MBA (Archive 2018-2019)

MBA Archive 2018-2019

The Suffolk MBA program is internationally accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The MBA Program is offered in a full-time or part-time format in Boston and Online.

The MBA program provides all the basic skills of an MBA, as well as exposure to Boston's world-class industries. The MBA curriculum integrates experiential learning by having students regularly interact with Boston-area organizations.

The MBA Online is a fully online degree. Students in the Online Program earn the same AACSB-accredited MBA degree as their Suffolk campus counterparts. MBA Online courses are taught by Suffolk faculty and have the same high expectations as campus courses.

MBA Curriculum

Total Credits Required: 36-51

Contextualize: From Boston to the World (5 credits)

Must be taken as early in the program as possible.

Credits:

1.00

Description:

SBS 700 is the first required course in Suffolk's graduate programs. The course is based on the precepts of experiential learning. Based on the idea that people learn best by participating in meaningful activities, this course provides students with the opportunity to learn about and experience first-hand the many complexities of business and the role of top managers. To accomplish this, students will work in small groups as they take on the roles of top managers in a hands-on behavioral simulation.

Prerequisites:

MBA students only

Credits:

1.00

Description:

This course teaches students ethical frameworks to lead and manage organizations that go beyond the standard legal compliance and risk management approaches, and that embrace the more inclusive principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility. This course will set forth the fundamentals of managerial ethics and will prepare students for the complex, multilevel managerial and leadership integrity challenges that corporations face today.

Prerequisites:

MBA students only

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This first-semester MBA course introduces students to the topic of world-class clusters as a multi-level phenomenon. Beginning from the macro level of analysis and proceeding to the micro level, the course covers a panoply of concepts and frameworks for understanding why world-class clusters emerge at specific locations in the first place and then regularly succeed in transforming themselves to keep up with and even lead the pace of change in their respective industries. In the group projects that they conduct for this course, students are expected to emulate the characteristics of high-powered teams found in world-class clusters: the course thus begins with conceptual understanding of world-class clusters and then proceeds to have students emulate the behavior that can be observed in world-class clusters.

Core Courses (15 credits)

May be waived.

Credits:

1.50

Description:

This course introduces the basic tools and concepts of microeconomics (2 classes) for supply and demand analysis; for consumer market behavior; and for production, cost, and pricing decisions in different market structures. Greater emphasis (4 to 5 classes) in the course is on the macroeconomic topics of national economic performance, the economic role of government and fiscal and monetary policy, and the banking and financial system in the current economic environment. The course is intended for MBA students who have no recent academic background in economics.

Credits:

1.50

Description:

This course emphasizes the importance of basic concepts in probability and statistics for managerial decision making with a strong emphasis on practical application. Students will learn basic data analysis, random variables and probability distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression. MS Excel will be used throughout the course. Numerous examples are chosen from quality control applications, finance, marketing and Management to illustrate the managerial value of applying sound statistical techniques to the analysis of operational data.

Prerequisites:

MBA-625 or SBS-604 (may be taken concurrently)

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course provides students with Operations Management concepts, techniques, and tools to design, analyze, and improve operational capabilities in any organization. Students will understand and analyze common OM decisions on managing inputs (materials, information, finances, and human resources) and processes to deliver desirable outcomes to customers. Topics covered include operations strategy, process analysis, quality management and lean operations, capacity analysis, inventory management, product development, supply chain management, project management, revenue management and pricing, decision analysis, and forecasting. Software tools used may include MS Excel, Visio, and Project Management. This course will contain experiential learning components related to Boston's world-class industries, which may include guest lectures, simulation exercises, or visits to local organizations.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course deals with the structure and information content of the three principal financial statements of profit-directed companies, namely the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. It develops skill in using accounting information to analyze the performance and financial condition of a company, and to facilitate decision making, planning and budgeting, and performance appraisal in a managerial context. This course also contains an experiential component by offering guided inquiry and real company cases.

Prerequisites:

1 course from each of the following groups: MBA-615 or SBS-603; MBA-625 or SBS-604; MBA-640 or ACCT-800; These courses may be taken prior to or concurrently with MBA-650.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces the basic principles of corporate finance. The main focus is on fundamental principles such as time value of money, asset valuation, and risk and return tradeoff. Topics to be covered also include cost of capital, capital budgeting, and capital structure.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

At its core, marketing is about providing consumer value. The practice of doing this is changing constantly-driven by rapid and far-reaching changes in technology; globalization; and the evolution of consumer values, practices, and lifestyles. This course will present themes, theories, and trends that are critical for: 1. understanding the business of creating, capturing and sustaining value; 2. introducing students to the global, consumer, and technological realities of marketing in the 21st Century; and 3. providing students with a sound foundation to explore marketing in further depth in upper-level elective courses. This course also contains an experiential component. .

