Online Master's in Management Courses

MBA 6320 Descriptive Analytics (3 credits)

Data analysis is rapidly becoming a required skill set for today’s managers in competitive environments. As a decision-maker in business, you are likely to be asked to conduct your own analysis of data or to interpret a report that has been derived by others. In this course, you will have the opportunity to learn how to summarize, visualize, and manage data within software environments that are commonly used in business today. Additionally, techniques that help decision-makers reduce risk and identify opportunities that would provide an individual or a company with a competitive advantage will be reviewed.

MBA 6325 Prescriptive Analytics (3 credits)

Some refer to analytics as the new science of winning. It refers to a commitment by top management to the extensive use of data, statistical and quantitative analysis, explanatory and predictive models and fact-based management to drive decisions and actions. This course provides an introduction to analytics and covers spreadsheet modeling for decision-making. It employs techniques from the classical disciplines of statistics and operations research, as well as more recently developed methodologies: data mining, executive information systems, digital dashboards and online analytical processing. You will be expected to master, at an introductory level, techniques that are at the heart of the competitive posture of many successful organizations.

MBA 6390 Predictive Analytics* (3 credits)

Predictive analytics encompasses a variety of statistical and machine learning techniques and applications within a business environment. The primary goal of predictive analytics is to discover and apply relationships found within historic datasets to make predictions about the future or otherwise unknown events. In this hands-on course, students will be introduced to concepts related to constructing, testing and applying quantitative models in various business settings. From this perspective, students will utilize major software tools to conduct an analysis of continuous, classification and clustering models. Upon completion of this course, students will gain insight into how models are constructed and how predictive models can improve business.

MBA 6395 Business Intelligence* (3 credits)

This course provides a broad overview of business intelligence and data management including database fundamentals, business intelligence approaches, data management/data governance strategies, data mining and other business/data analytics techniques. Our primary emphasis will be on the managerial perspective, focusing on how you can design, implement and leverage business intelligence systems and strategies in a management role.

Complete one of the two courses marked with *

MBA 6360 Strategic Use of Information Systems (3 credits)

Information systems have always been a critical component of the successful operation and management of organizations. Today, modern information systems are pervasive, and knowledge of how they integrate into businesses to enhance strategies and processes is essential for all positions and functional areas. Advances in digital technologies have resulted in the development of information systems that are radically transforming the nature of managerial work, the structure of organizations and the way firms operate and compete in the marketplace. Managers must have a solid understanding of information technology, its organizational role and strategic implications. Regardless of your profession or position, you have little choice but to accept and assume responsibility for the innovative and effective use of information technology to enhance your organization's performance. This course is designed to provide the fundamentals necessary to begin this process.

MBA 6460 Strategic Use of Analytics (3 credits)

This course will provide students with the opportunity to learn more about how business analytics is being used in a variety of workplaces. The course will have a strategic and managerial focus where students will analyze many business cases. These cases will challenge students in their ability to critically evaluate the implications of business analytics.

MBA 6560 Analytics for Executives (3 credits)

This analytics course is designed for today's business leaders seeking competitive advantage through leveraging analytics across the organization. Students will adopt the executive's vantage point as they address progressing an organization through analytics maturity as well as making the most effective investments in people, data, systems and organizational structure. Planning the analytics project lifecycle, developing a data-driven culture, personnel management and opportunity identification will be addressed. Students will prepare to harness analytics from the executive point of view within the context of application from corporate to non-profit organizations.

MGT 5070 Managing Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship (3 credits)

This course focuses on how large organizations manage innovation, technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. Key activities and processes are explored in the class, including innovation management, research and development, technology commercialization, corporate entrepreneurship, incubation, corporate venturing and corporate venture capital. The class will also engage students in practical projects associated with innovation and entrepreneurship within companies.

MGT 5071 Ideation, Concept Development and Business Models (3 credits)

In this class, students will learn how to use common tools and techniques to generate, validate and assess new venture ideas. The class will be principally practical focusing on ideation efforts and will engage students in a process of screening, validating and building new business concepts. Students in this class will learn how to use the business model canvas and other lean launch techniques to validate their business models. Critical skills, such as pitching and selling concepts will also be acquired.

MGT 5072 New Venture Creation (3 credits)

Students will focus on detailed planning and validation of new ventures. This class will use a business planning format to engage student teams in industrial analysis, market research, sales and marketing planning, operations and financial planning for a new venture concept. Students will learn key aspects of venture planning and will acquire skills in business planning, market research and investment due diligence presentations and processes.

