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The following business courses have been approved by the Cox School of Business faculty for the Full-Time and Professional M.B.A. and the M.S. in Accounting, Management and Entrepreneurship programs. 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.
Courses are listed under the following academic areas:
Professor Joseph (Jody) Magliolo, Department Chair
Professors: Hemang Desai, Wayne Shaw; Associate Professors: Elbert Greynolds, J. Douglas Hanna, Michael van Breda; Assistant Professors: Nilabhra Bhattacharya, Mina Pizzini, Gregory Sommers, Ramgopal Venkataraman, Wendy Wilson; Senior Lecturers: Jeffrey Austin, Susan Riffe.
Required: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – All M.B.A. students take ACCT 6201 as part of the core curriculum. For the second required accounting course, choose either ACCT 6202 or ACCT 6205 depending upon your concentration and degree plan. (Please see 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 on 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. This course 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 identifying the costs and revenues relevant to decisions. The course will have a case orientation. Prerequisite: Financial Accounting I.
Required for Concentration: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – For the Accounting concentration, the required courses are ACCT 6201, 6202, 6205 and 6206.
ACCT 6206. Managerial Accounting II. This course continues the study begun in Managerial Accounting I. The course explores the use of cost data in planning and controlling operations. Techniques of cost measurement (variable costing, activity-based costing, relevant costing) are described along with their implications for cost management. Additionally, the course provides an introduction to the topic of management control (strategy implementation) in the decentralized organization. Topics include variable costing, activity-based costing, activity-based management, strategic cost analysis, divisional profit center evaluation and transfer pricing. The course will have a case orientation. Prerequisite: Managerial Accounting I.
Elective: 1.0 Credit Hour Each
ACCT 6125. Accounting Internship. This internship is for students matriculated in the M.S. in Accounting program only. Department Approval is required to enroll.
Electives: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – The appropriate required courses must be successfully completed to enroll in elective ACCT courses.
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 and ACCT 6202). 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 also strongly encouraged to consider taking ACCT 6211 and 6212.) 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. It is strongly recommended that the course be taken immediately following the module in which ACCT 6210 is taken. Students taking this class should also consider taking ACCT 6212, which covers a number of topics central to conducting financial statement analysis. It is also recommended that this course be taken during the same module as ACCT 6212. Prerequisite: Financial Reporting and Analysis I.
ACCT 6212. Financial Reporting and Analysis II. The course is a continuation of Acct 6210 and, like ACCT 6210, is 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 and ACCT 6202). 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. The focus of this course is on accounting issues associated with two types of transactions - Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs). These transactions represent significant events for the company as well for the economy in general. While the transactions are important the accounting issues associated with them (especially for M&A) are extremely controversial. Accounting rules for both these transactions permit managers some discretion and latitude. Thus, in addition to understanding the accounting aspects of merger and LBO accounting we will also discuss how the impact of accounting affects the decision process of managers as well as analysts and investors. We will also discuss the controversial nature of merger accounting and the evolution of the current standards governing M&A in the U.S. (SFAS 141/142). 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. The course 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 where accounting controls are not effective. This allows discussion of various forms of non-accounting controls. Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6224. Taxes and Business. This course provides an overview of the U.S. income tax system as it applies to business entities. The primary focus is on corporations, but the use of pass-through entities is also discussed. The course is designed for general managers, not tax practitioners. Problems and scenarios are used to illustrate different tax issues. Possible topics include: establishing a framework for understanding taxes, choosing a legal entity, taxation of ongoing operations and taxation of overseas operations. Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II. This course is offered on an irregular basis.
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 Management Control Systems or Financial Reporting. 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 from 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 I. This course focuses on financial reporting by government entities and nonprofit organizations. It also covers the details of segment and interim reporting and introduces the student to the reporting rules set by the SEC. The class is required for MSA students and recommended for anyone interested in bank lending. Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6247. Graduate Seminar in Financial Accounting II. This seminar focuses on the accounting for foreign exchange transactions and the role of the IASB in setting reporting rules for the international community. It also covers accounting for derivatives and partnership accounting. The class is required for MSA students and highly recommended for anyone interested in international business. Completion of Accounting 6246 prior to enrollment is advised but not required. Prerequisite: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6248. Graduate Seminar in Taxation I. This course addresses the issues beyond the basic foundation of corporate taxation. It covers issues related to corporate formation, operation and dissolution. Grades are given for 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: Financial Accounting II or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
ACCT 6249. Graduate Seminar in Taxation II. This course provides a survey of issues related to multi-jurisdictional taxation, international and multi-state, individual and estate tax planning. Grades are given for 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.
