Business Admin. MBA (MBAD)

This comprehensive exam evaluates students’ knowledge level in the business Common Professional Core (CPC) upon entrance into the Master of Business (MBA) program. The CPC topic areas are aligned to the topics required for ACBSP accreditation.

Examines the conceptual foundations and ethical practices of contemporary marketing management as well as the planning, implementation and control of the marketing function. Topics include situation analysis, marketing objectives, target market selection, and strategies for product, pricing, promotion and physical distribution in foreign and domestic markets. Contributions from the various schools of marketing will be studied, analyzed and applied to today's managerial decision-making process.

Uses the tools and techniques of economic analysis including computerized analysis, to examine and solve business problems, bridging the gap between theoretical economics and business administration decision making. Managerial Economics clarifies the vital role business plays in the international economy.

Focuses on developing analytical skills and their application to transportation, logistics and supply chain management. The objectives for the logistics analysis module include: Use the techniques available for modeling logistics and supply chain systems; Analyze logistics and supply chain systems by using several operations research techniques; Design a supply chain network that achieves customer service or cost objectives; Simulate and optimize network processes commonly encountered in logistics and supply chain management. This course will emphasize a particular geographical region, including logistical geography, competitive advantage, modal selection, third party capability, and infrastructure and resources. As an example, the NAFTA region or ASEAN region might be the focus. The student will be able to apply advanced modeling and optimization techniques, such as linear and nonlinear and integer programming and stochastic models, to problems in several modes of transportation and in intermodal contexts, involving modal choice. Students will also use simulation methodology with the aid of Arena software, and be able to validate and verify a simulation and analyze output results. Students will create a model for serving a particular product or service in the region, with real data, to determine the optimal cost or profit and the strategy which provides it.

Focuses on the integration of the activities that procure materials and services, transform them into immediate goods and final products, and deliver them to customers. These activities include purchasing and outsourcing activities, plus many other functions that are important to the relationship with suppliers and distributors. The supply chain includes all the interactions between internal operations, marketing, sales, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and customers. The chain includes transportation, scheduling information, cash and credit transfers as well as ideas, designs, and material transfers. Topics covered include methods of supply chain management; supply chain network design; coordination with 3PL and 4PL companies; intermodal systems; transportation models; cross-docking; vendor managed inventories and warehouse management; demand management and bullwhip effect.

Is a requirement now found in most practicing supply chains. This course defines dimensions of sustainability used in practice and the ability to measure them, and looks at emerging requirements in countries. Students should be able to prepare a sustainability assessment and cost/benefit analysis for an export or import supply chain of their choice. Time permitting, supply chain sustainability assessment methodology will be investigated for its effectiveness and usefulness, through one or more case analyses. The importance of entrepreneurship in achieving sustainability goals is stressed.

Objectives include reasoning with and applying the supply chain concept; obtaining a competitive advantage through SCM; improving the performance and efficiency of supply chains; interdependence of activities and firms on overall performance and behavior; approaches for measuring performance in the supply chain; strategies for managing the supply chain; different inventory management approaches employed in the supply chain.

Covers two significant areas of financial decisions for managers: how to best invest/deploy the firm's financial resources such as decisions to invest in new equipment or new products; and how to best fund the corporation using the various forms of debt and equity capital available. The course builds a quick foundation in the vocabulary and concepts of financial markets and financial valuation (cash flows, net present value), presents a fulsome examination of various financial tools/models used to support managerial decisions on capital and strategic investments, and includes a complete review of options managers have to fund their firm and the process by which they do so.

This course will focus on the financial theories and empirical evidence useful for investment decisions. It covers optimal portfolio choice, asset pricing models, fixed-income securities, funds performance measurement, and a brief introduction to behavioral finance. These topics are important for any participants in the investments industry, whether as fund managers or as private investors.

Examines the elements of entrepreneurial finance, focusing on technology-based start-up ventures and the early stages of company development. The course addresses key questions which challenge all entrepreneurs: how much money can and should be raised; when should it be raised and from whom; what is a reasonable valuation of the company; and how should funding, employment contracts and exit decisions be structured. It aims to prepare students for these decisions, both as entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. In addition, the course included an in-depth analysis of the structure of the private equity industry.

Covers key concepts used by managers to understand and manage a firm's financial performance. The course builds a quick foundation in the vocabulary and concepts of cost accounting, presents a fulsome process for budgeting including variance analysis, and provides an overview of various financial tools/models used to support managerial decision making such as product pricing, capital expenditures, and performance compensation.