Understand Business Fundamentals (9 credits)

 

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course teaches students critical thinking and problem solving skills in the context of two essential ingredients of collaboration: leading people and teams, and managing projects. Students will learn concepts and processes that support building and launching high performing teams that can manage complex projects efficiently and effectively. Students will collaborate experientially to solve problems facing Boston's world-class industry clusters.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to three essential ingredients of innovation: Entrepreneurial Thinking, Information Technology in an Age of Disruption, and Law as Framework. Entrepreneurial thinking is a critical element in the creation, growth, and sustainability of an organization. In new ventures, entrepreneurs drive innovation with limited resources and within a flat organization. Information technology, strategically selected and implemented, can provide a significant, competitive advantage. Students will survey the increasingly complex, evolving, and highly competitive business environment in which ethical, legal, economic, and regulatory forces are continuously reshaping the global marketplace both to create and limit competitive opportunities. This course will contain experiential components, relating to Boston's world-class industries.

Prerequisites:

Please email Hillary Sabbagh at [email protected] to register for a travel seminar.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The Immersion course provides an opportunity for students to link their program work to hands-on experience and visits to real-life global companies. The highly experiential, intensive course combines classroom learning with a direct business and cultural experience. Students will work in teams directly for a client or several clients, solving real challenges, using their analytical skills, knowledge, and experience to develop feasible solutions. Required for all MBA students, the course will be offered globally or nationally to accommodate a variety of student needs.

*Note: Campus based students must take MBA 740. Fully online MBA students can either take MBA 740 or MBA 741 – Experiential Intensive.

MBA Electives (12 credits)

Three or four electives in one functional area comprise a concentration. A concentration is not required. All electives must be 800-level or above (some 700-level electives are acceptable for HLTH and PAD). See elective list for acceptable 700-level courses within the Sawyer Business School.
 

Construct the Big Picture (7 credits)

 

Prerequisites:

Take MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-721, MBA-730, and SBS-700

Credits:

1.00

Description:

This course involves synthesizing and applying the content from Values Based Decision Making through two deliverables, both of which require reflection on the MBA experience. Students will consider the external clients they have worked with in their client oriented classes and the MBA curriculum through an ethical lens. They will focus on identifying organization-based ethical issues and values, applying ethical frameworks to analyze them, and making an argument as leaders or managers for an ethical solution. This course will offer application and synthesis, taught towards the end, allowing students to creatively apply ethical perspectives to what they learned in the MBA.

Prerequisites:

MBA students only. SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the global business environment in a way specifically relevant to innovation in world-class clusters. The course has a three-part format: 1. global business fundamentals; 2. opportunity recognition, validation and planning; and 3. experiential term group project in the elaboration of a proposed innovation. Global business fundamentals include the complexities of operating in the international economic environment, the theory and practice of trade, the global integration and local responsiveness of the multinational firm, the internationalization decision of firms, as well as the different modes of entry.

Prerequisites:

SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Students engage in a variety of learning activities, such as case studies, computer simulations, examinations, project reports, and most especially, experiential exercises involving competition. Students will develop a multi-functional general management perspective. The course is designed to help students integrate and apply their knowledge and techniques learned in the core courses of the MBA program into an overall view of the firm, evaluate the environment, and speculate on the future direction of the organization. Students will also learn about the principal concepts, frameworks, and techniques of strategic management, they will develop the capacity for strategic thinking, and they will examine the organizational and environmental contexts in which strategic management unfolds. This course will make extensive use of experiential activities and projects designed to get students to experience the dynamics of competition right in the classroom.

Lead and Implement Change (3 credits)

Must be taken as late in the program as possible.

Prerequisites:

MBA students only. SBS-700 MBA-701 MBA-710 MBA-615 MBA-625 MBA-635 MBA-640 MBA-650 MBA-660 MBA-720(or MBA-721) MBA-730 MBA-745 MBA-750 MBA-760 (MBA 745, MBA-750 and MBA-760 may be taken concurrently with MBA 770)

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The final course in the MBA curriculum ties together the integral components of the four industry clusters, strategy and business fundamentals to the experience of leading change. Students experience the change process personally through a simulation. Students then apply their learning to an applied project based in one of the four clusters that is team-based, client-focused, grounded in research, and integrates MBA concepts as required with a final presentation to a live client. As part of understanding change, students will also evaluate the wider societal impacts of the business change. Finally, students reflect on their MBA program in total, revisiting their career plan and vision. This course uses multiple approaches, defining, understanding and experiencing the strategic value of change at the organizational, team, and individual levels.