Professor Darius Miller, Department Chair
Professors: Andrew Chen, David Mauer, Albert Niemi, James Smith, Rex Thompson, Michel Vetsuypens; Associate Professors: Jeffrey Allen, Chun Lam, Kumar Venkataraman; Assistant Professors: Evrim Akdogu, Amar Gande, Qin Lei, Natalia Reisel; Senior Lecturers: Brian Bruce, Michael Davis, Jeffrey Hart.
Required: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – Both courses are required of all M.B.A. students.
FINA 6201. Managerial Finance. This course is 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.
FINA 6202. Managerial Economics. This course examines the basic principles behind the operating and pricing decisions of firms in a market economy. Methods of marginal analysis and optimization are applied 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.
Required for Concentrations: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – Check the curriculum to determine the FINA courses that are required for your degree plan. Both 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. This course may be taken concurrently with FINA 6211, but must be taken before all other Finance electives. Prerequisite: Managerial Finance.
FINA 6206. Uncertainty and Strategic Decision-Making. This course sets forth the principles of decision-making under uncertainty and explains 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: Managerial Economics.
Electives: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – All FINA elective courses require the prerequisite course, 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 main focus is on the valuation of the enterprise. Topics covered may include financial analysis and financial planning, corporate strategy, capital expenditure analysis, capital structure and cost of capital determination. Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice. Corporate Financial Policies is a highly recommended sequel course.
FINA 6212. Corporate Financial Policies. This course addresses more advanced topics in corporate financial management. It primarily relies 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. Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice. While Valuation and Analysis is not required, it is highly recommended a prequel course.
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. Prerequisite: 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, sourcing debt and equity globally using international financial engineering and risk management. Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
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 stress the use of portfolio theory and asset pricing models in contemporary investment decisions. The course also examines the empirical evidence as it pertains to these theories and practices. Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6217. Security Valuation and Selection. This course focuses on techniques for active portfolio management and security selection. Topics include tools and techniques for valuing individual securities, popular approaches to security selection such as growth versus value and sector and industry analysis. Models examined include fundamental methods based on discounted dividends and cash flows and selected technical measures. The course emphasizes contemporary real-world applications. 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 class 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, currency and commodity swaps and examines 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 to make students proficient in option calculations and the implementation of option trading strategies and enable them 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 6221. Risk Management in Depository Institutions. This course is designed to help students make informed decisions about the risk related issues and the potential returns of different activities of depository institutions. The underlying theme of the course is risk management. The course emphasizes the approaches managers can use to maximize stockholders’ wealth by balancing the trade-off between risk and return. 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. 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 non-cooperative behavior, pure versus mixed strategies, reputation-building, repeated interaction, first-mover advantage, coordination and alternative equilibrium outcomes are examined. Prerequisites: Finance Theory and Practice and Uncertainty and Strategic Decision-Making.
FINA 6224. 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, information acquisition, etc. The course also provides an introduction to the application of real options analysis as an alternative to conventional discounted cash flow analysis of risky projects. Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6229. Hedge Fund Investment Management. This course examines topics related to the hedge fund style of investing, including issues affecting hedge fund managers and considerations required of professional investors in hedge fund portfolios. The hedge fund style of investing, which seeks absolute returns across all market conditions, employs a variety of techniques related to return generation and risk management. With this framework as a backdrop, the course examines the hedge fund industry, measures and dynamics of risk and return, portfolio management considerations by hedge fund managers and portfolio construction considerations by professional hedge fund investors. This course does not provide information on specific security selection; rather, it provides a practical perspective of portfolio management and risk management in the context of running a hedge fund or managing a portfolio of hedge fund investments. The course is designed for students with an interest in a career in the hedge fund, financial advisory or investment management industries and requires a reasonable understanding of financial markets, securities and modeling. Prerequisite: Finance Theory and Practice.
FINA 6230. Practicum in Portfolio Management I (Fall term). This is 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 tasks involve sector analysis, the evaluation of existing securities and the analysis and due diligence underlying security transactions into and out of the portfolio and performance assessment. The course format, with a directed study flavor, spreads the contact hours of a two-hour course across the entire Fall term by meeting 1.5 hours per week instead of the regular 3 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). This is 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 tasks involve sector analysis, the evaluation of existing securities and the analysis and due diligence underlying security transactions into and out of the portfolio and performance assessment. The course format, with a directed study flavor, spreads the contact hours of a two-hour course across the entire Spring term by meeting 1.5 hours per week instead of the regular 3 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.
Professor Amit Basu, Department Chair
Professors: Bezalel Gavish, Marion Sobol; Associate Professors: Ulrike Schultze, John Semple; Assistant Professors: Sreekumar Bhaskaran, Chester Chambers, Neil Keon, Karthik Ramachandran, Eli Snir; Senior Lecturers: Ellen Allen, Amy Puelz; Lecturer: James Collins.
