University Catalog 2023-2024

Business Administration (MBA)

MBA 501  Financial Accounting for Decision Makers  (1 credit hours)  

Methods used by accountants record to economic events such as operating, investing, and financing activities, in the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. Analysis of financial statements and disclosures. Impact of accounting standards and managerial incentives on the financial reporting process. Restricted to MBA students.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 502  Managerial Accounting for Decision Makers  (1 credit hours)  

Foundational knowledge in managerial accounting for decision making. Internal uses of accounting information for decision making within the organization. Identification of revenue and cost information to conduct break-even analyses, assign product costs, complete operational budgets, assess performance, and complete other management decision-making processes. Restricted to MBA students.

Prerequisite: MBA 501

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

MBA 505  Essential Economics for Managers  (2 credit hours)  

Survey of economic concepts applied to management decisions. Competition. Market power. The firm, production, and cost. Pricing practices. Output. Market success. Market failure. Restricted to MBA students.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 506  Data-Driven Managerial Decisions 1  (1 credit hours)  

Business cases and problems where data analysis is part of the decision-making process. Applications to finance, management, marketing, and operations. Proficiency in Excel methods commonly used in management. Completion of a project where students follow a business problem from formulation to solution using data analysis. Restricted to MBA students.

Prerequisite: BUS/ST 350

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

MBA 507  Data-Driven Managerial Decisions 2  (1 credit hours)  

Continuation of a series of business cases and problems where data analysis is part of the decision making process. Estimation of linear relationships among variables, with applications to finance, management, marketing, and operations. Proficiency with Excel methods commonly used for estimation. Completion of a project where students follow a business problem from formulation to solution using the methods covered the course. Restricted to MBA students.

Prerequisite: MBA 506

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 510  Critical Thinking for Managers  (1 credit hours)  

Structure for critically analyzing and evaluating an issue, claim, text, or speech from a management perspective. Systematic analysis and evaluation of information, concepts, and ideas in order to identify underlying assumptions, purposes, and questions. Synthesis of this knowledge to logically form conclusions and recognize implications. Communication of arguments and beliefs and recognition of common language barriers in the written and spoken word. For online sections, must be enrolled in MBA program.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 511  Data Security and Privacy  (3 credit hours)  

Data security and privacy necessary for today¿s business environment. Common vulnerabilities, securing data, encryption, policies, privacy management, standards, and compliance.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 512  Ethical Thinking for Managers  (1 credit hours)  

This course provides students a foundation for thinking through business issues from an ethical perspective. Students will advance their skills for recognizing and reasoning through ethical dilemmas in management, with an aim toward developing essential ethical traits including integrity, empathy, courage, fairmindedness,autonomy. perseverance, humility, and confidence in reason. Students will apply a structured, reasoned process for resolving ethical dilemmas, and will engage in personal reflection to continue to develop their intellectual traits.

Restriction: MBA Students Only; MBA 510 (Critical thinking for managers) is a required prereq.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 515  Enterprise Resource Planning Systems  (3 credit hours)  

Market and evolution of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and ERP technology. Business process reengineering in sales, purchasing, human capital, accounting, plant maintenance and warehousing using SAP Security issues. Course can lead to SAP University Alliance Recognition.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 518  Enterprise Risk Management  (3 credit hours)  

Integrated approach to managing the risks that can prevent an organization from achieving its objectives, both financial and non-financial. Core elements of an effective enterprise risk management process. Links to management strategy. Risk assessment methodologies.

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 519  Enterprise Risk Management Practicum  (3 credit hours)  

Applied approach to managing the risks that can prevent an organization from achieving its objectives, both financial and nonfinancial, by working in teams to address real problems in real organizations.

Prerequisite: MBA 518

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 520  Financial Management of Corporations  (2 credit hours)  

Financial decision making at profit-motivated businesses: decisions about what to produce and how and decisions about how to finance the assets needed for production. Cash as the basis of asset valuation. Capital budgeting decisions under certainty and uncertainty. Capital market theory. Cost of capital. Bond and stock valuation. Restricted to MBA students.

Prerequisite: MBA 501 Financial Accounting for Decision Makers

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 521  Advanced Corporate Finance  (3 credit hours)  

Overview of financial management. Evaluation of projects and valuation of real assets using traditional discounted cash flow analysis and real options. Role of financial leverage; optimal capital structure. Conflicts between security holders and management; stockholder-bondholder conflicts; financial distress, bankruptcy and reorganization; corporate control and restructuring; corporate governance issues.

