Cox School of Business
(2010 Graduate Catalog)
Graduate Departments and Courses
The following business courses have been approved by the Cox School of Business faculty for the Full-Time and Professional M.B.A. programs and the M.S. programs in accounting, management and entrepreneurship. It should be noted that not all courses described in this catalog are necessarily offered in any given academic year. Students should check the published course schedules to see the courses offered for a specific term. All core required courses must be completed prior to taking an elective course within an academic discipline.
ACADEMIC AREAS OF INSTRUCTION
Courses are listed under the following academic areas:
Accounting (ACCT)
Finance (FINA)
Information Technology and Operations Management (ITOM)
Management (MNGT)
Management and Organizations (MNO)
Marketing (MKTG)
Real Estate, Risk Management and Business Law
Real Estate (RE)
Business Law (BL)
Risk Management and Insurance (RMI)
Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Business Economics
Strategy (STRA)
Entrepreneurship (CISB)
Business Economics (BUSE)
Professor Hemang Desai,
Department Chair
Professors: Joseph Magliolo, Wayne Shaw.
Associate Professors: Nilabhra Bhattacharya, J. Douglas Hanna, Michael van Breda.
Assistant Professors: Zining Li, Hyungshin Park, Mina Pizzini, Ramgopal Venkataraman, Wendy Wilson, Jeff Yu.
Clinical Professor: Gregory Sommers.
Professor of Practice: Barry Bryan.
Senior Lecturer: Susan Riffe.
Required: 2 Credit Hours Each – All M.B.A. students take ACCT 6201 Financial Accounting I as part of the core curriculum. For the second required accounting course, students choose either ACCT 6202 Financial Accounting II or ACCT 6205 Managerial Accounting I depending upon their concentration and degree plan. (See the Concentrations section for more information.)
ACCT 6201. Financial Accounting I. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of preparing and understanding financial statements targeted to external users.
ACCT 6202. Financial Accounting II. This course builds upon ACCT 6201 Financial Accounting I and provides more in-depth coverage of how individual asset, liability and equity accounts are measured and recognized in the financial statements.
Prerequisite: Financial Accounting I.
ACCT 6205. Managerial Accounting I. Demonstrates techniques for maximizing shareholder value by correctly assessing the financial outcomes of commonly recurring types of operating decisions. Techniques for identifying alternatives, assessing relevant costs and choosing a course of action are illustrated with case studies involving decisions on pricing (including special order and private label pricing), production alternatives (including make or buy) and allocation of care resources. Topics include cost behavior, cost-volume-profit relations, cost system design and interpretation (including the use of actual costs and standard costs), and identification of the costs and revenues relevant to decisions. Uses a case-study orientation.
Prerequisite: Financial Accounting I.
Required for Concentration: 2 Credit Hours – For the accounting concentration, the required courses are ACCT 6201, 6202, 6205 and 6206.
ACCT 6206. Managerial Accounting II. A continuation of the study begun in ACCT 6205 Managerial Accounting I. Explores the use of cost data in planning and controlling operations. Describes techniques of cost measurement (variable costing, activity-based costing, relevant costing) along with their implications for cost management. Additionally, introduces the topic of management control (strategy implementation) in the decentralized organization. Includes topics such as variable costing, activity-based costing, activity-based management, strategic cost analysis, divisional profit center evaluation and transfer pricing. Uses a case study orientation. Offered on an irregular basis.
Prerequisite: Managerial Accounting I.
Electives: 2 Credit Hours Each – The appropriate required courses must be successfully completed to enroll in elective ACCT courses.
ACCT 6208. Introduction to Auditing. The course objectives are for students to learn the fundamental concepts and applications of internal control over financial reporting risk as they relate to systems development and design, and to the integrated audit of internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with PCAOB Audit Standard 5. In addition, students will learn fundamental auditing theory, practice and procedures as they are applied to financial statement audits.
Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6210. Financial Reporting and Analysis I. This course is designed for those whose careers will require a more in-depth knowledge of financial statements than that provided by the required core financial accounting courses (ACCT 6201, 6202 Financial Accounting I and II). The course focuses on issues relevant to M.B.A. students whose careers depend on their ability to analyze financial statements. Specific topics include deferred taxes, leases, discontinued operations, accounting write-offs and restructuring charges, and analysis of the statement of cash flows. (Students taking this course are encouraged to consider taking ACCT 6211 Financial Statement Analysis and ACCT 6212 Financial Reporting and Analysis II.)
Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6211. Financial Statement Analysis. The course examines the role of financial statements and financial statement analysis in assessing various characteristics of firms, predicting their future performance and valuing them in acquisition. Specific topics include exposure to “fundamental analysis” techniques, forecasting pro forma financial statements, valuation techniques tied to financial statement information and sources of financial information used in the capital markets to facilitate critical examination of the topics mentioned. This course is recommended to be taken immediately following the module in which ACCT 6210 Financial Reporting and Analysis I is taken and along with ACCT 6212 Financial Reporting and Analysis II, which covers a number of topics central to conducting financial statement analysis.
Prerequisite: Financial Reporting and Analysis I or currently enrolled in M.S.A program.
ACCT 6212. Financial Reporting and Analysis II. This course is a continuation of ACCT 6210 Financial Reporting and Analysis I and, like ACCT 6210, it is a course designed for students whose careers will require a more in-depth knowledge of financial statements than that provided by the required core financial accounting courses (ACCT 6201, 6202 Financial Accounting I and II). Specific topics include off-balance sheet financing, accounting for pensions and postretirement benefits, accounting for stock options, and earnings per share.
Prerequisite: Financial Reporting and Analysis I.
ACCT 6214. Mergers and Acquisitions I. This course examines in detail the controversial nature of mergers, acquisitions and consolidations accounting. In particular, the course examines the differential impact on the financial statements of alternative methods of accounting for economically similar transactions, as well as the implications of the same for managerial behavior, for valuation and for investors. The revised merger accounting standards (SFAS 141/142) require that all mergers be accounted for using one method; however, GAAP still affords significant discretion to managers in implementing these standards, which are reviewed in the class. The insights and the discussions that the M&A setting generated can then be applied to various other scenarios where managers can influence or dictate accounting choice. Given the FASB's harmonization project with IASB, the course will also examine the important differences in U.S. GAAP and IFRS and their implications. The course will conclude with a discussion of accounting issues associated with other corporate restructuring transactions such as LBOs, spin-offs, and carve-outs.
Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6215. Mergers and Acquisitions II. The course begins with securitization and variable interest entities, including the controversial accounting issues associated with these transactions in recent years. It continues building on the material covered in ACCT 6214 Mergers and Acquisitions I, including the recurring theme of the role of discretion in financial reporting. Examines accounting issues associated with translating financial statements denominated in foreign currency as well as with foreign currency transactions and derivative securities. The course concludes with a discussion of accounting issues associated with corporate bankruptcy, including the legal framework of corporate bankruptcy in the United States, United Kingdom and Continental Europe, along with their important differences and implications.
Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6217. International Financial Reporting. Examines the International Financial Reporting Standards, a relatively new set of accounting standards gaining wide acceptance throughout the world and being considered for adoption within the United States. Uses comparisons between U.S. GAAP and IFRS (the two most commonly applied sets of accounting standards in the world) to enhance the development of a "critical thinking" approach to financial accounting and reporting. Provides students with a general understanding of major topics under IFRS while enhancing student understanding of the links between the underlying transactions, the application of international reporting standards for those transactions, and the financial reports obtained.
Prerequisite: Financial Reporting and Analysis I or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6218. Forensic Accounting and Financial Statement Fraud. The objective of this course is to impart a detailed understanding of forensic accounting, with particular emphasis on the methodologies of financial statement fraud. The course is designed to demonstrate the various aspects of fraud, i.e., fraudulent financial reporting; the various types of fraud schemes, including computer fraud and methods of concealment; and the analytical techniques utilized in uncovering fraud and its prevention through effective internal control systems. The course also includes an analysis of the general techniques used in the field litigation support services.
Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6221. Management Control Systems. In this course, control is defined broadly to include everything managers do to help ensure that the organization’s strategies and plans are carried out. Most of the course, however, focuses on the use and effects of accounting-related controls – that is, those involving measurement and evaluation of performance in financial terms. Explores the critical decisions that must be made in using accounting-related controls, such as choices of responsibility structures, performance measures, performance standards and the “internal controls” that help ensure measurement reliability. The course also presents situations in which accounting controls are not effective and includes discussions of various forms of nonaccounting controls.
Prerequisite: Managerial Accounting I or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6226. Accounting Information Systems. This course enhances students’ auditing, SOX 404 consulting and enterprise risk mitigation skills. It focuses on business processes, internal controls and information technology, and teaches students tools for documenting these, namely flowcharts, control matrices, and policy and procedure manuals. This course thus covers topics assessed in the “Information Technology” portion of the C.P.A. exam.
Prerequisite: Currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6239. Tax Research. This course is designed to provide a foundation from which students can effectively identify, research and resolve tax issues. Students learn how to assess the appropriateness of authoritative sources and communicate the results of tax research clearly and concisely to the intended audiences of their tax memorandums.
Prerequisite: Currently enrolled in M.S.A. program or by permission.
ACCT
6240. Advanced Corporate and Partnership Tax. This course builds on ACCT 6248 Graduate Seminar in Taxation I and provides more in-depth coverage of tax issues related to the formation, operation and dissolution of corporations and partnerships.
Prerequisite: Graduate Seminar in Taxation I.
ACCT 6241. Seminar in International and State Taxation. This course provides a survey of basic issues in international, state and local income taxation. The issues covered in the international segment include taxation on foreign operations of U.S. individuals and corporations, U.S. taxation of foreign individuals and corporations, foreign tax credits, U.S. possessions taxation, foreign tax credits, sourcing of income, and Section 482 reallocation of income adjustments. State and local income taxation issues covered include an analysis of nexus issues, unitary vs. nonunitary tax regimes and the allocation and apportionment of income and expenses.
Prerequisite: Currently enrolled in M.S.A. program or by permission.
ACCT 6242. Accounting for Income Taxes. The purpose of this course is to provide a systematic analysis of the provisions of FAS 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes,” and FIN 48, “Accounting for Tax Uncertainties.” Topics include the calculation of the current and deferred provision for income taxes, the effect of changes in the tax rate, the impact of net operating losses, the need for and calculation of a tax valuation account, and the calculation of and disclosures needed for tax uncertainty positions.
Prerequisite: Currently enrolled in M.S.A. program or by permission.
ACCT 6243. Auditing I. This course focuses on an auditor’s decision-making process. The fundamental concepts of auditing and other assurance services are reviewed, including auditing standards and procedures, professional ethics, audit reports, auditor’s legal liability, client acceptance and retention decisions, internal control and risk considerations, and pronouncements of major authoritative bodies. Suggested knowledge prerequisites: One or more of ACCT 6221 Management Control Systems or any financial reporting courses.
Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6244. Auditing II. This course examines recent events and current issues impacting the auditing and assurance profession. Recent legislation has resulted in significant changes to the structure and responsibilities of audit firms in the United States. This course explores these issues through the perspective of the audit firm, and uses case material to address the impact of various legislative and regulatory changes.
Prerequisite: Auditing I.
ACCT 6246. Graduate Seminar in Financial Accounting. This course focuses on financial reporting by government entities and nonprofit organizations. It also covers accounting for partnerships, including the formation and termination of partnerships. This course is required for M.S.A. students and recommended for anyone interested in bank lending.
Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6248. Graduate Seminar in Taxation I. This course examines basic issues in the tax treatment of corporations and their shareholders, including corporate formations, a variety of corporate distributions to shareholders (both liquidating and nonliquidating distributions), and tax considerations in the sale of corporate businesses. Grades are given for ACCT 6248, 6249 Graduate Seminar in Taxation I and II at the end of the second course – the same grade for each course. To receive a passing grade in either course, the student must complete both.
Prerequisite: Currently enrolled in M.S.A. program or by permission.
ACCT 6249. Graduate Seminar in Taxation II. This course provides a survey of issues related to partnership and S-corporation taxation, multijurisdictional taxation, international and multistate taxation, and estate tax planning. Grades are given for ACCT 6248, 6249 Graduate Seminar in Taxation I and II at the end of the second course – the same grade for each course. To receive a passing grade in either course, the student must complete both.
Prerequisite: Graduate Seminar in Taxation I.
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Professor William Maxwell,
Department Chair
Professors: Andrew Chen, Darius Miller, Albert Niemi, James Smith, Rex Thompson, Michel Vetsuypens.
Associate Professors: Chun Lam, Kumar Venkataraman.
Assistant Professors: Indraneel Chakraborty, Amar Gande, Swaminathan Kalpathy, Qin Lei, Natalia Reisel, Johan Sulaeman.
Visiting Professor: Jeff Harris.
Clinical Professors: Jeffrey Allen, Michael Davis, Charles Ruscher.
Senior Lecturer: Brian Bruce.
Required: 2 Credit Hours – This course is required of all M.B.A. students.
FINA 6201. Managerial Finance. An analysis of the basic problems in corporate financial management. The course is organized around the theme of asset valuation. Topics covered include stock and bond valuation, capital budgeting, cost of capital, market efficiency, and company valuation.
Required for Concentrations: 2 Credit Hours Each – The three courses are required for finance concentrations.
FINA 6205. Finance Theory and Practice. This course examines the tools and concepts that form the core of modern finance theory, with an emphasis on practical applications. Topics include risk measurement and the investor’s portfolio optimization problem, asset pricing models, risk-adjusted discount rates, investment under uncertainty, capital structure theory, firm valuation, and an introduction to options pricing.
Prerequisite: Managerial Finance.
FINA 6206. Uncertainty and Strategic Decision-Making. This course sets forth the principles of decision-making under uncertainty and an explanation of how they can be applied to enhance managerial performance. The subject matter includes the basic tools of modern game theory, the economics of information, risk aversion and decision theory. Illustrations and problems are drawn from diverse areas of business practice, including price competition, contract negotiations, auctions and competitive bidding, capacity expansion, and market entry. This course may be taken at any time after completing the prerequisite course.
Prerequisite: Managerial Economics.
FINA 6216. Portfolio Theory and Asset Pricing. This is a course in the theory and applications of risk and return in capital markets. Topics include the measurement of risk, diversification, portfolio theory, asset allocation, CAPM and APT models of asset pricing, and various measures of portfolio performance evaluation that arise from these models. Applications will stress the use of portfolio theory and asset pricing models in contemporary investment decisions. This course will also examine the empirical evidence as it pertains to these theories and practices.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
Electives: 2 Credit Hours Each – All FINA elective courses require the prerequisite course FINA 6205 Finance Theory and Practice, and some courses may have additional prerequisites.
FINA 6211. Valuation and Analysis. This is a practical, applied, overview course in corporate finance. The course builds upon and reinforces the theoretical and institutional framework covered in introductory business and finance courses. It uses the case approach to apply these concepts to real or simulated business situations. The focus is on the valuation of the enterprise. The topics covered may include financial analysis and financial planning, corporate strategy, capital expenditure analysis, capital structure, and cost of capital determination. FINA 6212 Corporate Financial Policies highly recommended as a sequel course.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6212. Corporate Financial Policies. This course addresses advanced topics in corporate financial management. It relies primarily on the case method of analysis and may be supplemented by mini-lectures. Topics covered may include corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, risk management, project finance, dividend policy, financial distress, and real options. At the discretion of the instructor, recent advances in the theoretical and empirical finance literature may be discussed. FINA 6211 Valuation and Analysis not required but highly recommended as a prequel course.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6213. Corporate Restructuring and Value Creation. This course examines several restructuring options available to organizations, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, spin-offs, tracking stock, equity carve-outs, joint ventures and alliances, cross-ownership, toeholds, and divestiture strategies. The content material consists of case studies and evidence on the value impact of the alternatives. Students gain an understanding of the alternatives used by many organizations to maintain their competitive edge and enhance shareholder value.
Prerequisites: Finance Theory and Practice and Valuation and Analysis.