Required: 2.0 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 and includes probability applications, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression analysis, sampling, quality control and forecasting for long- and short-run periods if time permits. 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 then moves on to the use and application of mathematical optimization models including linear programming, network models and integer programming. Finally, the course covers the topic of simulation. Students learn to develop spreadsheet models for making complex business decisions, as well as interpret the results of such models.
ITOM 6203. Operations Management. Helping students understand the fundamental concepts and techniques necessary for attaining a world-class performance in service and manufacturing operations is the main learning objective of this course. The course adopts a “process management” viewpoint to address a variety of strategic and operational issues. The course design consists of two inter-linked modules — (1) process analysis, design and improvement: exercises and cases are used here to illustrate the concepts such as capacity, cycle time, bottlenecks and theory of constraints, (2) improving medium- to long-term operational processes: covers 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: 2.0 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 Strategy. The objective of this course is to understand Supply Chain Management in the modern, technology-intensive environment. The Internet promotes seamless integration across the supply chain while improvements in data analysis allow for ongoing optimization. Some organizations are using these technologies to increase cooperation along the channel, utilizing improved information to respond quickly to changes in demand, improve product assortment, reduce inventory and optimize deliveries. Others gain a competitive advantage from access to a broader supplier or customer base. As companies outsource a larger share of their production and service capabilities, technology plays an important role in transforming organizations. Topics in this course include integration across the supply chain, the transformation of manufacturing and services, outsourcing and supply chain technology. Prerequisite: Operations Management.
ITOM 6210. Electronic Networks. This course provides an overview of telecommunications and networking technologies and their use in modern society and business. Specific topics include impact of digital communications, fiber-optics and photonics, wireless and mobile communications, networking protocols and architectures, the Internet, strategic and policy issues, security and privacy in data communications. This course is offered on an irregular basis.
ITOM 6212. Mobility and Security in Electronic Networks. This course discusses wireless communication systems, mobile computer and communication networks and the impact of these technologies on business processes and competitive strategy. It also discusses the challenges of achieving secure and reliable information systems in a mobile computing environment. This course is offered on an irregular basis.
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 in this course 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. Basic comfort with spreadsheets is expected, 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. We start with mapping data collection in organizations onto a database with the objective of storing data consistently over time. We then proceed to study methods for information extraction from databases. In terms of practical skills, we will learn how to import spreadsheet data into Microsoft Access and generate summary reports to answer business questions related to our data. Homework assignments and an implementation project in Microsoft Access will reinforce both 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, and 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 using 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 will focus 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. Prerequisite: Managerial Statistics
ITOM 6221. Security, Privacy, Legal and Ethical Issues in E-Business and Telecommunications. The widespread use of computer-based systems and electronic networks for business processes raises a number of critical social, legal and ethical issues. Recent legislation on intellectual property protection, consumer privacy and corporate governance have further heightened the significance and relevance of these issues. The course addresses these issues through a combination of lectures, cases and projects. This course is offered on an irregular basis.
ITOM 6223. Special Topics in Quantitative Modeling and Analysis. TBA. Prerequisite: Instructor’s approval.
ITOM 6224. Managing Service Operations. This course will focus 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 will also be of value to individuals who need to understand and evaluate service organizations from an external perspective. The course will explore 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 will also develop 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 6226. Operations Management Strategy. This course deals with operations issues having a 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. We will develop a general framework for creating and analyzing strategies for managing domestic and international manufacturing and services-based companies. Among the strategic decision categories which will 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 6228. International Operations. With firms of all sizes moving towards global sourcing, off-shoring of various operations and outsourcing, an understanding of the challenges and opportunities of international operations is becoming crucial for managers. This course addresses these issues and examines how some of the key problems in planning and managing international operations can be modeled and analyzed. Prerequisite: Operations Management
ITOM 6230. Business Process Outsourcing and Offshoring. This course will focus on business process outsourcing/offshoring (BPO/O). Students will examine 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. Students will consider five application areas: (1) information technology, (2) customer care, (3) finance and accounting, (4) human resources and (5) transaction processing. The format of the course will be a combination of lectures, case analyses, guest lectures and student presentations.
ITOM 6231. Special Topics in Information Technology and Operations Management. This course surveys 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.
These courses are requirements of the Full-Time M.B.A. program only.
Required: 1.0 Credit Hour Each.
MNGT 6101. Managing Your Career. This course empowers students with the knowledge and tools to effectively manage their own careers. Topics include: 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. This course is 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. Through this course, students will achieve proficiency in oral presentation techniques to enhance academic and career success. The course is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.
