Curriculum

MBA program completion - the beginning.
When you complete your MBA at the University of Dubuque, you will become part of a network of professionals who have earned advanced degrees and share your goals. The University network is valuable for building your career. You will possess a degree that enables you to become a productive professional from the day you graduate. You will go to your job armed with professional knowledge, experience, and skills.

MBA program course descriptions.
The 36 credit hours are apportioned among the courses as described below:

1. Managerial Economics and Finance (3 credit hours)
2. Controllership (3 credit hours)
3. Treasury (3 credit hours)
4. Organizational Structures (3 credit hours)
5. Human Capital Management (3 credit hours)
6. Global Communication (3 credit hours)
7. Global Marketing (3 credit hours)
8. Problem Solving (3 credit hours)
9. Technology Management (3 credit hours)
10. Business Strategy (3 credit hours)
11. Business Modeling (3 credit hours)
12. Professional Skills Practicum (3 credit hours)
    

Managerial Economics and Finance
Focuses on the economic and financial principles required to operate a business. Principles are applied to analyzing quantitative graphs and various financial statements.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. Vocabulary and principles used in communication related to the economic and financial aspects of business.
2. Global economy and its effect on the 21st century business.
3. Principles of global supply and demand.
4. Fundamental financial controls and analysis.
5. Analysis of balance sheets and income statements.
   

Controllership
Examines methods of performance measurement and control systems for implementing strategy.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. Financial and accounting controls to balance the organizational tensions of growth, profit, and control.
2. Integrated financial systems that enhance shareholder value.
3. Budgeting techniques and financial analyses characteristic of high performance organizations.
4. Project decision-making using EVA and capital budgeting tools.
5. Effective use of diagnostic and interactive control systems.
6. Identification and management of strategic risk.
7. Technology utilization in the controllership function.
   

Treasury
Outlines financial techniques by applying theories, concepts, and quantitative methods of corporate finance to business operations.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. Attainment of strategic operating goals through the usage of both accounting and financial tools.
2. Working capital and cash management treasury techniques that enhance overall solvency and maximize shareholder value.
3. Financial market behavior, capital formation, time value of money, and the term structure of interest rates.
4. Technology utilization in the treasury function.
   

Organizational Structures
Focuses on organizational designs and the integration of strategy, structure, and processes necessary for an organization's survival. Complexity of design ranges from individual business units to multiple interdependent operating units, and ultimately, large multidivisional and multinational organizations.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. Organizational structures and their effect on the enterprise.
2. Globalization and cultural effects on organizational structures.
3. Assessment tools used to identify how organizational structures compliment strategies.
4. How structures and processes assist the enterprise in achieving penetration and growth in the market.
   

Human Capital Management
Concentrates on relating human capital to business objectives. Focuses on acquiring, developing, managing and rewarding human capital in an organization to achieve optimal productivity and enhance knowledge by creating and using talent. The role of values and culture in an organization is also examined.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. Methods of human capital acquisition, development, and evaluation.
2. Role of motivation and rewards to human capital retention.
3. Strategic human capital plans emphasizing practices which are internally consistent and aligned with the organization's business model.
4. Role of knowledge management in the modern enterprise.
   

Global Communication
Focuses on topics of intercultural communication, corporate culture, and effects of globalization issues on the business environment. Spotlights how communication technologies are employed to gain market advantage and how organizations apply knowledge management systems to compete effectively.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. Internal and external organizational communication associated with implementing strategic direction.
2. Cultural affects on communication.
3. Mediated communication and how it aids organizations in meeting strategic and organizational goals.
4. Recognition of the effects of non-verbal communication.
5. Issues related to intercultural communication and corporate culture.
   

Global Marketing
Emphasizes and develops the basic proficiencies of global marketing to enhance business growth. Analysis of fundamental strategies for use in formulating knowledgeable decisions in a global environment.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. The five Ps.
2. Market segment identification and targeting to complement strategic objectives.
3. Production, service, and distribution strategy integration to maximize customer satisfaction.
4. Value creation examination and definition.
5. Relationship among value, price, cost, and profitability.
6. Characteristics of market leadership.
7. Market structure evolution.
8. Role of E-business.
   

Problem Solving
Focuses on and underscores the key strategies and tactics for managing conflicts and crises in a global business environment. Crisis management skills are developed and applied to problem solving in a global content. Crisis management templates are developed and utilized in conjunction with web resources. Trauma and post-incident management, disaster response, and business recovery, as well as components of an innovative learning organization are covered.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. Nature of problem solving (through both skills and culture).
2. Team development and utilization for problem solving.
3. Systematic methods for problem resolution and courses of action identification.
4. Characteristics of leadership and how leadership affects problem solving.
5. Analytical methods which assist in the problem solving and innovation processes.
   

Technology Management
Examines the issues related to the analysis, implementation, integration, and management of technologies in today's digitally driven business environment. Examples and activities are drawn from multiple disciplines of how technology, including Information Technology (IT), have transformed and is continuing to transform business enterprises, large and small, domestic and global. Attention is given to the managerial processes required to successfully support the enterprise's goals and strategies.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. IT in the digital economy.
2. Competitive advantage and strategic systems.
3. The Internet and E-Business.
4. Enterprise and intra-enterprise applications including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
5. Business Processing Re-engineering (BPR).
6. Security, privacy and business continuity.
   

Business Strategy
Focuses on the analysis and integration of internal and external factors associated with developing and implementing strategic direction. Business ethics, strategy planning methodologies, and the spectrum of competition are explored.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. Art and science elements of business.
2. Business as a social science.
3. Nature and impact of strategic leadership and market strategy in an ever-changing business environment.
4. Cultural and ethical aspects of conducting global business.
5. Influences of internal organization and external environmental factors on business performance.
6. Reactions to dynamic business environments and the unpredictable issues they produce.
   

Business Modeling
Outlines and emphasizes the formal integration of all disciplines into a business environment and the strategy needed to implement this integration. Key topics include the nature of competitive advantage and the development and implementation of strategy.

Selected Topics Covered:

1. Analysis of internal and external environments.
2. Application of business principles to business and functional level strategies to improve the effectiveness of an organization's operation.
3. Positioning of a firm to sustain competitive advantage over time, in changing industries and global environment.
4. Principal concerns of corporate level strategy, the means that organizations use to execute strategy, and how to insure that implementation is in the long term interest of key stakeholders.
5. Use of organization structure, control systems and culture to effectively pursue business plans.
   

Professional Skills Practicum
Incorporates the core concepts of the business curriculum into a final capstone project. Knowledge and skills acquired during the program are applied under faculty guidance within an approved framework. Students are encouraged to individualize their culminating experiences by developing and researching a global or experiential project. All projects require an application component.