Business Essentials Certificate
The Business Essential Certificate is for students who wish to enhance their understanding of the business world. The certificate will allow students considering completing the MBA program, an opportunity to earn a certificate by completing MBA core courses.
Admissions Requirements
Applications are invited from individuals who have earned undergraduate or graduate degrees in any discipline or field of study. To be considered for admission, the applicant must submit the following to the Graduate Admissions Office:
- A completed graduate application for admission.
- A complete set of official undergraduate transcripts as evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
Required Courses
Students will be required to complete MBA 512, MBA 520, MBA 550, and either MBA 540 or MBA 560
MBA-512. MANAGERIAL STATISTICS
This course describes how to use a collection of quantitative techniques to analyze
data and introduces students to basic concepts in probability and statistics relevant
to managerial decision making. After understanding how to use Microsoft Excel to
formulate, analyze and solve general business problems, students focus on how to construct
and use spreadsheet models based on topics from statistics. Topics include probability
distributions, sampling, estimation and testing, regression and correlation, and time
series and forecasting. Course activities may include case analyses, research, application
of advanced techniques, and/or utilization of various information technologies.
Prerequisite: MBA 501.
MBA-520. MARKETING MANAGEMENT
This course presents a strategic foundation for marketing decision-making. It seeks
to develop students' understanding and implementation of key marketing strategies
such as internal and external environmental analysis, product targeting and positioning,
branding, pricing, distribution, and promotion. Emphasis is placed on written and
verbal communications skill development.
MBA-550: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Organizations function in a dynamic, complex environment that must balance resource
utilization with organizational and societal relevance. This course considers both
internal (closed) systems and external (open) systems. This course will review internal
systems such as structure, human capital, management, operating policies, employee
ethics, and fiscal responsibility as well as external capacities such as industry
functionality and compliance, governmental standards and reporting, competitive considerations,
technology, market functionality and new media, and strategic response mechanisms.
MBA-540. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
A survey of the tools and techniques currently employed by financial decision makers
when evaluating organizational performance and developing future courses of action.
Emphasis will be placed upon working capital management and capital budgeting techniques.
Prerequisite: MBA 504.
MBA-560. FINANCIAL AND MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING
A basic understanding of both internal and external accounting principles and techniques
with appropriate application to decision models. Financial and managerial accounting
concepts and issues are considered from the viewpoint of the report users. Prerequisite:
MBA 506.