Learning Goals & Objectives

Learning Goals Learning Objectives
Be able to effectively apply analytical and critical reasoning skills to solve organizational challenges. (Analytical Reasoning)
  • Identifies the problem and related issues.
  • Identify key assumptions.
  • Generates salient alternatives.
  • Examine the evidence and source of evidence.
  • Identify conclusions, implications, and consequences.
  • Effectively articulate the role of ethics in management. (Ethics)
    1. Identify conflicts of interests and pressures that could lead to unethical conduct.
    2. Understand what kinds of questions are helpful to ask oneself when confronting an ethical dilemma.
    3. Demonstrate the ability to identify and take into account the interests of different stakeholders.
    4. Understand how business strategies that facilitate “doing good” can be made consistent with profitability.
    5. Understand that what is legal may not always be ethical and that what is ethical may sometimes not be legal.
    6. Appreciate that ethical norms vary across different countries and cultures.
    Indicate an understanding of how culture, economic and political issues differ across countries. (Global Awareness)
    1. Articulate fundamental challenges of global business.
    2. Analyze financial impacts of operating a global business.
    3. Apply the analysis to global management situation.
    4. Identify challenges of an international workforce.
    5. Demonstrate cultural awareness of external constituents.
    Be able to effectively communicate in oral form. (Oral Communication)
    1. Organize the presentation effectively.
    2. Deliver the presentation with attention to volume, clarity, grammatical correctness and precision.
    3. Develop the topic.
    4. Communicate with the audience.
    5. Use communication aids effectively.
    6. Summarize the presentation.
    Be able to effectively communicate in written form. (Written Communication)
    1. Develop a topic with supporting details.
    2. Organize written communication effectively and logically.
    3. Use correct word choice and effective sentence structure.
    4. Employ normal conventions of spelling and grammar.
    5. Provide examples and supporting evidence.
    6. Communicate accurate quantitative information.

    Electives

    Customize your MBA to your career goals with the electives you choose. The Suffolk MBA offers electives across a variety of functional areas. Four (4) electives must be taken within the Sawyer Business School and be 800-level or above. A select number of 700-level courses are acceptable within Healthcare, Public Administration and Nonprofit electives. Check the website as well as with your advisor for a list of acceptable 700-level HLTH and PAD electives.

    • Accounting
    • Business Law and Ethics
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Finance and Managerial Economics
    • Healthcare Administration
    • Information Systems and Operations Management
    • International Business
    • Marketing
    • Organizational Behavior
    • Public Administration and Nonprofit
    • Strategic Management
    • Taxation
    SBS 920 SBS Graduate Internship is designed for students interested in completing an internship, not for credit. Students must consult with the MBA Advisor for guidance on how to be considered for this option.

    Accounting

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This introductory-level accounting course provides students with a solid base in accounting fundamentals, including U.S. GAAP, the conceptual framework, nature of accounts, journal entries, and ultimately, financial statements. Provides in-depth coverage of the process by which accountants analyze, journalize, post, and summarize transactions. Reviews and analyzes multiple examples of current "real life" financial statements. The students would practice data analytics through the analysis of companies' financial ratios. The course includes a discussion of ethical issues facing accounting professionals and time value of money techniques. For MSA, GCA, & MST students, this is the first course in the financial accounting sequence. For MBA students, this potential elective course builds upon concepts learned in MBA 640.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MSA Program Director permission

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This is the first of two intermediate-level accounting courses that build on students' learning in ACCT 800, going in-depth into measurement and reporting of asset, liability, and stockholders' equity accounts for external financial reporting purposes. Discusses pronouncements of authoritative sources such as the SEC, AICPA, and the FASB. Introduces students to IFRS and their similarities to and differences from U.S. GAAP. Develops strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-801 or MSA Program Director permission

