Master of Business Administration
The master of business administration degree provides students with the capabilities for strategic and critical thinking needed for effective leadership in a global economy where creative management of both people and technology is vital. The curriculum begins with a solid, mainstream grounding in the functional areas of business and combines that foundation with the flexibility that allows students to specialize in one or two areas of expertise. In the classroom, students learn the latest theories and concepts, and how they can be immediately applied to solve problems in the workplace.
The MBA program requires 72 quarter credit hours and consists of 18 courses, nine of which are devoted to core functional areas and nine available in concentration areas and as electives. All courses in the Saunders College carry four credit hours. Students create at least one concentration by selecting a four-course sequence in a particular area of specialization. Concentrations include accounting, e-business marketing, entrepreneurship, environmentally sustainable management, finance, international business, management and leadership, management information systems, marketing and sales management, marketing research, operations management, product commercialization, quality and applied statistics, quality and organizational improvement, supply chain management, and technology management. Concentrations are available outside the college from departments within RIT’s other colleges. Some of these concentrations include communication and media technology, health systems administration, human resource management, industrial and systems engineering management, information technology, printing management, and public policy.
The Saunders College is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
Admission requirements
Applications are accepted for all four academic quarters. Most full-time students begin their program of study in the fall. Prerequisites for admission include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and a working knowledge of algebra and statistics.
MBA-accounting students must begin studies in the fall quarter. Any exceptions must obtain the approval of a graduate adviser.
All full-time students are required to complete Professional Skills Seminar I and II (0102-070, 071). These noncredit courses give students the skills to successfully complete their graduate degree and prepare them to obtain a job or co-op position.
Completed applications for admission should be on file in the Office of Graduate Enrollment Services four weeks prior to registration for the next academic quarter for students from the United States, and up to 10 weeks prior for international students applying for student visas. The Saunders College Graduate Admissions Committee will review your application, which should include transcripts from all previous undergraduate and graduate course work, Graduate Management Admission Test scores, relevant professional experience, a personal statement, and a résumé. As part of their application, international applicants must submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language with a minimum score of 580 (paper-based), 237 (computer-based), or 92 (Internet-based). The TOEFL requirement is waived for native speakers of English and for those submitting transcripts and diplomas from American institutions.
Accepted students can defer enrollment for up to one year. After one year, a new application must be submitted and will be re-evaluated based on the most current admission standards.
Nonmatriculated status
Students with strong undergraduate records are permitted to take two graduate courses on a nonmatriculated basis. To become a matriculated student and admitted formally to the MBA program, the regular admissions process should be followed. Graduate credits earned as a nonmatriculated student may be applied to the student’s degree program.
Academic standards
The MBA normally requires 72 quarter credit hours. In certain cases, total credit hours may be reduced by the use of waiver or transfer credit. Students are responsible for applying for these credits.
Graduate students must maintain a grade of B or better for all courses. Grades of all repeated MBA courses will be counted in the GPA computation. The policy on probation and suspension is explained in the “Registration and Degree Requirements” section of this bulletin.
Program completion requirement
University policy requires that graduate programs be completed within seven years of the student’s initial registration for courses in the program. A grade point average of at least 3.0 must be maintained.
Orientation
All new students are required to attend an orientation session prior to beginning their studies. Course selection, career planning, program planning, and academic advising also are discussed during orientation.
Waiver policy/transfer credit
Students can waive up to six MBA foundation courses. Prior academic preparation must be from an institution accredited by AACSB International, and the course work must be equivalent to the graduate courses that make up the MBA foundation courses. These courses must be completed within the last five years, with a grade of B or better. Foundation courses may be waived either outright or through an examination.
A maximum of 12 credit hours may be awarded as transfer credit from other graduate programs. The courses must have been taken within the last five years at an institution accredited by AACSB International and the student must have earned a grade of B or better. The courses must be relevant to the student’s MBA program.
Credits for waiver, transfer, or undergraduate courses are not counted in the GPA computation. Students must apply for transfer/waiver credit.