Covers the analysis of long term strategic financial decisions. Topics and cases will focus and include the cost of capital, capital budgeting, cash flow estimation, capital structure theory and policy, leasing, multinational finance, bankruptcy and reorganization, and receivables and inventory management.

Investigates many of the issues facing the international business firm. Topics covered include exchange rate determination, risk management and the interaction of foreign exchange and capital markets.

Covers the use of futures, options and swaps in hedging and speculation. Pricing theory, applications and operational issues will be introduced.

Provides an overview of professional project management practices. It equips the student with the skills to assess the degree to which organizations apply these practices at the individual, team, and organization levels. It also helps them contribute as productive members of cross-functional project teams and understand project management as a dynamic learning process.

Introduces the conceptual and technological tools used to conduct business research. Emphasis is placed on the application of research methods to specific business problems and managerial decision-making.

Understanding international issues is critical to the education of an informed and competent business student. International accounting introduces and examines accounting issues unique to multinational enterprises and international business activity. We consider national differences in accounting systems, the significance of international business, foreign currency issues and efforts to harmonize international accounting standards with special emphasis on IFRS – International Financial Reporting Standards.

Provides an overview of fraud investigation and examination and forensic accounting. It begins with an introduction for the nature and pervasiveness of fraud. Major topics include: fraud prevention and detection, types of fraud (employee, management, vendor, customer, identity theft, e-commerce and investment scams), and fraud investigation (interviewing, rules of evidence and sources of information). Special emphasis is placed on the best way to prevent fraud with adequate internal controls.

Provides the conceptual tools necessary to understand and interpret financial statements. This course provides a realistic and organized approach to financial reporting using textbook problems and cases and projects using actual companies.

Provides a study of federal income taxation of corporations, partner-ships, estates, and trusts.

Is designed as a capstone course in which students learn and apply various models and tools to formulate a business strategy. The student will learn and apply the process of situational analysis including the macro-environment, industry environment and internal situation of the firm. This analysis will be used to create alternative strategies and determine the optimal strategy to be implemented. The course also examines the processes and issues to implement the selected strategy.

This is a graduate level course that introduces the fundamentals of accounting for nonprofit and government organizations. It emphasizes the issues related to fund accounting, including general and revenue funds, debt service funds, capital project funds, internal service funds, enterprise and fiduciary funds, long-term debt and fixed-asset accounting, and planning and control of cash and temporary investments. Other topics include budgeting, budgetary control and reporting, management control, financial reporting, budgeting and controlling operations, cost determination, strategic planning, program analysis, measurement of output, reporting on performance, full-accrual and modified-accrual accounting, cost determination, tax levies, auditing, and preparation of financial statements.

Serves as the capstone course for business majors, which integrates the functional areas of business required for the effective operation of an organization. Students will analyze business problems from the viewpoint of top management in the formulation and implementation of a business strategy. Interwoven within the course is the importance of business ethics.

Is designed to introduce working professionals and students to the concepts of basic econometrics without requiring the use of advanced matrix algebra or calculus. The course first addresses the basic of regression analysis with cross-sectional data and time series data while the second part focuses on more advanced topics. The coverage is limited to single-equation regression models. We study the bivariate and multivariate regression models in great depth. The course may be completed using SPSS or Excel software.

Focuses on the purpose and use of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in a global organization. Students learn why an integrated ERP system is critical to support a global organization with multiple companies, and how business processes align with ERP functionality. Students are exposed to the various functions that are housed within an ERP system, information flow between these functions, different ERP systems that are available on the market, and application of how an ERP system is used in a company (if applicable, within their own company). Students will learn how ERP systems' databases hold important information and are used in corporate decision-making.

Advanced instruction of business intelligence and data warehousing. The course covers business intelligence functionality with an emphasis on data warehouse design and development. Students demonstrate a working knowledge of business intelligence and a data warehouse design development and performance management via hands on assignments and a culminating project. Both case studies and real projects are used to develop hands-on experience conducting business intelligence studies and using BI tools.

Supports decision making by detecting patterns devising rules, identifying new decision alternatives and making decisions. This course will introduce participants to recent data mining techniques, with an emphasis on: getting a general understanding of how the method works, understanding how to perform the analysis using suitable available software, understanding how to interpret the results in a business research context and developing the capacity to critically read published research articles which make use of the technique. This course will concentrate on a number of well-defined data mining tasks: description, classification, estimation, prediction and affinity grouping and clustering. Content may vary according to the interest of participants. Topics may include decision trees, neural nets, self-organizing maps, genetic algorithms, association (also known as market basket) analysis, web mining and test mining, cluster analysis and logistic regression. Course may use an ERP system as a data source in addition to other large scale data sources.