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This is the second of two intermediate-level accounting courses. The critical thinking and problem-solving skills developed in ACCT 801 are broadened as this class tackles more complex accounting concepts, including: dilutive securities, earnings per share, investments, revenue recognition, income tax accounting, pensions and leases. Since accounting for many of these areas has been a source of substantial debate and major revisions in recent years, subject matter covered will be topical. Pertinent pronouncements of standard-setting bodies continue to be studied.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the concepts and practices of cost measurement: variable costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, goal setting and performance monitoring, standard costing, and variance analysis. Students learn how to prepare a financial plan for a business by constructing operating, working capital, and capital budgets. Students study and practice Excel skills and how those are used to build a financial plan, analyze the sensitivity of the financial plan to different changes, examine performance, and measure and control overhead costs. Students study data analytics techniques and perform analyses in support of decisions, such as pricing, setting product line and customer profitability policy, sourcing of products and services, and matching costing systems to strategy. For MSA, GCA, & MST students this is the first managerial accounting course you will take. For MBA students, this potential elective course builds upon concepts learned in MBA 640.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the field of auditing, with a concentration in auditing historical financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, and some exposure to auditing the internal control over financial reporting of large public companies. Covers the environment, standards, regulation, and law of auditing in the US, with some exposure to the international environment. Covers audit planning, risk, and materiality assessments, audit evidence, evaluation of internal control, documentation, and audit reports. Includes researching and resolving practice-oriented problems and practice in using computer-assisted audit techniques and electronic confirmations.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the pervasiveness and genres of fraud and explores the motivations, opportunities, and rationalizations that facilitate fraudulent behavior. Covers methods of detection, investigation, and prevention of financial statement frauds and other types of financial-related frauds.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT 800 or MBA 640, and MBA 650 or program director approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course consists of two parts. The first part teaches students how to use Tableau to analyze large data sets and visualize data patterns to derive meaningful, actionable insights. We will utilize different data sets containing detailed information on sales, inventory, and other operational and financial metrics. This part will also introduce some basic tools used in accessing and compiling relevant big data from online resources such as the SEC's EDGAR website and Twitter. Students will be provided with necessary computer code and software to perform textual analysis for company documents and social media posts. The second part focuses on the analysis of financial statement data in an automated fashion. We will employ advanced tools in Excel along with the state-of-the-art data sources including Calcbench to perform financial data analytics and peer benchmarking. Our discussion on financial ratios and credit risk will have an analytical emphasis. This part will conclude with exercises on forecasting income statement data and valuing public companies.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-804 and ACCT-800 or MBA-640 or program director approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This case based course, teaches students how to better use information for improved decision making. Students will study how to identify the relevant information that is needed to make decisions. The decisions discussed will span a variety of business areas including accounting, finance, marketing and others. A special emphasis would be put on developing and strengthening the students' presentation skills in both face to face and online environments. Students will learn to speak influentially and effectively about numbers and communicate their conclusions and suggested decisions to different stakeholders.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-802, ACCT-805, and ACCT-865 (previously or concurrently) or program director approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This student driven course develops professional and leadership skills that are needed to serve effectively as senior financial professionals in a challenging global economy. In this course students develop their independent learning and research proficiencies by investigating developing areas of accounting practice. Students broaden their appreciation of the accountant's role as a business advisor by examining current challenges for the accounting profession, considering the impact that professional activities have on various stakeholders, and how responsibilities of the profession are evolving in response. Students will develop their awareness of the activities of policy makers and standard setters such as the SEC, FASB, and AICPA. Finally, students develop their effectiveness as professional colleagues throughout the semester by actively working on their professional skill set including: data analytics, business writing, oral presentations, team building, and leadership.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Describes various transaction processing cycles and their use in the structured analysis and design of accounting information systems. Students gain an understanding of Enterprise Resource Planning softwares, Quickbooks, database design, XBRL, implementations of internal controls, and privacy and data security issues.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-640 or ACCT-800

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Covers unique aspects of financial reporting in not-for-profit organizations and governmental units. Topics include fund accounting, encumbrance accounting, GASB pronouncements, cost accounting, and budgetary control for government and its agencies, healthcare, educational, religious and other not-for-profit organizations. Students learn how to apply the cost benefit analysis in the resources allocation process, program planning, budgeting and reporting systems.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Imparts an understanding of differences among nations in approaches to disclosure and choices of accounting measurement systems. Students learn about the influence of the IASB and IOSCO on multinational accounting harmonization, contrasting historical cost/purchasing power accounting with other accounting approaches, including current value accounting. Students will assess how differences in industrial and ownership structures affect accounting performance measurement. Students will also analyze risk management, accounting for derivative contracts, consolidation accounting, budgetary control, and transfer pricing in a multinational company.

    Prerequisites:

    Instructor's approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Enables a student-initiated directed study project. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report. The project must be approved by the dean of academic affairs prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625, MBA-635, MBA-640, MBA-650 MBA-660, and Instructor's approval. Limited to MBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the MBA advisor and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either accounting, business law and ethics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, strategy or tax. Offered every semester.

