Students who wish to develop a specific foundation to pursue their desired career objective may tailor the MBA program to meet specific requirements of certain industries, positions, or business sectors.
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Such preparation in the MBA program may be accomplished via targeting the nine (9) semester credit hours of elective courses to enhance a student’s skill set within a specific field of study. Note that MBA Industry Specific Preparations are unique to each version of the MBA Program including the Traditional MBA Program, the Accelerated MBA Program, and the Executive MBA Program.
Organizational Development
Traditional MBA students interested in careers in Organizational Development are likely to find positions as internal consultants to large organizations, with professional consulting firms, or with business consulting services associated with management development and accounting firms. Students interested in this area should consider enrolling in:
- HRD 5352: Organizational Development
- HRD 5344: Conflict Resolution
- HRD 5347: Performance Consulting
Quality Management
Traditional MBA students with specializations in quality management are attractive across a broad spectrum of industries and in both the service and manufacturing sectors of the economy. Students interested in this area of specialization should select courses from across the university that focus on quality issues, and should consider taking:
- TECH 5310: Six Sigma Quality,
- TECH 5320: Total Quality Management, and
- TECH 5335: Lean Management.
Cybersecurity
The Accelerated MBA concentration in Cybersecurity is designed to prepare students for the realities of today's Cyber Society. Students will learn to recognize retail organizational vulnerabilities and threats and to evaluate risk for conducting business in this environment. Students will also learn how to defend their retail organizations from these threats and to protect critical organizational infrastructure and information. Relevant courses might include:
- COSC 5341: Cybersecurity,
- COSC 5342: Cybersecurity Management, and
- COSC 5364: Cyber Risk Analysis.
Health Care Management
The Accelerated MBA concentration in Health Care Management is designed to provide students with industry relevant knowledge in the fundamental areas of the health care profession. This industry specific concentration develops skills relevant to the health care profession and provides exposure to contemporary issues in health care. Applicants with three or more years of extensive health care work experience can request to have the GMAT requirement waived by the Graduate Advisor. Relevant courses might include:
- MARK 5370, Healthcare Marketing for Contemporary Society,
- MANA 5361, Introduction to the American Healthcare System, and
- MANA 5375, Special Topics in Health Management.
Marketing
The Accelerated MBA concentration in Marketing is designed to provide students with relevant knowledge in Marketing. Relevant courses might include:
- MARK 5350: Consumer Behavior,
- MARK 5345 Digital Insights, and
- MARK 5380 Marketing Research and Analysis.
Executive Health Care Management
The Executive MBA (EMBA) in Health Care Management Program provides industry specific knowledge in the fundamental areas of business with topics related to the healthcare profession. This program is delivered in an executive format and is taught in a face-to-face cohort setting. Applicants are required to have a minimum of 3 years of managerial experience. The Executive MBA program includes the MBA Core and elective courses.
The Healthcare Leadership Concentration is a 9-credit hour coursework sequence within the EMBA to prepare students for a leadership role in the healthcare industry. The concentration includes issues in the strategic management of healthcare financing and delivery services in addition to quantitative techniques in healthcare decision making. The concentration requires the following courses.
- EMBA 5305 Decision Making in Healthcare Operations Management
- EMBA 5345 Strategic Healthcare Leadership Processes
- EMBA 5361 Issues in American Healthcare Systems
Accounting Data Analytics
The Master of Accountancy concentration in Accounting Data Analytics is designed to prepare students for the expanding world of big data. The demand for students who can analyze data sets to draw conclusions and assist in the decision-making process is ever-increasing. Recognizing the need for this knowledge and skill, the American Institute of CPAs has prepared a blueprint of plans to more fully assess data analytics as part of the Uniform CPA Exam. The concentration will require:
- ACCT 5380: Advanced Auditing and Systems,
- COSC 5347: Business Intelligence and Analysis, and
- CSCI 5342: Sports Data Analytics.
Financial Accounting
Traditional and Accelerated MBA students interested in careers in financial accounting are likely to seek positions with financial accounting responsibilities in small or large organizations such as those associated with manufacturing, service, financial institutions, healthcare, or retail firms. Students interested in accounting, recording and reporting activities, management consulting or financial analyses should consider enrolling in the following courses as electives.
These elective courses do not satisfy the criteria for the CPA designation.
Finance
The Finance specialization empowers students with skills specifically applicable to a wide variety of financial decision making. These skills are particularly useful for students who aspire to become financial analysts, chief financial officers, financial managers, financial planners and wealth managers. In addition to the MBA Finance required core course 5320, an industry specific preparation in Finance can be obtained by completing the following to fulfill the MBA elective courses.
- FINA 5321 Principles in Real Estate
- FINA 5330 Investment Portfolio Management
- FINA 5350 Financial Derivatives