Master of Business Administration

UW-PARKSIDE 2019-21 CATALOG
Molinaro 344 • 262-595-2280

College:
Business, Economics, and Computing

Degree Offered:
Master of Business Administration

Professional Accreditations or Memberships:
The Master of Business Administration program (MBA) is accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Fewer than 5 percent of business programs worldwide and less than 30 percent in the United States meet the rigorous standards of quality set by AACSB International.

Goals of the MBA Program

The goals of the MBA program are to provide a graduate education that develops students’ knowledge of critical business issues and current management techniques; and prepares these students for advanced management positions and entrepreneurial ventures. The program covers a variety of concepts and analytical tools. It presumes that an executive must know how to obtain and evaluate relevant information; approach tasks logically, systematically and in teams; analyze problems; arrive at reasonable generalizations; develop creative solutions; work in a diverse environment; and direct action to achieve concrete results. The MBA program includes examination of the impact of both domestic and global environments on an organization’s operation.

The MBA program focus is on the needs of mature students who have the educational background, experience, and degree of intellectual curiosity essential for graduate-level study. The classes are open to master’s degree candidates and special students who meet the admission criteria. Students can choose to complete the program on campus or fully online. The MBA degree can be finished in as few as 12 months although many students are part-time and move at their own pace.  All of the MBA courses are offered in a seven-week format and students may begin the program at six points throughout the year (two per semester). The MBA program requires a concentration. There are six concentrations available and students must complete a minimum of one concentration but may complete up to a maximum of three. Courses are offered both on campus in the evening and online.

Requirements for Admission to the Master of Business Administration

For admission into the Master of Business Administration online program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and provide transcripts from all accredited institutions previously attended.

Applicants to the program must submit:

  1. A completed application (available online) and a non-refundable application fee;
  2. Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended other than UW-Parkside, for both undergraduate and graduate-level studies. Transcripts must be sent directly to UW-Parkside from all post-secondary institutions to be considered in the admission decision
  3. The GMAT can be waived for most applicants based on their GPA. Students with less than a 2.75 undergraduate GPA will have to provide additional documents.
  4. International students must also submit evidence of English proficiency (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS score), transcript evaluations from a foreign credentials evaluation service, and sponsorship form (see the MBA website for additional information).

Official transcripts from all institutions attended should be mailed directly from the institution(s) to:

Admissions Office, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 900 Wood Road, Kenosha, WI 53141-2000.

Foundation Courses

All MBA candidates must have or obtain knowledge of fundamentals in the following areas: accounting, economics, finance, and statistics. Students who have not completed courses in these areas through previous studies (with a grade of C or better) will be required to complete the following foundation courses (with a grade of C or better):

MBA 502      Accounting and Finance Fundamentals for Business

MBA 512      Foundations in Statistics and Economics

Foundations courses must be completed prior to taking any 700-level required core or concentration courses in those areas (e.g. MBA 502 is required prior to MBA 702 and 732). Please note that most MBA courses also require a working knowledge of MS Excel and students are encouraged to strengthen that knowledge in preparation for coursework.

Transfer Policy

Graduate-level work completed at other AACSB accredited institutions may be transferred toward the MBA required core courses only at UW-Parkside but are subject to the following provisions:

  • A maximum of 6 credits may be transferred toward core courses (all courses toward a concentration must be completed at UW-Parkside);
  • Only the courses with a grade of B or better can be transferred;
  • The student must petition for the transfer upon admission to the program. Transfer credit will be formally granted after the student has successfully completed a minimum of 8 semester hours of graduate course work at UW-Parkside;
  • The courses that the student is requesting to transfer must form an integral part of the student’s proposed program of study;
  • An admitted student who plans to take a course at another institution and transfer it back to UW-Parkside must obtain prior permission from the MBA program director;

 

Requirements for the Master of Business Administration (30 credits)