FINA 6214. International Financial Markets. This course is designed to provide an overview of the financial environment that globally operating companies and investors operate in. Topics include exchange rate determination and forecasting, international fixed income and equity markets, barriers to international investing and the securities that overcome these barriers, international portfolio home bias, and law and finance.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6215. Emerging Markets Finance. This course is designed to explore and explain financial decision-making in emerging economies. Topics include how to assess risk and return in developing economies, determining the international cost of capital, large-scale direct investment using project finance, and sourcing debt and equity globally using international financial engineering and risk management.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6217. Leveraged Finance. Broadly defined leverage finance deals with the riskiest forms of debt financing. This debt financing encompasses original issue debt from either investment bank issued debt (high-yield bonds) or bank issued debt (leveraged loans) and debt that has fallen from investment grade to high-yield status ("fallen angels"). Credit default swaps also play an important role in these markets as they are derivative contracts deriving their value from the risk of specific firm default, industry default rates or aggregate default rates. As such, they provide an alternative mechanism for investors to take short or long positions on the underlying assets. Most collateralized debt obligations are constructed using leveraged finance instruments so the course also examines the basics of collateralized debt obligations and more specifically collateralized leveraged loans. Next, the course examines what happens when these risky debt instruments default or are restructured, which entails debtor-in-possession financing and vulture investing. Finally, the course discusses how these instruments trade in the primary and secondary markets. The course follows the required book, Leveraged Financial Markets: A Comprehensive Guide to Loans, Bonds, and Other High-Yield Instruments, by Maxwell and Shenkman, McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6218. Fixed Income Securities. This course provides an analysis of fixed-income securities and interest rate derivatives. Topics covered include an overview of key bond markets, bond mathematics, theories and models of the term structure of interest rates, evaluation of credit risk, determination of duration, bond portfolio management, and interest rate derivatives.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6219. Forwards, Futures and Swaps. This course provides an in-depth analysis of forwards, futures and swaps. The course focuses on forward and futures pricing and the use of forward and futures contracts to hedge commodity price risk, currency risk, stock portfolio risk and interest rate risk. The coverage of swaps includes an analysis of the pricing of interest rate, and currency and commodity swaps and their use in asset and liability management.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6220. Options. This course provides an in-depth analysis of option valuation, trading strategies for options and risk management of option positions. The models may include Black-Scholes, binomial and risk-neutral Monte Carlo pricing. Specific topics may include no-arbitrage relations; delta, kappa and gamma hedging; implied volatilities; option trading strategies; options on indices, futures and currencies; exotic options; and portfolio insurance. The goals of the course are for students to become proficient in option calculations and the implementation of option trading strategies, and to appreciate the pros and cons of the most widely used option-pricing models. By its very nature, the course requires a reasonable degree of proficiency in mathematics and statistics.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6222. Financial Markets and Monetary Policy. This course addresses, via cases dealing with contemporary issues, the role of the Federal Reserve System in stabilizing the U.S. and international economies. The course covers the transmission mechanisms of monetary policy as it influences the cost and availability of credit in financial markets and its impact through financial institutions. The changing linkages that stress the equity and fixed income markets rather than the banking system are analyzed. Other topics may include: the Fed’s role in international crisis management; the complexities of globalization and linked capital markets; the growing international emphasis on price stability as the primary goal of central banks; and the difficulties of dealing with an economy that is evolving toward a new, high-productivity paradigm characterized by government surpluses and private sector savings shortfalls.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6223. Game Theory for Business Managers. This course applies and extends the tools of modern game theory that are introduced in FINA 6206 Uncertainty and Strategic Decision-Making. The course provides a framework for recognizing the basic types of strategic situations that confront management and a systematic approach for identifying effective competitive strategies. The principles of cooperative versus noncooperative behavior, pure versus mixed strategies, reputation-building, repeated interaction, first-mover advantage, coordination and alternative equilibrium outcomes are examined.
Prerequisites: Managerial Economics and Uncertainty and Strategic Decision-Making.
FINA 6226. Alternative Asset Management. This course focuses on techniques for alternative asset management and security selection. Topics include: tools and techniques for valuing individual securities; popular approaches to security selection; measurement of risk and return in the context of long-only, market neutral strategies; and performance. The course emphasizes contemporary real-world applications.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6227. Hedge Funds. This course is an in-depth study of the theory and management of hedge funds. Topics include: arbitrage pricing theory, measuring return and risk of arbitrage strategies, performance evaluation, risk management, and compensation. The course pays attention to issues at the operational level and examines specific controlled-risk strategies, including statistical arbitrage, convertibles arbitrage and risk arbitrage.
Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6228. Energy Project Valuation and Finance. This course focuses on the principal energy sectors, their characteristic investment risks and common financial strategies. It examines fundamental principles of project valuation, including adjustments for risk and project optionality. The course also explores the methods and implications of non-recourse financing (project financing) versus corporate financing, and surveys the major institutions and international organizations that are relevant to energy investment and finance.
Prerequisites: Finance Theory and Uncertainty and Strategic Decision-Making.
FINA 6229. Energy Risk Management. Throughout the world, the volatility of energy prices (oil, gas and electric power) exceeds that of all other commodities. Many techniques and devices have been designed and applied to assess and manage risks associated with the energy business. This course reviews the current state of the art in this field, including the application of techniques that pertain to the futures and forward markets, energy derivatives, diversification, price forecasting, and information acquisition. The course also introduces the application of real options analysis as an alternative to conventional discounted cash flow analysis of risky projects.
Prerequisites: Finance Theory and Practice, Uncertainty and Strategic Decision-Making, and Energy Project Valuation and Finance.
FINA 6230. Practicum in Portfolio Management I. (fall term) The first course, taught in the fall term, of a two-course, two-term practicum that provides students with real-time money-management experience in managing the Nancy Chambers Underwood portfolio (approximately $4 million). The course tasks involve sector analysis, the evaluation of existing securities, the analysis and due diligence underlying security transactions into and out of the portfolio, and performance assessment. With a directed-study flavor, the contact hours of a two-hour course are spread across the entire fall term by meeting 1.5 hours per week instead of the regular three hours per class time. Students are expected to take the entire two-course practicum in the fall-spring sequence. Admission is by application (in the spring term prior to the fall term enrollment), and an application does not guarantee admission.
FINA 6231. Practicum in Portfolio Management II. (spring term) The second course, taught in the spring term, of a two-course, two-term practicum that provides students with real-time money-management experience in managing the Nancy Chambers Underwood portfolio (approximately $4 million). The course tasks involve sector analysis, the evaluation of existing securities, the analysis and due diligence underlying security transactions into and out of the portfolio, and performance assessment. With a directed-study flavor, the contact hours of a two-hour course are spread across the entire spring term by meeting 1.5 hours per week instead of the regular three hours per class time. Students are expected to take the entire two-course practicum in the fall-spring sequence. Admission is by application (in the spring term prior to the fall term enrollment), and an application does not guarantee admission.
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Professor John Semple,
Department Chair
Professors: Amit Basu, Bezalel Gavish, Marion Sobol.
Associate Professors: R. Canan Savaskan Ebert, Ulrike Schultze.
Assistant Professors: Aydin Alptekinoglu, Sreekumar Bhaskaran, Karthik Ramachandran.
Clinical Professors: Ellen Allen, Amy Puelz.
Senior Lecturer: James Collins.
Required: 2 Credit Hours Each – All three of the following courses are required of all M.B.A. students.
ITOM 6201. Managerial Statistics. This course provides an overview of statistical methodologies and applications. It includes probability applications, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression analysis, sampling, quality control, and forecasting. The course is taught using lectures, cases, and Excel programs and spreadsheets.
ITOM 6202. Management Decision Analysis. The purpose of this course is to help students understand how complex business problems can be analyzed, modeled and solved in an optimal manner. The course begins with a review of decision-making under risk and uncertainty. Specific emphasis is then placed on the use and application of decision trees, including the incorporation of utility theory. The course moves on to the use and application of mathematical optimization models, including linear programming, network models and integer programming. The final topic covered is simulation. Students learn to develop spreadsheet models for making complex business decisions as well as to interpret the results of such models.
