Course Descriptions
ECON 500 Applied Statistical Analysis (4) (Pre-req)
An introduction to the application of statistics to business decisions using standard computing methods. Emphasis on use of data analysis in business decision-making involving uncertainty.
ECON 520 Economic Policy Analysis (4)
An intensive introduction to the concepts of macroeconomics and microeconomics with an emphasis on policy formation within a global framework.
COMA 543 Conflict and Negotiation (3)
Developing negotiation skills for a variety of management situations. Emphasis is on methods and skills for managing conflict and reaching agreement through negotiation.
BUSA 509 Global Business Perspectives (3)
Cultural and environmental contexts for global business. Developing perspectives, personal competencies, and organizational capabilities for business success across borders and cultures. On-campus course followed by an international experience prior to graduation.
BUSA 510 Legal, Ethical and Social Responsibilities of Business (3)
Explores legal, ethical, and social implications of business decision-making. Provides a framework of the legal environment in which business decisions are made. Explores implications of business decisions that incorporate concern for natural and social environments as well as the economic environment.
BUSA 511 Accounting for Decision Making (3)
An examination of financial and managerial accounting topics, including financial reporting, budgeting, and cost behavior. The focus is on using accounting to support business decision-making.
BUSA 513 Marketing Management (3)
A practical approach to understanding and applying customer-directed marketing strategies for achieving organizational goals. Students will examine theoretical concepts and apply contemporary approaches to the marketing of services, products and ideas in business, public, and non-profit organizations.
BUSA 515 Organizations and Leadership (3)
The leader’s role in creating organizational designs, processes and cultures that effectively engage rapidly shifting external realities, promote collaboration and problem solving, and enable organizations to continuously experiment, improve, and increase capabilities. Competencies for developing and managing people to meet performance requirements and organization cultural fit.
BUSA 517 Understanding and Managing Financial Resources (3)
Advanced treatment of corporate finance topics including cash flow forecasting, planning, budgeting, valuation models, cost of capital, leverage, and risk and return. Additional topics include ratio analysis, computer simulation, financial feasibility assessment, balance sheet analysis, determinants of interest rates, and the impact of business cycle fluctuations on shareholder value.
BUSA 519 Information Systems and Knowledge Management (3)
Examines the strategic role of information systems in enabling decision making and organizational effectiveness. Examines the applications of information systems to knowledge creation, sharing, and integration. Discusses a broad range of technologies including collaboration, content management, database, enterprise, and decision support tools. Prerequisites: BUSA 509, BUSA 511.
BUSA 521 Supply Chain and Operations Management (3)
Manufacturing and service operations, and technologies within the enterprise and across the extended value chains. Topics include operations and quality management, value chain strategy, project management, integrating extended operations, international operations, current issues and the synergistic role of systems. Prerequisites: BUSA 509, 511.
BUSA 522 The Global Environment of the Firm (3)
Examination of the context within which individual firm decisions must be made. Topics include globalization, diversity within and among nations, the regulatory environment of the firm, the social, political and economic aspects of trade, the flow of capital, determinants of inflation and interest rates, business cycles, and related issues. Employs statistical and case analysis of how aggregate events have firm specific impacts.
BUSA 523 Managing Innovation (3)
Multidisciplinary approach to theories and practices of managing innovation and change for sustainable competitive advantage. Focus is on the planning and implementation of innovations, technologies, processes, or systems that pose significant uncertainty and the necessity for fundamental change in the organization's design, culture, and industry structure. Prerequisites: ECON 520 or BUSA 522, BUSA 509, 510, 513, 515, 517.
BUSA 535 Financial Investments (3)
In depth evaluation of fundamental principles governing the valuation of individual investments and portfolios. Topics include valuation models, business cycles, real estate, commodity prices, determinants of interest rates and earnings, behavioral finance, risk and return, investment strategy, global markets, pension funds, and demographic influences on markets. Prerequisites: ECON 520, BUSA 517.
BUSA 538 Advanced Managerial Accounting (3)
Focus on the strategic and supporting roles of management accounting for decision-making, managerial planning, and operational control. Familiarity with Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet software is required. Prerequisite: BUSA 511. (3)
BUSA 540 Effective Business Negotiations (3)
Approaches negotiating complex business transactions from an organizational viewpoint in a global context rather than soley a buy-sell approach. The focus is to demonstrate the strategic nature of thinking like a negotiator. Prerequisite: BUSA 515
BUSA 542 Leading Organization Change (3)
Leader competencies and practices for analyzing needs for organizational change, creating a shared vision, crafting implementation plans for multiple interventions, developing enabling structures and processes, enlisting political support and involving people, and for evaluating and institutionalizing changes. Prerequisite: BUSA 515.