MNGT 6150. Graduate Corporate Internship Program. This Internship is a degree requirement for all students in the Full-Time M.B.A. program during the third term (summer) in the program. The internship program is intended to provide compensated or non-compensated career experience related to the students’ degree goals. The internship is 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: 2.0 Credit Hours Each
MNGT 6210. Global Leadership Program. The focus of this course is a two-week field experience abroad where 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 social customs. The course helps students gain a perspective on the opportunities and challenges of conducting business in the global economy.
Required: 0 Credit Hour Each
MNGT 6020. First Year Foundations. This is a noncredit degree requirement of the Full-Time M.B.A. program. The successful completion of this degree requirement earns a grade of P (Pass). Students participate in various required activities to enhance professional development. These sessions will take place most Fridays during the first year of the M.B.A. program.
These courses are for the Professional M.B.A. program only.
Required: 0 Credit Hour Each
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. Through this course, students will achieve proficiency in oral presentation techniques to enhance academic and career success.
Elective: 0 Credit Hour Each – This course must be completed prior to a Professional M.B.A. student using the services of the Career Management Center.
MNGT 6001. Managing Your Career. This course empowers students with the knowledge and tools to effectively manage their own careers. Topics include: 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.
Professor Don VandeWalle, Department Chair
Professors: Robin Pinkley, Miguel Quiñones, John Slocum, Linda Stearns; Associate Professor: Ellen Jackofsky; Assistant Professors: Jay Carson, Mel Fugate, Peter Heslin, Robert Rasberry.
Required: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – 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: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – This course is required if concentrating in Strategic Leadership.
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: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – The core required course, MNO 6201, must be successfully completed to enroll in elective MNO courses.
MNO 6212. Introduction to Consulting. This is 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 towards aligning human resource systems and processes in order to develop organizational capabilities to execute strategies. The overall goal of the course is to shift the focus of human resources towards 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. Master Negotiators are an elite class of negotiators most capable of obtaining substantial value through negotiation. Master Negotiators do this by using 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 providing options for going elsewhere and 3) making the process a pleasant one.
MNO 6216. Advanced Master Negotiation. This course builds on the basic knowledge and experience acquired in the Master Negotiation course. 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 is given to the successful implementation 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 required courses. The course explores different leadership theories to determine how they can be, or have been, employed in real-world situations. Special application is made through 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. Critical governance issues, including ethical behaviors and communications, are highlighted. Topics covered include how to evaluate board roles, attributes of effective boards and evaluating and rewarding board effectiveness. CEOs from the community participate in this course. Prerequisite: Organizational Behavior or currently enrolled in M.S.A. program.
MNO 6222. Leading Organizational Change. Great managers understand when change is needed and are able to guide the people they lead through the change process. This course focuses on practical models and change tactics that managers can use to make their organizations more effective. Students develop critical insights into when particular approaches are likely to be effective as well as how to recognize and address potential barriers to implementing various change leadership tactics.
MNO 6224. Managing Teams. The increasing popularity of team-based organizational structures is the focus of this course. The course consists of evaluating criteria for measuring team effectiveness, examining team developmental cycles, diagnosing causes of high/poor team performance, design of feedback systems and effective communication technology. Both cases and experiential exercises are utilized as pedagogical tools to enhance students’ learning.
MNO 6226. Managing Across Cultures. During your career you will work with customers, suppliers, colleagues, employees and/or bosses who have a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Their actions can often appear strange, biased, illogical and unethical when viewed from a contrasting cultural perspective. Through a combination of readings, self-assessment, lecturettes, presentations, role plays, guest lectures and case/video analysis this rigorous course is designed to equip you with knowledge and skills to (a) diagnose and understand cultural differences and (b) continually learn how to work more effectively with people whose cultural background differs from your 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. Participants will examine ethical dilemmas faced by the individual manager and ethical issues in organizational policy. Typical topics includee: conflicts of interest, supplier relations, consumer relations, ethical codes, whistle blowing, product liability, governance, corporate responsibility and competitive intelligence.
Professor Daniel Howard, Department Chair
Professors: Thomas Barry, William Dillon, Roger Kerin; Associate Professors: Edward Fox, Raj Sethuraman, Tasadduq Shervani, Glenn Voss; Assistant Professors: Richard Briesch, Joonwook Park, T. Andrew Poehlman, Priyali Rajagopal, Suzanne Shu; Senior Lecturers: Charles Besio, Judith Foxman, James Kindley.
Required: 2.0 Credit Hours – This course is required of all M.B.A. students.
MKTG 6201. Marketing Management. This course introduces students to common marketing problems encountered by marketing managers and general mangers. Emphasis is placed on the analysis and development of the organization’s marketing policy and 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 Concentration: 2.0 Credit Hours – This also is a prerequisite course for some of the Marketing elective courses. Please check the individual course descriptions for details.