  1. Required Core Courses (24 Credits)
    MBA 700 Creative and Innovative Management 2 cr
    MBA 702 Managerial Accounting 2 cr
    MBA 715 Advanced Operations Management 2 cr
    MBA 716 Project Management 2 cr
    MBA 720 Information Technology for Business Decision Making 2 cr
    MBA 732 Corporate Financial Management  2 cr
    MBA 741 Contemporary Challenges in Managing Organizations 2 cr
    MBA 742 Leadership: Theory, Application and Skill Development 2 cr
    MBA 746 Advanced Global Management 2 cr
    MBA 752 Marketing Management 2 cr
    MBA 793 Competitive Decision Making 2 cr
    MBA 796 Advanced Strategic Management 2 cr
    * MBA 796 should be completed in the last fall, spring, or summer session prior to graduation.

    Required course waivers: A student may be waived out of the required graduate course in the functional area in which the student has completed a major (or equivalent). A student waived out of a required course must take an additional elective course that is approved by the MBA advisor.
     
  2. Concentration Courses (6 credits)*

    Students are required to complete a minimum of one concentration to complete requirements for the MBA degree program. Students may elect to complete up to a maximum of three concentrations as they work toward their degree. Concentrations must be declared at the beginning of their studies and must be completed prior to graduation. Each elective course taken can only count toward one concentration. If you utilize financial aid, reimbursement options, or are an athlete, please check on eligibility requirements before declaring multiple concentrations.

    Choose one concentration:

    1. Data Analytics
      Required course (2 credits):
      MBA 729  Technologies for Data Analytics 2 cr
      Choose two courses (4 credits):
      MBA 761 Optimization Techniques 2 cr
      MBA 759 Digital Marketing and Social Media 2 cr
      MBA 762 Quantitative Models for Supply Chains 2 cr
    2. Finance
      Required courses (6 credits):
      MBA 733 Investments 2 cr
      MBA 735 International Financial Management 2 cr
      MBA 739 Management of Financial Institutions 2 cr
    3. Global Management
      Required courses (6 credits):
      MBA 718 Global Supply Chain Management 2 cr
      MBA 735 International Financial Management 2 cr
      MBA 750 Global Marketing Management 2 cr
    4. Marketing
      Choose three courses (6 credits):

      MBA 750 Global Marketing Management 2 cr
      MBA 753 Integrated Marketing Communications 2 cr
      MBA 757 Sales and Key Account Management 2 cr
      MBA 759 Digital Marketing and Social Media 2 cr
    5. Supply Chain Management
      Required courses (4 credits):

      MBA 718  Global Supply Chain Management 2 cr
      MBA 762 Quantitative Models for Supply Chains 2 cr
      Choose one course (2 credits):
      MBA 750 Global Marketing Management 2 cr
      MBA 753 Integrated Marketing Communications 2 cr
      MBA 757 Sales and Key Account Management 2 cr
      MBA 761 Optimization Techniques 2 cr
    6. General Management
      Choose three courses (6 credits):

      MBA 718 Global Supply Chain Management 2 cr
      MBA 729 Technologies for Data Analytics 2 cr
      MBA 733 Investments 2 cr
      MBA 735 International Financial Management 2 cr
      MBA 739 Management of Financial Institutions 2 cr
      MBA 750 Global Marketing Management 2 cr
      MBA 753 Integrated Marketing Communications 2 cr
      MBA 757 Sales and Key Account Management 2 cr
      MBA 759 Digital Marketing and Social Media 2 cr
      MBA 761 Optimization Techniques 2 cr
      MBA 762 Quantitative Models for Supply Chains 2 cr
      MBA 790 Special Topics 2 cr
      *Other MBA elective classes may count toward a concentration with the approval of the MBA program director or advisor.

 

MBA Consortium

In an effort to offer the foundation and elective courses more frequently, a MBA consortium was developed. The participating universities are UW-Parkside, UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Oshkosh. Through this collaborative effort, all of the foundation courses (except algebra) are offered every semester online.

