Courses
Students must earn a total of 36 college credit hours to receive this degree. Of these credit hours, 24 credits are core courses, and 12 elective credits.
In addition, students must meet the following criteria:
- To qualify for the MBA degree, students must meet all core and elective credit requirements.
- The Maximum Time Frame (MTF) for completion of the Master’s program is 60 credits.
- A graduate student may transfer up to 6 credit hours earned at accredited institutions.
MBA Core Courses
ACCT 507
Managerial Accounting
3 Credits
The finances within an organization must first be understood to gain a better understanding of the business as a whole. Managerial accounting focuses on providing information to managers for use within the organization. This course will help to understand the essential financial components of businesses that are important for decision-making.
BUSN 601
Entrepreneurship
3 Credits
Entrepreneurship is a mindset—a way of looking at things that is opportunity-focused and creative, while adding value for customers, investors, stakeholders, and society. This course introduces the fundamentals of entrepreneurship as a mindset that is practice- driven. Whether you already have an idea and are eager to start your own business, or simply want to learn more about what an entrepreneurial career would be like, this course exposes you to the challenges of entrepreneurship—from conceptualizing new ventures to developing and managing them.
CAPS 501
Research Methods
3 Credits
This course constitutes the credit-bearing half of the MBA program’s Capstone Experience. It introduces students to the academic resources available to them through the university, informs them of their responsibilities as students, and provides them an introduction to master’s level scholarship. The course presents in detail the options students have for completing the Capstone Project and scaffolds their early progress towards developing and executing their projects. Beyond these, the primary function of the course is to introduce students to commonly-used quantitative and qualitative research methods in social sciences. Students will gain an appreciation for the scientific method and principles and develop an understanding of various research designs and their use. Students will develop the ability to identify a problem and formulate research questions; conduct a literature review and design a study; create a data collection tool; understand basic statistical concepts and their applications; collect and analyze data; read, understand and critically evaluate others’ research; and write a research paper. Students will have a chance to gain hands on experience in “reading” and analyzing data from various sources. At the end of the course, students will be educated consumers of social science data.
CAPS 621
Capstone Project
3 Credits
(Pre-requisite All Core) Each student in the MBA program is required to complete a capstone project related to his/her concentration. Each student may choose a project of his or her choice, under the guidance of a capstone advisor. The parameters of the course will be determined by the advisor and the student.
ECON 605
Quantitative Methods in Business and Economics Income Tax Accounting
3 Credits
Introduces students to the basic concepts of statistical inference needed for a rigorous and informed analysis of business and economic decisions. It also studies how large-scale unstructured and multi-structured data sets are utilized to determine patterns and trends essential in forming better and faster business strategies. Topics include basic data analysis, random variables and probability distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and statistical significance, and linear regression. Examples and case studies are chosen from finance, economics, marketing and management.
FINC 509
Financial Management
3 Credits
Knowledge of financial principles is beneficial to managers in nearly all business settings. This course combines both conceptual and mathematical information. This course covers advanced topics in financial accounting, including financial statements; income statement items; cash and inventories; payables and receivables; property, plant and equipment, employee benefits; long term liabilities; taxes; and non-profit accounting. Students also develop skills in presenting financial reports. Through this course, students will obtain basic financial math skills and a thorough introduction to financial management concepts.
MGMT 502
Leadership & Organizational Behavior
3 Credits
This course explores a framework for competing and winning in a world of constant turbulence and disruption, and also delves into understanding why change is so hard. Modifying an organization’s structure and operations is difficult enough, but to bring about real change you need to also affect people’s behavior. And that is never easy. To bring theory to life, the course utilizes real-life stories of how successful organizations were able to connect with people’s emotions, help them to think and feel differently, and inspire them to achieve shared goals.
MKTG 512
Marketing Management
3 Credits
This course is designed to introduce students to the principles and practices of marketing. After completing this course students will be to: assess market opportunities by analyzing customers, competitors, collaborators, context, and the strengths and weaknesses of a company; develop effective marketing strategies to achieve organizational objectives; and design a strategy implementation program to maximize success.