MKTG 6202. Advanced Marketing Management. This course is intended for students with a primary or secondary concentration in marketing. A heavy emphasis is placed on case analysis, including oral and written case presentations. The course features a decision-making emphasis for marketing management. Prerequisite: Marketing Management.
Electives: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – Students must have successfully completed MKTG 6201 in order to enroll in elective MKTG courses. Some of the courses have additional prerequisites. Please check the individual course descriptions for details.
MKTG 6211. 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 (i.e., 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. Students explore issues in sales promotion, pricing, product mix and store location while gaining an understanding of consumer response in these areas. This course is useful to students who plan to work in retailing, consumer marketing, brand or product management or sales and distribution.
MKTG 6212. Analytic Methods for New Product Development. Introducing new products is a risky business. This course focuses attention on the various methods currently in use in commercial marketing research for forecasting new product introductions. Students acquire knowledge of how new product introduction surveys are constructed and the various models for estimating first-year and long-run volume and market share. Prerequisite or Concurrent Enrollment: Advanced Marketing Management.
MKTG 6213. Analytic Methods for Understanding What Customers Value. Determining what is valued and the importance of product features and service offerings is perhaps the most important issue that marketing managers face. Recently, conjoint and choice models have become popular techniques to help marketing managers understand what customers value. The objective of this course is to give students hands-on experience in using conjoint and choice modeling techniques.
MKTG 6214. Consumer Behavior. This course explores why people buy what they buy. It provides an in-depth examination of the consumer decision-making processes and the factors that influence those processes. It examines how people make product-related decisions and the information utilized to make those decisions. The course is taught from a consumer psychology perspective and shows how that perspective can be applied to business. It reviews and explains influence tactics and techniques marketers can use to stimulate purchases. It is a lecture course (no cases or class projects are involved).
MKTG 6215. Consumer Product and Brand Management. This course focuses 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. Prerequisite: Advanced Marketing Management.
MKTG 6216. Customer Satisfaction and Retention. This course focuses on the role of customer satisfaction measurement and management in a firm’s marketing and internal operations. Key concepts developed in the course include: estimating the profit impact of customer loyalty and the lifetime value of customers; building customer satisfaction; measurement and management systems; identifying and prioritizing the drivers of customer satisfaction; and aligning the firm’s internal value-delivery processes with the voice of the customer. Through the course, students develop an appreciation of the asset value of customer loyalty and retention, learn ways to measure and increase them and are better able to assess the impact of strategic decisions on customer satisfaction and retention. Tools and concepts developed in the course are applicable to businesses in a variety of industries, including business-to-business, business-to-consumer, manufacturing, distribution and services.
MKTG 6217. Global Marketing Management. This course examines the major marketing issues and opportunities facing companies who sell products outside their domestic markets. Students learn both 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. The material covers both American and foreign companies doing business in developing and developed countries.
MKTG 6221. Marketing Communications Management. This course integrates basic promotional tools including advertising, direct response and sales promotion. The focus is on practical issues in the choice of communication channels and the development of a communication strategy. Media planning, evaluation and budgeting are discussed. Prerequisite: Consumer Behavior.
MKTG 6223. Marketing Implementation and Control. This course addresses implementation and control issues in marketing management. Emphasis is placed on the how-to-do-it aspects of marketing with special attention given to the development of specific marketing programs and the execution and control of these programs once developed. The primary learning in this course comes from the study and analysis of marketing case studies.
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 our service? What price should be charged for our brand? This course is intended to develop 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 such as focus groups; 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 6226. Marketing Strategy. This course focuses on the strategic marketing choices made by top management 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. The pedagogy for this course consists of 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 6228. Management of the Modern Sales Force. The course focuses on the management of sales forces engaged primarily in business-to-business selling by analyzing the tools required of a modern sales manager. The subject areas include: organizational structures; forecasting; recruiting, selection, hiring and training of sales people; territory design and management; compensation, motivation and recognition of sales people; as well as leadership and ethics in selling. The course format includes lectures, cases and solutions to sales management problems.
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. In this course, students will learn about several techniques and tools of database marketing such as response modeling, customer lifetime value assessment, data mining and how they can be applied to support a variety of marketing decisions. The course involves the use of software such as Microsoft Excel, Access and SAS. Prerequisite: Managerial Statistics.
MKTG 6231. Sports Marketing. The focus of this course is to provide an industry framework to understand the market dynamics, trends, structure, delivery systems, consumer preferences and marketing and promotional strategies that shape and drive the industry. The course will also cover how businesses who 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. Furthermore, the course will provide students with exposure to leading sports marketing practitioners who will bring tangible, real world experience into the classroom to support lectures. In addition, students will engage in an experiential, real world class project to apply sports marketing techniques and learning gleaned in the classroom.
