Courses

Analyzes how firms can attain and sustain competitive advantage in today's competitive environment. Focuses on industry dynamics, competitive positioning, firm capabilities, and corporate innovation. Introduces a set of tools for assisting managers in solving complex, real-world business problems in strategy development. Integrates MBA learning in functional areas, and emphasizes the fit between competitive analysis and the role of management and organization.

Although some companies are very successful in discovering and cultivating innovative technology-enabled business strategies, many fail in the process. This course combines theories and frameworks with practical approaches to provide students with the skills required to help companies identify business opportunities, find appropriate information related technologies, and lead adoption efforts to success. Prereqs., MBA core courses. Prerequisites: Restricted to Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Acquaints students with multidisciplinary aspects of project management, including the relationship between schedule, cost and performance. The course uses a hands-on project where the student interacts with a real customer, providing an opportunity to utilize the qualitative and quantitative tools taught in the classroom. At the conclusion of the course, the student may be eligible to apply for a project management certification from Project Management Institute based on previous work experience. Prerequisites: Restricted to Master of Business Admin (MBAD), MBA with Dual Degree (DMBA), Joint Juris Doctor/MBA (JMBA) or Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Acquaints the student with multidisciplinary aspects of project management, including the relationship between scope, schedule, cost and performance. Uses a hands-on project from your own company, providing an opportunity to utilize the qualitative and quantitative tools taught in the classroom. During the course students will earn hours toward project management certification from the Project Management Institute. Prereqs., MBA core courses. Prerequisites: Restricted to Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Takes a broad comprehensive perspective on managing and operating in a rapidly growing global economy. Explores regional and national approaches to international operations including trade practices; penetration strategies; financial, marketing, services, and manufacturing operations; ethical and sustainability issues; and global competitive strategy. Compares global business practices in Asia, South America, Europe, and Africa. Prerequisites: Restricted to Master of Business Admin (MBAD), MBA with Dual Degree (DMBA), Joint Juris Doctor/MBA (JMBA) or Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Explores ways to improve organizations to meet demands of changing environments. Emphasizes theoretical framework and models of organization change, barriers to implementing change and ways to overcome them, and the roles of the change agent and/or consultant. Prereq., MBAC 6040. Prerequisites: Restricted to Master of Business Admin (MBAD), MBA with Dual Degree (DMBA), Joint Juris Doctor/MBA (JMBA) or Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Explores and builds skills for conflict management and negotiation problems faced by managers (e.g., dealing with subordinates, peers, superiors, or clients). Content is relevant to all MBA students, especially those interested in management, accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, and marketing. Prereq., MBAC 6040. Prerequisites: Restricted to Master of Business Admin (MBAD), MBA with Dual Degree (DMBA), Joint Juris Doctor/MBA (JMBA) or Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Practice the art and science of successful negotiations. Provides students high interaction with businesses and entrepreneurs. Prerequisites: Restricted to Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Provides an integrative, hands-on exercise in managing change. Develops skills in contracting, collecting, and analyzing data, and writing reports. Teams practice these skills by conducting an organizational diagnosis, consulting project within an organization. Prereq., MBAC 6040. Prerequisites: Restricted to Master of Business Admin (MBAD), MBA with Dual Degree (DMBA), Joint Juris Doctor/MBA (JMBA) or Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Examines a variety of issues common to management of technology, such as technology strategies, methods of technology transfer, selecting technology standards, managing the research and development process, and encouraging and rewarding innovation. Prerequisites: Restricted to Master of Business Admin (MBAD), MBA with Dual Degree (DMBA), Joint Juris Doctor/MBA (JMBA) or Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Examines organizational leadership from the executive perspective, including private and public sector firms, and non-profits. Studies how executives lead change and innovation, interact with the top management team, and deal with the board of directors Topics include governance of the firm, strategies for enhancing executive influence, assessing and understanding diverse leadership styles, and the ethics and responsibilities of an executive. Formerly MBAX 6890. Prerequisites: Restricted to Master of Business Admin (MBAD), MBA with Dual Degree (DMBA), Joint Juris Doctor/MBA (JMBA) or Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Provides an opportunity to examine leadership from the executive perspective in organizations including private and public sector firms and non-profits. Topics covered include how executives lead change and innovation in organizations, interact with the top management team, deal with the board of directors, leadership issues involved with governance of the firm and strategies for enhancing executive influence. Prereqs., MBA core courses. Prerequisites: Restricted to Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Provides students with an in-depth perspective about a specific country or region outside the United States. The course can focus on a different region or country each time it is offered. If demand for this type of experience is strong, multiple sections of the course could be offered in a given semester, each focusing on a different region or country. The choice of region and the specific focus of each course would depend on the faculty member teaching the course. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Prereqs., MBAC 6010, 6060 and 6090. Prerequisites: Restricted to Master of Business Admin (MBAD), MBA with Dual Degree (DMBA), Joint Juris Doctor/MBA (JMBA) or Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Pricing provides the means to capture value. The course covers theories, analytical tools and conceptual frameworks needed for devising price strategy as part of the value proposition for products and services. It draws upon principles from economics, marketing and psychology. Primary and secondary data based analysis is used to understand price response and competitive pricing. Substantive topics include customized pricing, price negotiations, bidding and auctions, price discounting, trade promotion, bundling, behavioral pricing, among others. Prereqs., all MBA core courses. Prerequisites: Restricted to Master of Business Admin (MBAD), MBA with Dual Degree (DMBA), Joint Juris Doctor/MBA (JMBA) or Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Explores a set of concepts, models and tools that you can use to lead and manage effectively in today's environment. Covers three key topics: leading change, building success through people, working effectively in a global environment. Provides better understanding of challenges managers face when leading change.

Covers both behavioral/psychological aspects and analytical approaches to making decisions with multiple objectives. The focus is learning to frame decisions that involve multiple stakeholders with multiple objectives and then learning the various techniques used to evaluate the choices. Influence diagrams, decision heuristics using spreadsheets, and decision trees will all be explored with user-friendly decision tree software. Prereqs., MBA core courses. Prerequisites: Restricted to Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.

Producing a quality product or delivering a quality service is a fundamental task for any company or organization. Managing the transformation of inputs (raw materials, labor, capital) into outputs (goods and services) falls under the heading of Operations Management. In most organizations, operations comprise 80 percent of the costs, 80 percent of the personnel, 80 percent of the capital employed --the effective and efficient use of these resources is consequently central to the success of the firm. This course is about using operations to compete and win sustainable competitive advantage in your marketplace. Prerequisites: Restricted to Professional MBA Program (PMBA) majors only.