Business Administration–Executive MBA - Curriculum

During this one-week course, students will understand how to motivate and lead teams as well as how to support the leadership of others. Students will undertake a critical evaluation of the ethical responsibilities of managers and corporations. Each incoming student joins a study group of around four or five students selected for diversity of skills and experience. This course also serves as a general orientation for incoming EMBA students. Lecture 1 (Summer).

This course provides an understanding of how financial accounting and reporting information are used by stakeholders of corporations, especially external stakeholders such as investors, lenders, and regulators. Topics include standards and practices of financial reporting, analysis of financial statements, and various methods of measurement of financial transactions. (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) Lecture 2 (Fall, Spring).

Managerial Accounting emphasizes identifying and applying common techniques used by organizations to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness, improve profitability and control costs, among others. The course focuses on understanding how managerial accounting is used to help organizations achieve their goals. (Prerequisites: ACCT-801 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Fall, Spring).

This course introduces concepts for interpreting and analyzing data as a tool for assisting managers in making complex business decisions. Topics to be covered include: review of descriptive statistics, normal distribution, sampling distributions, estimation, test of hypothesis for single and two populations, linear regression, multiple regression and model building. The application of appropriate statistical tools will be required. (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) Lecture 2 (Fall).

This course focuses on the application of information technology to gain greater efficiency and effectiveness from operational and managerial processes and systems. The conceptual foundations of operations, supply chain management and information technology are surveyed and contemporary approaches analyzed from a managerial perspective. Lecture 2 (Summer).

Teams of students manage a company in a computer simulated oligopoly industry, competing against companies managed by other student teams. The overall purpose of the Business Simulation course is to: enhance the participant's ability to make effective business decisions; encourage cross-functional thinking; foster strategic and systems thinking; and enhance team building and reinforce continuous improvement opportunities. (Prerequisites: MGMT-818 and FINC-845 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 2 (Summer).

This course introduces microeconomic concepts and how they can be employed to examine business decisions such as pricing under conditions of uncertainty. Models and applications are employed that describe the efficient allocation of resources within a firm. Topics include supply and demand, consumer behavior, production, cost and pricing. (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) Lecture 2 (Fall).

The course introduces financial concepts of risk, return and valuation. The main application studied in this course, Capital Budgeting, arises in the corporate setting where managers allocate scarce resources to projects. Basic issues of capital budgeting covered include cash flow estimation and valuation techniques. Advanced issues include sensitivity analysis and the consideration of real options. (Prerequisites: ACCT-802 or equivalent course. Corequisites: DECS-810 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Spring).

This is the second-part of a two-course corporate finance sequence for EMBA students. The overall theme is one of strategic control of corporate assets and liabilities. The five topics covered in this course are: (a) long-term financial planning, corporate financing and cost of capital (b) short-term financial planning and the analysis of short-term assets and liabilities (c) risk management and the corporate use of derivatives (d) the analysis of international activities (e) corporate control activities. Three topics are explored in depth: short-term financial management, capital structure and dividend policy, and risk and hedging. Short-term financial management includes the topics of credit analysis, financial forecasting and planning, working capital management and cash flow management. (Prerequisites: FINC-845 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Spring).

This course builds on the assessment activities that are part of course MGMT-806. Each student participates in a 360-degree leadership assessment process. Based on this formal review, personal development plans are created and serve as dynamic documentation of individual professional progress. Students arrange individual counseling sessions with a leadership coach. Students then take action on the feedback received in order to develop self awareness. (Corequisite: MGMT-806 or equivalent course) Lecture 1 (Summer).

This course is a continuation of MGMT-800. Leadership Development II requires student to explore and expand their potential as leaders. Through self and peer assessment, one-on-one coaching, career counseling, and written assignments, students develop leadership goals and create a plan to realize those goals. Students arrange individual counseling sessions with a leadership coach. (Prerequisites: MGMT-800 or equivalent course.) Lecture 1 (Fall).

During this one-week course, students will understand how to motivate and lead teams as well as how to support the leadership of others. Students will undertake a critical evaluation of the ethical responsibilities of managers and corporations. Each incoming student joins a study group of around four or five students selected for diversity of skills and experience. This course also serves as a general orientation for incoming EMBA students. Lecture 1 (Summer).

