Master of Business Administration (MBA)
School of Management
603 Managerial Economics and Decisions of the Firm (3:3:0).
Prerequisite: Admission to M.B.A. program. Provides a fundamental
understanding of how microeconomics concepts are usefully applied to
managerial decision making. Principles of microeconomic theory are explored
fully, including market supply and demand, production and costfunctions,
industry structure, and product and resource pricing.
612 Managing Costs and Evaluating Performance (1.5:1.5:0).
Prerequisite: MBA 613. Examines the impact of cost and cost allocation
on performance and evaluation.
613 Financial Reporting and Decision Making (3:3:0).
Prerequisite: Admission to M.B.A. program. Foundation course
focusing on the economics and analysis of business transactions and
related financial reporting issues. Topics include an introduction to
the accounting framework used in financial reporting, analysis of economic
events and their impact on financial reports, analysis of the impact
of accounting method choices on financial reports, and financial statement
analysis.
623 Marketing Management (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Admission
to M.B.A. program. Develops abilities to make marketing decisions
in a wide variety of institutional and competitive situations. Emphasis
on the use of technology to aid in analysis, decision making, and communication
of decisions to relevant publics. Emphasis on case studies, team work,
and projects.
633 Statistics for Business Decision Making (3:3:0).
Prerequisite: Admission to M.B.A. program. Use of statistical
methods as analytical tools for understanding and solving business problems,
and for supporting business decision making. Extensive use of both applied
business scenarios to illustrate concepts, and computer software for
data analysis.
638 Managing Operations and Technology for the Digital Enterprise
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: Admission to M.B.A. program. Focus
on the design, planning, and control activities needed to produce and
deliver goods and services in modern organizations. The course introduces
a wide range of operations management decisions such as operations strategy,
process analysis and design, capacity planning, supply chain management,
total quality management, and project management. Quantitative modeling,
case studies, and computer software are used to analyze and solve operations
management problems.
643 Managerial Finance (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Admission
to M.B.A. program. Introduction to the theory and practice of finance
within corporations. Topics covered include Inter Temporal Choice, Valuation,
Capital Budgeting, Capital Structure, Working Capital Management, and
Risk/Return Analysis.
653 Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management (3:3:0).
Prerequisite: Admission to M.B.A. program. Emphasizes development
of conceptual tools for understanding and analyzing individual and group
behavior in organizations and organizational processes. Considerable
focus on development of relevant skills for working in groups and teams.
Course consists of lectures, discussions, case analyses, and inclass
exercises.
673 Legal Environment for Management (1.5:1.5:0). Prerequisite:
Admission to M.B.A. program. Introduces contemporary legal and ethical
doctrines and examines how they can be applied to guide and enhance
the decision-making processes of managers in the global economy. Lectures,
class discussions, cases, and projects.
678 Strategy and Organizational Leadership (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Admission to M.B.A. program. Capstone course in the M.B.A. program
focused on strategy development at the business unit and corporate level.
Uses cases, readings, and a project format to familiarize students with
the strategic management function, and to develop analytical, organizational,
and formatting skills necessary to analyze complex business situations.
Provides opportunities for students to integrate knowledge gained in
prior course work.
701 Business Analysis and Valuation (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Develops a framework for business analysis and valuation using financial
statement data. Management decisions such as equity valuation, creditworthiness,
merger valuation, corporate financial structure, and management communication
strategy are analyzed.
702 Corporate Financial Policy (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Applies the theories and methods of corporate financial management to
a series of complex case problems/situations. Topics include capital
projects as real options, cost of capital/capital structure, firm valuation,
project finance, and merger/acquisition analysis.
703 Financial Markets (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Brings
into perspective the relationship between financial markets ranging
from global equity markets, to the market for U.S. Treasury securities,
to markets for numerous exchange-traded and over-the-counter financial
derivative instruments such as futures, options, swaps, or asset-backed
securities.
704 Risk Management and Financial Innovation (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Considers how to identify, measure, and manage financial risk using
innovative financial instruments and diversification strategies. The
course focuses on derivatives as tools in the risk management plan of
a firm or institution.