Prerequisite: MBA 520

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 522  Financial Modeling  (3 credit hours)  

This course examines models for capital budgeting, equity and bond valuation, capital structure, dividend policy, among other topics, using spreadsheet analyses. The course will take a very hands-on approach in building spreadsheet models. The course also includes sensitivity analysis, pro-forma analysis and using financial statements.

Prerequisite: MBA 520

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 523  Investment Theory and Practice  (3 credit hours)  

Advanced topics in investments with a focus on underlying theory and practical application using real world data. Stock valuation models, bond valuation, derivatives, portfolio performance evaluation, investment strategies, efficient market theory and other current issues in investment finance.

Prerequisite: MBA 520

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 524  Equity Valuation  (3 credit hours)  

Advanced quantitative course on applied equity valuation. Students conduct stock valuation analysis which is then used to select stocks for the student-managed SunTrust MBA fund. Topics include the investment decision making process, empirical evidence on securities returns, forecasting financial statements, industry and macro-economic analysis, valuation models, portfolio performance evaluation and performance attribution. Students will also learn how to write computer programs using SAS software in order to generate statistical tests of investment strategies using "big financial data.

Prerequisite: MBA 520

Typically offered in Spring and Summer

MBA 525  Taxes and Business Strategy  (3 credit hours)  

Importance of tax consideratoins in business decisions. Framework for understanding how taxes affect business strategy and financing decisions in a wide variety of settings.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 526  International Finance  (3 credit hours)  

Theory and practice of financial management in the international arena, including spot and forward markets for foreign exchange, currency futures and options contracts, international arbitrage conditions, foreign exchange exposure, foreign trade financing instruments, direct and portfolio investment abroad, and the role of country risk in determining investments.

Prerequisite: MBA 520

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 530  Leading People  (3 credit hours)  

This course is about the fundamentals of leading people, a critical aspect of every management position and leadership role. The course will focus at three levels of analysis: the individual, the group and the organization. Students will gain exposure to topics and issues in the field of organizational behavior and human resource management. These include knowing about and dealing with individual differences, international and cultural issues, working in groups (both virtually and geographically co-located), motivation, leadership, organizational structures and cultures, change management, empowerment, delegation, communication, and management ethics. Restricted to MBA students.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 531  Leading People 1  (1 credit hours)  

This one-credit course is designed for part-time and online students and serves as the first part of the Leading People series. The Leading People series focuses at three levels of analysis: the individual, the group and the organization. In this series, students will gain exposure to topics and issues in the field of organizational behavior and human resource management. Content covered in part 1 addresses team leadership and change management. This course also includes instruction on improving communication skills, making presentations, leading from strengths, and emotional intelligence. Restricted to MBA students. Students may not receive credit in MBA 530 and MBA 531.

Restriction: Restricted to MBA students. Students may not receive credit in MBA 530 and MBA 531.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 532  Leading People 2  (2 credit hours)  

This two-credit course is designed for part-time and online students and serves as the second part of the Leading People series. The Leading People series focuses at three levels of analysis: the individual, the group and the organization. Students will gain exposure to topics and issues in the field of organizational behavior and human resource management. Content covered in this course includes dealing with individual differences, international and cultural issues, working in groups (both virtually and geographically co-located), motivation, leadership, organizational structures and cultures, empowerment, delegation, and management ethics. Restricted to MBA students. Students may not receive credit in MBA 530 and MBA 532.

Restriction: Restricted to MBA students. Students may not receive credit in MBA 530 and MBA 532.

Typically offered in Spring and Summer

MBA 533  Negotiation and Conflict Management  (3 credit hours)  

Course emphasizes ensuring that the organization benefits from inevitable conflicts that occur. It provides skills in diagnosis, negotiation, and building trust and cooperative working relationships in organizations.

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 534  Core Concepts of Human Capital Management  (3 credit hours)  

The course will cover the core concepts behind successfully acquiring, deploying and motivating talent to achieve organization competitiveness. Students will think strategically about company human assets, learn basic HRM concepts and then create practical solutions to typical HCM problems. At the end of this course, students will demonstrate a basic understanding of the topics of equal opportunity employment, diversity, recruiting and selection, performance evaluation, performance goal setting, performance coaching and feedback, competitive compensation and benefits, fair discipline and termination processes and strategic talent management and succession programs.

