General Business Core Courses
The General Business Core courses are particularly important for students who have not had previous work in economics or business administration, or who lack comparable business experience. A student who majored in economics or business administration as an undergraduate may qualify for a reduction of some of the General Business Core courses, reducing the total credits needed for program completion.
The General Business Core courses not only provide a valuable basic groundwork for advanced studies; they also offer an opportunity to explore the various fields of business administration in selecting an area of concentration for in-depth study.
Waiver of General Business Core Courses
General Business Core courses (except for MBAA 535 ) may be waived when it is determined by the Graduate Business chair or designee that equivalent work has been completed elsewhere or the student has successfully completed the Turbo Program. Such determination is made in consultation with the student at the time of admission. Students should have received grades of at least 3.0 (B) in two relevant undergraduate courses for each General Business Core course to be waived. Eligible coursework should have been completed no more than five years prior to admission to the MBA Program. They must also submit catalog descriptions, if requested. In the event of disagreement by a student that a general core course must be taken, the student may take an examination administered by the Graduate Business chair to demonstrate proficiency. In this connection, students must declare their intention to take proficiency examinations when the program of study is developed. Such examinations must be taken within the first session of study; they will not be permitted thereafter.
MBAA 501 through MBAA 530 (21 Credits) are eligible for waiver consideration or can be waived through the Turbo Program.
Area of Concentration - Electives
Students are required to take 12 credits of advanced graduate work beyond the Advanced Core. Advanced graduate courses are defined as all courses offered by the Graduate MBA Program numbered 700 to 799, and courses listed under the Areas of Concentration.
To satisfy the elective requirement, a student may take any course included in the various Areas of Concentration. For a concentration, three or four courses must be in the same area depending on the concentration. Areas of concentration include finance, human resource management, international business, management, marketing, organizational leadership, managerial analytics and accounting.
If a student chooses to pursue a second concentration, the free elective credits from the first concentration and any other free electives will count toward the second concentration. Currently, the following concentrations are offered:
Accounting – Four Accounting Courses are required for Accounting Concentration
The areas of Accounting and Taxation are designed to meet the needs of students preparing to work in the field of financial management and control, to expand their knowledge in these areas, or to enter or advance in the field of Accounting or Finance.
Finance – Four Finance Courses are required for Finance Concentration
The finance area concerns itself with financial markets, corporation finance and security analysis. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of financial markets and financial management from the point of view of the economy as a whole as well as from that of the individual business organization.
Human Resource Management – Three Human Resource Courses are required for Human Resource Concentration
This concentration provides preparation for careers in the field of human resource management. The courses examine various areas of human resource management, including quality measurement techniques, employment law, recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation, benefits and labor relations.
International Business – Three International Business Courses are required for International Business Concentration
The international business concentration focuses on decision-making in an international context and prepares professionals for positions within multinational organizations. Business functions are related to the sociocultural, political, legal and labor forces that affect global corporations. The international business concentration evaluates both theoretically and practically the opportunities and risks of doing business in an increasingly complex and interdependent world.
Management – Three Management Courses are required for Management Concentration
The program of study in management stresses the application of analytic and critical skills to the business enterprise as a whole, as well as decisions the manager must make to plan, organize and control resources. Included in this area are courses in the selection and training of personnel, coordinating operations, production, planning, decision-making and program implementations.
Managerial Analytics – Four Managerial Analytics Courses are required for Managerial Analytics Concentration
Courses in Managerial Analytics allow students to develop competency in understanding the concepts of using deep data analytics to provide clear and new insight surrounding business information. The courses examine data analytic concepts, data management, decision analysis, and data visualization.
Marketing – Three Marketing Courses are required for Marketing Concentration
Courses in marketing are designed to offer the student the tools necessary for the managerial task of developing and distributing the company’s goods and services. The marketing area plays a fundamental role in the successful management of a business enterprise. It calls for a specific knowledge of marketing organization and an appreciation of the importance of marketing decisions in satisfying customer needs and generating profits.
Organizational Leadership – Three Organizational Leadership Courses are required for Organizational Leadership Concentration
This concentration provides preparation for leadership roles at all levels of organizations. The courses, which focus on ethics and leadership, motivational theory and practice, organizational behavior, and team building, enable students to develop their abilities to align people and motivate them to achieve organizational goals.
- Four advanced courses numbered 700–799