Electives
BUSN 616
New Product Management
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: MKTG 512 In order to prosper, firms must develop major innovations. Developing such innovations, however, is challenging. There has, however, recently been progress into determining how it may be possible to develop breakthroughs in a systematic fashion. Though cases and expert guest speakers, this course explores several practical idea generation development methods and conveys the art required to implement each of them.
BUSN 641
Survey of Innovations Around the World
3 Credits
This course introduces students to a variety of innovations occurring around the world. It examines how science, technology and innovation can support economic growth in emerging economies, and how they can help those economies augment participation in the global economy. The course focuses on the phenomena of technological catch- up and leapfrogging. It is divided into four units. The first unit provides a conceptual foundation for understanding the role of technological innovation and the associated university innovation in the process of economic transformation. The second unit presents country experiences of technological catch-up and leapfrogging. The third unit analyzes the technological opportunities and challenges open to developing countries. The final section assesses the policy and university innovations needed to foster technological catch-up and leapfrogging.
BUSN 642
Corporate and National Trade and Investment Security Issues
3 Credits
Corporate and National Trade and Investment Security Issues analyzes and addresses the evolving nature of national trade and the current investment security issues for MBA students. In this current globalized economy, trade and investment has several challenges and lessons both students and practitioners need to learn to navigate successfully. Students will study in-depth business and country- specific case-studies for improved analysis and understanding of Corporate and National Trade and Investment Security Issues. Students will learn the importance of trade, trade negotiations, challenges in the globalized business economy, and solutions to globalized business (in)security. Students will effectively assess quantitative and qualitative information in the global business world and improved understanding of key Corporate and National Security Trade and Investment Security Issues.
BUSN 644
International Patents
3 Credits
This course introduces students to the basic principles and legal instruments of international intellectual property law, including examination of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property and the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS). The course serves as a basic introduction to the field of intellectual property, as well as to the international dimension of the field.
BUSN 645
Regional Trade Issues
3 Credits
This course covers the transactional approach to legal problems encountered in commercial and financial business ventures that cross national borders. Topics include form of doing business, including formation of contracts and the range of issues presented-such as choice of law, choice of forum, commercial terms, force majeure, sales, distribution and agency law, franchise, licensing arrangements, and foreign direct investments; the operations of the universities of the World Trade Organization; investment in free trade areas such as the European Union and NAFTA; and issues of transfer of intellectual property and international dispute resolution. Students will gain exposure to analyzing various international business agreements and documents including global joint venture agreements and privatization provisions, sales and letters of credit, distribution and franchise agreements, international development and investment agreements, letters of intent for mergers and acquisitions, and technology licensing agreements.
BUSN 646
Competition Policy Across Nations
3 Credits
This course introduces students to competition policy in a global context. Over 90 countries have competition policies. The focus here will be on Canada, the U.S., the E.U., China, Japan, and South Korea. Students will learn which business practices are apt to get their company in trouble in domestic and international markets. The economic rationale for prohibiting such practices will be explained to enhance understanding of the policies that they will encounter. Strategies for avoiding antitrust violations will be discussed and evaluated. In order for students to get a good appreciation for international antitrust law and the economic analysis that drives it, reading includes some case excerpts as well as some economic analyses of market structure and business practices.
BUSN 647
Emerging Markets
3 Credits
This class provides an introduction to doing business in emerging markets. The unique aspects of emerging markets and challenges for businesses will be assessed. Having explored and examined common issues in global emerging markets, students apply and analyze these issues in different country contexts.
BUSN 654
Globalisation and Business Strategy
3 Credits
This course creates the political, economic and technological context for global business. This course examines the effects of globalization, how governments and universities address both positive and negative effects of globalization, how businesses organize to operate in the world, and how growth and development can be sustainable.