Placement
Preparation for professional placement begins early in the student’s program with the completion of Professional Skills Seminar II (0102-071). The Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services offers individualized career counseling, provides critical job leads, coordinates employers’ annual campus recruiting visits, maintains an extensive online job listing, and sponsors two career fairs annually.
Cooperative education
Cooperative education in the MBA program is optional. Co-op experience affords graduate students the opportunity to obtain a paid position for three to six months and gain valuable work experience. Academic credit is not granted, but formal recording of the co-op experience is made on the student’s transcript. The associate director for graduate business programs approves the student’s written report analyzing the company and experience. Students in good academic standing are eligible for co-op after completing the foundation courses, Professional Skills Seminar I and II (0102-070, 071), and a substantial portion of their concentration courses. They also must attend a series of co-op and career services workshops. RIT does not guarantee that all students will be placed.
Financial assistance
Financial assistance is awarded for outstanding scholarship and professional promise without consideration of financial need. Matriculated full- and part-time students are eligible for scholarships. Matriculated full-time students also are eligible for graduate assistantships. Students awarded assistantships are assigned to work with Saunders College faculty or staff. All applicants are automatically reviewed for these awards. Several alternative loan programs, as well as federal and state programs, are available. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship for further information.
Course offerings
Since it is sometimes necessary to make changes in course schedules or instructors, up-to-date information about courses to be offered in a given quarter is available online at www.saunders.rit.edu. RIT makes no guarantee that every catalog course will be offered in any given year or that courses will be offered in a particular quarter or sequence. All MBA students take the following nine foundation courses:
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0101-703 Accounting for Decision Makers* | 4 |
| 0102-735 Strategic Management of Technological Innovation | 4 |
| 0102-740 Organizational Behavior and Leadership* | 4 |
| 0103-705 Economics for Managers* | 4 |
| 0104-721 Financial Analysis for Managers* | 4 |
| 0105-761 Marketing Concepts* | 4 |
| 0106-743 Operations Management* | 4 |
| 0106-782 Statistical Analysis for Decision Making* | 4 |
| 0102-759 Competitive Strategy | 4 |
*Up to six of these courses can be waived, thus reducing the number of courses required to graduate.
Students have the option of choosing one or two concentration areas. A concentration is a sequence of four courses in a specialized area of business, thus giving students in-depth knowledge in that particular field.
Students with one concentration area take:
- Nine foundation courses
- Four courses in a concentration area
- Five electives, outside the selected concentration area (no more than four of these can be taken in any one discipline). Electives must be selected from approved Saunders College graduate courses or from graduate courses outside the Saunders College that are part of an approved MBA concentration.
Students with two concentration areas take:
- Nine foundation courses
- Four courses in a concentration area
- Four courses in a second concentration area (in a different discipline)
- One elective, outside the selected concentration areas
Notes:
- Students cannot complete more than two concentration areas.
- No course can be counted in more than one concentration.
- No more than four electives can be completed in any one discipline.
- Students taking two concentration areas must meet with an adviser.
- Finance is a five-course concentration.
Concentrations
Accounting
This concentration is intended for students planning to enter corporate accounting. It is also an excellent complement to a concentration in finance or management information systems.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0101-704 Corporate Financial Reporting I | 4 |
| 0101-705 Corporate Financial Reporting II | 4 |
| 0101-706 Cost Management | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | |
| 0101-707 Advanced Accounting | 4 |
| 0101-708 Auditing | 4 |
| 0101-709 Basic Taxation | 4 |
E-Business Marketing
The Internet has become one of the most significant forces to affect marketing since the emergence of mass media. The Internet has introduced a global electronic marketplace that has caused a dramatic shift in standard business practices. This has given rise to an enormous need to understand the implications of these shifts for strategic initiatives in marketing and advertising. The e-business marketing concentration exposes students to the uniqueness of marketing goods and services to other companies and individual consumers via the Internet.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0105-772 Internet Marketing: Strategy and Tactics | 4 |
| 0105-775 Business to Business E-Marketing | 4 |
| Two marketing electives | 8 |
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is a necessary component in today’s fast-paced business environment. It involves both the recognition of business opportunities and methods, and the means to commercialize these opportunities. The entrepreneurship concentration is designed to enable students to recognize and commercialize attractive business opportunities—either by new independent ventures or by established firms seeking growth or rejuvenation. It involves integrating all functions of business (strategy, marketing, innovation, finance, accounting, etc.) within one concerted value-creating initiative.
