| AASCB | Admission | MBA Requirements | COURSE OFFERINGS |
| Entrepreneurship & Closely-Held Business | Health Care Management | Technology and Innovation Management | Post-CERT TIM |
253.535.7330
www.plu.edu/mba
Andrew Turner, Acting Dean, School of Business
Diane MacDonald, J.D., Associate Dean, School of Business
Abby Wigstrom-Carlson, Director of Graduate Programs, School of Business
The MBA program is founded on the cornerstones of leadership, innovation, global awareness and ethical responsibility. Students represent all sectors of business including entrepreneurs and family business leaders. The MBA program offers courses Monday through Thursday evenings to serve the working community. The classroom environment is enhanced by a faculty with industry experience as well as academic credentials. Students may enter the program at any term throughout the year.
The MBA program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for degree programs in business. AACSB International accreditation assures quality and promotes excellence and continuous improvement in business education. The PLU MBA program has been accredited since 1976 and was the first AACSB-accredited MBA program in the South Puget Sound region.
Entrepreneurship and Closely-Held Business
Health Care Management
Technology and Innovation Management
In addition to the general management MBA track, PLU offers an MBA with the option of completing an area of emphasis. To pursue an area of emphasis students complete the core coursework then choose from specifically designed elective courses. For more information about the emphasis areas, please visit the School of Business MBA website.
Individuals holding an MBA degree may apply for and enroll in a post-MBA certificate in Technology and Innovation Management (TIM). This certificate updates the skills and abilities of MBA degree holders. There is a reduced application process and the GMAT is not required. For more information, see the following section on Degree Requirements or the School of Business MBA website.
- To prepare students to advance in professional management and leadership roles by:
- Applying sophisticated, practical, discipline-based knowledge in a holistic fashion; and
- Developing competencies in critical thinking, communication and teamwork.
- To equip students to:
- Cope successfully with uncertainty and environmental dynamics; and
- Drive innovation and change within organizations.
3. To imbue students with:
The PLU MBA program is competitive and
selection is based on several criteria including work experience and potential contribution to the classroom experience. The Graduate Admission
Committee bases decisions on a holistic assessment of the individual
merits of each applicant. For questions regarding admission to the MBA
program, contact the MBA director at 253.535.7330.
TO APPLY, SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING:
International applicants must also submit:
An interview with the MBA Graduate Admission Committee may be requested.
Applicants are evaluated individually, based
on a presentation of factors indicating equivalence to admission
standards, a promise of success in graduate school, qualities of good
character, and potential contributions to the educational mission of
graduate study.
The Graduate Management Admission Test
The Graduate
Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a test of aptitude rather than a
test of business knowledge. The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test
that is available, year-round, at test centers throughout the world.
Candidates are examined in three major areas: verbal, mathematical, and
analytical writing skills. A score is earned in each area, and
candidates receive a total score, which ranges between 200 and 800. The average student in the PLU MBA program earns a GMAT score of 520.
Information about the GMAT may be obtained by calling GMAT directly at
800.462.8669, or by visiting the web site at http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT.
Prerequisite: Statistics
MBA Core - 36 semester hoursCOMA 543: Conflict and Negotiation (3)MBA Electives: Nine semester hours
BUSA 509: Global Business Perspectives (3)
BUSA 510: Legal, Ethical and Social Responsibilities of Business (3)
BUSA 511: Accounting for Decision Making (3)
BUSA 513: Marketing Management (3)
BUSA 515: Organizations and Leadership (3)
BUSA 517: Understanding and Managing Financial Resources (3)
BUSA 519: Information Systems and Knowledge Management (3)
BUSA 521: Supply Chain and Operations Management (3)
BUSA 523: Managing Innovation (3)
BUSA 590: Strategy and Global Competitiveness (3)
One of the following two courses:
BUSA 522: The Global Environment of the Firm (3)
OR
ECON 520: Economic Policy Analysis (4)Select from the following Business courses:
BUSA 535: Financial Investments (3)
BUSA 538: Advanced Managerial Accounting (3)
BUSA 540: Effective Business Negotiations (3)
BUSA 542: Leading Organization Change (3)
BUSA 549: Strategic Management of Human Capital (3)
BUSA 550: Leading Family and Closely-Held Enterprises (3)
BUSA 553: Transnational Management (3)
BUSA 555: Knowledge Management (3)
BUSA 558: New Venture Management (3)
BUSA 560: Managing Health Care Enterprises (3)
BUSA 562: Health Care Regulation, Law and Ethics (3)
BUSA 563: Health Care Marketing (3)
BUSA 564: Managing Services Marketing (3)
BUSA 570: Technology Management (3)
BUSA 575: Electronic Business and Commerce (3)
BUSA 577: Project Management (3)
BUSA 578: Database Applications in Business (3)
BUSA 587/588/589: Special Topics (1-4)
BUSA 591: Independent Study (1-4)
BUSA 595: Internship (1-4)
By taking an appropriate set of identified electives, a student may earn an emphasis in Health Care Management, Entrepreneurship and Closely-Held Business or Technology and Innovation Management.
