California State University

MBA Online Program

The 30-33 unit MBA curriculum can be completed entirely online within 18 months through the CSUDH MBA Online Program. All MBA courses are three (3) credit units each and are offered on a twelve (12) week schedule.

The online program is offered in four (4) twelve-week terms or sessions each year. Admitted students can enroll and begin studies in any of the four terms.

Session #1 (January-March)	Session #2 (April-June)
Session #3 (July-August)	Session #4 (September-December)

The curriculum consists of the following components:

Prerequisite Coursework	0-27 Units	(See below for CSUDH Bridge Courses 0-9 Units)
Required Core Courses	21 Units
Concentration Electives	9-12 Units

| TOP |

Prerequisite Coursework

Prerequisite coursework covers nine business core competency areas that provide the necessary background for advanced graduate study. Competency areas consist of the disciplines listed below:

Financial Accounting	Marketing	Business Law
Economics	Management	Operations Research
Finance	Information Systems	Business Statistics

Students who hold an accredited undergraduate degree in business administration, commerce, or a related field may be deemed to have acquired competency in the core areas if the degree is not more than ten years old and if the core courses were completed with a grade of "C" (or equivalent) or higher.

Students who hold an undergraduate degree in a field other than business administration or a related area will be required to demonstrate competency in the business core areas. Competency can be demonstrated by completing necessary coursework at an accredited institution prior to beginning graduate studies at CSUDH or by completing appropriate bridge courses offered through the MBA Online Program.

| TOP |

Bridge Courses

Students in the MBA Online Program can satisfy the business core competency areas by successfully completing coursework offered online in a set of leveling or bridge courses. The bridge set of management fundamentals courses consists of five foundation or leveling courses designed to provide the theoretical concepts and quantitative tools that are the foundations for business decisions.

All bridge courses, with the exception of Information Systems, are two (2) credit units each and are offered on a continuous eight (8) week schedule. Information Systems is a one (1) unit course offered twice each year on a six (6) week schedule.

These courses present the theory and applications of tools from accounting, economics, finance, law, quantitative methods, statistics, management, information systems, and marketing. Successful completion of these courses would provide competencies comparable to existing requirements for admission to the required core courses in the MBA program.

| Bridge Course Description |

| TOP |

Core Courses

The core courses in the MBA Program are designed to treat each of the management functions in depth and broaden student awareness of contemporary issues affecting business enterprises. MBA students must complete the following seven (7) three-unit courses for the core component:
Mandatory.

· FIN 500 - Advanced Topics in Finance. Analysis of decisions in financial management. Includes financial planning, working capital management, capital budgeting, valuation analysis, portfolio management, capital structure, and ethical and multinational concerns. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MGT 500 - Human Behavior in Organizations. An experiential course designed to teach management skills such as conflict resolution, motivation, leadership, and communication, as well as the functioning of groups. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MGT 590 - Strategic Management. Strategy and leadership from middle to top management perspective. Use of cases, readings, simulations to integrate functional fields of business. Requires team activities, strategy formulation/implementation, serving purpose of comprehensive project. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 500 - Strategic Marketing: Cases and Current Issues. Current topics in strategic marketing: strategic planning, market resource allocation, buying behavior, forecasting, product positioning. Social, legal, ethical and global issues in marketing will be explored. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

Below, you will select three (3) out of the four (4) courses. This will make the sum of the seven (7) three-unit courses for the core component.

· ACC 502 - Advanced Topics in Accounting. Application of functional accounting in contemporary business. Decision making through the integrated use of financial accounting (reporting to outside interests) and relevant income tax consequences. Case/problem analysis on an individual and group basis with written presentation.

· CIS 502 – Advanced Topics in Information Systems. Covers issues of concern to managers in areas such as information processing applications and technology, management of the information processing function, impacts of information technology on the firm and on society, global information systems and the information superhighway.

· FIN 502 - Advanced Topics in International Business. Exploration of issues related to all functional areas within a global business environment. Emphasizes the additional opportunities, risks, uncertainties and difficulties of conducting business across national boundaries. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· OMG 502 - Advanced Topics in Operations Management. Management of the operations process including production and service aspects. Topics include capacity and location planning, scheduling, facility layout, project and inventory management, and quality improvement. Behavioral, multinational ethical issues will be considered. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

| TOP |

Concentrations

All concentration options assume completion of all (21 units) of core coursework unless otherwise noted.

The MBA Online Program currently offers seven concentrations for the MBA: General Business, International Business, Management, Finance, Marketing Management, Information Technology Management and Human Resource Management.

A Global Logistics - Supply Chain Management concentration is currently being developed for inclusion in spring 2008.

General Business (30 units) requires 3 elective courses (9 units).

These are noted as BUS 595, ACC 595, CIS 595, FIN 595, LAW 595, MGT 595, MKT 595, and OMG 595. Students may also use FIN 503, MGT 503 or MKT 503 as an elective. Other courses or combinations of courses, may be considered as appropriate on an individual basis.

International Business (30 units) requires FIN 503, MGT 503, and MKT 503 (9 units) as elective courses.

· FIN 503 - Advanced Topics in Multinational Finance. Financial decision making in a global setting: financial systems, Euro-currency markets, balance of payments, foreign exchange markets, risk measurement, hedging and trade. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MGT 503 - Advanced Topics in International Management. Covers international management practices and managerial behavior applications to decision making. Topics will include national differences in culture, strategies for communicating, cooperating across cultures, and managing global operations. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 503 - International Marketing: Cases and Current Issues. Course covers current topics in strategic marketing: strategic planning, market resource allocation, buying behavior, forecasting, product positioning. Social, legal, ethical, and global issues in marketing will be explored. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

In both General Business and International Business concentrations, students will complete 10 courses (30 units) for the MBA.

Management (33 units) requires the two courses (6 units) listed below to be completed as required courses for the concentration.

· MGT 516 - Leadership. Course builds on knowledge of leadership provided in the MGT 500 Human Behavior in Organizations course, expands the scope and depth of knowledge of leadership theories, provides practice in basic leadership skills, and develops student's self-knowledge of his or her preferred leadership styles. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· HRM 520 - Essentials of Human Resources Management. Focuses on best practices in essential areas of human resource management: job analysis, recruiting, selection, training and development. Students learn how to develop effective HR selection practices, as well as training programs and career paths that motivate employees. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

Two additional courses (6 units) must be completed from the following list of optional courses.

· MGT 512 - Seminar in Entrepreneurship. Provides an understanding of the entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial process. Emphasis on new venture planning and establishment of new firms. The distinctive focus is enterprise creation. Case studies and open discussions with small business owners and successful entrepreneurs are featured.

· HRM 521 - Compensation and Benefits. Examines best practices in compensation. Students will learn how to design effective compensation plans and policies, as well as laws regarding pay and benefits. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· HRM 525 - Strategic Human Resource Management. Focuses on strategic aspects of human resource management, including theoretical perspectives on human resources, labor relations, legal issues, and global human resource management. Uses both a theoretical approach and real work-setting case applications with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MGT 595 - Selected Topics in Management. Intensive study of a specialized area in management on a selected topic of interest. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

Finance (33 units) requires four courses (12 units) from the following list as electives.

· FIN 504 - Corporate Finance-Valuation Analysis. Covers selected topics in corporate finance such as valuation, cost of capital, merger and acquisition, capital structure policy, warrant and convertible use and valuation, and integration and extension of financial theory to analyses of financial data. The course also covers topics such as projecting cash flows, earnings, discounting, etc. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· FIN 505 - Advanced Management of Financial Institutions. Examines the nature and role of financial institutions in the economy, money markets, and capital markets, the Federal Reserve System and monetary policy, the commercial banking system, thrift institutions, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, and other major financial institutions. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· FIN 506 - Investments and Portfolio Analysis. Provides an overview of the investment environment for the institutional money manager. The market mechanism, market equilibrium, the relationship between risk and return, and the valuation of various investment instruments are investigated. Also, this course analyzes contemporary theories and techniques of security selection and management available to the institution portfolio manager. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· FIN 507 - Derivatives and Futures Markets. Considers futures markets; mechanics of buying and selling futures, options, pricing of options, hedging, regulation of futures markets, stock index futures, interest rate futures, interest rate and other swaps. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· FIN 595 - Selected Topics in Finance. Intensive study of a specialized area in finance on a selected topic of interest. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

Marketing Management (33 units) requires the two (2) courses (6 units) listed below to be completed as required courses for the concentration.

· MKT 501 - Marketing Information Management. Covers important information tools and databases needed by marketers for decision-making. The course explores the applications of marketing information as a competitive tool. Also covers marketing research tools and processes. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 580 - Strategic Marketing. Provides a comprehensive framework for the application of marketing concepts to the development and implementation of marketing strategy. The course emphasizes the development of an effective marketing plan. Competitive computer simulation and case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

*Note: MKT 580 Strategic Marketing replaces MGT 590 Strategic Management as the MBA Capstone course for this concentration only.

The concentration also requires three courses (9 units) from the following list as electives.

· MKT 503 - International Marketing: Cases and Current Issues. Current topics in strategic marketing: strategic planning, market resource allocation, buying behavior, forecasting, product positioning. Social, legal, ethical, and global issues in marketing will be explored. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 510 - Seminar in Business-to-Business Marketing. Course focuses on the strategies used for marketing products and services to commercial, institutional, and governmental markets. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 512 - Seminar in Services Marketing. Examines the marketing and managerial implications of the differences between goods and services. Covers many service marketing concepts, including the relationship between the service provider and customer, the real-time process experience of services, customer satisfaction and service quality. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 530 - Negotiation and Persuasive Presentation. Introduces students to the best principles used in marketing negotiations. Promotes understanding characteristics of a good negotiator, critical elements in negotiations, strategies and tactics used for and against a given position. Includes improving communication through personal presentation. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 531 - Sales Management. Discusses the various strategic and tactical aspects of sales force management. Appropriate for students focused on careers in sales management or management positions in companies whose revenues and profits depend on a productive sales force. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 545 - Seminar in New Product Development. Course focus is on product/service decisions and development processes. Course covers the role of new products in marketing and corporate management along with product policy concepts—product life cycle and product positioning. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 550 - Internet Marketing. Focuses on marketing functions as they pertain to Internet Marketing, including the Internet marketing environment and target markets; marketing strategy with an emphasis on the marketing mix; social and ethical responsibilities. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 560 - Brand Management. Explores the field of brand management though the use of case studies of leading marketers and their strategies for effectively building and managing brands. Topics include brand building, positioning, measuring, and managing brand equity. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

· MKT 595 - Selected Topics in Marketing. Intensive study of a specialized area in marketing on a selected topic of interest. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

Information Technology Management (33 units) requires the following course (3 units) listed below to be completed as a required course for the concentration.

· CIS 580 - Information Technology Management Capstone Project. In this course, students tackle real life IT management projects. Emphases are on applying theoretical frameworks to align enterprise IT and business strategies, and on integrating and applying knowledge and skills that they have acquired from the previous course work.

*Note: CIS 580 Information Technology Management replaces MGT 590 Strategic Management as the MBA Capstone course for this concentration only.

The concentration also requires four courses (12 units) from the following list as electives.

· CIS 503 - Information Technology in International Business. Applying information technology in international business. Topics include traditional and Web-based EDI (electronic data interchange), ebXML, global telecommunications, collaborative technology, supply chain management, strategic management of international information systems, legal and cultural challenges to implementing international information systems.

· CIS 520 - Data Communication for Management. Focuses on the applications and implications of networks for individuals, organizations and society. It covers the historical aspects of networks and their applications, the emerging network applications, and the impact of network applications on individuals, organizations and society.

· CIS 530 - Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). A theoretical and practical study on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, including the architecture and differentiation among major commercial ERP software, ERP relationship to various functional business areas, issues of implementing ERP, and the security and confidentiality issues in ERP.

· CIS 540 - Data Warehousing and Data Mining. Covers topics in (1) data warehousing, e.g. extracting, cleaning, and organizing data from transactional databases, (2) data mining, e.g. extracting patterns and relationships from the data warehouse, and (3) decision making based on the patterns from the data mining process.

· CIS 550 - Project Management. Topics include human resources management, communications management, scope management, quality management, scheduling/time management, cost and resource management, risk management, contract/procurement management, and project integration.

· CIS 560 - Information Security for Management. Topics on information security include the legislation and standards, law and ethics, planning for security and contingencies, policies and procedures, security management, network vulnerabilities, firewall, viruses and other malicious code, risk management, protection mechanisms and current problems in system security.

· CIS 595 - Selected Topics in Computer Information Systems. Intensive study of a specialized area in Information System Management covering a selected topic of interest. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

Human Resource Management (33 units) requires the three (3) courses (9 units) listed below to be completed as required courses for the concentration.

· HRM 520 - Essentials of Human Resource Management. Covers important information tools and databases needed by marketers for decision-making. The course explores the applications of marketing information as a competitive tool. Also covers marketing research tools and processes. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

One additional course (3 units) must be completed from following list of optional courses.

· MGT 516 - Leadership. Course builds on knowledge of leadership provided in the MGT 500 Human Behavior in Organizations course, expands the scope and depth of knowledge of leadership theories, provides practice in basic leadership skills, and develops student's self-knowledge of his or her preferred leadership styles. Case analysis with written assignments done individually and in groups.

In Management, Finance, Marketing Management, Information Technology Management and Human Resource Management concentrations, students will complete 11 courses (33 units) for the MBA.

| TOP |

Electives

Numerous elective courses will be available online for students to consider during their course of study. MBA students must complete three (3) elective courses for this component. All elective courses are designated as BUS 595. Recent elective courses include the following:

E-Commerce: Legal and Business Aspects	US Business Culture and Practice
Bargaining and Negotiations	Strategic Business Ethics
Global Business and International Law	Investment Strategies
Business Process Re-Engineering	Globalization: Impact on Leadership, Organization
Seminar in Mergers and Acquisitions	Negotiation and Conflict Resolution