Business Foundation Knowledge Courses (12 Credits)

BUAD 658: Accounting and Finance for Managers (4)

This course focuses on the role of accounting and finance in managerial decision-making, including how managers access capital, invest in resources, budget operations, and report economic events.

BUAD 631: Data-Driven Decision-Making (4)

The course focuses on descriptive and predictive analytics for decision-making from a variety of business disciplinary perspectives. Important elements include identification of data-driven decision-making contexts in business, ascertaining data needs, analyzing data, interpreting and communicating results, and ultimately the value proposition of analytics.

BUAD 632: Introduction to Managerial Economics (4)

This course examines economic concepts essential for managerial decision-making with a focus on applying macroeconomic fundamentals and microeconomic analysis to a wide array of business problems.

General Business Knowledge Courses (16 Credits)

MGMT 667: Business, Ethics, and Society (4)

This course examines the ethical, legal, and social environment of business and its impact on managerial decision-making.

MGMT 631: Management and Organizational Behavior (4)

This course focuses on key business areas such as managing individual performance, team and intergroup dynamics, leadership, human resource management, organizational design, decision-making, and management of change.

BUAD 683: Information and Knowledge Management (4)

This course reviews information systems principles and emphasizes the strategic role of information systems in business and the global and interactive aspects of information systems.

MGMT 651: Analytics for Managerial Decision-Making (4)

This course provides students with an understanding of the role analytics plays in the decision-making process. Topics include quantitative methods of managerial decision-making such as linear programming (LP), network models, transportation, assignment, transshipment, project management (PERT/CPM), inventory management, simulation, decision theory, forecasting, and supply chain management.

Specialized Area In-Depth Knowledge (16 Credits)

Students choose an MBA concentration in Finance, Global Business, Location Analytics, or Marketing, or complete a minimum of 16 credits in the following:

INTB 655: Global Environment for Business (4)  

This course explores the theoretical and practical concepts of geopolitical and economic relations to evaluate the effects of globalization on business. Focus is on evaluating and formulating strategic responses to diverse political, economic, and social factors regarding the risks they present for international trade and investment, resource allocation decisions, and organizational structures. This course may be substituted with INTB 670: International Area Studies.

INTB 670: International Area Studies (4)

Students intensively study a specific country or region in the world. They evaluate the characteristics of the analyzed area’s socioeconomic conditions, its policy environment, and its business activities as part of the School of Business’ International Business Programs. They then analyze how these factors jointly influence the international marketplace. Course combines lectures with overseas seminars, company/institutional visits, and cultural exposure. Note: Students cannot repeat the same course destination from their undergraduate program. This course may substitute for INTB 655.

BUAD 660: Managerial Finance (4)

This course provides an overview of financial management tools used in analyzing and developing strategies for making business decisions. Topics include time value of money, bond and stock valuation, risk and return, capital budgeting, capital structure and dividend policy, working capital management, options, and their applications in corporate finance.

MGMT 680: Marketing Management (4)  

This course explores the crucial aspects of marketing with emphasis on the customer and the marketing mix and includes development of analytical and critical thinking skills through case study, and the design and assessment of a basic marketing plan.

MGMT 674: Human Resources Management (4)

This course focuses on critical analysis of theory and practice of the human resource/personnel function in modern, complex organizations with an emphasis on personnel policies, workforce diversity, HR practices, employee discipline, health and safety, and collective bargaining. An understanding of the goals of equity, efficiency, and effectiveness in a diverse environment is provided.

Interdisciplinary Capstone Program (4 Credits)

BUAD 696: Strategy Capstone (4)

The culminating activity enables students to integrate knowledge and skills from their coursework to analyze and solve business problems from strategic and functional perspectives. Students work in an experimental and adaptive learning environment of dynamic simulation to experience the complexity of business decision-making. The simulative decision-making focuses on teamwork and critical thinking in collaborative development and execution of strategic plans. This course may be substituted with INTB 695: Global Business Consultancy Capstone or BUAD 695: Business Consultancy Capstone.

INTB 695: Global Business Consultancy Capstone (4)

Integrating prior coursework within the context of strategy formulation and implementation, student teams conduct a “live” consulting engagement with an organization in a foreign country. Students develop the parameters of the engagement and apply appropriate theoretical knowledge in a practical setting to prepare and present a project report to the client and professor.

BUAD 695: Business Consultancy Capstone (4)

Integrating prior coursework within the context of strategy formulation and implementation, student teams conduct a “live” consulting engagement with an organization in Southern California. Students develop the parameter of the engagement and apply appropriate theoretical knowledge in a practical setting to prepare and present a project report to the client and professor.

BUAD 694-IR11: Entrepreneurship Capstone (4)

An intensive lean startup course using the Startup Launch Assistance Map (SLAM) methodology. This session will be a mix of lectures, discussion, practical exercises, mentoring from experts for each team, peer mentoring and customer discovery to validate your whole approach.

Course Outcomes:

Business Plan (Startup Launch Assistance Map (SLAM))
Entrepreneurial Mindset Development