversight and accountability, and regulatory responsibilities are covered as topics in this course. The students also gain knowledge about how financial statements are derived from income and expense data in the organization, as well as related compliance requirements that affect corporations today. Application of these principles in real-life business situations are used throughout the course. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 690 Strategic Planning

Understanding the dynamic global environment for modern businesses requires that managers master the art of thinking globally and frameworks for acting locally. Strategic planning incorporates the use of mission, vision and values to guide an organization. Analysis of the operating environment at a number of levels, assessment of directions and projections of what is required to meet those goals and objectives are components of this course. Students will develop an abbreviated strategic plan for an organization throughout this course. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 691 Graduate Capstone Project

All students are required to complete a capstone final project to exhibit skills integration, analysis and application in their field of study. This project can be a case analysis, development and application of a specific business tool, or other integrative project undertaken with approval from the instructor. MBA691 is taken in the final term and may be continued for a second term for 3.0 additional credits if the student’s final project warrants.

Business Management Courses

MBA 610 Human Resources Management

This course covers the effective management of human resources in an organization, including concepts and techniques of personnel planning, job and performance evaluation, incentive and performance standards, accommodation of ethnic and cultural diversity in the workplace, and the impact of labor organizations on management. Current topics in human resources management and examples from HR perspectives around the country are incorporated into this course to recognize the dynamic environment for this topic. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 651 Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial businesses comprise an ever-increasing number of companies today. Topics for this course, illustrated by case studies, include net venture creation, developing a case through business planning, funding sources, economics for the emerging and growing business, marketing as a start-up, and family business ventures. Students are encouraged to develop their own entrepreneurial business venture idea throughout the course. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 652 International Business

Almost every business entity in any industry is impacted today by the global business environment. Whether it is a supplier from overseas or the call center for services, factors such as instant worldwide communications and access to the internet have made all businesses international in some respect. This course covers international business issues such as international financial flows and balance of payment, currency fluctuations, global operations and security, ethnically and culturally appropriate marketing, electronic commerce, and multinational company perspectives. Throughout the course, students will integrate these topics by developing a business plan for an international business program. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 653 Logistics and Supply Chain Management

This course examines the internal and environmental factors affecting logistics systems. Topics include the integration of transportation, inventory, facility location, informational flow and materials handling and packaging activities into a system for managing a physical flow of inbound and outbound products and materials in a global environment. The course will also address supply chain management issues that include enterprise resource planning, inventory control, production control, purchasing, just-in-time, and the use of technology. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

Health Care Management Courses

MBA 662 Health Care Public Policy and Corporate Compliance

In this course, students focus on the relationship between health care economics and public policy, developing an understanding of how public policy formation and the economics of the health care delivery system interact. Topics include health care supply and demand, technology and its uses, labor market factors, equity and efficiency, and application of economic analysis to the health care public policy development process. This course also examines topics including legal aspects of the health care corporation, and physician/patient, institution/patient and institution/physician relation-ships. Ethical issues related to individual lifecycle stages, third-party payers, sharing of health data, quality assurance, professional liability, and confidentiality issues are discussed. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 663 Health Insurance and Managed Care

In this course, students examine the evolution of health insurance products and development of managed care as a financing mechanism. Types of managed care organizations, operational models and risk management are outlined. Current legislative and regulatory standards that impact the patient, provider and payer in the health insurance system are discussed through case studies and analysis. Implications for operations at all levels of the health care delivery system are discussed in light of risk and reimbursement implications. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 664 Health Care Administration

Major components and organizational interrelationships in the U.S. Health care delivery system across the continuum of care are discussed in this course. Topics include the history of the delivery system, delivery institutions and models, policy implementation, and payment mechanisms. Variables of access, cost and quality are introduced. Application of these topics in the areas of health care reform, social cultural changes that affect the system, and alternative health care allow students to analyze critically these evolving health care issues. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 665 Health Care Information Management

This course provides an overview of the role of information systems in health care organizations. It explores the technical, organizational, and cost-benefit issues related to health care information systems, including clinical decision-support, integrated networking and distributed computing technologies, telemedicine applications, and artificial intelligence solutions. Students will develop and exercise analytical skills for appraising health information systems, as well as acquire practical experience using biomedical research databases, desktop application software, and electronic communication systems. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

Technology Management Courses

MBA 671 Project Management in Technology

Technology managers must organize, analyze, plan, implement and control complex information technology projects, often while dealing with
dynamic changes in both systems and in user needs. Topics in this course include project management strategies and tactics, defining user needs and project scope, scheduling and budgeting, performance objectives, and control mechanisms. Topics include project life cycle management, and control methods such as PERT/CPM, Gantt charts, project management software, and project audits. This course includes both private and public sector considerations and legal and ethical issues related to project implementation. A case study approach is employed in the course to help students test the application of tools and processes. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 672 Information Security and Privacy

From thwarting identity theft to protection of sensitive medical information, the need to guarantee information security and the consumer’s right to privacy has become a cornerstone of effective technology management. Students in this course cover various aspects of security in computing, including security threats and controls; basic cryptography and its applications; network intrusion detection and prevention; security administration and planning; anonymity and privacy; legal issues; protection; and ethics. Examples from a variety of private and public sector organizations are used to test concepts and assumptions throughout the course. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 673 Systems Analysis and Design

Designed to provide an integrated business solution approach to systems overall, students in this course are introduced to the principles and techniques of systems analysis and design methods with particular emphasis on information systems. The conceptual architecture of an information system, information systems framework and conceptual building blocks are introduced. An appreciation of the multi-disciplinary approach needed for systems analysis and design will be gained through an understanding of information systems project sizing, structure, transaction analysis, user participation, performance criteria, and topologies and protocols required for a successful information systems project. Students will develop an analysis and design case study throughout the course to illustrate these concepts. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.

MBA 674 Technology and Innovation

Just as technology itself is changing rapidly, the global environment within which business must operate is also changing quickly. This course provides students with the insight and discipline required to manage technology organizations effectively in an increasingly competitive global environment through the successful use of innovation and creativity. The course provides a coherent process for the formulation, implementation, and assessment of technology business strategy, and presents a framework for the birth, growth, maturation, and decline of business innovation. Students will analyze the technology issues in various business sectors throughout the course, and develop findings and recommendations to apply the lessons learned in a final case study. 3.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 500 Business Fundamentals.