BUSA 549 Strategic Management of Human Capital (3)
Issues and practices in the strategic management of human capital. Human resource strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation in terms of return on investment and other impacts on firm performance. Human resource best practices for developing and sustaining a high-involvement workforce to achieve competitive advantage. Prerequisite: BUSA 515.
BUSA 550 Leading Family and Closely Held Enterprises (3)
Explores issues unique to managing, working within, or advising closely held businesses. Role of closely held firms in global economy; control, fairness, and equity issues; succession; unique aspects of family firms including family dynamics inside and outside of the business. Prerequisites: BUSA 509, 510.
BUSA 553 Transnational Management (3)
Examination of ways in which traditional approaches to globalization – multinational adaptation, worldwide technology transfer, and global standardization – may be synthesized into transnational strategy. Changes required in organizational configurations, capabilities and practices for successful operation of the transnational firm. Prerequisite: BUSA 515.
BUSA 555 Knowledge Management (3)
Provides a global and holistic perspective for leveraging knowledge through the integration of organizational theory, people, business processes and technology. Provides an integrated approach in managing an enterprise’s intellectual capital. Examines the implementation of knowledge management in business and non-profit organizations. Prerequisite: BUSA 519.
BUSA 558 New Venture Management (3)
Examines the entrepreneurial skills and conditions needed for effective business start-ups whether independent or within larger organizations. Prerequisite: BUSA 509, 511.
BUSA 560 Managing Health Care Enterprises (3)
Surveys policy and operational issues facing managers in the rapidly changing health care environment. Explores challenges of managing in health care settings, including hospitals, medical practice organizations, long-term care facilities and clin ics. Discusses health care related organizations such as health insurance companies, consulting firms, managed care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and other organizations that support the health care industry. Prerequisite: BUSA 515.
BUSA 562 Health Care Regulation, Law and Ethics (3)
Survey of the legal, regulatory and ethical dilemmas confronting health care managers and the implications of these issues from the perspective of administration and governance, external stakeholders, and patients. Topics include labor relations and the impact of state and federal employment laws; the public health regulatory environment and the organizations and systems that impact business decisions; and strategies for managing third party payments.
BUSA 563 Health Care Marketing (3)
Marketing principles in for-profit businesses are also essential to the success of public and non-profit organizations. This course is designed to provide knowledge and skills for effective marketing of public and non-profit health services organizations, including hospitals, medical clinics, and professional services.
BUSA 564 Managing Services Marketing (3)
Services now constitute more than 75% of domestic U.S. GDP and employment, and comparably in other developed economies globally. Developing economies, such as India, are moving in the same direction. Services include marketing, operations and human resources contexts. This course addresses service characteristics and qualities, the demand for services and service excellence, listening and responding to the service customer, attention to the service deliverer, providing services by telecommunications and the Internet, and challenges and strategies to improve service quality. Prerequisite: BUSA 513.
BUSA 570 Technology Management (3)
Examines the critical role that technology plays in achieving organizational effectiveness and competitive advantages. Topics include planning, developing, sourcing, and controls of technology and systems, technology transfer and commercialization, technology road mapping, technology integration, marketing of technology, science and technology policy, and global issues in technology management. Prerequisite: BUSA 519.
BUSA 575 Electronic Business and Commerce (3)
The course discusses the managerial, technical, and organizational challenges of designing and implementing electronic business and commerce as a critical transaction and delivery systems for products and services throughout the entire value creation network. Prerequisite: BUSA 519.
BUSA 577 Project Management (3)
Study of project management principles and techniques including planning, network building, project control, reporting and closing to address the unique conditions and challenges associated with designing and managing major non-repetitive undertakings. Prerequisite: BUSA 515.
BUSA 578 Database Applications in Business (3)
Analysis, design, and implementation of database systems for business applications. Topics include data models and database systems, database design concepts, data warehouse and data mining, databases administration, and database marketing. The emphasis is on how database applications support management decisions, business operations, and customer services. Prerequisite: BUSA 519.
BUSA 587, 588, 589 Special Topics (1-4)
Selected advanced topics.
BUSA 590 Strategy and Global Competitiveness (3)
An integrated study of business strategy formulation and implementation under conditions of continuing economic, technological, and competitive change in the global marketplace. Explores industry, competitive, and company analysis. Emphasis on path-finding to identify strategic choices that create sustainable advantage. Prerequisites: ECON 520 or BUSA 509, 510, 511, 513, 515, 517, 519, 521, 522
BUSA 591 Independent Study (1-4)
Individualized reading and studies. Minimum supervision after initial planning of student’s work. Rarely granted and requires prior approval of MBA director and consent of instructor.
BUSA 595 Internship (1-4)
Application of knowledge in field setting. Credit granted determined by hours spent in working environment and depth of project associated with course of study. Pass/fail.
