Master of Business Administration Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship

Course Descriptions

Total graduate hours for degree: 36

Leveling courses

All students entering the MBA Program can comply with the Leveling Courses requirement by completing equivalent undergraduate coursework with a grade of B or higher. Students without the required background must complete the following courses as applicable:

The MBA Program offers eight specializations, in addition to the general track.

These specializations are:

Accounting Specialization
ACCT 6305: Healthcare Accounting
ACCT 6333: Business Law for Accounting
ACCT 6325: Accounting for Management Planning and Control

Business Analytics Specialization
Required:
INFS 6350: Bus Intelg & Data Warehousing

Choose 6 hours from the following courses:
INFS 6351: Developing Customized Solutions for Business Analytics
INFS 6359: Data Mining for Business Analytics
QUMT 6350: Decision Optimization for Business Analytics
INFS 6333: Spreadsheet Modeling for Service Industries
INFS 6353: Social Media Analytics
INFS 6343: Healthcare Analytics
INFS 6356: Data Visualization
INFS 6363: Enterprise Analytics
INFS 6340: Health CIS
INFS 6391: Information Security and Risk Assessment Analysis

Health Care Administration Specialization
Choose 9 hours from the following courses:
ACCT 6305: Healthcare Accounting
FINA 6350: Healthcare Finance
INFS 6340: Health Computer Information Systems
INFS 6343: Healthcare Analytics
MARK 6350: Competing Through Service
MARK 6360: Health Care Marketing
MGMT 6333: Human Resource Management in Healthcare
MGMT 6372: Organizational Leadership and Change

Human Resource Management Specialization
Choose 9 hours from the following courses:
MGMT 6331: Human Resource Management
MGMT 6342: Employee Law and Human Resource Management
MGMT 6343: Global Human Resource Management
MGMT 6372: Organizational Leadership and Change
MGMT 6333: Human Resource Management in Healthcare

International Trade Specialization
BLAW 6331: International Commerce Law
INTB 6304: International Business
INTB 6308 - International Trade
INTB 6391: Seminar in Global Topics (Topics will vary)

Marketing Specialization

*For General track: Choose any 9 hours of MBA electives

Below are some of the course descriptions.

ACCT 6301: Accounting for Managers [3‐0]

An examination of financial and managerial accounting theory and concepts and their application in financial and managerial decision making.

ACCT 6305: Healthcare Accounting [3‐0]

This is an applied finance and accounting health care course, designed to provide decision makers with fundamental concepts in health care finance, accounting, budgeting, planning and forecasting. Students will gain an understanding in how to analyze financial statements and evaluate the financial conditions of various health care facilities. Students will also acquire an understanding of cost accounting concepts such as cost behavior, break‐even analysis and activity-based costing.

ACCT 6320: Accounting and Financial Analysis [3‐0]

The objectives of this course are to review certain elements of financial reporting, to develop financial analysis skills, and to gain experience in using accounting information for decision making.

Prerequisite(s): ACCT 6301 or ACCT 2301 and ACCT 2302.

ACCT 6325: Accounting for Management Planning and Control [3‐0]

This course is designed for those who aspire to be managers, management consultants, financial specialists, or human resource specialist. It teaches accounting and control issues and mechanisms from a managerial perspective.

Prerequisite(s): Foundation Courses.

ACCT 6333: Business Law for Accounting

An in-depth study of issues of business law relevant to the accounting profession. Ethical and global issues are emphasized.

BLAW 6301: Legal Environment of Business [3‐0]

This course is an intensive study of the legal environment of business. The course begins with an overview of the court system, constitutional law and torts. It progresses into areas of law directly applicable to the business environment.

BLAW 6331 International Commerce Law [3‐0]

This course examines the sources of international business law, comparative law among the US, Mexico and other major trading partners, the choice of law in international business disputes, the special issues that arise when doing business with foreign governments, the law governing international sales and the shipment of goods, and international intellectual property protection. In addition, the relationships between law and culture involved in international business transactions will be examined.

ECON 6350: Managerial Economics [3‐0]

This course applies economic analysis to managerial issues in the business world. Specific topics considered include demand analysis, production and costs, pricing policies and market structures. Extensive use is made of case analysis.

ECON 6351: Topics in Economics [3‐0]

This course is an in‐depth study of specific topics in economics; subject matter varies from semester to semester. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic changes.