ITOM 6203. Operations Management. The main objective of this course is to help students understand the fundamental concepts and techniques necessary for attaining a world-class performance in service and manufacturing operations. The course adopts a “process management” viewpoint to address a variety of strategic and operational issues. It consists of two interlinked modules: 1) process analysis, design and improvement, with exercises and cases to illustrate concepts such as capacity, cycle time, bottlenecks and theory constraints; and 2) improving medium- to long-term operational processes, with topics such as inventory management, supply chain management and operations strategy. The course also introduces students to the way information technology is being used to re-engineer and dramatically improve business processes.
Electives: 2 Credit Hours Each – The appropriate required courses must be successfully completed to enroll in elective ITOM courses.
ITOM 6205. Introduction to e-Business. The Internet is an increasingly popular medium for businesses to interact with their customers. Empowering customers has provided some companies with significant opportunities. Other companies and industries face stronger competitive challenges from reduced barriers to entry and increased availability of information. This course introduces students to the technological and strategic issues relating to the use of the Internet from a business perspective. The objective of this course is to introduce decision-making tools for how businesses use the Internet. Topics include Internet technologies, strategic implications of e-business, pricing strategy, information-intense products, online marketplaces, and issues of Internet privacy and security.
ITOM 6207. Supply Chain Management. In this course, the supply chain is viewed from the perspective of a general manager. The goal of the course is to understand how supply chain design and planning decisions impact the performance of the firm as well as the entire supply chain. Each class session is a blend of theory presentation and case discussion, during which some spreadsheet modeling and analysis may be required.
Prerequisite: Operations Management.
ITOM 6214. Business Modeling Using Spreadsheets. The objective of this course is to gain experience using spreadsheets to model and analyze quantitative business problems. It is intended to augment skills for managers in operations, finance, marketing and strategy. The course covers various modeling techniques, including linear programming, nonlinear programming, real options, integer programming and simulation. These techniques are applied to various industries, including operations, technology, finance and marketing. Some of the applications developed in the course pertain to monitoring mutual fund managers, building flexible manufacturing facilities and constructing financial portfolios. The course requires basic comfort with spreadsheets, including fixed and relative cell copying, functions and formatting.
Prerequisite: Management Decision Analysis.
ITOM 6215. Database Design for Business Applications. This course covers fundamental issues in database creation and design. The course begins with mapping data collection in organizations onto a database with the objective of storing data consistently over time then proceeds to study methods for information extraction from databases. In terms of practical skills, the course covers how to import spreadsheet data into Microsoft Access and generate summary reports to answer business questions related to data. The use of homework assignments and an implementation project in Microsoft Access reinforce the design issues and the practical skills covered in the course.
ITOM 6217. Business Intelligence and Data Mining. This course examines how companies can effectively leverage their information technology resources to gain better operational and competitive intelligence. Several technologies for enhancing organizational intelligence, such as machine learning, neural networks, clustering and association-based reasoning, are surveyed. Considerations that managers must make in applying these technologies to different types of decision and planning problems are discussed using lectures, cases and hands-on exercises with appropriate software.
ITOM 6218. Business Process Consulting. A business process is a collection of activities – connected by flows of goods and information – that create value by transforming inputs into (more valuable) outputs through the use of capital and labor. As such, business processes are the key drivers of organizational value creation and performance, competitive advantage, etc. The objective of this course is to teach students skills to model, analyze (for effectiveness, efficiency and internal controls) and redesign business processes. The course focuses particularly on information technology’s role in enabling business processes.
ITOM 6220. Revenue Management. This course discusses various methods for modeling and analyzing pricing, capacity planning and resource allocation in a variety of industries. Methods include yield management models, various auction and other dynamic pricing methods, and game theory applications in pricing.
Prerequisites: Managerial Statistics and Management Decision Analysis.
ITOM 6224. Managing Service Operations. A course that focuses on the variety of tasks involved in managing service operations within both the “pure” service sector companies and the service functions of manufacturing firms. The course is designed for students who plan to work as managers in service firms. It is also of value to individuals who need to understand and evaluate service organizations from an external perspective. The course explores the following topics: strategic service vision, design and delivery of services, managing capacity and demand, service quality and productivity, customer service management, technology in service operations, and globalization of services. The course also develops hands-on understanding of some powerful analytical techniques, including process analysis, waiting line models, simulation and yield management.
Prerequisites: Management Decision Analysis and Operations Management.
ITOM 6225. Project Management. Managing projects in a cost-effective and timely manner is one of the most challenging tasks in any organization. Competent project leadership requires an understanding of how to allocate financial, material and time-based resources, and the ability to motivate and maintain the focus of the project team. This course provides relevant project management skills by examining project decisions at three levels: 1) structuring and managing the task and leading the project team in an individual project, 2) aggregating linkages across a portfolio of projects and managing programs, and 3) making alliances across firms, contracting a project and managing open innovation. It introduces tools and concepts that enable project managers to evaluate, manage and execute critical functions of any project while ensuring speed, efficiency and market impact.
Prerequisite: Operations Management.
ITOM 6226. Operations Management Strategy. This course deals with operations issues and their long-term or irreversible impact on the corporate strategy and on the competitive viability of the firm. The course approaches these matters from the perspective of the director of operations, vice president of manufacturing or other senior-level managers with primary responsibility for the production and distribution of goods and services. During the course, students develop a general framework for creating and analyzing strategies for managing domestic and international manufacturing and services-based companies. Among the strategic decision categories to be examined are product-process technology strategies, facilities and capacity management, performance measurement, managing quality and productivity, and system design. Emphasis is on the application of systems thinking to case studies and the design of world-class operations.
Prerequisite: Operations Management.
ITOM 6230. Business Process Outsourcing and Offshoring. The course will focus on business process outsourcing/offshoring. Examines the motivators for BPO/O, the considerations underlying the decision to choose BPO/O, the relevant strategies and business models that can be used, the choice of locations, and the management of the BPO/O relationships. Considers five application areas: 1) information technology, 2) customer care, 3) finance and accounting, 4) human resources, and 5) transaction processing. Uses a combination of lectures, case analyses, guest lectures and student presentations.
ITOM 6231. Special Topics in Information Technology and Operations Management. A survey of contemporary issues and trends in the management of information technology and its use in both operations and competitive markets. Recent topics include IT-enabled organizational change and business process outsourcing and offshoring.
Prerequisites: Management Decision Analysis and Operations Management.
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Required: 1 Credit Hour Each – Full-Time M.B.A. program only
MNGT 6101. Managing Your Career. Empowers students with the knowledge and tools to effectively manage their own careers. Includes topics: how to find career focus, exploring career options for M.B.A. students, building and leveraging a professional network, and developing a personal marketing plan. Graded on a pass/fail basis.
MNGT 6103. Business Presentation Techniques. Today’s competitive marketplace demands that managers be successful on both a technical and an individual level, exhibiting a high degree of leadership skills. Helps students achieve proficiency in oral presentation techniques to enhance academic and career success. Graded on a pass/fail basis.
MNGT 6150. Graduate Corporate Internship Program. A degree requirement for all students in the Full-Time M.B.A. program during the third term (summer) in the program. Provides compensated or noncompensated career experience related to a student’s degree goals. Graded on a pass/fail basis. This specific internship meets the Curricular Practical Training standards set forth by the University’s International Student Office.
Required: 2 Credit Hours – Full-Time M.B.A. program only
MNGT 6210. Global Leadership Program. A two-week field experience abroad in which students meet with local business and government leaders, visit manufacturing facilities, and come to understand the dynamics of global business, including the impact of cultural and social customs. Provides students with a perspective on the opportunities and challenges of conducting business in the global economy.
Required: 0 Credit Hours – Full-Time M.B.A. program only
MNGT 6020. First Year Foundations. A noncredit degree requirement of the Full-Time M.B.A. program. Gives a grade of P (Pass) for successful completion. Provides various required activities to enhance professional development. Scheduled most Fridays during the first year of the M.B.A. program.