The concentration requires an applied entrepreneurial learning experience that may be satisfied through either the Field Experience in Business Consulting (0102-753) course or an approved commercialization project. These projects may involve students developing their own businesses or working with RIT incubator companies, local startup firms, or RIT multidisciplinary commercialization projects. Students interested in high-technology initiatives are encouraged to enroll in Introduction to Technology Management (0102-742) as the fourth course in the concentration.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0102-720 Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation | 4 |
| 0105-776 Product and Brand Management | 4 |
| 0102-753 Field Experience in Business Consulting* | 4 |
| Choose one from the following:** | |
| 0101-709 Basic Taxation | 4 |
| 0102-742 Introduction to Technology Management | 4 |
| 0104-722 Financial Management II | 4 |
| 0104-735 Valuing Private Enterprise | 4 |
| 0105-763 Buyer Behavior | 4 |
| 0105-772 Internet Marketing: Strategy and Tactics | 4 |
| 0110-730 Business Legal Concepts | 4 |
*Or an approved entrepreneurial field experience
**Or a management course, with approval of graduate adviser
Environmentally Sustainable Management
With a goal of familiarizing students with environmentally sustainable business practices, this concentration is attractive to students with an overall interest in understanding how firms can manage social and political demands for more environmentally sustainable products and operations. It may be of particular interest to those students in industries with a significant environmental impact such as the automotive, chemical, energy, transportation, or agricultural industries, where environmental issues are central to operational and strategic decision making.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0102-745 Social and Political Environment of Business | 4 |
| 0102-710 Managing for Environmental Sustainability | 4 |
| Choose two from the following: | |
| 0630-720 Environmental Health and Safety Management* | 4 |
| 0630-765 Product Stewardship | 4 |
| 0102-775 Business Ethics | 4 |
| 0303-790 Fundamentals of Sustainable Design | 4 |
| 0303-791 Lifecycle Assessment/Costing | 4 |
| 0521-751 Energy Policy | 4 |
| 0630-760 Integrating Environmental Health and Safety into Business Management | 4 |
*Online course. As a part of this class, students are required to attend a four-day executive leader session held on campus at RIT. Contact the instructor for more information on the dates for this session.
Finance
This concentration is designed to provide a foundation of knowledge in finance and allow students to choose courses appropriate for a career in investments or corporate finance. Students interested in investments have the opportunity to acquire advanced skills in securities evaluation and portfolio management. Those interested in corporate finance have the opportunity to acquire advanced skills in budgeting, planning, global financing and operations, and corporate risk management. Note: Finance is a five-course concentration.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0104-722 Financial Management II | 4 |
| 0104-725 Securities and Investment Analysis | 4 |
| Plus one of the following economics courses: | |
| 0103-711 Microeconomics | 4 |
| 0103-712 Macroeconomics | 4 |
| Choose two additional courses from the following: | |
| 0104-729 Seminar in Finance | 4 |
| 0104-730 Financial Institutions and Markets | 4 |
| 0104-732 Portfolio Theory | 4 |
| 0104-740 Options and Futures | 4 |
| 0104-760 Finance in a Global Environment | 4 |
International Business
Competition stems from many different companies around the world. The rules of international trade are changing, as is the speed and ease with which global business is transacted. This makes almost all business international, which requires executives to view business challenges in a global context. Wherever students find employment (finance, marketing, manufacturing, etc.), an MBA with a concentration in international business will arm them with the skills necessary to rise to these challenges and be successful.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0113-710 Global Business Environments | 4 |
| Choose three from the following: | |
| 0113-730 Managing in a Global Business | 4 |
| 0113-780 Global Issues and Strategies | 4 |
| 0104-760 Finance in a Global Environment | 4 |
| 0113-750 Marketing in a Global Environment | 4 |
Management and Leadership
Modern organizations require managers who can combine effective leadership with analytical reasoning. The management and leadership concentration prepares students with the leadership skills needed to be successful managers in business, nonprofit, and public organizations. Successful students will develop analytical and decision-making skills essential for leaders in today’s rapidly changing world. They will learn why change is difficult, when to initiate change, and how to introduce and manage change in the workplace. The courses also will prepare students for the demands of managing people and projects.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0102-741 Managing Organizational Change | 4 |
| Choose three from the following: | |
| 0102-720 Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation | 4 |
| 0102-745 Social and Political Environment of Business | 4 |
| 0102-750 Human Resource Management | 4 |
| 0102-756 Power and Influence | 4 |
| 0102-758 Seminar in Management | 4 |
| 0102-763 Behavioral Skills for Managers and Professionals | 4 |
| 0102-775 Business Ethics | 4 |
| 0110-745 Legal and Ethical Issues in Technology Intensive Environments | 4 |
| 0102-742 Introduction to Technology Management | 4 |
Management Information Systems
A concentration in management information systems is designed to enhance students’ understanding of modern information systems. It is designed so that a student need not have a background in computers or information systems. Students may elect courses in systems analysis and design, data management, systems management, integrated business systems, applications programming, and information systems consulting, as well as a seminar covering current topics in information systems.
Students may choose one of four different concentrations that focus on systems consulting, information system management, enterprise systems management with an emphasis on SAP/R3, or information systems.
In all concentrations, students gain an understanding of the foundation of management information systems and what is needed to develop and implement an information system. Electives chosen will strengthen their ability for MIS consulting, systems management, or working with large-scale enterprise resource planning systems.
| Information Systems Consulting | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. |
| 0112-720 Information Systems Design | 4 |
| 0112-730 Information Systems Consulting | 4 |
| 0112-755 Information Systems Management | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | |
| 0112-745 Information Systems Development | 4 |
| 0112-795 Seminar in MIS | 4 |
| Information Systems Development | |
| 0112-720 Information Systems Design | 4 |
| 0112-725 Data Management | 4 |
| 0112-745 Information Systems Development | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | |
| 0112-735 Network Technologies | 4 |
| 0112-755 Information Systems Management | 4 |
| 0112-795 Seminar in MIS | 4 |
| Enterprise Information Systems | |
| 0112-755 Information Systems Management | 4 |
| 0112-760 Integrated Business Systems | 4 |
| 0112-761 Business Process Analysis and Workflow Design | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | |
| 0112-720 Information Systems Design | 4 |
| 0112-725 Data Management | 4 |
| 0112-795 Seminar in MIS | 4 |
| Information Systems | |
| 0112-720 Information Systems Design | 4 |
| 0112-725 Data Management | 4 |
| Choose two from the following: | |
| 0112-730 Information Systems Consulting | 4 |
| 0112-735 Network Technologies | 4 |
| 0112-755 Information Systems Management | 4 |
| 0112-795 Seminar in MIS | 4 |
Marketing and Sales Management
Marketing is a key to success in any business today. The overall process of entering markets, creating value for customers, and developing profit for the firm are the fundamental challenges for today’s marketing manager. Effective marketing must consider the target audience, along with the changing business environment and competitive pressures of technological and global challenges. These marketing basics apply to governmental agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and profit-making firms.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0105-762 Advanced Marketing Management | 4 |
| 0105-764 Channel Management | 4 |
| 0105-765 Professional Sales Management | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | |
| 0105-758 Seminar in Marketing (various topics) | 4 |
| 0105-763 Buyer Behavior | 4 |
| 0113-750 Marketing in a Global Environment | 4 |
| 0105-767 Marketing Communications | 4 |
| 0105-771 Marketing Research Methods | 4 |
| 0102-770 Business Research Methods | 4 |
| 0105-772 Internet Marketing: Strategy and Tactics | 4 |
| 0105-773 Database Marketing | 4 |
| 0105-776 Product and Brand Management | 4 |
Marketing Research
