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MBA in General Business Studies Elective Courses
(choose from any 3 classes)
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Business Decision Analysis
Economics
Finance
Health Care Administration
Information Management and Accounting
Management and International Business
Marketing
Strategy Formation
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Business Decision Analysis
(MBA Elective Course)
- MGT 564 Decision Making in the Uncertain World of Business
What are the common pitfalls that most managers fall into when making decisions? This course discusses descriptive decision models and the heuristics and biases that lead people to poor decisions. Prescriptive models such as multi-criteria decision analysis, probability models, and decision trees are presented that show how to structure values and risk to make better decisions. Decision support software is used in the course as an integral part of management decision making. (3 credits)
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Economics
(MBA Elective Courses)
- ECO 520 Macroeconomics
A detailed examination of the relationship involving consumption, investment spending, the impact that government and international economic transactions have on the economy and the special role that money and interest rates play in determining output and employment levels. Also, analyses and phenomena of productivity and economic growth, including a discussion of the major theoretical approaches to these issues. (3 credits)
- ECO 523 Global Comparative Economic Performance
This course is designed to bridge the gap between the abstract-theoretical models and the practical data-based needs of decision-makers. It is also intended to provide decision-makers with a compact and consistent framework for a sophisticated reading of economic signals for the gauging of the state of the global economy. A small subset of economic indicators will be used to capture the essence of the bewildering stream of economic signals about performance and trends in economic activity. This course examines sources of international economic information for the monitoring of trends in international economic performance by regions and sectors. Global competitive reports are used to gain a comprehensive world economic outlook. (3 credits)
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Finance
(MBA Elective Courses)
- FIN 530 Principles of Global Finance
This course teaches how multi-national firms or firms facing international competition manage financial risk unique to a multi-national setting such as fluctuations in currency exchange rates, interest rates, and political stability. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: MBA 504
Specializations: Finance, Global Management. - FIN 531 Fundamentals of Derivative Contracts
This course involves study and analysis of various forms of derivative securities. Explanation of various risk-transfer devices such as options and futures contracts, valuation of and strategies involved in trading these securities, hedging and speculating with options and futures. (3 credits)
Specialization: Finance. - FIN 532 Topics in Financial Markets and Investment
Major topics include capital structure, determining discount rates, the risk return tradeoff, capital markets, and derivatives and options. (3 credits)
Specialization: Finance. - MBA 503 Advanced Assurance Topics
This course explores different trends in the assurance area. Assurance services include professional activities that improve information quality for decision makers. Major course topics include assurance services and corporate governance, continuous auditing, international assurance models, earnings management, and fraud detection. (3 credits)
Specialization: Accounting and Information Systems. - FIN 533 Risk Management
Risk Management covers the fundamental principles of financial risk management, evaluating risks, and managing them using derivative securities. The objective of this course is to present a realistic overview of risk management for multinational corporations. This course involves study and analysis of various forms of risk-transfer financial instruments, such as options and futures contracts, valuation of these securities, and hedging with options and futures. (3 credits)
Specialization: Risk Management. - FIN 537 Financial Institutions and Portfolio Management
This course will focus on financial institutions and markets in the context of portfolio construction, management, performance evaluation and performance presentation standards. Specific topics include: capital markets and money markets, roles and functions of monetary institutions, sources and uses of funds, institutional investors, economic indicators, sources of information on global markets, the efficient market hypothesis, market inefficiencies and selection criteria, portfolio diversification methods, asset pricing models, portfolio construction and asset allocations, hedging and risk management, performance presentation standards, performance evaluation and attribution. (3 credits)
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Health Care Administration
(MBA Elective Courses)
- HTH 540 Health Administration and Management
Managerial policies in the management of health care facilities, budgeting and cost-effectiveness analysis, and development of health information systems. (3 credits)
Specialization: Health Care Administration. - HLH 541 Alternative Systems of Health Care Delivery
Methods of health care delivery and conditions imposed externally and internally in compliance with regulations and laws that relate to such institutions as health maintenance organizations, health care corporation, group practice clinics, prepaid health care organizations. (3 credits)
Specialization: Health Care Administration. - HLH 542 Current Problems in Health Care Administration
Politics and economics of health care, national health insurance and risk factors and their effect on the economy. Providers of these services will be studied. Changing legislation relating to the operation and management of health care facilities. (3 credits)
Specialization: Health Care Administration.