MBA 6320 - Descriptive Analytics (3 credits)

Business analytics can be subcategorized into three primary fields of study. These fields include descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. Descriptive analytics serves as a foundation to all other forms of analytics. The primary goal of this course is to provide students with the skills to effectively summarize, visualize, and manage data within software environments that are commonly used in various business contexts. In this course, topics include, but are not limited to, measures of central location, measures of dispersion, discrete and continuous probability distributions, hypothesis tests, as well as data visualization. In addition, students are introduced to predictive and prescriptive analytics topics for business applications.

MGT 5021 - Management of Lean Six Sigma Programs (3 credits)

Organizations are under increasing pressure to be better, faster, and cheaper. This pressure has driven many organizations to adopt process improvement methodologies, like Lean Six Sigma, to increase quality and decrease costs. This course is designed to equip students with the foundation of theoretical knowledge and skills necessary to manage Lean Six Sigma programs. The course integrates basic learning (through readings and lectures) with real world examples. After completing this course, students should understand how to effectively manage and navigate a process improvement program.

MGT 5001 - Managing Individuals and Teams (3 credits)

This course presents a strategic and analytical approach to complex behavioral problems involving interactions among individuals, teams, and organizational factors. The course explores topics such as leadership, team dynamics, motivation, decision-making, power/persuasion, and conflict as they apply to the management of individuals and teams in organizations. The class utilizes case studies, experiential exercises, personal reflection, and an organizational consulting project to practice and refine students’ management skills as well as to gain insight into their own strengths and weaknesses as a manager.

Plus complete ONE of the following Elective Courses (3 credits)

MBA 6335 - Managerial Finance
MBA 6390 - Predictive Analytics
MBA 6395 - Business Intelligence
MGT 5071 - Ideation, Concept Development and Business Models
IHS 5200 - Foundations of Leadership in Healthcare
IHS 5201 - Quality, Safety and Service in Healthcare Leadership
IHS 5202 - Financial Innovation and Growth Strategies in Healthcare

MBA 6335 Managerial Finance (3 credits)

Managerial Finance is an integrated application of accounting and economic principles to the financial functions of business. The course covers financial analysis, basic investing concepts, risk and return, time value of money, capital structure, and capital budgeting.

MBA 6345 Financial Markets and Institutions (3 credits)

Introduces macroeconomic issues and concepts that a manager has to understand and adapt to. An overview is provided of the structure and functioning of financial markets. Also addressed: how to frame economic issues within the rest of the external environment.

MBA 6355 Investments (3 credits)

Covers the principles used by investors to identify and evaluate various investment alternatives in forming investment portfolios. The topics include sources of investment information, relationship between investment risks and returns, portfolio theory, portfolio performance evaluation, analysis and valuation of securities (the main focus is on common stocks), and investor and market behavior.

MBA 6365 Advanced Corporate Finance (3 credits)

The course provides students with a deeper understanding of corporate finance. Specifically, we explore and discuss the following topics: capital structure, dividend policy, both long-term and short-term financing, risk management at the firm level, and some special topics. The course provides students with the skills necessary for a career in financial management. This course combines real-world examples from the Wall Street Journal and recent academic articles with the financial management strategies outlined in the text. In short, students will be able to address key company specific questions about the firm’s strategy and ability to fund its operations, while at the same time managing and incorporating risk management to maximize shareholder wealth. 

MGT 5030 Employee Relations, Ethics & Legal Aspects of HRM (3 credits)

This course examines the ramifications of ethical and legal issues between employers and their employees, unions, independent contractors and customers. The focus is on the role of the manager in ensuring both ethical practice and legal compliance in all areas of managing the human resources in an organization.

MGT 5031 Talent Acquisition and Strategic Management (3 credits)

This course is a deep dive into the strategic management aspects of talent acquisition, development and succession planning for organizational performance, sustainability and longevity. The course will examine talent management from the enterprise or macro firm perspective and then share specific processes and tools for delivering results. Through agile teaming, complex business cases and in-class conversations with talent management scholars and executives, students will investigate the essential contribution of talent for executing business strategy while ensuring individual, team and cultural alignment aspects. The course will utilize historical and modern perspectives of talent management, as well as numerous theories of human resource management and organizational behavior. For learning discovery, the course instructional design features a strong focus on team-based projects, consultative case analysis, simulations and in-class discussions to provide practical examples of effective and ineffective strategic talent management. Course content will be explored from both a personal perspective and a professional business manager, or human resource professional perspective.

MGT 5032 Performance Management & Total Rewards (3 credits)

In today's globally competitive environment, organizations are more focused than ever on delivering measurable results – at an enterprise, business unit, team, and individual level. Performance, compensation and benefit systems are critical to attracting, motivating, and rewarding highly talented employees. Developing a comprehensive, effective performance management and reward system is a critical human resource imperative.

