Executive UST MBA
Course Descriptions
Analytic Reasoning for Business Leadership
Decision Making for Executives, 3 credits
Complex decisions in an ever-changing environment demand an integration of creative, critical, ethical,rational, strategic and systems thinking. This course explores the impact of psychology, mathematics, statistics and technology on our ability to expand an organizational decision maker’s knowledge base.
Financial Accounting for Executives, 1.5 credits
Financial accounting is integral to the planning, reporting and control functions of every business. This course provides an understanding of the preparation of financial statements, how to use that information to gain insights about the firm, how to forecast future results,and an understanding of some of the global differences in accounting methods.
Managerial Accounting and Analysis, 3 credits
Firms use information gained from financial accounting systems in decision making, planning and control, and performance evaluation. This course provides an understanding of data accumulation and allocation processes, the proper application of accounting data to solving managerial problems, and an understanding of the strategic implications and limitations of both data and accounting systems.
Economics of Organization and Management, 3 credits
Economic concepts offer a foundation for understanding managerial decision-making within an organizational context and the interactions of organizations in the marketplace. Topics include the theory of the firm, including principal-agent issues and incentive contracts; market (demand and supply) analysis; competitive dynamics and strategy implications; internal and external labor markets; decision making in risk-related environments; and government policies affecting management decisions. The U.S. and market based economies will be considered in a global context.
Financial Management for Value Creation, 3 credits
Focusing on the financial management of doing business in a global environment, this course covers risk, return, evaluation, cost of capital, capital budgeting, long-term financing, capital structure theory, financial analysis and planning, and working capital management.
Developing and Delivering Superior Customer Value, 3 credits
This course builds a conceptual foundation for understanding and analyzing marketing situations. It examines marketing principles that create and deliver superior customer value and develop long-term customer relationships. Course topics include market planning; segmentation and target marketing; channels of distribution; consumer behavior; competitive analysis; pricing, demand analysis and forecasting; and promotion, sales management and product decisions.
Creating Strategic Perspective for Organizational Leaders
Global Systems, 5 credits
Organizations are directly or indirectly exposed to foreign competition and international risks and are affected by international politics, technological developments and global socioeconomic conditions. This course applies systems theory to the analysis of the modern firm; employs methodologies such as forecasting, scenario planning and environmental scanning to develop proactive business strategies; and explores the requisite managerial attitudes for effective business management in a global environment. Course includes a 7-10 day international residency.
Human Capital Management, 3 credits
The areas of employee engagement, satisfaction and knowledge pose significant challenges to an organizational leader. Beyond straightforward compliance with relevant employment legislation, this course focuses on the metrics of recruiting, retention, succession planning, workforce diversity, employee relations and communications, training and development, performance management, as well as work-life initiatives from a strategic perspective. As human resource functions evolve, leaders need to partner with line managers to understand their needs and develop a sound strategy to support current organizational goals and future needs.
Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship, 3 credits
Designed for entrepreneurs, managers and consultants interested in creating and reinforcing entrepreneurial responses within established organizations, this course examines how managers affect the nature and rate of innovation through organizational culture, structure, communication, rewards and control systems. Emphasis is placed on how individuals initiate, launch and manage ventures within organizational settings.
Strategic Management, 3 credits
An integrative approach to the formulation and implementation of organizational strategy and policy, this course focuses on organizational performance as it relates to mission, goals and objectives. Students will get practice defining multi-faceted problems and determining their causes; analyzing internal and external environments; reviewing key corporate and business strategies; formulating alternative strategic options; and addressing the challenges of implementation.
Leading Organizational Effectiveness
Managing Organizational Behavior, 3 credits
This course examines fundamental theories about how people behave in organizations and why. Drawing from a well developed system of knowledge in the social sciences, students will consider organizational behavior from three perspectives: understanding yourself and others at work, creating effective team relationships, and managing organizational human systems. Topics include perception, motivation, conflict, negotiation, power and culture.
Operations Management for Executives, 3 credits
Innovation in operations management is driven by technological breakthroughs and the ever-expanding global workforce. The operations manager makes decisions regarding systems design, quality, capacity, labor, inventory and logistics in conjunction with marketing and finance. This course will explore existing and evolving theories that will aid the manager in making those decisions. Particular emphasis will be put on designing modular systems that allow for the rapid changes necessary to meet market demands.
Leading Strategic Change, 3 credits
Today’s business leaders are challenged by global, societal and competitive forces. These forces require us to consider the nature of change itself, how to help organizations embrace the uncertainty of change, and how to best lead strategic changes in our organizations. This course will focus on the different types and degrees of change in today’s organizations, the psychology and social psychology of change in organizational systems and strategies to lead and manage change effectively. Student teams will consult on an existing multidimensional opportunity or issue facing a government entity or non-profit organization. The goal of each project is to maximize the success of the organization for its stakeholders. Students will put both new and existing skills and knowledge into practice as they address the needs of a community organization.
Leveraging Information Technology, 1.5 credits
Managing information systems has become a task for all levels of management. Global business opportunities afforded by new business practices, combined with the exponential change in technology, have fueled the creation of a digitally enabled firm. Every aspect of the traditional firm has, or will be, transformed to create the global digital firm. This course addresses the integration of emerging technologies, enterprise applications and corporate knowledge assets.
Executive Development , 1.5 credits each
This course combination is designed to assist the student in articulating a unique leadership style based on purpose, integrity and values. Using self-assessments and multiple feedback sources (including peer review), students will create a personal development process. Topics include an appraisal of the purposes, roles and realities of leading/managing; the discovery of individual skills, preferences, strengths and limitations; a reflection on personal values; an examination of the impact of one’s style on building relationships of trust and productivity; and the development of critical, creative and systems thinking abilities.
Ethics and Leadership, 3 credits
Students will develop a deeper awareness of important ethical business issues, learn analytical frameworks and practical tools, and gain experience in identifying and dealing with the ethical dimensions of organizational issues and actions from a stakeholder perspective. Questions to be considered: How can managers and leaders understand and make effective decisions about ethical problems, conflicts, and dilemmas that surface in organizations? How can managers and leaders build trust and integrity within their organizations? Should an organization help the world in which it lives? What is an organization’s interest in social justice, virtues, principles and values?
Organizational Governance, 1.5 credits
This course addresses governance systemically in both profit and nonprofit organizations within a global environment. Using case studies, students will examine governance concepts, theory and practices, rules and regulatory frameworks in multiple cultures to identify, manage and implement corporate governance processes in organizations.