ECON 6354: Health Economics [3‐0]

This course presents an overview of health and medical care economics. Topics covered include the production of health, cost and benefit analysis, health care systems and institutions, the demand for health insurance and medical care, medical care production and costs, the physician and hospital services industry, and health care reform.

ECON 7300: Thesis I [3‐0]

Research and writing of the thesis.

ECON 7301: Thesis II [3‐0]

Research and writing of the thesis.

ENTR 6335: Entrepreneurship [3‐0]

This course deals with the critical factors of initiating and managing new growth-orientated ventures. There is a primary focus on the behaviors of entrepreneurs (both successful nd unsuccessful), the venture creation process, new venture strategies, identification and evaluation of new venture opportunities, new venture financing, legal and tax considerations, and other key aspects of the entrepreneurial process.

ENTR 6370: Entrepreneurial Marketing Fundamentals [3‐0]

This is a proposed required course offered in the new Technopreneurship Program developed collaboratively between the Colleges of Engineering and Computer Science and Business and Entrepreneurship. This course will be added as an elective to the current MBA program.

ENTR 6370: Entrepreneurial Law [3‐0]

This course is designed to provide students with legal literacy relating to entrepreneurship and small business along with the substantive knowledge necessary to enable them to interact competently with lawyers, accountants, and other professionals. Topics discussed include moving from existing business relationships to a start-up, business organizations, real property ownership and leaseholds, engaging with human resources, product sales and liabilities, insurance, creditors rights and bankruptcy, establishing a global presence, and mergers and acquisitions. Other topics introduced and covered extensively in other courses include fundraising, intellectual property, and negotiating and writing contracts.

FINA 6303: Introduction to Finance [3‐0]

This course introduces fundamental concepts of financial tools and analysis for making effective managerial decisions. Topics include the role of the financial manager in the organization, decisions affecting the internal management of the firm, financial statement analysis, and operational planning and budgeting.

FINA 6340: Advanced Corporate Finance [3‐0]

This course covers the management of the flow of funds in the firm. Topics include the optimal utilization of funds, and the behavior of financial institutions and markets.

Prerequisite(s): FINA 6303 or FINA 3380 or equivalent.

FINA 6345: Contemporary Issues in Global Financial Markets [3‐0]

This course covers the most pressing contemporary issues in international financial markets. The first emphasis of the course is on how international financial markets, including foreign exchange markets, international money markets and international equity markets operate and inter‐relate to each other. The second focus of the course is on risk factors faced by a multinational firm in its global operations and defensive hedging strategies to protect the firm from such risk factors.

Prerequisite(s):: FINA 6303 or FINA 3380 or equivalent.

FINA 6350: Healthcare Finance [3‐0]

This course provides an introduction to the essential tools and techniques of health care financial management, including health care accounting and financial statements, managing cash flow, billings and collections, making major capital investments, determining cost and using cost information in decision‐making in a health care environment. The course also covers such fundamental concepts as time value of money, the evaluation of financial statements, and pricing of financial instruments with an emphasis on their application to the health care environment. Students will also get exposure to developments in health care laws and regulations such as the Affordable Care Act.

FINA 6351: Financial Planning [3‐0]

This course is designed as an introductory course to the Personal Financial Planning profession ay the graduate level. The course will focus on time value of money, persona financial statements, cash and debt management, education and retirement planning. The course will also provide learning activities that facilitate student growth and development in higher‐level thinking, communication skills and peer networking.

FINA 6353: Retirement Planning [3‐0]

This course is designed to examine topics of retirement planning and retirement plans from both the employer/employee and individual client settings. A case study approach will be used to apply and integrate the material, and evaluation of financial alternatives will be emphasized. In addition, the course will provide learning activities that will facilitate student growth and development, communication skills, and critical thinking.

FINA 6355: Wealth Management [3‐0]

This course is designed to introduce students to the wealth management aspects of financial planning. The course will provide an overview of the theory and practice of wealth management to include the investment process portfolio design and implementation, tax management, and fund selection and evaluation.

FINA 6357: Introduction to Charitable Giving [3‐0]

This course introduces students to techniques of charitable planning as viewed from the perspective of donors, financial planners, and fundraising professionals. The course focuses on the motivations of charitable giving with an emphasis on application within a professional context for fundraising professionals.

