(34 credits total; all courses are two credit hours)
*credits from one of the following concentrations:
1) Leadership and Organizational Change
2) Global Business
3) General (select courses across the concentrations or from other departments)
A student must demonstrate competency in the areas of accounting, economics, business statistics, marketing, international business and finance. The competency can be demonstrated through completion of undergraduate equivalent courses or by completing online equivalent courses. Foundation courses are listed below.
MBA Foundation Courses Online — In conjunction with the University of Wisconsin Internet Business Consortium MBA Foundation Program, Minnesota State Mankato students may complete some of their MBA Foundations courses online. This online program is utilized by AACSB International accredited MBA programs in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. Students should first consult with their Minnesota State Mankato MBA advisor to determine which courses would serve as equivalent courses. After meeting with the Minnesota State Mankato MBA advisor, students should then contact Marilyn Bergmann who is the Internet Business Consortium MBA Foundation Program director (bergmama@uwec.edu or 715-836-3880). Courses are offered each semester in 8 week modules. Please click on the following link for information related to this online option: IBC MBA Foundation Program
Foundation Deficiencies Any undergraduate deficiencies will be specified at the time of application review. If all deficiencies are completed, an applicant may receive full admission to the MBA program. An applicant may also receive a conditional admittance to the MBA program based on completion of the deficiencies before any 600 level graduate courses are taken.
600 Level MBA Courses A student may take up to 6 semester credits of 600 level MBA courses without being admitted to the MBA program. However, students not admitted to the MBA Program and desiring to take MBA credits must be admitted to the Graduate School as well as being admitted to another graduate program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Students must also meet all prerequisites before taking any graduate courses in the College of Business.
This course provides an advanced overview of the production and management of workplace communication. Participants will analyze and produce documents typical of workplace communication (ranging from memos and reports to business plans and websites) and research presentations, documentation, and management of communication projects appropriate to their industry or business concerns.
This course provides an understanding of the role of statistics related to the gathering and creation of information used in business decision making. Data analysis concepts covered include hypotheses testing, ANOVA, multiple regression, and time series analysis. The statistical program SPSS will be utilized extensively throughout the course.
The course develops and integrates principles and ideas from economic and business and applies them to managerial decision making and policy formulation within a firm.
Managers need a good understanding of law to be effective businesspersons as well as good citizens. Law is fundamental to maintaining social order, and social order is necessary for successful and efficient markets. Additionally, law facilitates the creation and operation of efficient markets by, for example, providing necessary assurance to market players (buyers, sellers, investors, employers, employees, etc.) that their reasonable commercial expectations will be realized. In keeping social order, facilitating markets, and other ways, law places a pervasive external constraint on business decisions and transactions. Thus law plays a central role in business. This course will address some of the legal principles that are most relevant to business. The course will also consider how ethics (the branch of philosophy that addresses what conduct is right and what is wrong) affects business.
Provides an in-depth analysis of managerial accounting concepts and procedures, including product and service costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, planning and control systems, capital budgeting, and contemporary managerial systems and issues. Students will become familiar with contemporary computer applications.
This course involves an application of the quantitative techniques used by organizations to evaluate the investment in capital assets, the factors affecting security valuations, and the overall financing or capital structure decision. These issues heavily emphasize the risk and return interaction in the investment decision.
The course will cover a range of topics, including the strategic management of human resources, job analysis, hiring, performance appraisal, training and development, compensation, as well as labor relations.
The MBA MIS course integrates contemporary technology concepts with an emphasis on the managerial aspects of information systems. A review of contemporary technology examines data management, analysis, modeling, and design, and data communications, and networking in the most recent generation of technology. Project and change management, and information systems policy and strategy emphasize the managerial aspects of information systems. Project and change management examines how systems and technologies are implemented. It includes consideration of project planning, scheduling, and budgeting, as well as consideration of the change management required to implement projects, MIS policy, and strategy examines the IS project portfolio from the view of the senior IS executive and from the view of the business executive. It shows students how policy and strategy considerations affect every aspect of IS and, conversely, how IT transforms organizations and, indeed, the very nature of business.
This course will focus on an area of study that attempts to explain, predict, control, and increase understanding of human work behavior in organizations both in the U.S. and internationally. Using a variety of techniques, students will learn about the nature of people as well as how individual and group behavior is influenced by organizational factors. The intent is to use various theories and principles to help diagnose and solve organizational problems. The goal is to more effectively manage in today's environment so employees are engaging in ethical, creative, and productive behaviors on the job. Learning tools include some lecture/discussion, active learning groups, original readings, exercises, projects, cases, library research and presentations.
This course addresses the concepts, techniques, and technology necessary to manage and control operations in services and manufacturing. The emphasis is on operations strategy, project management, quality management, and supply chain management.
This class is designed to enhance negotiating skill. Students will learn techniques for generating beneficial outcomes from bargaining situations with regard to contracts, purchasing, and dispute resolution. A number of different bargaining models will be introduced and students will engage in simulated negotiations.
This course is designed to combine the "why" of leadership thinking with the "how" of leadership skill development. The class is both philosophical and practical, so you will have to both think and apply what you are learning. The course will provide students with opportunities to use theories to analyze leader behaviors, and with personal awareness and development. You will come out of the class with a Leadership Development Plan of your own to help you apply the class to your own development as a leader and manager.
This course is designed to provide students with the theory and practical applications to diagnose organizational problems and to develop appropriate interventions and solutions to those problems. Students also use theory to guide practice in designing and implementing successful organizational change. These activities require students to use research and data analysis skills to gather data to learn about organizations.
This course uses a strategic and integrative approach to global marketing decision making in a global economy. It provides an understanding of international marketing strategies and operations of both beginning and multinational firms. The web based Global Marketing Management Online software will be utilized extensively throughout the course.
Comparison of major management systems within differing cultural environments. The course looks at cultural differences in value systems and human resource issues.
Financing investments and working capital management problems in multi-national environments.
The purpose of this course is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the policies, strategies and operations of companies doing business internationally.
Provides a comprehensive framework for the application of marketing concepts to the development and implementation of marketing strategy. The course emphasizes the activities and processes needed to design a marketing plan.
The Executive Seminar provides the opportunity for students to interact directly with visiting executives in order to gain insight into the challenges in leading a modern complex business organization. Personal communication skills, reflective learning, critical thinking assignments, and career planning exercises help shape executive development.
This course examines policy problems of profit and non-profit organizations, including top management problem solving and decision making; planning; appraising the business environment; evaluating financial, human and physical resources; forecasting; developing and implementing objectives and strategies; evaluating alternatives; and monitoring results and social responsibility through case analysis and/or management simulation. This course also emphasizes the evaluation and development of capabilities and competencies in pursuit of competitive advantage.