MKTG 6232. Diversity Marketing. This course will offer a broad and comprehensive concept of marketing to diverse segments. Students will be introduced to the dynamics of the diverse market environment, while identifying a target audience and how best to reach that audience. Content will focus on current research and references for marketing diversity. Students will be encouraged to expand current biases to diverse marketing approaches while providing the necessary skills involved in identifying and evaluating the unique characteristics of diverse market groups and their impact on stock value and company profitability. Guest speakers will be brought in to discuss real world challenges and successes of diverse marketing initiatives. The class format will include lecture, guest speakers and class discussions. Requirements for the students are class participation, regular class attendance and an individual case study.
Professor William Brueggeman, Department Chair
Associate Professor: Robert Puelz; Senior Lecturers: Barbara Kincaid, Catherine Weber.
Electives: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – The appropriate required courses must be successfully completed to enroll in elective RE courses.
RE 6211. Real Estate Investment. This course is a survey of commercial real estate investments. It 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. It is a prerequisite course for Real Estate Finance and Development and Real Estate Transactions. Prerequisite: Managerial Finance.
RE 6213. Real Estate Finance and Development. This course includes mortgage financing techniques, fixed and adjustable rate financing, sources of debt and equity capital, project development and land development. Prerequisite: Real Estate Investment.
RE 6215. Real Estate Transactions. This course is a survey of topics relating to due diligence in real property acquisition, zoning and land use law, contracts and agency and leases. Topics are addressed from a legal perspective. Prerequisite: Real Estate Investment.
Electives: 2.0 Credit Hours Each
LT 6220. Corporate Responsibility and the Law. The legal component of responsible financial, accounting, marketing, technology and general corporate management demands knowledge of a broad spectrum of statutory, regulatory and case law. Students from all concentrations will benefit from this business law course exploring legal strategy for: 1) compliance with federal regulation on corporate governance; 2) minimizing criminal and civil operational liabilities; 3) litigation management and alternative dispute resolution 4) maximization of human resources; 5) protection and exploitation of intellectual property; 6) real estate acquisitions and leases; and 7) sale of goods and E-commerce. Prerequisite: None. Eligibility: A student who has or is a candidate for a J.D. degree may enroll only with the written consent of the Professor. Candidates for the MSA degree may enroll only with the written consent of the Professor or the MSA Coordinator.
LT 6224. Managerial Perspectives on Law and the Workplace. In this course, students learn to recognize and manage many of the significant and recurring legal issues that arise in the workplace. The professor takes a practical approach: the aim is to equip managers to effectively handle employment-related issues that inevitably arise wherever there are employers and employees. The class delves into relevant current events. Issues covered include, but are not limited to, protecting intellectual property in a competitive environment; strategic principles for designing, drafting, negotiating and administering employment contracts, including non-compete and confidentiality agreements; recent developments in discrimination and sexual harassment; and the competing interests of the employee’s right to privacy and the employer’s right to know, e.g., the content of an employee’s e-mail messages or what Internet sites they visit. The format of the class is a combination of lecture, class discussion and case study. Prerequisite: None.
LT 6225. Legal and Ethical Environment of Business for Accountants. This course will cover the topics of negligence, including theories of accounting malpractice, AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, agency, contracts and creditor’s rights. The course will emphasize business ethics, especially those common to the accounting profession.
Electives: 2.0 Credit Hours Each
INS 6230. Corporate Risk Management and Insurance. This course explores the evolution of business risk management and provides insight to the risk management process by focusing on expense-inducing problems that exist for most business forms. 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.
Professor Gordon Walker, Department Chair
Professor: Maria Minniti; Associate Professors: David Croson, David Lei; Assistant Professor: Qi Zhou.
Required: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – This course is required of all M.B.A. students.
STRA 6201. Strategic Management. This course examines the fundamental and analytical concepts of strategy and their application in primarily global contexts. Topics include business strategy, industry analysis, vertical integration, strategy execution and diversification. It is taught using cases, text and readings.
Required for Concentration: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – This also is a prerequisite course for some of the Strategy elective courses. Please check the individual course descriptions for details.
STRA 6202. Advanced Strategic Management. This course follows directly from and builds on the Strategic Management course, which focuses on issues of strategy at the business-unit level. The Advanced course will cover at least the four following topics: global strategy, technology strategy, management of the multi-business firm and strategic alliances and networks. Additional topics may be introduced at the instructor’s discretion. Prerequisite: Strategic Management.