Required: 0 Credit Hours – Professional M.B.A. program only
MNGT 6003. Business Presentation Techniques. Today’s competitive marketplace demands that managers be successful on both a technical and an individual level, exhibiting a high degree of leadership skills. Helps students achieve proficiency in oral presentation techniques to enhance academic and career success. Graded on a pass/fail basis.
Elective: 0 Credit Hours – This course must be completed prior to a Professional M.B.A. student utilizing on-campus recruiting options.
MNGT 6001. Managing Your Career. Empowers students with the knowledge and tools to effectively manage their own careers. Includes topics: how to find career focus, exploring career options for M.B.A. students, building and leveraging a professional network, and developing a personal marketing plan. Graded on a pass/fail basis.
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Associate Professor Don VandeWalle,
Department Chair
Professors: Robin Pinkley, Miguel Quiñones, Linda Stearns.
Associate Professors: Mel Fugate, Ellen Jackofsky.
Assistant Professors: Jay Carson, Peter Heslin, Maribeth Kuenzi, Robert Rasberry.
Required: 2 Credit Hours – This course is required of all M.B.A. students.
MNO 6201. Organizational Behavior. This course is a rigorous study of behavior in organizations. Topics studied during the course include perception, attitudes, motivation, performance management, job design, goal setting, influence and leadership. The course pedagogy includes the application of some of the most prominent, well-tested theories in the field of organizational behavior to superior business case analysis and decision-making.
Required for Concentration: 2 Credit Hours – This course is required if concentrating in management.
MNO 6202. Managing Organizations. This course develops an understanding of the successful management of organizations. Topics include organizational design, corporate culture, power and influence, decision-making tactics, and effective internal and external strategic alignment of organizational systems.
Prerequisite: Organizational Behavior.
Electives: 2 Credit Hours Each – The core required course, MNO 6201 Organizational Behavior, must be successfully completed to enroll in elective MNO courses.
MNO 6210. Leader as Coach. This course is designed to teach students the skills of coaching in the context of being a leader. Research indicates the more coach-like the leaders, the more successful the organizations they lead. A leader as coach is one who develops and enables his or her team using specific coaching skills to promote development and results. This highly experiential class will teach coaching skills and provide a lab environment for practice. It will also explore the research regarding the most successful leadership styles. Each session builds on what was learned in previous class meetings. A significant portion of the course grade is class participation; therefore, attendance is critical for successful completion of the course. Students should schedule this course when they are confident they will be present for all class sessions.
MNO 6212. Introduction to Consulting. A practical and applied course in consulting. It covers topics such as what makes an effective consultant, defining client needs, strategic approaches to marketing, data gathering techniques, implementing change and tactics to end an engagement. This course requires students to develop an action plan.
MNO 6214. Strategic Human Resources Management. This course encompasses the policies and practices that high-performing organizations use to attract, retain and gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Particular attention is paid toward aligning human resource systems and processes needed to develop organizational capabilities to execute strategies The overall goal of the course is to shift the focus of human resources toward that of a strategic partner.
MNO 6215. Master Negotiation. This course gives students the conceptual foundation and basic tools needed to negotiate like a master negotiator, an elite class of negotiators most capable of obtaining substantial value through negotiation. Master negotiators use a flexible set of strategies that allow them to: 1) be proactive and reactive; 2) partner with the other party by increasing their value and decreasing their costs and options for going elsewhere; and 3) make the process a pleasant one.
MNO 6216. Advanced Master Negotiation. This course builds on the basic knowledge and experience acquired in MNO 6215 Master Negotiation. Advanced topics and related strategies are covered, including topics such as how to enhance or decrease power differences and how to capitalize on common negotiator biases. Significant time and attention are given to successful implementation of strategies covered in both courses.
Prerequisite: Master Negotiation.
MNO 6218. Organizational Leadership. This is a practical, applied course in leadership that builds upon and strengthens the frameworks established in the department’s core courses. This course explores different leadership theories to determine how they can be, or have been, employed in real-world situations. Special application is made through the reading of contemporary leadership books and articles, classic films, and relevant cases.
MNO 6220. Corporate Governance. This course is designed to help students understand how to make informed decisions about corporate governance issues. It highlights critical governance issues, including ethical behaviors and communications. Topics include how to evaluate board roles, attributes of effective boards, and evaluating and rewarding board effectiveness. The course includes participation by CEOs from the community.
Prerequisite: Organizational Behavior or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
MNO 6226. Managing Across Cultures. During their careers, students will work with customers, suppliers, colleagues, employees and/or bosses who have a wide range of cultural backgrounds and whose actions can often appear strange, biased, illogical and unethical when viewed from a contrasting cultural perspective. Through a combination of readings, self-assessment, lectures, presentations, role-play, guest lectures and case/video analysis, this rigorous course is designed to equip students with knowledge and skills to 1) diagnose and understand cultural differences and 2) continually learn how to work more effectively with people whose cultural background differs from their own.
MNO 6232. Corporate Ethics and Organizational Responsibility. This course offers a set of readings, cases and movies aimed at integrating ethical reflection with business decision-making. It examines ethical dilemmas faced by the individual manager and ethical issues in organizational policy. Typical topics include: conflicts of interest, supplier relations, consumer relations, ethical codes, whistle blowing, product liability, governance, corporate responsibility and competitive intelligence.
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Associate Professor Raj Sethuraman,
Department Chair
Professors: Thomas Barry, William Dillon, Daniel Howard, Roger Kerin, Zannie Voss.
Associate Professors: Richard Briesch, Edward Fox, Tasadduq Shervani, Jacquelyn Thomas, Glenn Voss.
Assistant Professors: Joonwook Park, T. Andrew Poehlman, Priyali Rajagopal, Morgan Ward.
Senior Lecturers: Charles Besio, Sonja Corbin, Judith Foxman.
Required: 2 Credit Hours – This course is required of all M.B.A. students.
MKTG 6201. Marketing Management. This course introductions students to common marketing problems encountered by marketing managers and general managers. Emphasis is placed on the analysis and development of the organization’s marketing policy, strategy and tactics with a global perspective of business. The purpose of the course is to develop a disciplined process for addressing marketing issues and challenges.
Required for Concentrations: 2 Credit Hours Each – All three courses are required for marketing concentrations.
MKTG 6204. Consumer Behavior. This course is the study of why people buy what they buy. It examines in depth the consumer decision-making processes and the factors that influence those processes as well as how people make product-related decisions and the information used to make those decisions. The course is taught from a consumer-psychology perspective and shows how that perspective can be applied to business.
Prerequisite: Marketing Management.
MKTG 6205. Consumer Insights and Market Intelligence. Sound marketing decisions are based on information gathered about customers and competitors. This course exposes students to important data sources and techniques used by companies for gathering customer insights and market intelligence, and then illustrates through cases and real-world scenarios how such information may be used to make marketing decisions.
Prerequisite: Marketing Management.
MKTG 6206. Marketing Management Implementation. This course integrates customer, consumer, collaborator and company analysis; segmentation, targeting and positioning choices; and marketing mix decisions using a computer simulation format that spans several years. Students will be assigned to groups – each group representing a firm. Each firm will compete with other firms in the market over several rounds (years) and make marketing decisions to achieve the company’s objectives. This dynamic game will prepare students to make, modify and implement marketing decisions over time.
Prerequisite: Marketing Management.
Electives: 2 Credit Hours Each – Students must have successfully completed MKTG 6201 Marketing Management to enroll in elective MKTG courses. Some of the courses have additional prerequisites or concurrent enrollment. Check the individual course descriptions for details.
Marketing Functions Courses for the Concentration: 2 Credit Hours Each
MKTG 6212. Advanced Marketing Communications Management. A review and integration of basic promotional tools, including advertising and sales promotion. The course focuses on both practical and conceptual issues in the development of communications and a corresponding strategy. Media planning, evaluation and budgeting are discussed.
Prerequisite: Consumer Behavior.
MKTG 6214. Advanced Pricing Management. This course deepens students’ understanding of the pricing component of the marketing mix. Emphasis is placed on analysis, development and implementation of pricing as a key component of the organization’s marketing strategy and tactics. The goal of this course is to develop a disciplined process for addressing pricing issues, problems and opportunities in a variety of settings and integrate knowledge acquired in marketing and other business courses.