    Business Law and Ethics

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the philosophy and practice of substantive law affecting the formation, operation and discharge of commercial transactions, contracts, and business associations. Topics include: agency, partnership, corporation and trust forms of association. Considers aspects of property law and international dimensions.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 680 or MBA 730

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the complex interactions among legal, political, economic and cultural forces. Students discuss contemporary international conflicts in the areas of trade,expropriation, political risk analysis, foreign direct investment, anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws, export control laws,extraterritoriality and taxation of income.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Presents an in-depth study of corporate crime and financial fraud. Examines accounting devices and schemes employed to defraud stakeholders, failure of industry watchdogs, and the regulatory and legislative environment. Topics include:corporate governance, corporate finance, corporate compliance programs, ethical misconduct by outside legal, accounting,investment and banking professionals, Sarbanes Oxley Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,Organizational Sentencing guidelines, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering,conspiracy, securities violations, qui tam litigation(whistleblowers)and financial accounting crimes.

    Entrepreneurship

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    In this introductory course you will learn a deliberate process of opportunity recognition. You will learn how to generate ideas that fit within your and your team's mindset, as well as your knowledge, skills and abilities intended to improve the likelihood of success. Once your opportunity is identified, you will determine its level of feasibility from the conceptual stage, industry and competitive analysis, through legal and financial risk areas, leading to a "go or no go" decision. Topics include the individual and team mindset, identifying, growing and seizing opportunities, the founder and the team, and growth strategies. Financial topics include verifying the cost structure, making credible assumptions, identifying financial needs and sources, and preparing forecast financial statements, leading to a final presentation pitching the feasibility of your opportunity.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Corporate entrepreneurship refers to alternative approaches that existing firms use to innovatively generate new products, new services, new businesses and new business models. This course emphasizes the cultivation of each student's ability to evaluate innovations and business models for development in a corporate setting. It emphasizes various kinds of internal corporate ventures and multiple "external" collaborative approaches that include corporate venture capital investments, licensing and different types of alliances and formal joint ventures. Special emphasis will be placed on skills needed to promote and manage corporate entrepreneurship, including opportunity recognition, selling an idea, turning ideas into action, developing metrics for venture success and strategies for aligning corporate entrepreneurial projects with company strategies and growth opportunities and managing the conflicts that may arise between existing businesses and corporate entrepreneurial ventures. Students will also learn to identify the elements of an organization's culture, structure and reward and control systems that either inhibit or support the corporate entrepreneurship, and analyze how corporate entrepreneurial activities relate to a company's ability to drive innovation throughout the organization.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Social entrepreneurship is about applying innovative financial and operational solutions to ameliorating intractable social problems such as health care, education, poverty, climate change and human rights. This course will not only introduce you to the issues and challenges faced by social entrepreneurs the world over, but will also focus on the various business models adopted by social enterprises. The class will be case-based (2 books) with two short exams, one additional book to read, and an out of class project (individual or group--your choice).

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Corporations place high importance on innovation and new product development for competitiveness and profitability. Since many companies are operating in a global environment, there's a need to find ways to harness the talent of people at multiple locations. This course is designed to teach global innovation and new product development using "virtual team and connectivity" techniques involving multiple locations/countries, while equipping students with the necessary knowledge, expertise and capabilities towards this goal. This course may also be conducted with Suffolk Law School students.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Ever wonder what great breakthroughs are on the horizon to improve business thinking, processes, products, and services? If you have, this course is for you. We will learn about how businesses are using principles of design thinking and biomimicry to create entirely new ways of meeting the challenges of modern business: those are, needs to reduce costs, increase revenues, minimize waste & energy use, maximize novel approaches, & meet consumer and business needs. You may recognize the term "design thinking" if you are a follower of Apple, Inc. which has used this process in the development of all of their products and services over the past 15 years. Biomimicry principles are those that seek their inspiration from nature; after all, nature has been problem-solving for 3.8 billion years -- surely there is something to learn from this to be adapted to solving modern challenges. The course will be both conceptual and practical with various experiential learning opportunities.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Over the past decade, the world of business and the environment has exploded. Beginning as an engineering-driven movement among a handful of companies during the 1980s, many firms have learned that improved environmental performance can save money and create competitive advantage. Much of the focus over the last 30 years has been on larger businesses. But now the big businesses are encouraging their small and mid-sized enterprises vendors and partners to pay attention to these concerns also. Consequently, the "greening" of Small Business is of utmost importance as many small businesses are a part of the supply chains of larger companies. And improving their performance can strengthen the business relationships of all parties by becoming cleaner, greener and sustainable businesses. This course will cover all aspects of green and sustainable business from innovation to new products to greening of the supply chain. It will cover how small and large businesses like General Electric, General Motors and others are paying attention to this very critical topic and taking actions which benefit the environment as well as their bottom lines and thus creating entrepreneurial opportunities in this growing market.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This advanced course is held in an experiential setting to help entrepreneurial-minded students, managers, etc. develop and practice their business skills working with real startups or small business under pro bono consulting arrangements. This course will be under the supervision of a faculty member, coach and advisor. Students will learn to assess client situations, develop alternatives and identify and defend solutions, at times within the client organization. This course is offered as a joint practicum with Suffolk Law School or as an independent study.