705 Venture Capital and Private Finance (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Considers the market microstructure of venture capital and private finance:
the costs and benefits from employing private financing, interaction
between the financiers and entrepreneurs, financial analysis of potential
ventures, and investor exit strategies.
706 Investment Analysis (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Focuses
on the analysis of equity securities and debt instruments given the
implications of the efficient market hypothesis and modern capital market
theory.
707 Accounting Systems (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Focuses
on the analysis, design, and implementation of information systems as
they relate to the accounting function and the financial management
of the firm. Administration (MBA)
708 Global Tax Strategies (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Provides
a framework for making managerial decisions in a global tax environment.
Business decisions such as location of facilities, employee compensation,
mergers and acquisitions, capital and asset structure, and business
form are examined.
711 Entrepreneurship (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Considers
the fundamental aspects of entrepreneurship and the process of new venture
creation. Draws on a broad range of business disciplines including management,
marketing, finance, and accounting to develop evaluation and execution
skills.
712 Project and Cost Management (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Focuses on project scheduling, time-cost tradeoffs, budgeting, cost
control, and project monitoring. Special emphasis on cost-management
aspects of projects in technology in intensive industries. Use of software
and case studies.
721 Marketing Decision Systems (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Develops the skills necessary to plan and implement an effective market
research study. Topics include research design, statistical analysis,
data mining and modeling, and the use of database systems. The course
offers a perspective on how managers can use market data to develop
successful product or service strategies.
722 Consumer Behavior (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Examines
behavioral science concepts useful in understanding and predicting marketplace
behavior. The course emphasizes applications of product and service
strategies, with a focus on how the information age affects the way
consumption occurs.
723 Supply Chain Management (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Examines
the logistics of supply chain systems, including inventory management,
distribution channels, and information systems. Strategic alliances
and international issues are emphasized.
724 Marketing Communications (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Examines
all forms of communication and all sources of brand or company contacts
as potential message channels in building a relationship with the customer.
The course focuses on an integrated planning process for all communication
elements, including consumer and trade advertising, public relations,
direct and database marketing, promotions, and sales presentations to
achieve synergy in communicating with various constituencies.
725 Leadership (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion of
M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Provides an
overview of the major conceptualizations of leadership and motivation
in organizations. The course integrates theory, research, and applications.
Students apply the principles of leadership and motivation to their
own work situations and to the evaluation of cases.
731 Business Systems Development (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Studies methods and tools for analyzing and designing business information
systems with an emphasis on business processes. Topics include data
modeling, process modeling, interaction analysis, and user interface.
732 Knowledge Management (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Examines
the firms that use knowledge management principles and approaches: intellectual
capital, human capital, customer capital, tacit and explicit knowledge,
the new role of the Chief Knowledge Officer, leveraging of knowledge
management.
733 Business Data Communications (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Introduces datacommunications and telecommunications technologies and
their application in business, including LANs, WANs, PBXs, voice services,
network operating systems, corporate internetworking, the Internet.
Analysis of the datacommunications industry. Business applications of
datacommunications in manufacturing and service sectors, along with
regulatory issues and impact of globalization.
734 Electronic Commerce (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion
of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor. Applies
skills and knowledge in designing and building a business-to-business
or business-to-consumer web commerce site. Emphasis is on products,
strategies, and website design.
735 Systems Thinking and Business Simulation (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Systems approach to design, analysis, and improvement of cross-functional
business processes. Use of business simulation software for modeling
and analysis. Application areas include E-commerce, online services,
and technology management.
736 Managing Digital Business (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Develops a strategic understanding of the new electronic marketplace.
Emphasis is on technical, legislative, and social issues influencing
digital business. Changes in business processes and organizations enabled
by electronic commerce technologies and applications are studied.
798 Global Business Perspectives (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Applies the M.B.A. core courses to global business enterprise, typically
through site visits to facilities located outside the United States.
799 Special Topics in Business (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Completion of M.B.A. core requirements or permission of instructor.
Sections established as necessary to focus on various topical issues
that emerge in the practice of business administration.
George Mason University:
2001-2002 University Catalog: Catalog
Index: Course Descriptions:
Master of Business Administration (MBA) |