MKTG 6215. Advanced Product and Brand Management. A focus on strategic issues and decisions germane to the management of consumer products and brands. Topics addressed in the course include product-market structure, category management, product life cycle and product line strategy, brand equity, brand growth strategies, and the financial valuation of brands. The course integrates lecture, discussion and case analysis, with an emphasis on student case presentations.
MKTG 6218. Advanced Sales and Distribution Management. Focuses on the management of sales forces engaged primarily in business-to-business selling by analyzing the tools required of a modern sales manager. Topics include organizational structures; forecasting; recruiting, selection, hiring and training of sales people; territory design and management; and compensation, motivation and recognition of sales people, as well as leadership and ethics in selling. The course also reviews the various distribution systems that are used to get goods to market in the United States as well as analyzes the “globalization” of distribution organizations and systems. The course is taught using lectures, cases and exercises to reinforce the information presented in the course.
Marketing Topics Courses for the Concentration: 2 Credit Hours Each
MKTG 6222. New Product Development. Provides students with a better understanding of the new-product development process, highlighting the inherent risks and different strategies for overcoming them as more than 40 percent of the new products that are launched each year eventually fail in the marketplace. The course emphasizes understanding the interplay between creativity and analytical marketing research throughout the development process, focusing special attention on issues related to the “fuzzy front end." It examines the process of designing and testing new products by using a combination of lectures, cases and a project.
MKTG 6223. Understanding What Customers Value. Determining what is valued is perhaps the most important issue facing marketing managers. Recently, conjoint and choice models have become popular techniques to help marketing managers understand what customers value in terms of the importance placed on specific product features and services. The objective of this course is to expose students to a variety of preference models used by brand managers and marketing analysts and to give students hands-on experience in using conjoint and choice modeling techniques. This course examines these marketing decisions using a combination of lectures, cases, and exercises.
MKTG 6224. Marketing Research. Marketing research is the formal process of gathering information needed by managers to make decisions with respect to marketing opportunities and problems. Should a new product be introduced? Are customers satisfied with service? What price should be charged for a brand? A course that develops skills in the following areas so that students can competently implement effective marketing research projects in the real world: 1) translate a business decision into a research problem, 2) choose an appropriate research design, 3) collect secondary data using Internet and other sources, 4) conduct exploratory research using focus groups, etc., 5) construct an effective data-collection instrument (questionnaire design), 6) select a cost-effective sampling plan, and 7) collect and analyze data using spreadsheets or statistical packages.
MKTG 6225. Retailer Behavior and Sales Promotion. The vast majority of consumer expenditures, which represent more than $5 trillion dollars and 68 percent of the United States gross domestic product, are made though retailers. Moreover, the average consumer product company spends as much on trade promotions (such as promoting its products to retailers) as it does on media advertising and consumer promotions combined. These facts highlight the importance of retailer behavior and trade promotions in consumer marketing. This course takes the retailer’s point of view, exploring strategic and tactical decision-making by assessing the impact of these decisions on both consumer shopping behavior and the retailer’s own operating costs. Explores issues in sales promotion, pricing, product mix and store location while gaining an understanding of consumer response in these areas. This course will be useful to students who plan to work in retailing, consumer marketing, brand or product management, or sales and distribution.
MKTG 6226. Marketing Strategy. The course focuses on the strategic marketing choices that are made by top management and that have a significant influence on an organization’s performance and competitive success. These choices include selecting markets in which to compete, defining and choosing which customer needs to address, developing meaningfully distinct offerings and programs, deciding how to access a market, and addressing issues of timing and pace of strategy execution. Taught with class discussion on key strategic issues, as well as case analysis that describes classic marketing situations faced by top management in a variety of industries.
Prerequisite or concurrent enrollment: Advanced Marketing Management.
MKTG 6227. Global Marketing Management. The course examines the major marketing issues and opportunities facing companies that sell products outside their domestic markets. Students will learn the theories and strategies that guide marketing in foreign environments as well as the analytical tools required in practicing global marketing. The emphasis of the course is on decisions companies make about product, price, place and promotion in foreign markets. In the process, students learn about economic, political, cultural and legal differences among nations as they affect marketing opportunities and operations.
MKTG 6229. Database Marketing. Database marketing represents a fruitful marriage between the concept of marketing and advances in information technology. Database marketing is a systematic approach to the gathering, consolidation and processing of marketing databases to learn more about customers and competitors, select target markets, compare customers’ value to the company, and provide more specialized offerings. Although databases have been used in traditional marketing for a long time, the database marketing approach is differentiated by the fact that much more data is maintained, and the data is processed and used in new and more sophisticated ways. This course teaches students several techniques and tools of database marketing, such as response modeling, customer lifetime-value assessment and data mining, and how they can be applied to support a variety of marketing decisions. In the course, students use software such as Microsoft Excel, Access and SAS.
Prerequisite: Managerial Statistics.
MKTG 6230. Customer Loyalty Management. This course explores the key concepts, metrics, strategies and tactics of customer loyalty management through lectures, interactive discussions and a hands-on consulting project for a corporation. Overall, students will develop an understanding of customer relationship management. Through the consulting project, they will analyze real customer data using linear and logistic regression and summary statistics. They will also calculate customer lifetime value for individual customers, then will segment customers based on CLVs. In a final group presentation to corporate sponsors of the project, students will draw customer insights from their analysis and propose strategic and tactical recommendations for profitable growth.
MKTG 6233. Nonprofit Marketing Strategy. An introduction to strategic management and marketing of the nonprofit/nongovernmental organization sector with a global perspective. Provides a more savvy understanding of NPO management and marketing strategy, which is critical to the survival and stabilization of both humanity and the environment. Using case studies of NPOs worldwide, the course examines strategic orientation, stakeholder theory, identity management, funding management, segmentation, strategic alliances, financial management and entrepreneurship. Gives students a comprehensive understanding of how NPOs are organized, how they manage their various stakeholder relationships for maximum impact and how they can lead social change.
Marketing Unrestricted Elective – Not used toward the concentration: 2 Credit Hours
MKTG 6241. Sports Marketing and Management. A focus on an industry framework to understand the market dynamics, trends, structure, delivery systems, consumer preferences and marketing, and promotional strategies that shape and drive the sports industry. Covers how businesses that do not develop and package sports as a core product leverage “market-based assets,” such as paid endorsers, strategic partnerships and event sponsorship properties, to advance distinct marketing objectives and build brand awareness. Also provides students with exposure to leading sports marketing practitioners who will bring tangible, real-world experience into the classroom to support lectures. Engages students in an experiential, real-world class project to apply sports marketing techniques and learning gleaned in the classroom.
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Professor William Brueggeman,
Department Chair
Associate Professor: Robert Puelz.
Senior Lecturers: Barbara Kincaid, Catherine Weber.
Real Estate (RE)
Electives: 2 Credit Hours Each – The appropriate required courses must be successfully completed to enroll in elective RE courses.
RE 6211. Real Estate Investment. A survey of real estate investments. Includes the underlying determinants of supply and demand for various property types, leases, pro forma statements of cash flows, measurement of rates of return and approaches to valuation. Serves as the prerequisite course for RE 6212, RE 6213 and RE 6215.
Prerequisite: Managerial Finance.
RE 6212. Real Estate Analysis and Strategy. The physical and financial aspects of real estate development from the perspective of the equity investor. Focuses on land use concepts critical to the physical development of land and buildings, such as comprehensive planning, zoning, subdivision regulations and overall physical feasibility. Provides substantial course time to introduce ARGUS cash flow modeling software and the subsequent property valuation using an Excel pricing model. Allows students to be conversant in relevant investment return metrics and applied valuation methodology by completion of the course.
Prerequisite: Real Estate Investment.
RE 6213. Real Estate Finance and Development. A course that includes case studies dealing with property selection, acquisition, leasing strategy, financing, sources of debt and equity capital, project development, and land development.
Prerequisite: Real Estate Investment.