Elective courses are also offered through the consortium. MBA consortium courses taken for elective credit from non-UW-Parkside instructors are considered transfer courses and therefore subject to the 12-credit transfer rule (see the Transfer Policy). Eligible courses are identified in the UW-Parkside course schedule. These elective courses will automatically be transferred to UW-Parkside.

See the following website for additional information, http://www.wisconsinonlinemba.org/about/.

Additional Program Policies

  1. Students delaying entry after admission to the MBA program will be covered under the policies and will have to meet the requirements that are in effect at the time at which they complete their first course toward the MBA program.
  2. Students are required to apply for graduation through the Office of the Registrar by the appropriate deadlines.
  3. Students may switch from face-to-face to fully online (or vice versa) only once.
  4. Students are required to complete a minimum of one concentration to complete requirements for the MBA degree program. Students may elect to complete up to a maximum of three concentrations as they work toward their degree. Concentrations must be declared at the beginning of their studies and must be completed prior to graduation. Each course taken can only count toward one concentration. If you utilize financial aid, reimbursement options, or are an athlete, please check on eligibility requirements before declaring multiple concentrations. For students that do not choose a concentration at application, the default is general management.
  5. Students in MBA Online classes have a registration deadline of the Tuesday prior to the first day of the class.
  6. Students in MBA online classes are required to pay tuition by the first day of class and will be dropped for non-payment if this deadline is not met.
  7. Students in the online program are not eligible to take courses through the MBA consortium program.

Graduate Distinction

Students who earn a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.83 or higher will graduate “with distinction” from the MBA program.

Beta Gamma Sigma is the honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International. Beta Gamma Sigma faculty members invite qualified business students for membership based on academic excellence.

Courses in Business Administration (MBA)

502

Accounting and Finance Fundamentals for Business
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Introduces financial and managerial accounting principles and tools used in managing businesses.

2 cr
512

Foundations in Statistics and Economics
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Introduces descriptive statistics, probability and expectations, theoretical distributions, sampling distributions, estimation, and hypothesis testing.  Focuses on three major macroeconomic variables (GDP, inflation and unemployment) and analysis of both fiscal and monetary policies.

2 cr
700

Creative and Innovative Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Focuses on challenges and opportunities associated with being an effective, creative, and innovative manager in the increasingly complex, disruptive, and competitive workplace.

2 cr
702

Managerial Accounting
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Delves into the role of accounting in the successful management of business enterprises; identification of relevant cost and revenue information for managerial decisions; application of analytical reasoning and formal models to various business problems.

2 cr
703

Business Analysis and Valuation
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Provides in-depth analysis of how financial statements and accompanying footnotes can be used in assessing organization value. Emphasizes recent developments in financial reporting and disclosure practices.

2 cr
715

Advanced Operations Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Reinforces and explores in detail the concepts and techniques of modern operations management. Uses case studies, simulation, and real-life business issues to examine new and emerging trends.

2 cr
716

Project Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Explores the basics of project planning and control, PERT/CRM, work breakdown structure, cost control, matrix organization, resource scheduling and leveling, and outsourcing. Introduces project management software.

2 cr
718

Global Supply Chain Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Summer.
Covers basic terminologies, concepts, and state-of-the-art models that are involved in the design, control, and management of supply chain systems. Includes topics such as network planning, inventory management and risk pooling, strategic alliances, ethics, logistics, and sustainability.

2 cr
720

Information Technology for Business Decision Making
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Introduces various technologies for business decision making. Includes decision support systems, technologies for achieving operational excellence, enterprise systems, customer relationship management systems, business intelligence systems, data mining, strategic decision making based on data, forecasting.

2 cr
724

Website Development
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Examines how organizations use IT resources to implement web strategies; analyze and assess the IT infrastructure used in industries with regard to the organization’s IT design and develop basic web pages.

2 cr
725

E-commerce
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Examines e-commerce in general. Covers e-commerce technology, developing an e-commerce architecture, business-to-consumer e-commerce, planning for e-commerce, and social implications.

2 cr
726

Globalization and Technology
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Explores the issues related to international information systems and reviews the possible solutions that lead to successful international applications.