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 535  Leading Teams  (1 credit hours)  

More and more organizations are using team-based work to accomplish tasks. This course provides the latest, evidence-based best practices for working in, and leading, teams in organizations. The course is designed to be activity-driven and hands-on to give students the opportunity to practice and improve their team skills.

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 536  Experience Innovation and Strategic Design  (3 credit hours)  

Successful innovation involves creating more valuable experiences for users and customers. The course covers key concepts and methodologies for experience-based innovation, drawing on design and creativity frameworks to fully understand customer experiences. Course activities include exercises and a project to practice innovation and "design-thinking" tools and techniques in a business context. Relevant strategic perspectives for designing innovative products and services are addressed through case studies and other managerial readings with practical business application. The importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to experience innovation is emphasized, such that the course is suitable for students in all disciplines with an interest in innovation.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 538  Women as Leaders  (1 credit hours)  

This course focuses on helping women uncover and reflect on their leadership styles so that they can become more empowered leaders, take responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and have the courage to develop that potential.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 539  Jenkins Leadership Challenge  (1 credit hours)  

Leadership skills are highly valued in today's business environment. This is the capstone course for the Jenkins MBA Leadership Certificate. In other classes in the leadership series, students have learned what a successful leader is, what a successful leader does, and how a successful leader deals with contingencies in an effective way. In this class participants will review the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership and select behaviors in their own leadership practice that need to be adjusted for stronger leadership performance. Students will then plan and execute a personal leadership challenge to address these behaviors. Course content includes a leadership assessment, lectures and readings, required participation in group coaching, periodic individual reflections, development of videos for leadership challenge proposals and testimonials, and a final paper that reflects on the student's journey through the leadership program and identifies plans for the future.

Prerequisite: MBA 510 and MBA 530 or MBA 531 and MBA 532.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 540  Principles of Operations and Supply Chain Management  (2 credit hours)  

Design and management of operations and supply chains. Analysis of strategies, processes, planning and control, and advanced techniques using a variety of managerial frameworks and quantitative tools. Restricted to MBA students.

Prerequisite: MBA 507

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 541  Supply Management  (3 credit hours)  

Major themes and strategies of supply management relationships. The focus is on establishing a basis for collaborative relationships with suppliers through focused market intelligence research, relationship assessment and management, negotiation, collaborative contracting, and on-going management of relationships in global supply chains. Emphasis on the importance of collaboration through the application of practical tools and approaches that drive mutually beneficial outcomes. Core processes around initial exploration and assessment of supply chain relationships, establishing metrics/expectations for the relationship, crafting and managing contracts, and sustaining continuous performance improvement in sourcing, logistics and operations. Every student will participate in a team-based supply chain project with an organization and will learn the team-based, deadline-driven nature of supply chain initiatives in a real-company setting.

Co-requisite: MBA 540 Operations and Supply Chain Management

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 542  Supply Chain Logistics  (3 credit hours)  

Effective logistics decision-making using a variety of conceptual frameworks and quantitative tools. Relationship between logistics and broader issues of managing the entire supply chain and fulfilling the strategic objectives of a firm. Inventorymanagement. Transportation. Network design.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 543  Planning and Control Systems  (3 credit hours)  

Design and management of planning and control systems within the organization and across the supply chain. Business planning, master production scheduling, material requirements planning, just-in-time and theory of constraints. Enterprise resourceplanning (ERP) and business-to-business (B2B) systems. Impact of information technologies on planning and control systems. Major project using state-of-the-art ERP system.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 544  Operations Analysis  (3 credit hours)  

This course focuses on building a framework for understanding how operations decisions are made and how those decisions shape the firm's ability to effectively utilize its physical and human resources. It further explores how the physical and human resources help meet customer requirements through processes that convert diverse inputs into customer-valued outputs. Key topics include metrics for flow rate, flow time, and work in process, and the influence of resource decisions, uncertainty, buffering, batching, and control policies like "push" and "pull." Excel-based simulations and case studies are used to illustrate the principles and concepts listed above.

P: MBA 540 or equivalent engineering course

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 545  Decision Making under Uncertainty  (3 credit hours)  

Structured framework for modeling and analyzing business decisions in the presence of uncertainty and complex interactions among decision parameters. Topics include decision models, value of information and control, risk attitude, spreadsheet applications, and decision analysis cycle. Interactive case study.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

MBA 546  Strategic Operations Management  (3 credit hours)  

Strategic Operations Management, analyzes the various operations that are ongoing in a firm and how they relate to the organization's business strategy. This course teaches students how to evaluate and formulate an operations strategy and to analyze operational decisions which impact a firm's competitive position. The course builds upon the foundational concepts and models students have seen in previous operations courses to illustrate how operations fits within an organization and can be used as a competitive advantage.

