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M.B.A. Curriculum Overview

The M.B.A. curriculum requires 40 credits of study. Students without a business background will be required to complete a sequence of self-paced, prequalification courses that do not bear credit and can be completed more quickly online than traditional eight-week courses. The program's courses include:

  • Core courses: 25 credits
  • Electives: 15 credits

Prequalification Sequence

Courses are taught online and do not bear credit. Students can be waived from these courses based on prior coursework if conditions are met. Challenge exams are available.
BMBA 8008 Accounting (Required for BMBA 9453)
BMBA 8009 Legal Studies (Required for BMBA 9454)
BMBA 8011 Economics (Required for BMBA 9459)
BMBA 8013 Finance (Required for BMBA 9460)
BMBA 8018 Mathematics (Required for BMBA 9455)
BMBA 8019 Statistics (Required for BMBA 9455)
BMBA 8020 Information Technology Management (Required for BMBA 9455 and 9458)

Core Curriculum (25 Credits)

BMBA 9450 The Launch Experience (2)
BMBA 9451 Corporate Social Responsibility (2)
BMBA 9452 International Perspective (2)
BMBA 9453 Accounting for Decision Makers (2)
BMBA 9454 Legal Environment (2)
BMBA 9455 The Role of Quantitative Analysis in Business Decision Making (2)
BMBA 9456 Management Theory and Practice (2)
BMBA 9457 Market Decision Making (2)
BMBA 9458 Information Technology Management (2)
BMBA 9459 Economics for Managers (2)
BMBA 9460 Financial Decision Making (2)
BMBA 9461 Business Consulting (Capstone) (3)

Core Curriculum (25 Credits)

BMBA 9450 The Launch Experience (2 credits)

  • This course centers on an intensive residency experience, focusing on the introduction to and exploration of key skillsets, and their application via experiential exercises. A post-residency online project involves creating a customized academic and career plan.

BMBA 9451 Corporate Social Responsibility (2)

  • Focus on the social and ethical conduct of business organizations through discussion of the impacts of enterprise behavior and analysis of the ethical implications of corporate policies and procedures. The course provides a framework for students to plan their Service Projects.

BMBA 9452 International Perspective (2)

  • This course is designed to introduce the graduate student to the world of international business, international trade and political economy. These subjects are approached from the viewpoint of a generalist, offering information and insights from the broad perspectives of business, economics, finance, political and economic geography, risk management, marketing, ethics and international law. Through an introduction to these fields, it is expected that students will gain a core understanding of the concepts, ideas and vocabulary of international business.

BMBA 9453 Accounting for Decision Makers (2)

  • This course introduces you to the foundational topics in accounting necessary for a career in business. You will learn the contents of financial statements, accounting for certain common transactions, basic financial statement analysis tools, and commonly used managerial accounting techniques. Prerequisite: BMBA 8008.

BMBA 9454 Legal Environment (2)

  • Managers face a variety of legal challenges that can both help and hinder success. This course will provide a foundation of legal knowledge that will equip students to recognize the legal potholes they will encounter as mangers. We will examine legal issues involved in the areas of torts and products liability, antitrust, employment and labor law and a most important area in this knowledge economy, intellectual property. Prerequisite: BMBA 8009.

BMBA 9455 The Role of Quantitative Analysis in Business Decision Making (2)

  • This course highlights the strategic role of quantitative analysis in the decision-making process in all business-related functional areas. Applications of quantitative concepts and techniques, such as Probability & Statistics, Data Analysis, Simulation, Regression, Modeling, and Sensitivity Analysis to problems from Economics, Finance, Marketing and Law will be used to demonstrate the power of the analytical approach. Prerequisite: BMBA 8018, BMBA 8019 and BMBA 8020.

BMBA 9456 Management Theory and Practice (2)

  • This course covers functional and behavioral aspects of managing organizations, such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, with special focus on the changing organizational work environment. It will cover the roles managers play, the skills they need, and the processes they use in managing, with reference to context of the large corporation, small-to-medium sized organization, entrepreneurial/start-up, government unit, and NGO. The course will explore the reasons why individuals, groups, and organizations behave the way they do, and students will learn how to apply their knowledge of organizational behavior to increase motivation and organizational effectiveness.

BMBA 9457 Market Decision Making (2)

  • This course highlights the strategic role of customer satisfaction and how managers from every department contribute to creating customer value. Fundamental marketing concepts such as the 4Ps, segmentation approaches, product positioning, branding, and product-market lifecycle will be used to solve business problems and discover new opportunities.

BMBA 9458 Information Technology Management (2)

  • Information technology (IT) has transformed all aspects of 21st century business and everyday life. It is vital that future managers in every area of business have a working knowledge of modern IT, practical experience in its use, and management perspective on how IT is used in organizations. This course introduces information technologies that are critical to modern business, and discuss applications in various aspects of business operations. Prerequisite: BMBA 8020.

BMBA 9459 Economics for Managers (2)

  • This course offers managerial perspectives from the viewpoint of Economics. Topics covered include demand and supply analysis, elasticities of demand, competitive positioning, productivity, pricing power, profitability, business cycle developments, and macro-policy responses to these influences. Prerequisite: BMBA 8011.

BMBA 9460 Financial Decision Making (2)

  • Anchored in the finance incentives of time and risk, the course offers an introduction to applied finance based on four concepts: time value of money, capital budgeting, asset pricing, including an introduction to portfolio analysis, and derivatives. Part of the course will be motivated by linking topics covered in BMBA 9459, such as revenue generation, costs, competitive structure, and business cycles with financial statements, interest rates, return measurements, risk metrics, and the term structure of interest. This linking will effectively form a "2+2" approach across the disciplines in line with "transforming concepts into business practice," the core of the Stillman mission. Prerequisite: BMBA 8013. Co-requisites: BMBA 9455 and 9458.

BMBA 9461 Business Consulting (Capstone) (3)

  • In this course you will put concepts into practice by advising a local organization on real strategic issues. The organization will provide a context in which to apply the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) you have gained throughout your Stillman educational experience. You will be assigned to a functionally diverse consulting team that will meet with the organization, gather primary and secondary data, analyze the resulting data, define specific challenges or opportunities and then propose appropriate strategies, tactics and actionable recommendations. The issues will likely cover a broad spectrum across multiple disciplines giving you a chance to apply many of the tools and concepts you learned in the MBA program, including ‘soft skills’ like communication, peer coaching, problem solving, critical thinking, adaptability, teamwork, and conflict resolution.

Electives (15 Credits)

All M.B.A. students must complete 15 credit hours of electives. Students have the opportunity to pursue a concentration in eight distinct subject areas. Or they may select any combination of individual courses from those listed under one of the eight concentrations to complete a general M.B.A. track.