MBA Prerequisite Courses for MBA Applicants

Applicants who have earned an undergraduate degree in a field other than business will be required to complete one or more leveling courses in order to gain the basic theoretical concepts and tools that are the foundations for graduate management study. These courses have been designed in a flexible online format, enabling students to complete the course content when it is most convenient for them.

Leveling courses are offered every eight weeks once a term begins. Students may register and start courses prior to each eight-week term after admission to the MBA program.

Should a course(s) in your undergraduate study potentially waive any of the prerequisite courses below, you are required to submit the following petition, MBA GBA Petition.

This applies to students who had Business minors and/or took upper level (3000-4000 level) business courses.

GBA 5202 Foundations of Management Theory

Prerequisites: Admission to the MBA program.

An overview of principles and theories of management, organization theory, planning and control techniques. Considers the relationships of information utilization for competitive advantage, data as a resource, and decision support.
The student will learn to:

1. Describe the typical planning process in an organization with consideration of strengths and weaknesses related to industry context, organizational culture, and human resources demands.
2. Compare and contrast organizational approaches to arranging and structuring work including how work gets done and by whom, how tasks are grouped, and who reports to whom, and where decisions are made.
3. Describe motivation and leadership theory required for changing organizational situations.
4. Distinguish between effective and ineffective strategic, operations, and human resource management practices.

GBA 5204 FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Prerequisite: Admission to MBA program

This course covers the basis quantitative methods and finance theories used in financial management. The course begins with an overview of quantitative and finance tools, as well as finance theories and then shifts to applying them to evaluate equity and fixed income securities. Additionally, cost of capital, and capital budgeting models are also introduced.

GBA 5205 Accounting

Prerequisite: Admission to MBA program

This course deals with the financial accounting processes used to measure and report economic business events. This course begins with an overview if how financial statements are constructed for external users and then shifts to an emphasis on the decision framework for financial management.

GBA 5206 Production & Operations Management

Prerequisite: Admission to MBA program

An overview of the production operations management (POM) system and its role in the delivery of a product or service.  Emphasis is on the necessary integration of the POM with all other organizational functions and the decisions necessary to optimize the total organization’s effectiveness.
The student will learn to:

1. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to identify the fundamental characteristics of operations management such as its scope in business, its role organizations, and trends and challenges of operations management
2. The students will be able to identify key market elements in which it operates, and extract appropriate competitive priorities for the firm as a part of the operations strategy
3. The students will be able identify key elements of product viability and development
4. The students will be able to describe strategies for services
5. The students will be able to explain how the production process for new products is designed
6. The students will be able to describe qualitative and quantitative techniques for product demand forecasting

GBA 5207 Management Information Systems

Prerequisite: Admission to MBA program

An overview of the analysis and applications of information for decision processes with emphasis on information systems for competitive advantage, data as a resource, and quality control. Emphasis is on development and management of systems, and end-user computing.
The student will learn to:

1. Student will be able to identify the information technology infrastructure drivers of industry and organizational change.
2. Student will be able to design flexible IS organizations and strategies permitting positive response to impending changes in information technologies.
3. Student will be able to identify and critically analyze salient legal and ethical responsibilities of information stewardship.
4. Student will be able to apply information technology to enhance decision making.

GBA 5208 Marketing Information

Prerequisite: Admission to MBA program

An overview of the interdependence of elements in a firm's marketing function including the marketing environment and target markets, marketing strategy with emphasis on the marketing mix, social and ethical responsibilities of marketing.
The student will learn to:

1. Distinguish and evaluate key marketing terms;
2. Analyze the strategic role of marketing and evaluate the marketing problems dealt with by managers,
3. Identify the fundamental concepts, theories and frameworks that guide contemporary marketing decision-making,
4. Create and recommend marketing strategies for businesses;
5. Design a marketing plan.

GBA 5212 Quantitative Methods in Business

Prerequisite: Admission to MBA program

An overview of the application of quantitative and economic tools as applied to solving  business problems. Focus is on the collection and interpretation of data for use in decision-making including economic theory, probability theory and applications.
The student will learn to:

1. Develop and use quantitative tools and analytical techniques such as marginal analysis, optimization, and estimation techniques for business analysis and managerial decision making.
2. Estimate demand functions and elasticities of demand and use them to analyze how prices and other relevant economic factors affect the economic behavior of consumers and firms.
3. Identify the different costs of production and determine how they affect a firm’s short and long run business decisions and behavior.
4. Identify the market structure which most appropriately correlates with an industry and be able to determine the conditions under which a firm in this industry could maximize profits.
5. Identify and analyze different pricing techniques and measures of risk and uncertainty and be able to employ them in managerial decision making. 

GBA 5215 Legal Environment of Business

Prerequisite: Admission to MBA program

An overview of the legal environment, governmental regulation, social accountability, and ethical issues in business organizations.
The student will learn to:

1. Students will be able to describe the legal environment in which businesses operate including the U.S. Legal System, its origins and hierarchy of authority, its principles and practices.
2. Students will be able to describe the regulatory environment of business and the processes available for dispute resolution including the U.S., state and local court systems, their organization, authority, and practices, as well as process for alternative dispute resolution. 
3. Students will be able to explain the scope of the law’s impact on business practices, the challenges of regulatory compliance, and the civil and criminal sanctions that may result from non-compliance.
4. Students will be able to identify the ethical and moral standards and responsibilities in organizations and society, and describe the relationship between law and ethics.