R: Students taking this course need to have successfully completed MBA 540 : Principles of Operations and Supply Chain Management.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 547  Sustainable Operations Management  (1 credit hours)  

In this course, students examine some of the difficult tradeoffs they may face as an operations manager when sustainability issues arise. The course places a strong emphasis on interactive, practice-based learning through case discussions, a simulation, breakout sessions, and industry speaker/s. Topics discussed include supply chain disruption, resource management, sustainable sourcing, compliance and standards, supply chain transparency, and business model innovation.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 548  Analytical Supply Chain Management  (3 credit hours)  

The objective of the course is to build an understanding of how to manage and improve the performance (efficiency and responsiveness) of operations and supply chains through decision making that is based on analysis and facts, rather than intuition. The course introduces fundamental aspects of operations and supply chain management as well as analytical modeling tools and techniques that can be used to support decision making (e.g., optimization, regression analysis, simulation). The approach taken in the course is entirely example-based and hands-on, since all these techniques will be implemented in Excel, either with Excel's built-in tools or with Excel add-ins.

Prerequisites: MBA 507 and MBA 540

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 549  Supply Chain Management Practicum  (3 credit hours)  

Research project examining supply chain management issues at an organization, usually a member of the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative. Projects will typically focus on procurement, logistics, materials management, operations, or integrated supply chain issues.

Prerequisite: MBA 540

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 551  Predictive Analytics for Business and Big Data  (3 credit hours)  

This course is designed around the full analytics lifecycle which encompasses the business problem, the data, the analysis, and the decision. Students will learn to identify and clearly explain business problems that can be addressed with analytics. They will learn to determine which analytic methods are best suited to solve particular problems and clearly explain the results of an analytic model and how those results might impact the business bottom line. Analytical methods to be covered include data, visualization, a review of regression analysis; logistic regression; classification and regression trees (including boosting and bagging methodologies); and clustering (segmentation) methods. Students will also develop at least a beginning proficiency with several statistical software packages including Tableau, JMP, R, and SAS Enterprise Miner. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing real data and understanding how analytical thinking can be applied to solve big data problems.

Prerequisites: MBA 506 and MBA 507

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 552  Data Engineering, Management and Warehousing  (3 credit hours)  

This course examines how to collect and process data to make it useful, how to validate, protect, and process data to make it available, and how to create a place to properly store data.

Typically offered in Fall and Summer

MBA 555  Product Design and Development  (4 credit hours)  

Total product realization process, including customer needs analysis, product design and engineering, manufacturability assessment and marketing plan development. Definition of relevant market, design and engineering principles, financial considerations and manufacturing aspects of product development process. Application and integration of business, design and engineering methodologies, concepts and tools on actual product design and development project.

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 558  Artificial Intelligence in Management  (1 credit hours)  

This course will discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications to help make data-driven decisions in business and management. Students will learn to understand the language of AI, discuss different applications of AI, and work with actual AI tools at a high level to develop new insights. Hands-on examples will be complemented by applications of AI drawn from different industries.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 559  Business Analytics Practicum  (3 credit hours)  

This course focuses on solving a real-world business problem that includes a heavy data analytic component. The business problem will vary according to the client but could include problems from finance, human resources, marketing, finance, supply chain, or other management areas.

Prerequisite: MBA 506 and MBA 507 and MBA 551

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 560  Marketing Management and Strategy  (2 credit hours)  

Market segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Channels of distribution, promotion strategy, product development strategy, and pricing strategy. Relationship marketing and marketing strategy. Applications in high-tech environments. Restricted to MBA students.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

MBA 561  Consumer Behavior  (3 credit hours)  

Consumer perception of products and brands, including the role of product design and development of consumer attitudes. Analysis of how consumers make decisions and how those decisions can be influenced by messaging, pricing, and emotions.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 562  Research Methods In Marketing  (3 credit hours)  

A systematic approach to structure, implementation and analysis of marketing research for decision making. Models of consumer demand and firm behavior analyzed in a marketing context.