INFS 6330: Information Systems for Managers [3‐0]

Alternative approaches to managing the resources (computers, networks, software, data, & people) that organizations utilize in applying information systems. The roles of the user/manager identifying opportunities, obtaining computer applications and creatively using information technology to improve operational, tactical and strategic planning and performance. Topics that will be covered include enterprise systems, managerial support systems, decision support systems, e‐commerce applications.

INFS 6333: Spreadsheet Modeling for Service Industries [3‐0]

This course focuses on spreadsheet modeling to support decision making by organizations in service industries, such as healthcare, banking, distribution, and education. Students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills to address real-world problems. The spreadsheet modeling capability acquired is highly practical for managers and administrators. Course topics cover display charts, data exploration. decision-making logic, reference functions, financial impact of loans and investments, project management, what-if analysis, goal seek. visual basic programming, and other advanced tools.

This course provides the knowledge about fundamentals of health Information Systems and the role of Information systems in efficient operation of healthcare organizations. The course specifically focuses on: Evolution of HMIS, HMIS components and basic HMIS functions, technology infrastructure for healthcare organizations, basic concepts such as HER, HIE, CPOE, and CDSS, HMIS standards such as HIPPA, HL7, and DICOM, strategic information systems planning for healthcare organizations, systems analysis and project management, information security issues, and role of HMIS professionals in health organizations.

INFS 6343 — Healthcare Analytics [3‐0]

This course introduces concepts, techniques, and tools for managing and understanding data in healthcare. The course focuses on teaching students to use healthcare data to make decisions, transform health care delivery, and improve public health. Students will learn how to collect, process, analyze, visualize, and report structured and unstructured clinical and operational data, using software tools and programming languages such as R, Python, and SQL. Topics covered include healthcare data measurement, statistical analysis, and data mining. This course will also discuss challenges related to healthcare analytics such as data privacy, security and interoperability.

INFS 6350: Bus Intelg & Data Warehousing [3‐0]

This course discusses the process of business analytics by developing a business intelligence solution, including problem definition, data preparation, descriptive and predictive analyses, evaluation of results, implementation and deployment. Data-oriented methods using spreadsheet and structured query language (SQL) are emphasized for business transaction capturing, data aggregation and online analytic processing (OLAP). Students will employ a variety of software tools in the development of a data warehouse, including ETL (extraction, transformation and loading) and visual data representations (e.g., data cubes).

INFS 6351: Developing Customized Solutions for Business Analytics [3‐0]

Novel problems require innovative solutions - this course introduces students to the power and flexibility of programming and scripting languages such as R and Python, applied to problems in business analytics. Students will learn how to acquire and deploy software packages relevant to their problem, then use them together with tools such as SQL to collect and prepare data, customized analyses according to specific needs, and create outputs which effectively communicate the results.

INFS 6353: Social Media Analytics

This course introduces students to the concept of social media analytics and techniques used to analyze social media data such as texts, networks, and actions. Students will learn how to extract data from popular social media platforms and analyze such data using software tools such as R to identify trends, sentiment, opinion leaders and communities.

This course provides students with knowledge and skills in the various decision analytical techniques for managerial decision making including big data analytics. A number of well‐defined data mining techniques such as classification, estimation, prediction, affinity grouping and clustering, and data visualization will be covered. The Cross Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP‐DM) will also be discussed. The data mining techniques will be applied to diverse business applications including: target marketing, credit risk management, credit scoring, fraud detection, medical informatics, telecommunications and web analytics.

Prerequisite(s): QUMT 6303 or QUMT 3341 or equivalent.

INFS 6363 — Enterprise Analytics

This course introduces students to the management and coordination of enterprise data resources to improve enterprise-wide decision-making. Students will learn how to identify key performance indicators from enterprise data, how to differentiate enterprise analytics from other forms of analytics, how to determine what proprietary data will provide analytical advantage to maximize the impact on the enterprise, recent technologies for analytics and best practices from recent cases. Students will engage in an iterative process of exploring data from multiple functional areas within an organization to derive actionable insights as well as communicate findings to help enterprises improve the quality of their decisions.