Student are not required to have an area of emphasis.
BUSA 560: Managing Health Care Enterprises (3)
And, six semester hours from the following:
BUSA 542: Leading Organization Change (3) OR BUSA 549: Strategic Management of Human Capital (3)
BUSA 555: Knowledge Management (3)
BUSA 562: Health Care Regulation, Law and Ethics (3)
BUSA 563: Health Care Marketing (3)
Approved BUSA 587/588/589: Special Topics (1-4)
BUSA 595: Internship (1-4)
One of the following two courses:
BUSA 550: Leading Family and Closely-Held Enterprises (3) OR
BUSA 558: New Venture Management (3)And, six semester hours from the following:
BUSA 535: Financial Investments (3)
BUSA 538: Advanced Managerial Accounting (3)
BUSA 549: Strategic Management of Human Capital (3)
BUSA 575: Electronic Business and Commerce (3)
BUSA 550: Leading Family and Closely-Held Enterprises (3) OR BUSA 558: New Venture Management (3)
Approved BUSA 587/588/589: Special Topics (1-4)
BUSA 595: Internship (1-4)
BUSA 570: Technology Management (3)
And, six credits from the following:
BUSA 555: Knowledge Management (3)
BUSA 575: Electronic Business and Commerce (3)
BUSA 577: Project Management (3)
BUSA 578: Database Applications in Business (3)
Approved BUSA 587/588/589: Special Topics (1-4)
BUSA 595: Internship (1-4)
To view a current list of requirements for the TIM Certification program, please visit the School of Business MBA website.
If a student has received a PLU MBA in the past five years, previous TIM coursework may be counted toward completion of the certificate requirements.
BUSA 509: Global Business Perspectives
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. (3)
BUSA 509: Global Business Perspectives: International experience. Pass/Fail. (0)
BUSA 510: Legal, Ethical and Social Responsibilities of Business
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. (3)
BUSA 511: Accounting for Decision Making
An examination of financial and managerial accounting topics. Including financial reporting, budgeting, and cost behavior. The focus is on using accounting to support ethical business decision-making (3)
BUSA 513: Marketing Management
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. (3)
BUSA 515: Organizations and Leadership
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. (3)
BUSA 517: Understanding and Managing Financial Resources
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. (3)
BUSA 519: Information Systems and Knowledge Management
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, 511.
BUSA 521: Supply Chain and Operations Management
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. (3)
BUSA 522: The Global Environment of the Firm
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. (3)
BUSA 523: Managing Innovation
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. (3)
BUSA 535: Financial Investments
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 or BUSA 522, BUSA 517. (3)
BUSA 538: Advanced Managerial Accounting
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
Approaches negotiating complex business transactions from an organizational viewpoint in a global context rather than solely a buy-sell approach. The focus is to demonstrate the strategic nature of thinking like a negotiator. Prerequisite: BUSA 515. (3)
BUSA 542: Leading Organization Change
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. (3)
BUSA 549: Strategic Management of Human Capital
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. (3)
BUSA 550: Leading Family and Closely-Held Enterprises
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. (3)
BUSA 553: Transnational Management
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. (3)
BUSA 555: Knowledge Management
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. (3)
BUSA 558: New Venture Management
Examines the entrepreneurial skills and conditions needed for effective business start-ups whether independent or within larger organizations. Prerequisite: BUSA 509, 511. (3)
BUSA 560: Managing Health Care Enterprises
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 clinics. 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. (3)
BUSA 562: Health Care Regulation, Law and Ethics
Survey of the legal, regulatory and ethical dilemmas confronting health care managers and the implications of these issues from the perspectives 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. (3)
BUSA 563: Health Care Marketing
Marketing principles applied 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. (3)
BUSA
564: Managing Services Marketing
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. (3)
BUSA 570: Technology Management
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. (3)
BUSA
575: Electronic Business and Commerce
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. (3)
BUSA 577: Project Management
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. (3)
BUSA 578: Database Applications in Business
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. (3)
BUSA 587: Special Topics
Selected advanced topics. (1–4)
BUSA 588: Special Topics
Selected advanced topics. (1–4)
BUSA 589: Special Topics
Selected advanced topics (1-4)
BUSA 590: Strategic Management in a Global Context
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 (3)
BUSA 591: Independent Study
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. (1-4)
BUSA 595: Internship
Application of business knowledge in field setting. Credit granted determined by hours spent in working environment and depth of project associated with course of study. Pass/fail. (1-4)