    Finance and Managerial Economics

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    An in-depth analysis of financial statements, this course is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of business entity. This course also analyzes financial services industry: bank financial statement analysis with an emphasis on off- balance sheet lending and borrowing, capital structure issues, and innovations in mortgage-backed securities and asset-based financing techniques are covered. Additionally, the tax implications of various derivative securities is studied.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students analyze markets for financial assets, including the money market and various bond and stock markets. They learn determinants of the level and structure of interest rates, the Federal Reserve impact on markets, how financial institutions operate with respect to their sources and uses of funds, essentials of the regulatory structure of financial markets, transaction costs, and interrelations among markets.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course extends the body of knowledge acquired in MBA 650. Students expand knowledge of dividend theory, capital structure theory, capital budgeting, long-term financing decisions, cash management and corporate restructuring, market efficiency, and risk and liability management.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine markets for investment procedures, valuation models, basic analytical techniques, and factors influencing risk/return tradeoffs. This course emphasizes the professional approach to managing investment assets. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, options, and futures.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine techniques and decision-making rules for the evaluation and selection of long-term investment projects by corporations and the interaction of investment and financing.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students explore the pricing of options and futures contracts, the characteristics of the markets in which these contracts are traded, options and futures strategies, and the application of these contracts in the hedging of financial positions. In addition, students are exposed to swap markets and a variety of swaps.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The course introduces students to the structure and management of international financial-services firms and methods through which financial institutions manage risk. The course discusses tools for identifying, measuring, evaluating, and managing risks, such as interest rate, credit, foreign exchange, liquidity, market, sovereign, and operational risk. The course also introduces key regulations and discusses important ethical issues in the financial-services industry.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students are introduced to mathematical statistics and basic econometrics. They study fundamental econometric tools as well as hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, linear regressions, simultaneous equations, and models of qualitative choice.

    Prerequisites:

    Take FIN-808, FIN-810, and FIN-814. (FIN-814 can be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine financial theories, techniques, and models applied to the study of corporate financial decisions, aspects of corporate strategy, industry structure, and the functioning of capital markets.

    Prerequisites:

    FIN 810

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students learn theory and techniques of scientific portfolio management, including the establishment of portfolio objectives, evaluation of portfolio performance, asset allocation strategies, and the use of derivative securities in portfolio insurance.

    Prerequisites:

    FIN-818

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The nature, techniques, and problems of business forecasting. Covers indicators of business activity, short-run econometrics forecasting models, and the construction of aggregate forecasts as well as forecasts of major economic sectors. Includes long-term predictions and the application of aggregate and sector forecasts for particular industries and firms. Prerequisite: FIN 818.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course addresses the financial needs of private businesses, focusing on the financial motives and needs of private company owners and their advisors. The course is an opportunity to present private finance as a complement to corporate finance/public finance so as to prepare students to better serve or participate in making better financing decisions in the marketplace of privately held businesses.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The course introduces basic corporate valuation models and shows how risk arises in firms and how managing that risk can impact the firm's valuation. It shows different ways and contracts that can be used to change the risk profile of the firm. The course will introduce methods including using derivatives to hedge, and the use of insurance and hybrid insurance contracts, and through the adjustment of the capital structure and other financial policies of the firm (dividend payout strategies, optimal compensation, etc.). Throughout the course we will use various risk metrics to demonstrate the impact the risk management strategy has on the firm's exposure to risk and the value that is created by undertaking the activity.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students analyze the main functions of investment banks such as origination, syndication, and distribution of security issues. They examine pricing of new issues and secondary offerings by investment banks, mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, valuation of closely held companies, and restructuring of distressed companies. The role of investment bankers in restructuring industry and financing governments and ethical issues faced by investment bankers will be studied.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students are introduced to the language and principles of real estate. Includes an overview of decision-making in the field, with particular emphasis on investment and asset management.

    Prerequisites:

    FIN-810 (may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students develop a framework for understanding, analyzing, and valuing modern financial instruments. Students examine several types of derivative securities and their use in managing financial risk. While the interests of issuers, intermediaries, and investors will all be considered, the primary emphasis will be on the perspective of corporate financial managers and the use of modern financial technology in the creation of value for shareholders.

    Prerequisites:

    Take FIN-810

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The course is designed to provide information on various types of fixed income securities and markets, theories and concepts of the term structure of interest rates and valuation of fixed income securities, measurement and management of risk for traditional bonds and bonds with embedded options, understanding of the role of derivatives such as mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, swaps and exotic options, credit analysis and bond rating, portfolio management and performance evaluation. This course is generally offered as an intensive elective.