Addresses the function of a Human Resource Manager as a strategic business partner within the organization. It provides an overview of the local and global demands that engage HR as an agent for change in the workplace performance. A HR manager’s role in communication, negotiation, and conflict management is addressed as well as in outsourcing, shared services and other cost cutting strategies.

Defines the role of a Human Resource Manager as a strategic force in identifying top talent within the global business community and developing that talent for employee retention and successful organizational performance. It addresses the development of the full spectrum of employees including executives, managers, mentors, interns and apprentices.

Addresses the role of the Human Resource Manager as a rewards professional, designing compensation and benefits packages with creative incentives and motivation. It includes creating cost containment strategies while developing a flexible workplace for employee.

Addresses the role of a Human Resource Manager when implementing sound legal and ethical employment practices, managing risk and maintaining the productivity and protection of employer and employee. It includes such topics as common-law employment issues, labor relations law, equal employment opportunity and health care law.

Explores the role of the corporation in modern society and its responsibilities to government and to the economic and social well-being of the nation. Theories of ethics will be surveyed and an ethical decision-making model will be developed and applied to various business situations.

This course provides an overview of the strategic risk management in the areas of financial risk, operating risk, and credit risk. Students will examine the techniques corporations and organizations use to reduce the potential financial losses arising from exposure to risk. Students will apply an understanding of risk management methodologies in case study format.

This course introduces the student to the world of international business from a global perspective. The impact of culture, politics, and public policy on the international activities of small, medium, and multinational firms is covered in detail. The challenges of competing successfully in the global marketplace as it exists today are explored and challenges of tomorrow are examined. The course aims at providing the student with the knowledge to understand both the theoretical basis for international trade and practical approaches to engage in international business activity as a business person. The course employees a multi-disciplinary approach to provide the student with an understanding and appreciation of the international business environment.

Provides an overview of the management skills and principles used in today's business environment. It also examines the impact that groups, individuals, and hierarchical structures have on behavior within organizations. Presented are organizational structures, successful strategies for leadership and decision-making, motivation, interpersonal communications, and group structure and process.

Introduces the concepts of logistics and supply chain management. Topics include procurement, customer service, order processing (distribution) management, transportation, warehousing, inventory control, and information technology. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing the interrelationships among these topics in designing a successful logistics strategy. Assumes student has knowledge of fundamental business courses and logistics management concepts.

Provides a broad survey of transportation issues, methods and strategies in policy studies, business, trade or transportation. Analysis and discussion from various perspectives including motor carrier, shipper and third party providers. Other topics include modes of transportation, logistics and freight pricing, relationship of logistics operations to transportation decisions, effects of compliance laws on transportation and transportation economics.

Focuses on international logistics operations and the legal infrastructure in which it operates to move goods in a global economy. Extensive discussions regarding export/import procedures, multinational logistics strategy, international payment processes, review/selection of transportation modes, and risk management. The effects of government trade and public policies on global logistics operations will also be analyzed.

Provides an introduction to operations management (OM), the process of managing people and resources in order to produce goods or provide services. Decisions related to operations strategy, process analysis, forecasting, aggregate planning, facility location, quality management, project management, inventory control and supply chain management are discussed. Considerable emphasis is placed on the development of models to represent OM decision problems and the use of analytical tools and software to support the OM function.

Provides a practical summation of major information systems and the technology used in enterprises today. It stresses frameworks of understanding that help the professional make decisions about technology deployment and migration. Topics covered include hardware technology, enterprise and technical software requirements, networking and the cloud, databases and large scale unstructured data requirements, enterprise level systems, e-commerce, social networks, and platform evaluation. Emphasis is placed on the ability to develop and analyze requirements, to manage technology efforts to meet time, scope, budget and quality objectives and to practice total lifecycle costing and budgeting of technology resources.

Focuses on the global economy world trade recognizing that all economies in the world are linked through international markets for goods, services and capital. Open-economy models are used throughout the book. The ways that countries differ in their important macroeconomic institutions are carefully examined and those institutional differences are related to observed differences in macroeconomic performance.

Is designed to provide students with an overview of the field of social media. Given the movement toward a global economy and regional companies and brands, it is essential that business persons gain an appreciation of the rapidly evolving field. The course will allow students to better understand the pressure and market opportunities that exist worldwide and the firm’s need to optimize its market performance on a global basis.

Selected contemporary topics in business.

Provides an experience designed to enhance and deepen a student's competence in one or more areas of study while offering the opportunity to integrate theory and practice. The internship will be conducted in a professional capacity in a work setting under the supervision of University faculty.