BUSN 655
Conflict Analysis, Mediation and Negotiation
3 Credits
Conflict analysis, resolution and mediation presents theories, strategies and styles – within International, Organizational and employee context. In addition to the theory and exercises presented in class, students practice negotiating with role- playing simulations that cover a range of topics, including difficult situations such as cross-cultural mentoring and an emergency. The course covers conflict management as a first party and as a third party: third-party skills include helping others deal directly with their conflicts, mediation, investigation, arbitration, and helping the system change as a result of a dispute.
BUSN 659
Risk Assessment in Conflict Regions
3 Credits
This course is a specially designed, interactive seminar to introduce students in the field of Business Management to the impact of geopolitics on economic and financial interests and strategic investments. The seminar focuses on several regions experiencing conflicts to project the major trends to expect in the coming year and decade. It covers areas such as the Greater Middle East, North Africa, Sahel, Europe, Russia and the Caucasus as well as parts of Latin America. The seminar will bring input and information from the field of comparative conflict to the field of economic strategic planning. A unique offering of BAU, the seminar is comprised of lectures, interactive exercises and guest speakers.
ECON 505
Economics
3 Credits
This course encompasses both Microeconomics (the impact of economic decisions made by individuals and firms) and Macroeconomics (the study of large- scale economic factors). As such, the course examines (a) the concepts of supply, demand, market equilibrium, and competition and the impact that external forces such as taxation, government policy, and globalization have on them; and (b) economic growth, inflation, unemployment, savings, and investment to understand how these factors interact to impact the business cycle and overall national income.
ECON 580
Human Resource Economics for Business
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: ECON 505 ECONOMICS This course provides a survey of the concepts and techniques for the analysis and management of human resources in business. Topics covered include: labor market analysis, labor supply and demand analysis, setting hiring standards, the hiring process, worker productivity, human capital theory and pay scales, turnover and layoffs, information and signaling, seniority and motivation, how labor market discrimination affects wages and employment and policies to deal with it, managing employee benefits, the economics of minimum wages, job evaluation and the role of unions in human resource management.
ECON 655
Economics of International Development
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: ECON 505 The course examines, at a more advanced level, macro models of development that seek to evaluate disparities in income across emerging and developing economies. The course further dissects the markets within these economies, with an emphasis on understanding market failures and potential corrective policies.
ECON 656
Geographic Information Science (GIS)
3 Credits
Geographic Information Science (GIS) has emerged as a powerful data visualization and analysis discipline. This course investigates how GIS is currently being used and applies it to understand better and address environmental problems, as well as manage and conserve natural resources. The lectures discuss the basic and current applications of GIS using environmental datasets, maps, modeling, and analysis. It also examines impediments to GIS. Environmental GIS datasets deal with several applications, from the simple Digital Elevation Model to the Land use Land-change, or Solar Analysis. Specific topics include climate change, biodiversity conservation, forest management, soils management, agriculture, natural hazards, water resources, environmental challenges in an urban environment, and alternative energy.
ECON 657
International Economics
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: ECON 505 This course is an introduction to the field of international economics. It is designed to familiarize students with basic concepts about the international dimensions of economics in today’s world. It affords a strong foundation for more advanced courses, addressing a variety of topics in international economics, including analysis of modern trade theories and issues concerning international competitive strategy. It also investigates the effect of trade patterns and commercial policy on domestic business activity and the influence of macroeconomic policies across nations. Other topics include gains from trade and their distribution; analysis of protectionism; strategic trade barriers; trade deficits vs. surpluses; exchange rate determination; and government intervention in foreign exchange markets.
ECON 665
US Economic and Trade Policy
3 Credits
This course discusses current issues of international economics and how the growing integration of national economies has changed the way the world works. The course framework is built upon theoretical models of microeconomics (and macroeconomics) to analyze some of the most important issues of the international economic environment of the past fifty years, with particular emphasis on the role of U.S. trade policy and of U.S. relations with its trade partners.