RE 6215. Real Estate Transactions. A survey of topics relating to due diligence in real property acquisition, zoning and land use law, contracts, and agency and leases. Addresses topics from a legal perspective.
Prerequisite: Real Estate Investment.
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Electives: 2 Credit Hours Each
BL 6224. Managerial Perspectives on Law and the Workplace. In this course, students hone their ability to recognize, critically assess and manage many of the significant and recurring legal issues that arise in the employment context. The professor takes a practical approach: the aim is to equip managers to effectively handle workplace issues so as to mitigate the risk of litigation while simultaneously protecting the business’s legal position in the event litigation does ensue. Topics covered include: protecting intellectual property in a competitive environment; strategic principles for designing, drafting, negotiating and administering employment contracts, including noncompete and confidentiality agreements; recent developments in discrimination and sexual harassment law; and the competing interests of the employees' right to privacy and the employers’ right to know, e.g., the content of employees’ e-mail messages or what Internet sites they visit. The inherent risks in terminating an employee and the use of a release of liability as a risk mitigation device are also discussed. The format of the class is a combination of lecture, informal class discussion and case studies.
BL 6225. Legal and Ethical Environment of Business for Accountants. This course provides an in-depth study of the Texas State Board of Public Accounting’s Rules of Professional Conduct and the Code of Professional Conduct promulgated by the American Institute of Public Accountants. A concrete understanding of these rules of ethics is necessary for both the practice of public accounting and prior to that, success on the CPA exam. Related legal issues, including accounting malpractice and liability to third parties such as the creditors or investors of the accounting client, are also discussed.
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Electives: 2 Credit Hours
RMI 6230. Corporate Risk Management and Insurance. An exploration of the evolution of business risk management. Students gain insight into the risk management process by focusing on expense-inducing problems that exist for most business firms. Practice meets theory during the class through a series of interactions with corporate risk managers representing a variety of industry sectors.
Prerequisite: Completion of core required courses.
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Professor Gordon Walker,
Department Chair
Professor: Maria Minniti.
Associate Professors: David Croson, David Lei.
Assistant Professor: Qi Zhou.
Visiting Assistant Professor: Panayiota Kiousis.
Scholars in Residence: W. Michael Cox, Dwight Lee.
Strategy (STRA)
Required: 2 Credit Hours – This course is required of all M.B.A. students.
STRA 6201. Strategic Management. An examination of the fundamental concepts of the strategy of the firm as they are applied in domestic and global markets. Includes topics such as business strategy, industry analysis, vertical integration, strategy execution and diversification. Taught using cases, text and readings.
Required for Concentration: 2 Credit Hours – This also is a prerequisite course for some of the STRA elective courses. Check the individual course descriptions for details.
STRA 6202. Advanced Strategic Management. Follows directly from and builds on STRA 6201 Strategic Management, which focuses on issues of strategy at the business-unit level. Topics include: global strategy, technology strategy, management of the multibusiness firm, and strategic alliances and networks. Additional topics may be introduced at the instructor’s discretion.
Prerequisite:Strategic Management.
Electives: 2 Credit Hours Each – Students must have successfully completed STRA 6201 Strategic Management to enroll in elective STRA courses. Some of the courses have additional prerequisites. Check the individual course descriptions for details.
STRA 6219. Private Equity and Venture Capital. This course is designed to complement the entrepreneurship classes by examining the issues associated with venture capital from the viewpoint of the venture capitalist. It focuses on the strategic and organizational issues associated with the firms that provide private equity to entrepreneurial firms. The course examines the process by which private equity firms raise money from their investors, including a discussion of the associated agency problems, as well as the private equity firm’s decision to invest in a new venture. The course also includes a discussion of how to evaluate the strategy of the new venture and its likelihood for success or failure. Also includes the process by which the private equity firm exits from its investments and how nonfinancial corporations can use a private-equity model to finance new business ventures.
STRA 6220. Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions. A focus on the strategic and organizational issues associated with mergers and acquisitions. Students examine the factors that lead to successful – and unsuccessful – mergers and acquisitions. Topics covered include mergers within an industry, international acquisitions, diversification, vertical integration, organizational design concepts and the management of organizational behavior issues associated with mergers. Uses a case-study approach.
Prerequisite:Advanced Strategic Management.
STRA 6224. Entrepreneurial Strategy. An integration of a number of approaches while addressing strategic issues facing new and small businesses. The goal is to understand enduring factors that influence entrepreneurial and small business management. Topics include business strategy, strategies particular to entrepreneurship, market and industry analysis, and organizing to implement innovative ideas. The course assumes the perspective of the entrepreneur. Uses a blend of cases and other readings.
STRA 6225. Strategic Alliances. A course that focuses on the planning and execution of strategic alliances, especially in high-technology industries. Addresses issues of partner selection, performance evaluation and adaptation of the partnership over time. Emphasizes alliances between large and small firms.
STRA 6226. Developing Business Unit Strategy in a Competitive Environment. A course that focuses on decision-making at the strategic business-unit level by top managers. Designed to allow students to use all the skills learned thus far in the program and apply them to a broad array of business policy problems. Asks students to place themselves in the position of decision-makers to set corporate strategy in specific situations. Uses cases drawn from a variety of industries and situations and involves all facets of corporate strategy, including marketing, operations, finance, information technology and organizational structure. Emphasizes understanding the competitive dynamics of the current environment and recommending strategy that considers the resources at the organization’s disposal. This course is discussion-based, case-method approach with occasional supplemental readings.
STRA 6228. Global Strategy. A course that focuses on issues related to competing in global industries for both single and multibusiness firms. Key topics addressed are: sources and dynamics of comparative advantages; modes of entry into foreign markets, such as joint venture, acquisition and greenfield investment; global sourcing for operations and information technology; and the structure of multinational firms. Uses cases and readings.
STRA 6232. Innovation and Strategic Change. A course that focuses on the challenge of introducing new technologies and processes in single and multibusiness firms. It explores a range of companies selling both services and products. The approach of the course is to examine changes in firm’s strategic and organizational context, especially regarding issues of path dependence, absorptive capacity, appropriability and, more generally, the stages of industry evolution.
STRA 6236. The Practice of International Business. A course that equips students with a case-based, pragmatic understanding of international business in today’s flat world. The nation’s international trade and investments, already substantially above the gross domestic product figure, will climb in the next decade to several times GDP. International business skills will therefore become increasingly important for all managers. Answers questions such as: “Where does one start? Why? And how?” Examines how the international business environment (culture, history, governments, politics, law, war and demographics) affects the strategy and operations of the global firm. Includes a number of international business executives as guest speakers. The course concludes with presentations of team projects and the creation of scenarios for the future.
Electives: 4 Credit Hours
STRA 6410. Venture Capital Practicum. A hands-on venture capital experience, applying the skills developed in finance, strategy and entrepreneurship courses. Offers students the opportunity to partner with local venture capital firms and meet weekly outside of class to identify, qualify, analyze and present recommendations regarding prospective investments for the Cox M.B.A. Venture Fund. Topics covered include: filtering and qualifying opportunities presented by entrepreneurs in business plans, evaluating funding presentations, basic due diligence, and portfolio company management. Acceptance to the course is competitive and based on submitted applications. It is preferred that applicants have taken STRA 6219 Private Equity and Venture Capital. An application does not guarantee admission.
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Electives: 2 Credit Hours Each – The general expectation is that students have completed the core set of required courses prior to enrolling in CISB courses. Check the individual course descriptions for any additional prerequisites.
CISB 6210. Essential Law for the Entrepreneur. A course that provides a broad awareness of and skill in coping with critical legal issues encountered by the entrepreneur building a growth-oriented business. Also helps students develop skills in the practice of minimizing exposure to liability and litigation and in working effectively with attorneys and regulators. Addresses venture initiation through expansion stage. Topics covered include: 1) contract law, 2) legal entities, 3) governance, 4) intellectual property, 5) e-law and e-litigation, 6) securities law overview, 7) dispute resolution and litigation management, 8) employment law, and 9) protection of intellectual assets.