2 cr
727

Business Process Redesign and Improvement
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Provides an opportunity to identify an organization (or part of an organization) that needs improvement, analyze the current system, investigate possible IT solutions, redesign the current system and propose a plan to move from the “As-Is” system to the “To-Be” system.

2 cr
728

Database Systems Development
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Covers database querying, design, creation, developing applications and reports.

2 cr
729

Technologies for Data Analytics
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Spring, Summer.
Introduces technologies for data analytics. Includes database technologies and programming for data analytics.

2 cr
732

Corporate Financial Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Examines the theory and practice of corporate finance; fundamental ideas such as the time value of money and its role in valuation. Applies techniques to major decision areas that face financial managers.

2 cr
733

Investments
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Explores financial investments, theoretical and applied valuation techniques, and modern investment portfolio theory.

2 cr
735

International Financial Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Discusses the principals of international finance and foreign exchange risk management for multinational corporations.

2 cr
738

Investment Portfolio Management
Prereq: MBA 733. Freq: Occasionally.
This course will deal with the theory and practice of evaluating investments with an emphasis on developing skills for appraising the value of equities and fixed-income securities. A comprehensive Internet financial markets trading simulation provides experience in the theory and practice of securities trading and portfolio management.

2 cr
739

Management of Financial Institutions
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Summer.
Examines the structure and operation of financial institutions including commercial banks, thrifts, credit unions, insurance companies, security firms and investment banks, finance companies, mutual funds, and pension funds. Covers the techniques used to analyze and manage risks of financial institutions.

2 cr
741

Contemporary Challenges in Managing Organizations
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Examines traditional theories and contemporary managerial perspectives to optimize organizational effectiveness. Includes leadership, motivation and performance, decision making and empowerment, organization climate, culture and change, individual human processes, and overall global management.

2 cr
742

Leadership: Theory, Application, and Skill Development
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Focuses on the demands of organizational leadership. Examines theories, strategies, and approaches to leadership including the effect of globalization and the role of ethics on leadership.

2 cr
743

Emotional Intelligence
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Summer.
Explores theory and science behind emotional intelligence, the ability to recognize one’s own feelings, as well as those of others to manage emotions and relationships. Examines application of the component emotional intelligence competencies vital to managing self and others in order to create effective performance and success in the workplace.

2 cr
744

Management Techniques
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Delves into improving management skills, including stress management, oral and written communication, team building, leadership, motivating and empowering others, and conflict management.

2 cr
745

Resilience in Organizations
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Provides strategies for recognizing and supporting employee strengths within an organization’s culture, including methods for reducing risk, increasing protective factors, and navigating challenge and change.

2 cr
746

Advanced Global Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Focuses on managing and coordinating diverse workers across national boundaries using case studies and current managerial dilemmas in different cultures.

2 cr
748

New Venture Formation
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Explores the process by which entrepreneurs recognize opportunities, plan, and launch new businesses. Includes extensive casework and the development of a start-up business plan as an illustration of principles learned.

2 cr
749

Seminar on Executive Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Explores current challenges of executive management and leadership in complex organizations. Topics vary depending on executive level manager teaching the class. May be repeated for credit with approval of M.B.A director.

2 cr
750

Global Marketing Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Summer.
Examines management techniques in the global context, including increasingly competitive international market dynamics and environmental factors.

2 cr
752

Marketing Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Utilizes case studies to hone analytical and decision-making skills for marketing. Focuses on the various kinds of problems in marketing that the modern decision maker must resolve.

2 cr
753

Integrated Marketing Communications
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Reviews aspects of advertising, promotions, and personal selling from the perspective of market management.

2 cr
754

Online Market Research
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Provides opportunity to apply multidisciplinary approach to research a product and market segment of interest. Develops skills in finding, assessing, and using online marketing information.

2 cr
756

Buyer Behavior
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Covers theoretical and applied research and concepts in buying decision processes are covered pertinent to individuals, households, businesses, and other institutions. Includes discussions relating to development, implementation, and evaluation of marketing strategies and implications for e-commerce.