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 563  Product and Brand Management  (3 credit hours)  

Marketing planning and product management. New product concept evaluation and selection. Managing products over the life cycle. Developing and implementing a brand strategy. Repositioning and revitalizing brands Brand extension. Managing globalbrands.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 564  Business Relationship Management  (3 credit hours)  

Strategic, successful management of the multitude of business relationships that contemporary managers face. Universal and idiosyncratic business relationship skills to allow technically-oriented managers such as engineers and scientists to interact with a variety of constituents. Integrated perspective of marketing communications as a process of successfully interacting with each constituency with the goal of fostering long-term satisfaction and loyalty, which ultimately translates to sustainable competitive advantage.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 565  Marketing Analytics  (3 credit hours)  

Analytical techniques to convert a wealth of data on customers and markets into insights to guide business decisions. Taking a hands-on and systematic approach on the steps involved in harnessing knowledge from data, the course covers the various data techniques and steps involved in data- and model-driven management decisions. Techniques include market response models, conjoint analysis, discrete choice models.

Prerequisite: MBA 507

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 566  Digital Marketing  (3 credit hours)  

This course covers the basics of digital marketing from an analytics perspective. Each channel of digital marketing, such as search engine optimization, social, mobile, web, email, and video, are examined and their relationship to overall firm marketing strategy is explored.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 567  Marketing Metrics  (1 credit hours)  

This special interest course explores the value of setting performance goals as part of the development of marketing plans and explores commonly used approaches to goal structuring such as KPI (Key Performance Indicator) and OKR (Objective & Key Results). Numerous metrics that are used to evaluate marketing initiatives will be discussed, including overall metrics, brand metrics, promotional metrics and customer satisfaction metrics. A realistic, critical view is taken of many of these metrics; some metrics have shortcomings in certain situations that managers should be aware of. Individual assignments will emphasize not only an understanding of the goal setting process, but also the application of these metrics to marketing decision making. An emphasis on exposing students to differing approaches to goal setting and performance measurement across companies (and industries) will be a theme of this course.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

MBA 570  Opportunity Evaluation and Value Creation  (3 credit hours)  

First course in a two-course entrepreneurship sequence focusing on opportunities outside the technology arena. Management of the innovative activities of a firm (new and/or existing) to facilitate entrepreneurship-the discovery, evaluation, and exploitation of opportunities to create value. Generation and screening of new product/process ideas or concepts. Transformation of such ideas into products, processes, or services that satisfies stakeholders (e.g., customers, employees). Topics include self-assessment of personal aspirations, skills, and competencies, as well as opportunity identification/evaluation, business model design, and launching and scaling ventures.

Credit not allowed in MBA 570 if the student has already taken MBA 576 or MBA 577.

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 571  High Growth Entrepreneurship  (3 credit hours)  

Second course in a two-course entrepreneurship sequence focusing on opportunities outside the technology arena. Theoretical and practical, team-based, approach to the evaluation and assessment of opportunities for value creation. Emphasis on how to discover, validate, and then execute on an action plan to create value. Credit not allowed if the student has already taken MBA 576 or MBA 577.

Prerequisite: MBA 570. Credit not allowed if the student has already taken MBA 576 or MBA 577.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 572  Venture Opportunity Analytics  (3 credit hours)  

Application of the process-based model for new business startups to multiple clients. Emphasis is placed on data gathering, data analysis and data interpretation in the context of evaluating opportunities for new business. Students work in teams on a variety of projects with technology commercialization clients such as Wolfpack Investment Network and Office of Technology Commercialization and New Ventures.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 576/MSE 576  Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization I  (3 credit hours)  

First course in a two-course entrepreneurship sequence focusing on opportunities for technology commercialization. Evaluation of commercialization of technologies in the context of new business startups. Emphasis is placed on creating value through technology portfolio evaluation and fundamentals of technology-based new business startups. This includes development of value propositions and strong technology-product-market linkages. The process based approach is appropriate for new business startup as well as entrepreneurship in existing organizations through spinoffs, licensing, or new product development. Credit not allowed for MBA 576 if the student has already taken MBA 570 or MBA 571.

Credit not allowed in MBA 576 if the student has already taken MBA 570 or MBA 571

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 577/MSE 577  Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization II  (3 credit hours)  

Continuation of evaluation of technologies for commercialization through new business startups. Emphasis is placed on creating value through strong technology-products-markets linkages using the TEC algorithm. Topics include industry and market testing of assumptions, legal forms of new business startups, funding sources and creating a quality, integrative new business startup plan. Credit not allowed in 577 for students who have already taken 570 or 571.