How do you identify your customers’ needs and wants, and respond with the most profitable product or service? Marketing research analysts take a leading role in identifying and defining marketing problems. Relying on communication as well as analytical and conceptual skills, a market researcher can evaluate the market, generate product ideas, refine the delivery process, monitor marketing performance, and improve the company’s profitability. Increasing numbers of specialized research firms add more opportunities to the traditional marketing profession.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0307-801 Design of Experiments I | 4* |
| Choose one from the following: | |
| 0105-770 Business Research Methods | 4 |
| 0105-771 Marketing Research Methods | 4 |
| Choose two from the following: | |
| 0105-762 Advanced Marketing Management | 4 |
| 0105-772 Internet Marketing: Strategy and Tactics | 4 |
| 0105-773 Database Marketing | 4 |
| 0307-802 Design of Experiments II | 4* |
| 0307-831 Multivariate Analysis Applications | 4* |
| 0307-841 Regression Analysis | 4* |
* Student must register for the four-credit-hour option of these courses.
Operations Management
The operations management concentration is designed to enhance the student’s understanding of manufacturing and service functions as they exist in modern business. In addition to key courses covering project management, quality control, and improvement and manufacturing strategy, an extensive set of electives allows students the ability to broaden their knowledge base.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0106-744 Project Management | 4 |
| 0106-745 Quality Control and Improvement | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | |
| 0101-794 Cost Accounting in Technical Organizations | 4 |
| 0102-741 Managing Organizational Change | 4 |
| 0102-742 Introduction to Technology Management | 4 |
| 0106-749 Manufacturing Strategy and Tactics | 4 |
| 0307-781 Quality Management | 4* |
| 0307-782 Quality Engineering | 4* |
| 0307-721 Statistical Process Control | 4* |
| 0307-731 Statistical Acceptance Control | 4* |
| 0303-690 Seminar in Computer Integrated Manufacturing | 4 |
* Student must register for the four-credit-hour option of these courses.
Product Commercialization
This concentration is targeted to students who are interested in developing expertise in managing the marketing-related activities required to move new products and services through the prelaunch business stages to a successful launch. The commercialization of new corporate offerings is increasingly important as product life cycles get shorter.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0105-776 Product and Brand Management | 4 |
| 0105-777 Commercializing New Products | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | |
| 0102-770 Business Research Method | 4 |
| 0105-771 Marketing Research Methods | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | |
| 0102-742 Introduction to Technology Management | 4 |
| 0102-762 Managing New Process and Product Development | 4 |
Quality and Applied Statistics
This concentration is for those students who would like to study the technical aspect of managing quality, i.e., statistical quality control. Depending on the courses chosen, students may gain an understanding of the basics of statistical process control, quality improvement, acceptance sampling, and off-line quality control techniques such as the design of experiments.
| Choose four from the following: | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. |
| 0106-745 Quality Control and Improvement | 4 |
| 0307-721 Statistical Process Control* | 4 |
| 0307-731 Statistical Acceptance Control* | 4 |
| 0307-782 Quality Engineering* | 4 |
| 0307-801 Design of Experiments I* | 4 |
| 0307-802 Design of Experiments II* | 4 |
*Student must register for the four-credit-hour option of these courses
Quality and Organizational Improvement
This concentration is designed for students who would like to learn more about the organizational and managerial (i.e., “soft”) aspects of quality. The courses offered help students lead organizational change and manage quality improvement projects.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0102-741 Managing Organizational Change | 4 |
| 0106-745 Quality Control and Improvement | 4 |
| Choose two from the following: | |
| 0105-771 Marketing Research Methods or | 4 |
| 0102-770 Business Research Methods | 4 |
| 0307-782 Quality Engineering* | 4 |
| 0307-721 Statistical Process Control* | 4 |
| 0307-731 Statistical Acceptance Control* | 4 |
| 0625-841 Benchmarking and the Process of Continuous Improvement | 4 |
| 0106-744 Project Management | 4 |
*Student must register for the four-credit-hour option of these courses.
Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management is an integrated approach to managing the total flow of a distribution channel from the supplier to the customer. This concentration prepares students to effectively manage this key element of corporate strategy.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0106-760 Managing the Supply Chain | 4 |
| 0112-760 Integrated Business Systems | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | 4 |
| 0105-764 Channel Management | 4 |
| 0105-775 Business to Business E-Commerce | 4 |
| Choose one from the following: | 4 |
| 0102-741 Managing Organizational Change | 4 |
| 0102-756 Power and Influence | 4 |
| 0106-745 Quality Control and Improvement | 4 |
| 0106-795 Seminar in Decision Sciences | 4 |
| 0303-703 Supply Chain Management | 4 |
Technology Management
In a constantly changing environment, the ability of an organization to innovate and renew itself is critical if it is to survive and prosper. Technology managers, who typically are responsible for the innovation and application of new technology, are central to the long-term strategy and success of their companies. To manage these processes well, managers need to understand both business and technological perspectives. Co-op or internship experience in high-technology settings may be helpful to students pursuing a specialty in technology management.
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0102-742 Introduction to Technology Management | 4 |
| 0102-761 Managing Research and Innovation | 4 |
| 0106-744 Project Management | 4 |
| Choose one of the following: | |
| 0102-762 Managing New Product and Process Development | 4 |
| 0105-777 Commercializing New Products | 4 |
Additional Concentrations
In addition to the business-related concentrations listed prior, several concentrations are available to MBA students from outside the Saunders College. To register for courses in the following concentrations, students must see a graduate adviser
Communication and Media Technologies
Communication, and the technologies for message creation and dissemination, is at the center of dramatic economic, social, and cultural changes occurring as a result of technological development and global connectedness. This concentration, offered by the College of Liberal Arts, prepares students for careers as communication experts in commerce and industry, education and entertainment, and government and the not-for-profit sector.
Health Systems Administration
This concentration is specifically designed for those students who are employed in the health care environment. Offered by the College of Applied Science and Technology, the courses in this concentration introduce up-to-date, industry-relevant content that is continually developed in response to the changing health care environment. All courses in this concentration are offered online.
Human Resource Management
The field of human resource development has grown in both size and importance over the past decade, leading to a high demand for educated and skilled human resource professionals. This concentration, offered by the College of Applied Science and Technology, provides education in training, human resource management, and career and organizational development.
Industrial and Systems Engineering Management
Organizations need individuals who possess a blend of technical and business skills, as well as the integrated systems perspective needed to commercialize complex products and services. This concentration, offered by the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, may be significantly interdisciplinary.
Information Technology
Corporations are aware of the cost savings and performance improvement possible when information technology is applied in a systematic manner, improving organizational information flow, employee learning, and business performance. Information technology includes a mixture of computers and other multipurpose devices, information media, and communication technology, all filtered through an understanding of how humans need to use these evolving systems. Students may choose from the following areas of specialization for a concentration in information technology: Web programming/multimedia, software project management, programming, and telecommunications. This concentration is offered by the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.
Printing Management
Leadership and management in the print media industry require an understanding of the cutting-edge technology and emerging markets to articulate a corporate vision that encompasses new opportunities and directions. This concentration, offered by the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, is designed to provide a solid technical background in cross-media digital workflow processes and a keen understanding of the issues and trends in the print media industry.
Public Policy
Careers are available at all levels of government, as well as in not-for-profit organizations and the private sector—where an understanding of the formulation and impact of public policy are critical. This concentration, offered by the College of Liberal Arts, gives students the skills to effectively formulate public policy and understand its impact, particularly as related to science and technology issues. The courses focus on policy formation, implementation, and analysis.