CISB 6211. Enhancing Operational Performance for Entrepreneurial Companies. A course that addresses how, by making good operating decisions, an entrepreneur can successfully direct/manage his or her fledgling company into becoming a successful firm capable of withstanding the challenges of an ever-changing marketplace. In both lectures and cases, emphasis is placed on practical, real-world approaches to operations. Topics covered include: industry and competitor analysis, assessing financial strength, the business model, building the management team, measuring costs, the legal foundation of the business, marketing issues, preparing for the challenges of growth, and growth by acquisition.
CISB 6212. International Entrepreneurship. A course that provides students with an understanding of the complexities faced by entrepreneurs doing business in a global environment and knowledge that will help them to successfully cope with that environment. Focuses on and emphasizes the perspective of the entrepreneur. Topics covered from an international perspective are: entrepreneurial opportunity identification and evaluation; market analysis and intelligence; joint ventures and partnerships; agents, value added resellers and representatives; regulations, laws and customs; regional and cultural issues; financing foreign ventures; and choice of domestic and international legal entities.
CISB 6214. Law of Financial Transactions for Entrepreneurs. A course that teaches students what issues determine the proper entity for their businesses (corporation, partnership, LLC); the legal and practical issues in funding their businesses in the start-up phase; how venture capital funding works and how to negotiate with venture capitalists; the mechanics of stock option plans and how to best design them for their businesses; the tax, legal and business issues that determine the proper structure for mergers and acquisitions; how to read definitive documents and what to look for; and how the IPO process works.
CISB 6216. Managing the Entrepreneurial Business I. A focus on entrepreneurial management and leadership issues in a rapidly changing micro and macro environment. Topics covered include: managing rapid growth, managing adversity, entrepreneurial leadership and contemporary management theories applied to the entrepreneurial setting.
CISB 6217. Managing the Entrepreneurial Business II. The course addresses legal and financial issues encountered by entrepreneurs trying to professionalize and grow an existing enterprise. Topics covered include: turnaround strategies and approaches, development of visionary skills, protection of intellectual property, and current practices for managing rapid change.
Prerequisite:Managing the Entrepreneurial Business I.
CISB 6218. Managing the Family-Owned and Closely Held Business. The course explores the unique challenges and opportunities involved in the management and ownership of family-owned and closely held enterprises. It examines the key business, personal and interpersonal issues relevant to the continuity and management of these firms. The course emphasizes family business systems and family dynamics as well as keys to building long-term successful family businesses.
CISB 6219. Business Decision-Making. A class that provides students with the tools needed to make better business decisions. Analyzes theories and practices of decision-making in a variety of business settings. Specifically, it focuses on understanding the processes through which individuals and firms make decisions (and mistakes) in uncertain situations. Places particular emphasis on how to process information effectively, when to use rules of thumb and how to detect biased judgments. Uses simulations and in-class experiments.
CISB 6222. Starting a Business I. This course provides students with an awareness of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and explores the creation of value through the process of starting a new business venture. Topics covered include: personal characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, identification of windows of opportunity, development of a viable business concept, analysis of competition and market opportunities, evolution of an entrepreneurial strategy, creation of a marketing plan for an entrepreneurial venture, development of a sales forecast and preparation of comprehensive financial forecasts.
CISB 6223. Starting a Business II. This course teaches students the skills required to prepare and present a professional business plan for an entrepreneurial venture. Enhances the analytical skills needed to identify and properly evaluate a new business opportunity. Topics covered include: exploration of financing options for the entrepreneurial company and development of a financing plan, overview of the venture capital process, and preparation and presentation of a professional business plan. Includes guest lectures from practicing entrepreneurs who have sought venture capital.
Prerequisite:Starting a Business I.
CISB 6224. Venture Financing. A course that teaches students to evaluate opportunities and develop a business concept, as well as assess and acquire financial resources. It takes a case approach to understanding the most important financing concepts for the entrepreneur, including the entrepreneur’s career start-up, expansion, leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, and other opportunities present in situations in which proper venture financing can mean the difference between success and failure.
CISB 6225. Entrepreneurial Exit Strategies. An examination of one of the key strategies required of any entrepreneurial venture: how the founders and the investors realize the appreciated value of their contributions to the business. The strategies and methodologies for each of the major types of exit transactions are covered in depth. The types of transactions covered include: the leveraged buyout, the sale of the business, the use of an IPO, the recapitalization of the firm and the liquidation of the business.
CISB 6226. Evaluating Entrepreneurial Opportunities. A course that provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary for selecting viable opportunities and evolving them into high potential concepts and business models. Topics addressed include: 1) identifying opportunities, 2) evaluating opportunities, 3) evaluating markets, 4) developing a powerful value proposition, 5) creating a sustainable competitive advantage, 6) creating market pull through channels, 7) developing powerful and successful business models, and 8) evolving an insightful sales forecast.
CISB 6228. Corporate Entrepreneurship: Intrapreneuring. A course that examines in detail the challenges and tradeoffs a corporation faces when trying to implement and manage for corporate entrepreneurship. Key elements for intrapreneurship, success drivers, as well as business frameworks and models are developed and analyzed. Topics for discussion include: definition of intrapreneurship and comparing and contrasting it with traditional entrepreneurship; the impact of corporate culture, processes and systems on the rate of innovation and new venture development; international impacts on intrapreneurship; and models for sustaining and adapting corporate entrepreneurship. An M.B.A. graduate who can innovate and grow new ventures within a corporation can add significant value to the company for which he or she works.
CISB 6230. Teaming With Venture Investors. A course that examines business practices and applications that are unique to the venture-funded, early-stage company. Building a fast-growth venture-backed company is different from building a company using the entrepreneur’s own funds or those of friends or relatives. The entrepreneur must be effective working with the “smart money.” Students learn management techniques, organizational processes and collaboration models that will contribute to success as an entrepreneurial executive in a venture-backed enterprise. Topics covered are: what the venture investor looks for; evolution of the entrepreneur’s role as the CEO; and board responsibilities, leadership and behavior. The course gives the student the ability to recognize the key challenges and typical mistakes that lead to failure in the early-stage, venture-backed company and how to prevent them.
CISB 6231. Venturing in China. This course offers a systematic approach for investing in China based on the best and most current international investment practices customized for China. It focuses on the investment process and the critical steps, including: 1) developing a supply of investments of the desired variety, 2) evaluating and selecting investments that meet established investment criteria, 3) negotiating and structuring investments, 4) adding value to the investments by assisting management to achieve their business objectives, and 5) monitoring those investments (in particular through an initial public offering). Teaches students how to develop a market entry plan for entering a specific industry and a specific geography in China.
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Required: 2 Credit Hours – This course is required of all M.B.A. students
BUSE 6202. Managerial Economics. An examination of the basic principles behind the operating and pricing decisions of firms in a market economy. Applies methods of marginal analysis and optimization as a guide to the business decision-making process. Topics include: supply, demand and market equilibrium competition, industrial concentration, government regulation, optimal pricing strategies, and economic efficiency.
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Elective Credit Hours – The credit hour value varies from one (1) to four (4) hours per course.
Students in the Full-Time and Professional M.B.A. programs participating in international programs at Exchange Partner Schools will be enrolled in the appropriate BAEX courses to match the program and/or the number of credit hours being earned at the partner school. In general, the courses taken on exchange earn a grade of Pass (or Fail) and count toward the degree but not toward the GPA calculation or concentration requirements. Exceptions to this policy are addressed on an individual basis.
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Below are the current courses that satisfy the Professional M.B.A. degree requirement to take at least one elective course with an international business focus. Note that these courses are not offered every term. For more information on the International Program courses, visit
www.cox.smu.edu/web/global-programs/professional-mba.
Course Number and Catalog Course Titlewww.cox.smu.edu/web/global-programs/professional-mba.
ACCT 6217 International Financial Reporting
CISB 6212 International Entrepreneurship
CISB 6231 Venturing in China
FINA 6214 International Financial Markets
FINA 6215 Emerging Markets Finance
ITOM 6230 Business Process Outsourcing and Offshoring
MKTG 6227 Global Marketing Management
MNO 6226 Managing Across Cultures
STRA 6228 Global Strategy
STRA 6236 The Practice of International Business
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