    Prerequisites:

    Take FIN-810;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine fundamental equity analysis as the convergence of a number of skills such as accounting, financial, and strategic analysis with detective work and experience. Students practice communicating and defending an argument, use a business analysis framework that helps tie together strategy and finance, practice model building and practical approach to profitability in the markets.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides an integrated framework for analyzing and measuring risk with a computer simulation approach. A common set of computational tools will be applied across several different financial applications ranging from options pricing to portfolio design. Extensive time will be spent on estimating and simulating 'Value at Risk' which has been a standard for measuring risk in large financial institutions. We will also compare this with other traditional methods as well as other modern methods, such as extreme value theory at quantifying risk. Computationally intensive methods, such as bootstrapping, and Monte Carlo analysis will be used extensively throughout the course with MATLAB as the primary programming tool.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    An in-depth analysis of timely special issues in the field of finance. Specific topics are announced when the course is scheduled.

    Prerequisites:

    Instructor's approval required

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A student-initiated directed study project, generally for three credit hours and completed within one quarter or semester. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report, and the proposal must be approved by the Office of the Dean prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625, MBA-635, MBA-640, MBA-650 MBA-660, and Instructor's approval. Limited to MBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the MBA advisor and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either accounting, business law and ethics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, strategy or tax. Offered every semester.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is required for MSA and MSF students and it is also a recommended elective for MBA students with a finance concentration. This course develops an understanding of the concepts, tools, and applications of economics at both the micro and macro level. The focus is on how economic analysis influences decision-making in the public and private sectors and how economic tools can enhance managerial effectiveness and organizational efficiency. The economic role of government and its impact on the business environment in a market economy, the factors that influence firm performance and competitiveness, and the role of financial institutions in the current economic environment are discussed throughout the course.

    Healthcare Administration

    Prerequisites:

    MHA students only

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course is required for all MHA students. Its primary goal is to focus students on their career development. The course provides an orientation to Suffolk's MHA Program and the University's resources, along with guidance for getting the most from the MHA Program and the student's time at Suffolk. It introduces students to the healthcare industry in Massachusetts and identifies opportunities for student involvement in selected healthcare organizations. The course highlights how to build essential skills in written and verbal communication, critical and strategic thinking, resume development, and professional networking. Finally, it enables each student to conduct in-depth planning for his or her career as a healthcare professional. After becoming familiar with the range of competencies put forth by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL), each student develops a Personal Roadmap for Professional Development that incorporates selected competencies. The roadmap is a guide for the student's learning and development as a healthcare manager in the years ahead.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course presents an overview of the origins, components, organization, and operation of the health system in the United States. It is an introduction to the major health issues and institutions, including the settings in which health services are delivered, providers of these services, and the public and private payers for services.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides a framework for understanding the economics of the U.S. healthcare industry. The industry is experiencing great pressure to reduce costs, even as it strives to do better at both improving the health of the population and engaging patients in their care. This course enables students to apply the perspectives and tools of health economics to the tasks of understanding and improving the business of healthcare. Students analyze and evaluate current and evolving healthcare markets, public policies, payment methods, mechanisms for bearing and sharing financial risk, and the economic impact of changes in technology and the health professions. Students participate in envisioning the future and designing better ways for healthcare leaders, managers and policy makers to meet the challenges facing the industry.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces students to a wide range of current innovations as well as innovations that are expected in the future. The course builds students' skills to anticipate, adopt and manage innovation in healthcare. It covers innovation in the organization and delivery of healthcare services as well as in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and healthcare information technology. In particular, the course explores how innovation happens -- i.e., how players across the healthcare industry create, identify, pursue, and support or impede opportunities for innovation.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides an overview of healthcare management. Students develop knowledge and skills required for effective management of organizations that deliver high quality, patient-centered, cost-effective care. The course examines forces that are shaping healthcare organizations and draws on management theory and practice to explore a wide range of topics, including: governance and control; strategy; organizational structure, tasks and positions; culture and ethics; leadership and motivation; communication: planning; decision making and problem solving; recruiting and retaining human resources; teamwork; cultural competence and diversity management; managing people and performance in clinical and support services; and organizational change.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course covers both qualitative and quantitative research methods, with a strong focus on applied healthcare management research. Course topics include scientific reasoning, research design, action research methods, qualitative research methods, fundamental statistical techniques, and display and presentation of quantitative and qualitative analyses. This course prepares students as both producers and consumers of healthcare related research. Students will: Learn fundamentals of scientific reasoning, research design, and action research methods. Gain basic skills in both qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis and presentation. Understand the meaning and appropriate application of basic statistical techniques relevant to healthcare management. Become prepared to analyze and draw conclusions from surveys, program evaluations, and operations data. Be able to troubleshoot the work of consultants and be critical consumers of research performed by others.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH 701