This course focuses on the role of the general manager as a leader in an organization. The course addresses analytical and behavioral strategies and techniques for leadership by examining problem-solving models, personal values, and communications. The emphasis is on the interpersonal skills needs to express different leadership styles and behaviors. Cases, exercises, and class discussions will be used to examine and explore opportunities for managers to become more effective as leaders in modern organizations. (Prerequisites: MGMT-806 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Fall).

The primary theme of this course is to examine how firms can achieve superior financial performance through the establishment of a sustainable competitive advantage at the business level. Contemporary theories of strategic management will be discussed and critically examined for their relevance to the problems facing many of today's managers. Topics include analysis of industry attractiveness, value-chain analysis, core competencies, and business-level strategies. (Prerequisites: ESCB-840 and FINC-845 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 2 (Spring).

This course covers corporate-level strategy and strategy implementation. The focus of the course is on the strategy of the firm as a whole, and the interrelations between different divisions. Topics will include related and unrelated diversification, and the various means of engaging in diversification, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances. Contemporary theories of strategic management will be discussed and critically examined for their relevance to the problems facing many of today's managers. (Prerequisites: MGMT-818 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Spring).

This course is designed to teach the art and science of negotiation so that one can negotiate successfully in a variety of settings, in day-to-day experiences and, especially, within the broad spectrum of negotiation problems faced by managers and other professionals. Individual class sessions will explore the many ways that people think about and practice negotiations skills and strategies in a variety of contexts. Special emphasis will be on decision-making biases that are often inherent in any negotiation setting and compromise the quality of negotiated agreements. Lecture 2 (Fall, Spring).

This course deals with the responsibilities and challenges faced by managers responsible for research and innovation within high- technology firms. Topics will include: the critical role of innovation, internal technology assessments, technology transfer, the selection and management of R&D projects, and the identification of and management of disruptive technologies and business models. Particular attention will be given to overcoming systemic barriers to innovation. (Prerequisites: MGMT-818 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Summer).

Teams of students analyze specific operational problems or improvement opportunities in client organizations. Under the guidance of a faculty supervisor, teams identify relevant issues, collect data, develop alternatives and make recommendations to the client. The project, a two-course equivalent, is the capstone experience of the Executive MBA program. (Prerequisites: MGMT-818 and FINC-846 and MKTG-851 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Summer).

A general management perspective on the critical impact of marketing in organizations. Topics include an overview of the marketing process, market research, segmentation, and target markets. The focus is on the process of creating, communicating, and delivering customer value through the marketing mix. The course is structured around the managerially controllable elements of product, price, promotion and distribution, plus the interrelationships of these elements. (Pre or Corequisites: MGMT-818 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Spring).

This course emphasizes the marketing and product strategy activities required to create, develop, and launch successful new products. Topics covered include identifying the market opportunity for new products, defining the product strategy, understanding customer requirements, developing and updating the product business plan, marketing's role in the product development process, developing the marketing plan for launching new products, and managing the product life cycle. Best practices in activities required for successful new product commercialization are reviewed. (Prerequisites: MKTG-851 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Summer).

This course examines how the international environment affects the practice of corporate finance by using a combination of theory and cases. Topics include an examination of the international environment the firm operates in, international investment, exchange rates and the management of risks arising from shifting exchange rates, and the problems of short and long-term asset and liability management. (Prerequisites: FINC-846 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Fall).

The primary objective of the course is to examine the strategies, concepts, theories, and practices associated with conducting international business. It seeks to develop practical and theoretical problem solving skills needed in the global business environment. (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) Lecture 2 (Fall).

This international study tour is an integral part of semester long focus on the strategic and operational issues facing organizations in a global competitive environment. Students will engage in lectures, plant visits, and interviews with international corporate managers. Students will apply the insights gained from their previous and concurrent coursework. This seminar offers students an inside view of individual companies and industries, and some of the broader economic, political, social, and cultural factors that influence business opportunities and practices in a particular region of the world. (Corequisites: INTB-820 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Fall).

The course explores leadership topics in depth with an emphasis on current management and leadership issues. During each class a community leader guest lectures on topics of leadership. Past speakers have included senior-level executives from local industry, government, and not-for-profit organizations. (Prerequisites: MGMT-810 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2 (Fall).

This course is a continuation of MGMT-889. Teams of students analyze specific operational problems or improvement opportunities in client organizations. Under the guidance of a faculty supervisor, teams identify relevant issues, collect data, develop alternatives and make recommendations to the client. The project, a two-course equivalent, is the capstone experience of the Executive MBA program. (Prerequisites: MGMT-889 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall).