Graduate Business Certificates

The main objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the role of accounting in business organizations. The specific objectives for each student are to acquire: (1) a basic understanding of accounting concepts, financial reporting, and financial statement analysis, and (2) an awareness of the relevance and use of accounting information for managerial decision-making.

This course covers two types of statistics: descriptive and inferential.
Descriptive statistics are numerical ways to describe a data set. For example:

• Measures of central location (e.g., mean) and measures of dispersion (e.g., variance, standard deviation)
• Associative methods for comparing variables (correlation)

Inferential statistics provide the information that allows you to make statements about a population based on sample data from that population. They allow you to take a simple random sample and make a “good” estimate of underlying population characteristics. Two common methods for inferential statistics are confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. This course is your guide as you study the material, which serves as a primer required for all students aiming to join the online MBA program but who have not yet taken a statistics course.

The BA 501 course is designed to provide students with a broad overview of the principles of marketing, from both a theoretical and managerial perspective. As an introductory-level course, its aim is to raise your awareness and understanding of the terminology, concepts, strategies, and techniques that are part of the world of marketing. The course relies upon textbook readings, video-based exercises, mini simulations, and online discussions, as well as other supplemental materials and discussions that are timely and relevant to the course’s coverage of content.

Operations Management is the process by which an organization converts inputs (e.g., labor, material, knowledge, equipment) into outputs (goods and services). This course studies the concepts and techniques, such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Just In Time (JIT), forecasting, inventory theory, and supply chain management, that make the conversion process more efficient and profitable. As recent experience has shown in global markets, significant competitive advantages accrue to those firms capable of producing quality goods and services efficiently. For this reason the careful design and management of the production process is of fundamental importance for the long‐term success and survival of a corporation. BA 500 is a prerequisite.

Law is of paramount importance in society. In relation to function, law can provide a framework of predictability, certainty, continuity, and stability. Generally, businesses wish to operate with confidence and predictability per the legal and regulatory framework. This legal and regulatory framework consists of Constitutional Law, Statutory Law and Common Law. This legal and regulatory environment pervades over the business environment. Among other topics, this course covers the foundational role of law, understanding compliance, business legal terminology, business law, and legal analysis.

To engage in business, the financial managers of a corporation are responsible for capital budgeting decisions as well as financing decisions. The purpose of this course is to expose you to the first concept — budgeting. This course covers concepts such as risk and return relationship, cost of capital, capital budgeting, corporate governance, and stock/bond valuation. BA 500, Acctg 550, and ECONS 555 are prerequisites.

The main objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of economic analysis of business practice. The specific objectives for each student are to acquire: (1) an understanding of the supply and demand model and marginal analysis, and (2) an understanding of how these economic tools are used to enhance business decision-making.

The course is designed to provide graduate students the knowledge and skills for identifying global opportunities and developing international marketing strategies in a fast-changing global business environment, and to develop analytical and decision-making, professional communication, and market research skills in the global marketing context.

This course is designed with the intention of analyzing both theory and practice in developing, managing, and marketing a new consumer product. Students will work to evaluate new product development and new product marketing processes, including idea generation and selection, concept development, market research, marketing goals, demographic assessment, objective development and testing, marketing strategy, and business analysis. By the end of the course, students will have acquired the knowledge and tools to develop appropriate launch strategies for new products, taking into consideration customer price perception and price sensitivity factors, competitive pricing strategies, and costs, while understanding intended market positioning and target markets.

This course is designed to assist students in obtaining a basic understanding of and appreciation for the communication tools used in planning, implementing, and evaluating promotional strategies. Students completing this course are expected to have acquired the expertise necessary to develop and/or critically evaluate a promotional plan for a company, product, or service of their choosing. Course discussions, activities, and graded assignments will rely upon theoretical insights applied to marketing/advertising practice.

Learn the theory and practice of investments, covering the topic areas of capital markets, valuation, security analysis, portfolio management, derivatives, and investor psychology. The course is designed to develop a theoretical framework for investing and to provide the student with some practice in applying that framework to typical investment decision-making.

This course introduces students to interest rates and interest rate theory, bond pricing, the term and risk structure of interest rates, and financial futures. Students will also examine the application of this knowledge in the investment and commercial banking sectors.

This course provides an introduction to international financial management, built upon the domestic corporate finance covered in earlier prerequisite courses. The central theme is how to make corporate financing and investment decisions in an international environment. This course helps students understand additional risks and challenges of international financial management compared to domestic financial management. Students will learn the basic techniques of measuring and managing international financial risks and will be able to apply the techniques to corporate financing and investment decisions in an international environment. Quantitative techniques are heavily emphasized in this class.

This course intends to give you the skills and knowledge to thrive in the rapidly changing international business environment. Using reading, research, active participation, and discussion, you will be exposed to the challenges and opportunities presented to you, the manager, by differences in the economic, cultural, and political realities in the business world today. We will take a practical approach emphasizing decision-making.

This course provides an introduction to international financial management, built upon the domestic corporate finance covered in earlier prerequisite courses. The central theme is how to make corporate financing and investment decisions in an international environment. This course helps students understand additional risks and challenges of international financial management compared to domestic financial management. Students will learn the basic techniques of measuring and managing international financial risks and will be able to apply the techniques to corporate financing and investment decisions in an international environment. Quantitative techniques are heavily emphasized in this class.

The course is designed to provide graduate students the knowledge and skills for identifying global opportunities and developing international marketing strategies in a fast-changing global business environment, and to develop analytical and decision-making, professional communication, and market research skills in the global marketing context.

This course concentrates on techniques and concepts of international tourism, destination management and marketing, and its role in developing customer- and service-oriented managerial approach in a tourism organization. This course is designed to provide you a working knowledge of international tourism, destination management and marketing process, and the interrelationships between destination marketing decisions, marketing research, buyer behavior, product strategy, channels of distribution, promotional activities, and pricing decisions.

Service businesses are an increasingly dominant force in world economics. Approximately 79% of our labor force, 76% of the GDP, 45% of the average American family’s budget, and 32% of all U.S. exports are accounted for by services. This course explores concepts, principles, and issues within the service management area. We will study service management from an integrated viewpoint with a focus on service quality and customer satisfaction. The material will integrate operations, marketing strategy, information technology, and organizational and human resources issues.

This course concentrates on techniques and concepts of international tourism, destination management and marketing, and its role in developing customer- and service-oriented managerial approach in a tourism organization. This course is designed to provide you a working knowledge of international tourism, destination management and marketing process, and the interrelationships between destination marketing decisions, marketing research, buyer behavior, product strategy, channels of distribution, promotional activities, and pricing decisions.

Yield/revenue management and managerial accounting concepts within the hospitality industry.