INFS 6391: Information Security and Risk Assessment Analysis [3‐0]

This course provides students with comprehensive understanding of problems and solutions related to information security and information assurance in organizational contexts. Students learn how to conduct quantitative and qualitative security risk assessment analyses related to site safety and security, hardware and software reliability and risks, and network reliability and security. Students will carry out data collection and analytics methodologies which address expected failures, incidence and severity of attacks, accidents and acts of nature, and their impacts on operations and budgets.

Course will examine various pertinent elements in the global business environment. Topics may include: customs, trans‐border operations, multicultural management, multicultural marketing, amongst others.

INTB 6304: International Business [3‐0]

Readings and cases in International Business. Emphasizes the impact of comparative differences in the domestic and international business environments and operations, including impact of historical, economic, cultural and political foundations on operations. Special international business topics of unique contemporary importance are also studied.

Prerequisite(s): Admission to MBA.

MARK 6310: Marketing Strategy [3‐0]

This course is an advanced study of marketing policy and decision‐making based upon a consumer orientation, innovation and creative adaptation to change, cultural implication of marketing action, and the role of theory in marketing. It investigates how marketing affects overall corporate and business decisions and gives students an opportunity to look at high‐ level strategic marketing decisions in product planning, promotion pricing and distribution.

MARK 6311: Marketing Strategy for Non‐Profits [3‐0]

This course will focus on examining the determinants and motivations in charitable giving with an emphasis on applying the findings in a professional context for fundraisers and other relevant professionals. The course aims to provide students with a clear understanding of the role of marketing in a non‐profit setting, including its impact on fundraising, client services, government relations, and volunteer management.

MARK 6320: Consumer Behavior [3‐0]

The consumption process is key to understanding motivation, perception and decision making of consumers around the world. This course examines psychological, cultural, social and contextual influences on the consumption process and equips students with tools useful for increasing customer satisfaction.

MARK 6330: Business Ethics [3‐0]

This multidisciplinary course in the area of business is designed to: 1) introduce the student to ethics examination on the basis of a scientific (in the analysis) and managerial (in the decision‐making) approach to individual and organizational problems involving ethics; 2) review key ethical concepts and frameworks for the study of morality normative ethics justice and economic distribution, the nature of the business and the corporations, ethical issues in the workplace and the moral choices facing employees, consumers and the environment; 3) examine key ethical problems in business of our time, such as the current mortgage and financial crisis, fraud in online and offline commerce, and emerging problems in international management and cross‐cultural marketing.

MARK 6340: Market Research Methods [3‐0]

Topics of this course encompass the entire research process from formulating research problem(s) and determining research design to analyzing and interpreting data to help managers and researchers gain actionable information that will lead to intelligent decisions. Techniques for determining a problem or research issue are examined along with the proper methodologies and techniques for collecting and analyzing data. Computer statistical analysis techniques and programs are explored. Also stressed is the proper use of data in the decision making process as well as written and oral communication of research output.

MARK 6350: Competing through Service [3‐0]

This course focuses on the vital role services play in the economy and its future. It shows how the advanced economies of the world are now dominated by service(s), and virtually all companies, including those traditionally known as manufacturers, view services as critical to retaining their consumers today and in the future and surviving in the marketplace. Students will be exposed to the state‐of‐the‐art in services management and marketing.

MARK 6360: Health Care Marketing [3‐0]

Health care is a dynamic industry and continues to undergo dramatic reform and transformation. Within this fast changing environment, there are several trends that demand organizations to be effective marketers and to provide value to stakeholders, including patients. This course looks at contemporary trends in health care services including the increasing involvement of consumers in the health care process and the access to e‐information, the impact of interactive technology and the emphasis on the need for transparency within the medical professional, but also privacy of medical records, as well as increasing competition and the shifting and reshaping of the health care landscape. Collectively and independently, these factors reinforce the relevance of marketing theory, practice and research in the context of health care services.

MARK 6370: Social Media in Business [3‐0]

This course explains how strategic business communication has changed due to the rise of social media, and equips students with relevant knowledge and skills to develop business communication strategies that incorporate social media and cutting‐edge consumer‐to‐ consumer social interactions. Since social media is heavily technology‐driven, the course will also cover related aspects of electronic and mobile commerce and marketing.

MARK 6390: Marketing Seminar [3‐0]

A study of historical and current thought in marketing theory and practice. This course has variable content and course may be repeated for credit.