Prerequisite: MBA/MSE 576. Credit not allowed in 577 for students who have already taken 570 or 571.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 578  Venture Launch  (3 credit hours)  

Immersion in the activities of opportunity exploitation. Students work in groups to plan and execute the launch of a new value creating entity. Strategy formulation and strategy implementation for a new business startup. Includes all aspects of value creation for success as a new venture.

Prerequisite: MBA 571 or MBA 577

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 579  Entrepreneurship Clinic Practicum  (3 credit hours)  

Inspired by the university teaching hospital model, the NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic is a place where students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and service providers go to teach, learn and build the next generation of businesses in Raleigh. Each person in this class will take on the role of "Clinic Lead" managing groups of undergraduate students working with clients of the NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic during the semester developing ideas, evaluating options, and providing insights to emerging ventures.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 580  Creating Value in Organizations  (3 credit hours)  

Process-based approach to creating high value in existing organizations by understanding strategy formulation and implementation. The approach also will reapplied to entrepreneurs in new venture startups as well as organizations managing innovation and technology changes. Emphasis is placed on learning by applying these processes to existing organizations through strategic management and to new business startups through entrepreneurship. Restricted to MBA students.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

MBA 582  Sustainability and Business  (3 credit hours)  

Explore the current sustainability trends. Learn how business are integrating sustainability into their strategies. Gain an understanding of the tools businesses are using to operate businesses in a sustainability manner. Experience current and evolving sustainability reporting practices. Explore future trends.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 584  Root Cause Analysis: Interpreting Data for Decision-Making  (1 credit hours)  

This course considers the use of analytics in decision-making in a variety of settings (e.g., business, public policy, personal). Students will discuss the importance of properly identifying causal relationships when using data to make well inform decisions and be able to identify potential threats to reliable causal inference that commonly arise.

R: Graduate standing and restricted to students in PCOM in graduate programs: MBA, MMA, and MRA.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 585  Current Topics in BioSciences Management  (3 credit hours)  

Business processes and strategies across the global BioSciences value chain, including the R&D realities, product life cycles, key elements of product discovery and development, intellectual property, regulatory trials, government approval, production, sourcing, logistics, sales, marketing and customer service. The complete value chain of a new biotechnology-based product.

Typically offered in Spring only

MBA 586  Legal, Regulatory and Ethical Issues in Life Science Industries  (3 credit hours)  

Exploration of unique environment in which biotechnology research is conducted and resultant drugs and products are sold. Legal restraints affecting pharmaceutical marketing and reimbursement options; regulatory issues; pre-clinical research. Laws limiting or affecting pharmaceutical and biomedical marketing Ethical issues in the research and marketing processes.

Typically offered in Fall only

MBA 587  Sustainability in Business  (1 credit hours)  

Sustainability in Business provides students with the knowledge and tools to become purpose-driven business leaders. The course explores different business models and strategies that companies can use to drive social and environmental change, and explains why purpose-driven businesses are particularly well positioned to tackle the world's biggest problems. Students will gain an understanding of how sustainable business strategies are used as drivers for innovation, collaboration, and transformation. They will also explore how to apply the concepts of business sustainability across functional areas including investment strategies, market insight, and operational excellence. The course structure will integrate a combination of tools including readings, videos, guest speakers, reflection assignments, discussion forums and a capstone project.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MBA 589  Jenkins Consulting Practicum  (3 credit hours)  

This class provides the opportunity to learn about business consulting and be part of a consulting team, helping real clients with real business challenges and market opportunities. Students will help their client organization by understanding a problem, conducting analyses, and suggesting relevant, actionable steps that clients can take to become more competitive or achieve important goals. Projects will deal with creative, complex, risky, and ambiguous issues involved in developing new products/services, serving new markets, achieving quality standards, or creating new business models in an enterprise setting.

Restriction: MBA Students Only

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

MBA 590  Special Topics In Business Management  (1-6 credit hours)  

Presentation of material not normally available in regular courses offerings or offering of new courses on a trial basis.

MBA 610  Special Topics in Business Administration  (1-6 credit hours)  

Special topics course dealing with issues not covered in regularly scheduled courses. Restricted to MBA students.

MBA 630  Independent Study In Business Management  (1-3 credit hours)  

Detailed investigation of topics of particular interest to graduate students under faculty direction on a tutorial basis. Determination of credits and content by faculty member in consultation with department head.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer