Flex MBA Core Class Descriptions
BUAD 601 Communication for Managers (3 hours)
The need to communicate well is a critical part of a manager’s professional development. This course helps prospective and practicing managers assess and develop their communication abilities to be a successful managerial communicator. Through course activities, students will understand the importance of effective communication in managerial and leadership roles, appreciate the value of strategic organizational communication and enhance their speaking, writing and other communication abilities. Special topics in the course include: presentation graphics, ethics, intercultural communication and media relations.
BUAD 602 Financial Accounting (3 hours)
Concepts and principles of financial and administrative accounting essential to the interpretation and analysis of accounting information, including financial reports, bankruptcy analysis, budgeting, control, production and costing, stock options and board governance.
BUAD 603 Managerial Accounting (3 hours)
This course deals with the use of accounting information for decision-making, planning and control. The goal is to acquaint the student of management with the fundamentals of internal accounting, better known as management accounting. The emphasis is on using accounting information in managing an organization, rather than product costing and income determination. Prerequisites: 602, 605
BUAD 604 Organizational Behavior (3 hours)
Designed to provide you with the analytic frameworks and tools to diagnose events and take effective action in today’s changing organizations. The course draws on knowledge from the domains of Organizational Behavior (OB), Organization Theory (OT) and Human Resource Management (HRM) to provide you with the understanding and skills that you need to be an effective manager of people in these changing organizations.OT, OB and HRM are concerned with developing understanding about how human beings act in organized settings and how organized systems affect human behavior through policies, structures and strategies.
BUAD 605 Quantitative Methods (3 hours)
Role and application of statistics in the analysis of business problems including estimation, statistical measures, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, simple and multiple linear regression and time series analysis.
BUAD 606 Modeling and Simulation (1.5 hours)
This course is designed to introduce students to basic modeling, analysis and simulation techniques. Emphasis will be placed on problem identification and formulation, sensitivity analysis and model construction. Tools such as MS Excel, Solver,Crystal Ball and @Risk will be used to solve business problems across all business functional areas: Finance, Accounting, Operations, Marketing, Information Systems, Policy and Human Resource Management. Prerequisite: 605
BUAD 607 Marketing (3 hours)
Examination of marketing from a managerial viewpoint; emphasis on evaluating marketing alternatives and in choosing from these alternatives. Prerequisite: 602
BUAD 608 The National and Global Economies (3 hours)
This course is intended to provide information that can be used to interpret economic events and assess their impact on the economy and an organization. Part of this information concerns not just economics but an understanding of how some political choices are made in various countries. This knowledge is critical for risk assessment and a realistic planning of business operations over the next year. You leave the course with some fundamental “rules of thumb” that allow you to assess potential large scale economic risks to your organization. Prerequisites: 605, 609
BUAD 609 Managerial Economics (3 hours)
This course studies economic analysis applied to managerial decision making. Besides basic topics of demand, cost and production and market structures, this course also covers demand forecasting, pricing strategies, game theory and information economics. Prerequisite: 605
BUAD 610 Operations Management (3 hours)
Study of the design, operation and control of production and operating systems from a managerial standpoint, with emphasis on quantitative methods of analysis. Prerequisites: 602, 605
BUAD 611 Finance (3 hours)
The course covers basic principles and theories of financial valuation, risk pricing and risk management. These principles are applied to corporate finance topics such as: how a firm decides to invest its resources in long term assets and growth opportunities; how a firm will manage its sources of capital and raise funds to finance chosen investments; and how the firm will plan and control funds flow. Prerequisites: 602, 605, 609
BUAD 612 Management of Information Systems (3 hours)
The focus of Management of Information Systems is on the technology that enables its use in the business and organizational setting. Issues such as hardware, software, databases, telecommunications and the Internet will be discussed. Students will experience hands-on applications in some areas. An understanding of how information technology enables fundamental transformations in firms, markets, products and business processes will be gained. This course addresses the management issues surrounding the impact of information technology in organizations. It is designed with the line and general managers in mind, rather than the managers of the IS function. Prerequisites: 602, 605
BUAD 614 Core Capstone – General Manager (1.5 hours)
This course encourages participants to apply the concepts and skills they have learned in the core courses through work on an actual business application or project. Effective presentation of serious, creative recommendations for action is strongly emphasized. Course topics will vary as new projects and business events present themselves. Prerequisites: 602, 609, 610, 611
BUAD 590 Global Competitive Strategy (3 hours)
Covers analysis for decision making at industry, firm and business levels, focusing especially on multi-business firms and global industries. Firm resources and competencies, business and environmental demands and the sources of competitive advantage are the major focus points of this course, which stresses practical applications of theory. Prerequisites: Complete Phase II courses and two electives.