2 cr
757

Sales and Key Account Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Summer.
Reviews theory and best practices related to sales and key account management, includes discussion of motivation and incentives, selection, recruitment, and major account strategy.

2 cr
758

Digital Marketing and Social Media
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Spring, Summer.
Emphasizes digital marketing, social media, Internet marketing, consumer behavior, web analytics, search engines, optimization, and advertising and creativity strategy via cases, discussions and a simulation game.

2 cr
759

Product Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Examines the process of developing new products and services and managing existing offerings in a competitive market environment. Includes case studies to illustrate principles.

2 cr
761

Optimization Techniques
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Spring, Summer.
Covers quantitative techniques managers use to enhance decision-making, including topics such as linear programming and its application, integer linear programming, non-linear programming, decision and risk analysis, and multi-criteria decision.

2 cr
762

Supply Chain Analytics
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Spring, Summer.
Covers quantitative techniques managers use to enhance decision making, including topics such as supply contract methods, inventory management techniques, network planning, distribution strategies, and supply chain decision making under uncertainty.

2 cr
772

Legal Framework and Issues of Business
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
An examination of the relationship of law to business; examines this relationship from a broad perspective studying the legal impact of all levels of government on all levels of the organization; statutory and case law will be studied in the areas of taxation, antitrust, employment, labor management relations, the environment and consumer protection.

2 cr
777

Business Simulation and Modeling
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Spring.
Focuses on modeling common situations in manufacturing or service industries. Includes analysis of simulation results and how to make appropriate business decisions.

2 cr
786

Strategic Human Resource Management
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Examines human resource management systems to create and sustain competitive advantage. Emphasizes an integrated framework that requires linkage between, and consistency among, functional HR activities and their alignment with and reinforcement of the organization’s competitive strategy.

2 cr
787

Staffing Organizations
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Explores planning for, recruiting, selecting, and retaining an organization’s labor force in the context of the staffing environment (e.g., EEO laws and regulations, the economy and labor markets) using necessary tools (e.g., statistical measurement).

2 cr
788

Improving Employee Performance
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Examines performance management methods and applicable motivation theories that managers can apply to encourage employees to maximize their current and future job performance. Emphasizes reinforcement theory to shape work behaviors.

2 cr
790

Special Topics
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Occasionally.
Explores special topics in the functional areas of business including topics such as market research, labor/management relations, social responsibilities/ethics, applied multi-variant statistics, management techniques, issues in financial accounting, financial analysis, and information systems evaluation and management. May be repeated with for credit wth different topic.

1-3 cr
792

Business Projects
Prereq: MBA 716 or consent of instructor.  Freq: Occasionally.
Provides the opportunity for students to conduct a variety of forms of business projects including business plans, marketing plans, marketing research, and start-up plans for a business client.  The course is conducted under the auspices of the SEG Center, and uses SEG facilities and project management guidelines.  May take the course two times for credit.

2 cr
793

Competitive Decision Making
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Provides advanced learning experience in competitive decision making through the use of an online business simulations.

2 cr
794

Internship
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Provides actual or quasi on-the-job learning experiences in which a student works with a single sponsoring organization under the supervision of a faculty member. Students may not use their current employment for internship credit. A maximum of 4 credits of internship, and total of 6 credits of internship plus independent study, can be applied toward MBA degree completion. Credit/no-credit grading basis.

1-3 cr
796

Advanced Strategic Management
Prereq: Any four of these five courses: MBA 700, 702, 720, 732, and 752; Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Focuses on strategic management as an essential function for all types of organizations and firms. Emphasizes advanced strategic management concepts, particularly business-level and corporate-level strategy formulation, implementation, and control.

2 cr
799

Independent Study and Research
Prereq: Admission to MBA required; or consent of program director. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Provides an opportunity to work on an independent research study or project under the guidance of a faculty member. A maximum of 4 credits of independent study or internship, and a total of 6 credits of internship plus independent study, can be applied toward MBA degree completion.

1-3 cr
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