Electives: 2.0 Credit Hours Each – Students must have successfully completed STRA 6201 in order to enroll in elective Strategy courses. Some of the courses have additional prerequisites. Please 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 th e firms that provide private equity to entrepreneurial firms. It also examines the process by which private equity firms raise money from their investors, including a discussion of the associated agency problems. The private equity firm’s decision to invest in a new venture is explored. This includes a discussion of how to evaluate the strategy of the new venture and its likelihood for success or failure. Additional course topics include the process by which the private equity firm exits from its investments and how non-financial corporations can use a private-equity model to finance new business ventures.
STRA 6220. Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions I. This course focuses 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. The course uses a case study approach to classroom learning. Prerequisite or Concurrent Enrollment: Advanced Strategic Management.
STRA 6221. Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions II. This course focuses on the valuation, negotiation, corporate governance and legal issues associated with mergers and acquisitions. The course also examines special cases of M&A, including leveraged buyouts, employee buyouts and M&A in the not-for-profit sector. A section of the course is devoted to the strategic and organizational issues associated with joint ventures. Prerequisites: Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions I and Managerial Economics.
STRA 6224. Entrepreneurial Strategy. This course integrates a number of approaches while addressing strategic issues facing new and small businesses. In general, 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. Material is a blend of cases and other readings.
STRA 6225. Strategic Alliances. This course focuses on the planning and execution of strategic alliances, especially in high-technology industries. Issues of partner selection, performance evaluation and adaptation of the partnership over time are addressed. Alliances between large and small firms are also emphasized.
STRA 6226. Developing Business Unit Strategy in a Competitive Environment. This course focuses on decision making at the strategic business unit level by top managers. The course is designed to allow students to utilize all skills learned thus far in the program and apply them to a broad array of business policy problems. The students are asked to place themselves in the position of decision makers to set corporate strategy in specific situations. Cases are drawn from a variety of industries and situations and involve all facets of corporate strategy including marketing, operations, finance, information technology and organizational structure. Emphasis is placed on understanding the competitive dynamics of the current environment and recommending strategy considering the resources at the organization’s disposal. The course is entirely discussion-based, case method with occasional supplemental readings.
STRA 6228. Global Strategy. This course focuses on issues related to competing in global industries for both single and multi-business 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. The course uses cases and readings.
STRA 6230. Companies in Crisis. This course profiles companies, markets and industries in contemporary crisis situations such as financial distress, external or internal changes in the operating environment or significant conflict. Topics include case studies emphasizing industries and companies that have local and national interest and focuses on the application of creative solutions to companies facing bankruptcy, management issues, acquisition investigation or litigation.
STRA 6232. Innovation and Strategic Change. This course focuses on the challenge of introducing new technologies and processes in single and multi-business firms. It explores a range of companies selling both services and products. The approach is to examine the change in a firms strategic and organizational context, especially regarding issues of path dependence, absorptive capacity, appropriability, and, more generally, the stages of industry evolution.
STRA 6234. Industry Structure and Dynamics. This course supplies analytical frameworks useful for explaining and predicting industry structure over time. Industry structure here means the set of “roles” available for firms and the “script” they act out. Emphasis is placed on economic approaches with robust empirical support, such as Sutton’s theory of endogenous sunk costs and Klepper’s synthesis of industry life-cycles. The implications of changing industry structure for firms’ strategic choices are examined. This course is offered on an irregular basis. Prerequisite: Advanced Strategic Management.
STRA 6236. The Practice of International Business. This course equips students with a case-based, pragmatic understanding of international business in today’s flat world. Our nation’s international trade and investments, already substantially above GDP, will climb in the next decade to several times GDP. International business skills will therefore become increasingly important for all managers. This course answers questions such as “Where does one start, why and how?” The course will examine how the international business environment (culture, history, governments, politics, law, war and demographics) affect the strategy and operations of the global firm. A number of international business executives will be guest speakers. The course will conclude with the presentations of team projects and with the creation of scenarios for the future. This course is offered on an irregular basis. Prerequisite or Concurrent Enrollment: Advanced Strategic Management.
Electives: 4.0 Credit Hours Each
STRA 6410. Venture Capital Practicum. This course provides students with hands-on venture capital experience, applying the skills developed in Finance, Strategy and Entrepreneurship courses. Students 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.
Electives: 2.0 Credit Hours Each
CISB 6210. Essential Law for the Entrepreneur. This course provides a broad awareness of and skill in coping with critical legal issues encountered by the entrepreneur building a growth-oriented business. Students also develop skills in the practice of minimizing exposure to liability and litigation and in working effectively with attorneys and regulators. Venture initiation through expansion stage is addressed. Topics addressed also 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. Prerequisite: None.
CISB 6211. Enhancing Operational Performance for Entrepreneurial Companies. This course will address 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 will be 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. Prerequisite: None.