ECON 670
Urban Economics, Finance, and Governance
3 Credits
Urban economics deals with a range of important questions dealing with origin, size and performance of cities. Some of the most interesting issues include: Why do firms and human beings cluster in cities? Why do some cities grow faster than other? How has history been shaped through urbanization? What are the challenges for cities in developing and developed countries? How technology and innovation in design can solve urban problems? Why other countries and cities could not develop another Silicon Valley? What are various models of governing cities? How to make cities more competitive? This course is designed to help students to engage with these questions among others by utilizing theories and principles drawn from economics, urban policy, and urban governance. Cities are facing a set of challenges such as climate change, inequality and demography. At the same time cities are finding new ways to find solutions to these problems. The unique nature of city as a unit of policymaking makes urban economic development and governance an important area to understand these developments.
FINC 573
Money and Banking
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: ECON 505 This course provides an overview of the structure and performance of banking universities, the evolving role of central banks in monitoring and supervising financial intermediaries, and the role of money and monetary policy in influencing inflation, interest rates, and the economy. The changing structure and regulation of financial systems will be discussed as well as the challenges faced by the financial system in the aftermath of the Great Recession. The various objectives of central banking are analyzed, including regulatory functions, monetary policy, and exchange rate policy. The nature of --and impact of-- money on the economy is explained and the effects of money demand and supply on inflation and aggregate demand are introduced using macroeconomic models.
FINC 621
Financial Investment Strategies
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: ECON 505 The main objective of this course is to study fundamental concepts of investments in financial markets. The course provides a survey of the theory and evidence relevant to investment strategies. Topics include asset allocation and portfolio diversification, long-short strategies, margin transactions, factor models, long-horizon investing, hedge funds, mutual funds, behavioral finance, performance evaluation, trading, models, valuation of assets, and the pricing of financial instruments, including derivatives.
FINC 647
International Financial Institutions
3 Credits
This course examines international financial institutions and dynamics between the public and private sectors. It begins with an overview of the role, mechanics and main channels of financial intermediation. It then turns to developing student understanding of inherent risks and fragilities of international financial institutions, along with the safeguards that have been established to mitigate them, both nationally and internationally. It reviews the development of and interaction between international and domestic financial markets, as well as the evolving relationship between the public and private sectors. It examines how several financial crises, particularly that of 2007, have made people rethink macroeconomics and modify the system of international financial institutions.
FINC 649
Global Financial Markets
3 Credits
The purpose of this course is to extend the principles of finance from a single-country setting to a multinational setting. This includes foreign exchange (spot, forward and futures) transactions, swaps, and synthetic securities. International and global banking institutions will be surveyed and their role in domestic and global financial intermediation examined. International parity relationships will be studied, including interest rate and purchasing power parities. The role of political risk and default risk in international finance will also be discussed. The role of global financial markets in accomplishing an optimal allocation of economic resources around the world is a central issue covered throughout the course. Case studies, group work and interactive class discussions will be emphasized. Throughout the course, relevant current events are examined and used to illustrate and reinforce discussion points.
FINC 660
Global Financial Ethics
3 Credits
This course covers the financial code of ethics and addresses sustainable financing, socially responsible investment (SRI) issues, ethical banking, and legal and practical aspects of integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues to institutional investment. The course gives a detailed overview of major institutional actors, key players in global networks in the field of banking and sustainable financing, and the international standards in the fight against tax avoidance and money-laundering.
MGMT 532
Strategic Management
3 Credits
The performance of firms is rarely uniform. Some do better than others. Strategy differences help explain this phenomenon. The scope of a firm’s operations (that is, its product and service markets) and how it competes within that scope are two issues relating to its strategy. This course is a theoretical, quantitative exploration of industry structure, industry dynamics, and business and corporate strategy. It evaluates firm competition, strategy, and performance from a firm- centric perspective, and it assumes a familiarity with finance, accounting, information technology, and marketing. Grounded in economics and quantitative analysis, this course uses concepts such as supply and demand, marginal, average, and total costs and revenues as a conceptual framework for understanding strategy in modern, for-profit firms.