MGMT 6309: Strategic Fundraising Planning for Non‐Profit Organizations [3‐0]

Study of relationship between philanthropy and organizational mission and objectives. Examination of the strategic planning, implementation and evaluation of fundraising plans. Acquisition of analytical techniques pertaining to organizational capability development, competitive analysis, philanthropic integration of resource generation models, and management of fundraising in the shared economy.

MGMT 6330: Organizational Behavior [3‐0]

An analysis of formal organizational theory and the interrelationship of individuals in organizations. A study of the organization as a system of authority, status, leadership, direction, culture, ethics, communication and influence.

MGMT 6331: Human Resource Management [3‐0]

An analysis of the functions of personnel administration and of the relationship between the personnel‐industrial relations system and the total organization system. Contemporary industrial relations, philosophies, and practices.

MGMT 6332: Management Seminar [3‐0]

This course is designed to provide a broad overview of leadership and organizational change theories, practices and research. Special attention will be given to critical thinking skills and the students’ ability to communicate and lead effectively in the discussion chat room format.

MGMT 6333: Human Resource Management in Healthcare [3‐0]

This course is designed to acquaint students with basic principles and concepts of human resource management within a health care organization. Topics to be covered Include recruitment, selection, compensation, employee retention, training and development, and legal compliance. Students will have the opportunity to study human resource related problems faced by various healthcare systems such as hospitals, integrated health care systems, managed care settings, private practices, and public health clinics.

MGMT 6334: International Management [3‐0]

The course focuses on the study of the global management practices of planning, organizing, staffing, communicating, negotiating, leading, and controlling across nations. The course includes the adaptation of these management functions across social, cultural, economic, legal, ethical, and political environments. The course includes the intersection of international management topics with current global business events.

MGMT 6335: Entrepreneurship [3‐0]

This course deals with the critical factors of initiating and managing new growth‐oriented ventures. There is a primary focus on the behaviors of entrepreneurs (both successful and unsuccessful), the venture creation process, new venture strategies, identification and evaluation of new venture opportunities, new venture financing, legal and tax considerations, and other key aspects of the entrepreneurial process.

MGMT 6360: Production and Operations Management [3‐0]

The study of the role of the production function in the business system and its relationship to marketing and finance. The focus is on the decision‐making necessary for productivity improvement in the transformation process of manufacturing and non‐manufacturing service organizations. Strategies of production system design, capacity management, quality management; production planning, inventory planning and control, facility location and supply chain management are explored. Systems studies include Just‐in‐Time, Total Quality Management and Flexible Manufacturing Systems.

MGMT 6372: Organizational Leadership and Change [3‐0]

This course is designed to provide a broad overview of Leadership and Organizational change theories, practices and research. Special attention will be given to critical thinking skills and the students' ability to communicate and lead effectively in the discussion chat room format.

MGMT 6390: Strategic Management [3‐0]

This capstone course integrates knowledge in functional areas and covers strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation. Different types of organizations in all kinds of environments and industries are studied. Technology, culture and ethics are important environmental variables considered.

Prerequisite(s):: Eighteen hours of MBA core courses. ACCT 6320, MGMT 6330, FINA 6340, ECON 6350, MGMT 6360, and MARK 6310.

QUMT 6303: Statistical Foundations [3‐0]

An introduction to statistical methodology to include probability concepts, inference techniques, analysis of variance, regression analysis, chi square and other non‐parametric analyses. This course focuses on the use of the computer in performing statistical analysis.

Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MBA Program.

QUMT 6310: Business Research [3‐0]

Business research techniques and methodologies. Topics include scientific method, business information sources, research proposal development and evaluation, research design, scaling and instrument design, sampling design, statistical packages and applications, research reporting and writing and ethical considerations in business research.

Prerequisite(s):: QUMT 6303 or QUMT 3343 or equivalent.

QUMT 6350: Machine Learning for Business Analytics [3‐0]

This course introduces students to modern machine-learning methods that can be applied to build predictive models & discover patterns in data for better-informed business decision-making. Students will learn implementation of the machine learning techniques in R programming language for understanding complex datasets. This course will enable students to approach business problems by identifying opportunities to derive business value from data-driven business intelligence

**To further provide students with increased choices, please note that additional courses can be offered for the available concentrations.