MGT 5020 Operations & Project Management (3 credits)

Often we are involved with developing a new system or new product, planning an event or participating in an undertaking where we cannot simply repeat things we have done in our past experience. These are "one-offs" or projects. Projects are major undertakings that have a defined lifetime (i.e. limited duration) and a specific outcome. As such, they require a unique approach to management and administration. It is important to understand and appreciate the techniques and concepts used for successful project management. This course covers some of the basic issues related to, and tools used for, managing projects, and provides an opportunity for students to learn the application of the tools and concepts of project management.

MGT 5021 Management of Lean Six Sigma Programs (3 credits)

Organizations are under increasing pressure to be better, faster and cheaper. This pressure has driven many organizations to adopt process improvement methodologies, like Lean Six Sigma, to increase quality and decrease costs. This course is designed to equip students with the foundation of theoretical knowledge and skills necessary to manage Lean Six Sigma programs. The course integrates basic learning (through readings and lectures) with real-world examples. After completing this course, students should understand how to effectively manage and navigate a process improvement program.

MGT 5023 Supply Chain Risk Management (3 credits)

Properly addressing risks and facing possible disruptions are of primary importance to supply chain management. In the wake of high consequence disruptive events, risk identification and disruption response activities have become ever more critical. The objective of the course is to provide an overview of key supply chain risk areas, particularly with the proliferation of outsourcing, use of information technology and complexity of global logistics. Equally important is how companies manage the preparation, mitigation and response strategies to major disruptive events. Topics covered include the science of catastrophes, vulnerability and threat assessments, resources and capabilities identification/integration, basic crisis management, contingency planning, disaster recovery and business continuity in supply chain settings.

PM 6100 Project Management I (3 credits)

This course is the first part for the project management course sequence. Students learn the skills, tools and strategies required to meet the needs of managing complex projects. The topics in the course include initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing projects as well as project integration management, scope management, time management, cost management, human resource management, communications management and risk management.

PM 6200 Project Management II (3 credits)

In this class, students learn the skills, tools, and strategies required to meet the needs of managing complex projects. The topics in the course include initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing projects as well as project integration management, scope management, time management, cost management, human resource management, communications management and risk management.

PM 6500 Change and Risk Management (3 credits)

This course is an investigation of both risk and change management as it relates to project management. The topics in the course include initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing projects. The concepts of project risk and change management are presented, and students have opportunities to develop risk and change management plans. 

MBA 6300 Building & Developing Customer Relationships (3 credits)

The course addresses topics related to building and developing effective relationships at the customer interface. The goal is to help students develop and practice skills in the areas of interpersonal communications, negotiations, creating value and product solutions, presentation, asking questions, active listening, determining customer needs, and identifying and qualifying prospects. Role-plays and interactive exercises are employed in order to help students apply the knowledge to real-world situations. Cases are also employed on certain topics such as ethics and negotiation.

MBA 6400 Sales Leadership (3 credits)

The course gives students a complete picture of the scientific principles and issues revolving around the management of a field sales force regionally and internationally. Accordingly, the course deals with discussing the sales function and its relationship with a firm's marketing program, crafting a sales strategy and setting sales objectives. It also focuses on performing important decisions such as recruiting, hiring, training, compensating salespeople and implementing a sales program. Cases based on real-world situations and a sales management simulation are employed so that students practice applying tools and frameworks in their own decision-making processes.

MBA 6500 Sales Analytics (3 credits)

The course focuses on building hard/quantitative skills sales professionals need in order to make decisions both inside their firm and at the customer interface. Specifically, the course builds skills in the areas of strategic account identification/selection, calculating customer-centric metrics such as customer lifetime value (CLV), customer risk analysis, customer acquisition and retention metrics, sales forecasting and opportunity management, performance analysis, sales resource allocation and analyzing and evaluating sales territories. Students use datasets and software to make decisions about important problems sales professionals face in their work. Cases based on real-world situations are also employed so that students practice the application of theoretical knowledge.

This course takes a macro-organizational view emphasizing theoretical approaches to organizations and organizing and indicators of managerial effectiveness. The class focuses on interactions among the organization, its environment and its members, and the importance of fit among organizational strategies, structures and culture. Students also explore how managerial effectiveness can be assessed and researched.

In this course, master's candidates apply prior coursework in the MSM to an applied project in their employer’s organization, to a consulting project for a client organization, or to a research project and present their recommendations or results in a written report and oral presentation.