MGMT 533
Blockchain Technology and Business Management
3 Credits
A blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked using cryptography. By allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied, blockchain technology created the backbone of a new type of internet. Originally devised for the digital currency, Bitcoin, the new technology is being applied in a variety of contexts to facilitate business organization and management as well as policy institutions. It eliminates intermediaries, reduces transaction costs and improves efficiency enormously. This course provides an introduction to blockchains and applies it in a variety of business and policy contexts.
MGMT 610
Advertising Management
3 Credits
This course is an introductory study of advertising from the specific point of view of Account Management within the advertising agency. It involves the understanding and appreciation of proper strategies--Advertising, Creative and Media as bases for correct, effective and efficient advertising campaigns in the Philippines. It also examines fully the roles played by the different department of an agency and the various segments of the advertising industry that pertain to each of them. This course will benefit future advertising practitioners whether as account managers in ad agencies, or as advertising or brand managers of clients, or as heads of their own companies.
MGMT 611
The Entrepreneurial Manager
3 Credits
This course helps students increase their understanding of entrepreneurship and small business management. It investigates the management of startups and small companies. Particularly useful to those seeking to start a new business, work within an entrepreneurial firm, or invest in or advise entrepreneurial endeavors, it addresses aspects of entrepreneurship such as identifying strong business opportunities, obtaining funding for and starting a new endeavor, growing a company and maximizing rewards. The course also investigates how entrepreneurial endeavors can benefit society.
MGMT 612
Non-Profit Management
3 Credits
This course is a graduate level general introduction to the theory and practice of effective management of nonprofit organizations, with a heavy emphasis on practical application. Real world examples and experiences will be used to ensure that the academic lessons translate to the nonprofit experience. We will address some of the pertinent management issues of the often-overlooked trillion-dollar nonprofit sector (also known as the Third Sector) that includes education, research, health care, art, culture, religion, communications, social welfare and services, advocacy, legal services, international assistance, foundations and mutual benefit professional and trade associations.
MGMT 614
Managing Innovation
3 Credits
This course introduces students to the dynamics of industries driven by technological innovation. It enables students to think strategically about technological innovation and new product development and deployment. The course addresses topics such as fiercely competitive industries; choosing optimal innovation projects; choosing between remaining independent or forming partnerships, along with considerations for developing the best strategies for collaboration; choosing between protecting proprietary technologies or promoting rapid dissemination in order to take advantage of potential accompanying benefits; the advantages and limitations of increasing flexibility and, thereby, responsiveness; and improvement of new product development capabilities.
MGMT 615
Intrapreneurship
3 Credits
This course considers the rising practice of Intrapreneurship, which, in general terms, is the application of entrepreneurship to developing new ventures within an existing firm. Examining Intrapreneurship as a corporate strategy, the course relates Intrapreneurship to other functions such as Corporate Venturing, New Product Development (NPD), Research & Development (R&D) and Corporate Labs; examines Entrepreneurship for clues to the successful practice of Intrapreneurship; explores actual Intrapreneurial ventures with practicing executives; and helps students develop an “Intrapreneurial Toolset.”
MKTG 615
Marketing Analytics
3 Credits
This course will focus on developing marketing strategies and resource allocation decisions driven by quantitative analysis. Topics covered include market segmentation, market response models, customer profitability, social media, paid search advertising, product recommendation systems, mobile geo- location analysis, media attribution models, and resource allocation. The course will draw on and extend student understanding of issues related to integrated marketing communications, pricing, digital marketing, and quantitative analysis. The course will use a combination of cases, lectures, and a hands-on project to develop these skills.
MKTG 618
Digital Marketing, Social Media & E-Commerce
3 Credits
The course explores the fundamentals of digital marketing and e-commerce and aims to help students interpret and analyze development and implementation of digital marketing strategies. The course also explores the fundamental concepts of e- commerce through different platforms such as websites, mobile sites, and apps. The students will also be able to discuss and criticize ethical, social, and political issues in e-commerce throughout the course.