CISB 6212. International Entrepreneurship. This course provides students with an understanding of the complexities faced by entrepreneurs doing business in a global environment and provides knowledge that will help them to successfully cope with that environment. The course focuses on and emphasizes the perspective of the entrepreneur. Topics are covered from an international perspective and include: entrepreneurial opportunity identification and evaluation; market analysis and intelligence; joint ventures and partnerships; agents, VAR’s and representatives; regulations, laws and customs; regional and cultural issues; financing foreign ventures; and choice of domestic and international legal entities. Prerequisite: None.
CISB 6214. Law of Financial Transactions for Entrepreneurs. In this course, students learn 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 VC funding works and how to negotiate with VCs; 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. Prerequisite: None.
CISB 6216. Managing the Entrepreneurial Business I. This course focuses on entrepreneurial management and leadership issues in a rapidly changing micro and macro environment. Topics covered in this course include managing rapid growth; managing adversity; entrepreneurial leadership; and contemporary management theories applied to the entrepreneurial setting. Prerequisite: None.
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 in this course 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. This course explores the unique challenges and opportunities involved in the management and ownership of family-owned and closely-held enterprises. Key business, personal and interpersonal issues relevant to the continuity and management of these firms are examined. The course emphasizes family business systems and family dynamics as well as keys to building long-term successful family businesses. Prerequisite: None.
CISB 6222. Starting a Business I. This course provides students with an awareness of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and to explore the creation of value through the process of starting a new business venture. The course covers topics including 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. Prerequisite: None.
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 and to enhance the analytical skills needed to identify and properly evaluate a new business opportunity. The course covers topics including exploration of financing options for the entrepreneurial company and development of a financing plan; overview of the venture capital process; interviews with and lectures from practicing entrepreneurs who have sought venture capital; and preparation and presentation of a professional business plan. Prerequisite: Starting A Business I.
CISB 6224. Venture Financing. In this course students learn to evaluate opportunities and develop a business concept, as well as assess and acquire financial resources. The course 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 where proper venture financing can mean the difference between success and failure. Prerequisite: None.
CISB 6225. Entrepreneurial Exit Strategies. This course examines 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 in this course. The types of transactions covered are Leveraged Buyouts (LBO’s), the Sale of the business, the use of an Initial Public Offering (IPO), the Recapitalization of the firm and the Liquidation of the business. Prerequisite: None.
CISB 6226. Evaluating Entrepreneurial Opportunities. This course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary for selecting viable opportunities and evolving them into high potential concepts and business models. Topics 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. Prerequisite: None.
CISB 6227. Conservative Entrepreneurship. This course teaches students how to build a profitable, growing business while minimizing risk using conservative management principles. Topics include: 1) the philosophy of conservative entrepreneurship, 2) how to conserve capital when starting a business, 3) how to mitigate risk in an inherently risky world, 4) spending only what is necessary to grow the business, 5) marketing a business conservatively and profitably and 6) developing an exit strategy to get your money out. This course is offered on an irregular basis. Prerequisite: None.
CISB 6228. Corporate Entrepreneurship: Intrapreneuring. This course will examine 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 will be developed and analyzed in this course. Topics to be discussed include definition of intrapreneurship and comparing and contrasting it with traditional entrepreneurship; the impact of corporate culture, processes and structures 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/she works. Prerequisite: None
CISB 6229. Creating Value in the Entrepreneurial Firm. The essence of successful management is creating value. This course will examine how you can create significant value for your company and will use computer based management simulation in which you will manage a business and track your results. The class will discuss why value creation is important, how value creation is linked to effective strategic and tactical decisions and how you can make value creating decisions for your firm. Prerequisite: None.
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 the Cox P.M.B.A. Web site.
CISB 6212 International Entrepreneurship
FINA 6214 International Financial Markets
FINA 6215 Emerging Markets Finance
ITOM 6230 Business Process Outsourcing and Offshoring
MKTG 6217 Global Marketing Management
MNO 6226 Managing Across Cultures
STRA 6228 Global Strategy
STRA 6236 The Practice of International Business
International Program Courses |
Program Course Title |
| BAEX 6238 Doing Business/Latin America | Latin America: Emerging or Receding Markets? |
| BAEX 6252 PMBA Intl/Chinese U-Hong Kong | Management in Chinese Contexts |
| BAEX 6253 PMBA Intl/ESC Rouen-France | Doing Business in the European Union |
| BAEX 6254 PMBA Intl/Copenhagen Bus Sch | Global Strategic Management |
| BAEX 6255 PMBA Intl/Tsinghua U-China | Doing Business in China |
| BAEX 6256 PMBA Intl/Indian School of Bus | Indian Business Environment |
| BAEX 6257 PMBA Intl/Bocconi U-Milan | Doing Business in Italy |
| BAEX 6451 PMBA Intl/WHU Koblenz-Germany | The Changing Environment for International Business in the EU |
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