The need to communicate well is a critical part of a manager’s professional development. This course helps prospective and practicing managers assess and develop their communication abilities to be a successful managerial communicator. Through course activities, students will understand the importance of effective communication in managerial and leadership roles, appreciate the value of strategic organizational communication and enhance their speaking, writing and other communication abilities. Special topics in the course include: presentation graphics, ethics, intercultural communication and media relations.
BUAD 602 Financial Accounting (3 hours)
Concepts and principles of financial and administrative accounting essential to the interpretation and analysis of accounting information, including financial reports, bankruptcy analysis, budgeting, control, production and costing, stock options and board governance.
BUAD 603 Managerial Accounting (3 hours)
This course deals with the use of accounting information for decision-making, planning and control. The goal is to acquaint the student of management with the fundamentals of internal accounting, better known as management accounting. The emphasis is on using accounting information in managing an organization, rather than product costing and income determination. Prerequisites: 602, 605
BUAD 604 Organizational Behavior (3 hours)
Designed to provide you with the analytic frameworks and tools to diagnose events and take effective action in today’s changing organizations. The course draws on knowledge from the domains of Organizational Behavior (OB), Organization Theory (OT) and Human Resource Management (HRM) to provide you with the understanding and skills that you need to be an effective manager of people in these changing organizations.OT, OB and HRM are concerned with developing understanding about how human beings act in organized settings and how organized systems affect human behavior through policies, structures and strategies.
BUAD 605 Quantitative Methods (3 hours)
Role and application of statistics in the analysis of business problems including estimation, statistical measures, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, simple and multiple linear regression and time series analysis.
BUAD 606 Modeling and Simulation (1.5 hours)
This course is designed to introduce students to basic modeling, analysis and simulation techniques. Emphasis will be placed on problem identification and formulation, sensitivity analysis and model construction. Tools such as MS Excel, Solver,Crystal Ball and @Risk will be used to solve business problems across all business functional areas: Finance, Accounting, Operations, Marketing, Information Systems, Policy and Human Resource Management. Prerequisite: 605
BUAD 607 Marketing (3 hours)
Examination of marketing from a managerial viewpoint; emphasis on evaluating marketing alternatives and in choosing from these alternatives. Prerequisite: 602
BUAD 608 The National and Global Economies (3 hours)
This course is intended to provide information that can be used to interpret economic events and assess their impact on the economy and an organization. Part of this information concerns not just economics but an understanding of how some political choices are made in various countries. This knowledge is critical for risk assessment and a realistic planning of business operations over the next year. You leave the course with some fundamental “rules of thumb” that allow you to assess potential large scale economic risks to your organization. Prerequisites: 605, 609
BUAD 609 Managerial Economics (3 hours)
This course studies economic analysis applied to managerial decision making. Besides basic topics of demand, cost and production and market structures, this course also covers demand forecasting, pricing strategies, game theory and information economics. Prerequisite: 605
BUAD 610 Operations Management (3 hours)
Study of the design, operation and control of production and operating systems from a managerial standpoint, with emphasis on quantitative methods of analysis. Prerequisites: 602, 605
BUAD 611 Finance (3 hours)
The course covers basic principles and theories of financial valuation, risk pricing and risk management. These principles are applied to corporate finance topics such as: how a firm decides to invest its resources in long term assets and growth opportunities; how a firm will manage its sources of capital and raise funds to finance chosen investments; and how the firm will plan and control funds flow. Prerequisites: 602, 605, 609
BUAD 612 Management of Information Systems (3 hours)
The focus of Management of Information Systems is on the technology that enables its use in the business and organizational setting. Issues such as hardware, software, databases, telecommunications and the Internet will be discussed. Students will experience hands-on applications in some areas. An understanding of how information technology enables fundamental transformations in firms, markets, products and business processes will be gained. This course addresses the management issues surrounding the impact of information technology in organizations. It is designed with the line and general managers in mind, rather than the managers of the IS function. Prerequisites: 602, 605
BUAD 614 Core Capstone – General Manager (1.5 hours)
This course encourages participants to apply the concepts and skills they have learned in the core courses through work on an actual business application or project. Effective presentation of serious, creative recommendations for action is strongly emphasized. Course topics will vary as new projects and business events present themselves. Prerequisites: 602, 609, 610, 611
BUAD 590 Global Competitive Strategy (3 hours)
Covers analysis for decision making at industry, firm and business levels, focusing especially on multi-business firms and global industries. Firm resources and competencies, business and environmental demands and the sources of competitive advantage are the major focus points of this course, which stresses practical applications of theory. Prerequisites: Complete Phase II courses and two electives.