PREREQUISITE: MKTG 512 Smart pricing is a critical aspect of a company’s efforts to create value for the customer. It is a matter of significant importance to marketing executives. A thorough understanding of pricing strategies constitutes critical knowledge for anyone interested in running their own business or pursuing a career in product management, financial management, or various other areas. Through case analysis and real- world pricing problems, this course addresses the practical needs of the marketing manager.
MKTG 641
Brand Management
3 Credits
This class provides students a fundamental understanding of how to build, measure, and manage a brand. After completing this course students will be able to overcome the situations and challenges frequently encountered by brand managers, they will be informed about the concepts and analytical techniques commonly used by brand managers, and they will be able to develop and implement new brand strategies effectively.
POLS 610
Global Affairs and Foreign Policy
3 Credits
This course will introduce students to techniques and theories for analyzing and understanding how governments make foreign policy decisions. The course will to survey the leading theories on foreign policy decision-making to provide an avenue for addressing questions such as: What role do personalities play in the process? Does the bureaucracy have an impact? Where do questions of national identity and ambition fit in? How does the form of political regime - democratic or authoritarian - impact the decision-making process? What impact do external factors and structural constraints have on foreign policy decision-making? The course will also focus on participation and application of the theories.
POLS 642
International Trade (NAFTA/EUROZONE/ASEAN/MERCOSUR)
3 Credits
Students will learn of the origins, evolution, complexities and trends in international trade agreements and organizations. This necessarily requires an analysis of how trade negotiations are carried out and their objectives, the role of regional versus multilateral trade agreements, the World Trade Organization and other international institutions, and trends in globalization. Students will utilize case studies to examine both nations and institutions.
POLS 643
World Energy Politics
3 Credits
This course addresses the economics and politics of energy globally. Using case studies, students will look at both national energy resources, policies and trends but also regional and international policies and trends that affect energy supply and demand. The course will pay particular attention to traditional energy supplies, renewables, and uses of energy supplies politically.
POLS 645
Transnational Security
3 Credits
What sorts of transnational security challenges do states face in the information age, and how do they manage these threats? Global threats such as nuclear proliferation, climate change, environmental degradation, refugee streams, or infectious diseases do not stop at national borders. Terrorist and criminal networks not only transcend international borders, but also go beyond traditional state jurisdictions and stove-piped hierarchies. This course will analyze the nature of the challenges and look at the policy, legal, and institutional mechanisms the United States and other countries have found/must find to manage and counter these threats.
POLS 647
International Law
3 Credits
This course is an introduction to the field of international law. It is designed to familiarize students with basic concepts about the international dimensions of law in today’s world. It affords a strong foundation for more advanced courses, addressing a variety of topics in public international law, private international law, and comparative law. Students learn about the sources of international law and issues relating to the use of force and international human rights. The course also investigates the matters of international business transactions, international economic and environmental law, and how issues of international law play out in domestic courts.
POLS 651
Policy Formulation and Implementation
3 Credits
This course focuses on how to form and implement policies. Students will learn about the creation of laws, how they are carried out, and specifically how they apply to business and economics.
POLS 652
Gender, Development and Globalization
3 Credits
This course introduces major issues facing women and men around the world who are marginalized by inequitable structures and processes of globalization. Students will investigate development case studies within the context of global gender policies and social issues, especially by looking at the way women are impacted by issues related to education, health care, local and global economies, and the environments. Students will develop valuable quantitative and qualitative social science research skills and will discuss and debate critical issues. Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to: analyze and describe ways in which gender plays a role in economics, social inequality, and development; and use quantitative and qualitative research methods.
POLS 659
International Courts, Tribunals, Commercial Arbitrations, and the WTO
3 Credits
This course explores the rules, practice, and jurisprudence of various international courts and tribunals. It reviews key commonalities and differences with a view to better understanding and evaluating current and possible future courts and tribunals. It also focuses on the legal obligations and policy underpinnings of the World Trade Organization and its agreements. It concentrates on the substance of WTO agreements while examining the context in which they were negotiated and discussing cases in which WTO provisions have been interpreted and applied.
Perliter Walters-Gilliam