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Information Management and Accounting
(MBA Elective Courses)
- MIS 571 Advanced Information Systems Risks and Controls
This course explores different methodologies and perspectives in the risk and control area. Major course topics include risk assessment models, operational and organizational control structures, and strategic use of risk and control feedback. (3 credits)
Specializations: Accounting and Information Systems, Management of Information Systems, Risk Management. - MIS 573Computer Information Systems Security
Reviews the current security issues in terms of technical, managerial, and legal aspects in a gamut of information systems, with emphasis on electronic commerce. Prevention and administration techniques for securing computers and networks will be discussed in terms of theory and practice. (3 credits)
Specialization: Risk Management. - MIS 570 Data Mining
Major topics include determining business problems or questions that might be effectively answered via data mining, comparing and contrasting different data mining techniques, evaluating data mining reports, developing organizational policies on data mining, understanding the typical data-mining project cycle, and developing a plan for implementing and evaluating data mining. (3 credits)
Specializations: Accounting and Information Systems, Management of Information Systems. - MIS 572 Information Resource Management
Introduces the use of the information resources through which a business can achieve competitive advantage. Topics covered include systems development, end-user computing approaches, computer-based information systems, and enterprise computing, both domestic and global. (3 credits)
Specializations: Management of Information Systems, Management of Technology. - ACC 510 Managerial Accounting
Effective managerial decision making and financial planning through accounting information and costing systems, performance evaluation and control of operations, budgeting, and management of assets. (3 credits)
Specialization: Professional Accounting. - ACC 513 Financial Statement Analysis and Reporting
An analysis and evaluation of corporate financial statements as an aid to accountants, security analysis, lending officers and managers in making decisions based on financial data. Financial statements will be reviewed for fairness and completeness in reporting and revision will be made to financial statement data for analytical purposes. Communication of such analysis will be discussed. (3 credits)
- ACC 511 Intermediate Financial Accounting
Accounting concepts and principles are combined with accounting practices and methods in order to provide a comprehensive presentation of the discipline of financial accounting. Interpretation and use of financial statements is covered with a focus on the complementary relationships between the accrual and historical cost-based traditional financial statements, on the one hand, and the newer statement of cash flow on the other. Specific topics include: accounting for revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and owners' equity; financial statements, and accrual income and framework for financial statement analysis. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: MBA 503
Specialization: Professional Accounting. - MIS 574 Systems Hardware and Software
Analyze the general characteristics of computer systems and programming languages. Develop criteria to evaluate hardware and software selection for "end users" and information systems development. (3 credits)
- ACC 514 Federal Taxation
A study of federal tax structure as it applies to the taxation of individuals and corporations. Property transactions are also covered in this course. The course will include elements of tax research, communication of tax strategies, ethics and the preparation of tax forms. A tax research project is required. (3 credits)
- MIS 575 Systems Analysis and Design
Application of systems approach to the analysis and design of information systems. Topics covered include techniques for information requirement analysis, systems analysis issues, design theory, design techniques, system development life cycle and project management issues. (3 credits)
- ACC 515 Advanced Accounting
Business combinations and consolidated financial statements under the purchase method and the accounting for goodwill is the core of this course. Specialized topics include branch accounting, partnership and foreign currency translation. A research project is required. (3 credits)
- MIS 576 Data Base Management Systems
This course focuses on the general concepts and methodologies in file and data-base management systems-data representation, data modeling and file organization. Additional focus will be on the movement of data to related data-base systems within and outside the user organization. Students are required to understand the architecture of and start implementing simple data-base applications using commercially available packages. (3 credits)
- ACC 512 Professional Auditing
Fundamentals of auditing principles and procedures under generally accepted auditing standards will be covered. Auditor's reports, professional ethics and legal responsibilities, EDP considerations, statistical sampling, applications in auditing, the role of internal control in relation to the auditor and substantive audit procedures of assets, liabilities and equity capital will be reviewed. Communication of auditor findings to applicable parties will also be studied. (3 credits)
Specialization: Professional Accounting. - MIS 577 Data Communication and Networks
This course provides an introduction to networking, generating and receiving data, encoding and decoding, local area and wide area networks, client server networks, decentralized and centralized networks. Topics include data transmission channels, procedures, security, electronic mail, electronic fund transfer, network administration, and integration of networks and databases. (3 credits)
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Management and International Business
(MBA Elective Courses)
- PMI 590 Principles of Project Management
Principles of Project Management introduces the fundamental concepts, principles, and practices of the project management field. Topics include defining scope, assessing risk, assessing cost, developing timelines, planning communication, considering procurement, human resource and integration issues, and defining and managing quality for a variety of project management settings. (3 credits)
Specializaton: Project Management. - LEA 560 Creating the Visionary Organization
This course explores the importance of corporate visionary as a source of long-term business success, as well as the practical guidelines for how to move one's organization toward that status. This course elaborates on the visionary frameworks identified in book Built to Last. The material emphasizes the organizational change principles necessary to implement the Built to Last vision framework. (3 credits)
Specialization: Leadership. - PMI 591 Advanced Topics in Project Management
This course explores current organizational and behavioral challenges in successful project management. Topics include organizational change and professional project management development. (3 credits)
Specialization: Project Management. - ECO 521 Game Theory and Information Economics
Major topics include analyzing simultaneous and sequential games (Nash equilibrium, backwards induction, sensitivity analysis), valuing information, information as a commodity and information markets, problems of information asymmetry (including moral hazard and adverse selection), and auctions. (3 credits)
Specializations: Strategy and Economics, E-Commerce, Management of Technology. - HRM 529 Human Resources Management
An introduction to human resource management in the modern organization. Major functional areas including employment, compensation, benefits, HRIS, employee and labor relations, training and development, human resource planning, personnel policy and procedures are covered. (3 credits)
Specialization: Human Resources Management. - FIN 535 Export-Import Operations and Finance
This course will concentrate on development and execution of export/import operations. Sources of data and methods for evaluating market potential within the context of international agreements and regulations are explored. The methods of executing export/import transactions, including instruments of trade financing, are examined extensively. (3 credits)
Specialization: Global Management. - LEA 551 Leadership
This course explores the definitions and philosophies of leadership in the corporate environment. Topics include how leadership is instilled through education and training, the role of values and ethics in leadership, the role of power and influence and an exploration of successful leadership traits. (3 credits)
Specialization: Leadership. - LEA 552 Leading Change
Major topics include barriers to implementing organizational change; chaos, anxiety and political sources of employee resistance to change; using Dissatisfaction, Vision and Process tools to implement change; applying different leadership styles to supporting change; and balancing change for dynamic stability using different implementation approaches and pacing of different kinds of changes. (3 credits)
Specialization: Leadership. - MGT 560 Managing the Workforce
This course introduces the student to analytic methods for managing employees that are based on economic principles. It also covers important concepts such as job design. This course is useful to managers who want concise ways to think about building the right workforce and motivating it efficiently. (3 credits)
Specialization: Human Resources Management. - MKT 581 Principles and Practices of Collective Bargaining
An introduction to fundamental concepts, principles and practices of the collective bargaining process from the organization of workers through negotiations. Topics include subjects of bargaining, strikes, slowdowns, contract administration and enforcement. The course also examines the roles of participants and of government agencies as related to the National Labor Relations Act, as amended, in the process. (3 credits)
Specialization: Human Resources Management. - INT 500 Cross-Cultural Promotional Concepts and Practices
Cross-Cultural Promotional Concepts and Practices is designed to sensitize the student to the cultural antecedents of managing promotional activities in international settings. Of special concern are the areas of advertising, public relations, publicity, personal selling, and negotiations. Students will investigate management of these functions within the context of methodologies applicable to measurement and understanding of cultures, customs, and business practices. (3 credits)
- PMI 592 Principles of Quality Control
This course explores quality assurance topics that are suitable in applications for various business disciplines. Course discussions include the latest in quality and productivity improvement tools, leadership requirements in quality organizations to manage change, and innovation. Advanced topics related to the principles and application of quality management methodologies are presented. (3 credits)
Specialization: Project Management. - MGT 565 Strategic Negotiation
This course helps students recognize negotiation opportunities in all walks of life; negotiate rationally by using knowledge of perceptions and biases, develop effective negotiation plans, form coalitions and strategic relationships, and conduct post negotiation audits to improve their future negotiations. (3 credits)
Specialization: Human Resources Management.
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Marketing
(MBA Elective Courses)
- MKT 581 Principles of Internet Marketing
Major topics include the collection and use of online customer data, attracting customers to a web site, using a web site to create customer value, transitioning customers to online purchasing, and competition strategies in industries with both online and traditional channels. (3 credits)
Specialization: Marketing, E-Commerce. - MKT 582 Implementing Marketing Strategy
In this course, students will engage in some of the activities required when developing a marketing plan for a new product, including marketing research and post research to measure the success of the product's introduction. Students will develop a branding strategy for a new product and the marketing communication strategies to communicate the benefits of the new product to the marketplace. (3 credits)
Specialization: Marketing. - MKT 584 Sales Force Management
Application of fundamental management principles to the sales function of a marketing oriented firm. The course focuses on the external and internal responsibilities of the sales manager who has to generate and maintain an adequate sales volume while profitably managing human, physical and geographic resources. (3 credits)
- MKT 580 Managing Innovation
This course teaches the organizational and marketing skills to develop new products. Specific approaches to organizing product development processes and teams, choosing markets, generating and evaluating product ideas, choosing product attributes, predicting the success of new products and launching products are covered. (3 credits)
Specialization: Marketing. - MKT 585 Marketing Research
The course addresses the issues arising in the process of generating data and information for decision making in the area of marketing. Emphases are on the validity and reliability of the techniques associated with exploratory, descriptive and causal research designs; methodologies in measurement and scaling, sampling and fieldwork. Basic parametric and nonparametric techniques of data analysis are explored. Students gain experience in analyzing "real-life" marketing research data, which provides some exposure to the multivariate data analysis. (3 credits)
- MKT 583 International Marketing
Problems of cross-national marketing; identification of market potential; development of strategies to suit cultural differences; management of multinational marketing efforts. The development of product promotion policies, pricing strategies and distribution methods. Legal aspects of international marketing. Government trade regulations and impediments to technological innovation in developing countries. The political dimensions of multinational marketing. (3 credits)
Specialization: Marketing, Global Mangement. - MKT 586 Marketing Communication and Promotion
This course will deal with fundamental concepts of marketing communication, including assessment of demand and legal environment of marketing communication; government impact on advertising and promotion through the Federal Trade Commission and other regulatory agencies. It also covers the development of promotion budgets; management of the advertising function; relationships with outside agencies; personal selling and supportive communication; the conditions of and integrations with the entire promotional program: and economic and social dimensions of promotional strategy. (3 credits)
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Strategy Formation
(MBA Elective Courses)
- MGT 561 Business Ethics
This course is intended to help students make ethical choices in a business context. Students analyze case studies dealing with such topics as employee rights and responsibilities, consumer issues and product liability, community and environmental issues and ethical norms in different cultures. In each area, an analytic framework is used to identify stakeholder rights and interests, and relevant moral duties and virtues. (3 credits)
Specialization: Leadership. - ECO 552 Topics in Strategy
Major topics include vertical integration, strategic alliances, and strategies for technology companies. (3 credits)
Specialization: Strategy and Economics, Management of Technology.