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course prepares students to plan, lead, manage and improve primary care and other ambulatory patient care services ("APC") toward achieving the "Triple Aim" of better population health, better patient care and lower cost. The course covers a range of APC services including physician practices, community health centers, ambulatory surgery, retail clinics, behavioral health and dental care. Students who complete the course will be able to understand and analyze: key structures and processes of APC services and their effects on the Triple Aim; key APC contexts including regulatory, reimbursement, technological and professional; and important industry trends related to APC. Specific topics include organizational structure and governance; workforce and staffing; facilities and licensure; emerging business models; performance measurement; relationship between primary care and public health; and emerging practice models including the patient-centered medical home.

    Prerequisites:

    TAKE HLTH 701

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The growing healthcare field is the most labor intensive employer in the United States. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the theories, requirements and practices associated with managing human resources in healthcare organizations. The course covers both strategic and operational aspects of human resources planning and management, and it devotes particular attention to the issues that make human resources management in healthcare so challenging. Perhaps most important, the course guides students in developing practical knowledge and skills to prepare them- as healthcare leaders and managers- to successfully address human resource issues. The course will draw from a range of theoretical material and practical situations, using a variety of learning approaches and featuring guest speakers from healthcare organizations who share their experiences and perspectives from the field of human resources. The course focuses on the following topics: The changing healthcare environment and its implications for human resources management, the use of strategic human resource management to gain a competitive edge in the healthcare industry, workforce design, legal and regulatory requirements, recruitment and retention, organizational development, performance management, compensation and benefits, managing with organized labor and creating customer-satisfying healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course serves as an introduction to the financial accounting of healthcare organizations. Understanding the important principles of a healthcare organization's income statement and balance sheet is the essence of this course. Focused attention will be given to the interpretation and analysis of financial statements, including the implications of assuming risk in an era of managed care.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students investigate the structural and functional aspects of the legal, institutional, and political factors that condition the character of the US healthcare industry, the role of the healthcare manager, the legislative process, administrative policy-making, and national trends related to political parties and interest groups. Topics in healthcare law include medical malpractice, informed consent, confidentiality of patient information, healthcare liability, and administrative law.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701; MHA students are required to take HLTH 824. MBA/H students are required to take MBA 640. Non-MHA and MBA/H students need permission from the Health Department before registering;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course serves as an introduction to the financial management of healthcare organizations. Using financial information for decision making is the essence of this course. Students will gain a perspective on the critical factors related to managing a healthcare organization in a marketplace that is demanding cost effective services. Focused attention will be given to managerial accounting, cost allocation, budgeting, and variance analysis.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701 HLTH-824 HLTH-826;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    In our complex and ever-changing healthcare industry, leaders and managers must understand the financial drivers that are shaping the strategic planning and decision making at all levels of healthcare organizations. This advanced course builds on the healthcare financial management techniques introduced in HLTH 824 and HLTH 826 and is intended for students seeking to enhance their analytic and financial management skill set. Through in-depth research of a healthcare organization's financial statements, students will gain practical experience using the latest tools and analytic methodologies employed by healthcare managers. Our work will focus on financial statement analysis, benchmarking, forecasting, revenue cycle management (including the implications of capitation and pay-for-performance), and capital budgeting (including capital acquisition, lease/buy decisions, and access to capital markets). A group project, guest speakers and course readings aim to develop practical financial management skills that will enable students to make effective managerial decisions that lead to the financial success and long-term viability of their healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH 701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    Healthcare industry trends point toward increasing need for meaningful measurement of the health of populations- from the population of patients who use a particular health service to the populations of nations. Healthcare managers must measure the need and demand for health services as well as the quality, safety and effectiveness or services. This course provides the fundamental information and enables students to develop the skills to apply principles and techniques of epidemiology in planning, delivering and evaluating health services.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701 and either HLTH-812 or SBS-604. MHA and MSBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students are introduced to concepts and analytic tools and techniques in operations management, such as project management, process improvement, queuing theory, forecasting, capacity planning, and supply chain management. Students will be challenged to examine the distinctive characteristics of health services operations, understand process improvement and patient flow, and explore the means for making optimal managerial decisions. In-class exercises, applied concept assignments, guest speakers, and exams are used to help students understand ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    The 'production' of health care is a service of significant personal and social consequence and high on the agenda of every healthcare executive. Today's consumer actively seeks evidence about the quality of care they can anticipate while payers are offering financial incentives to providers who can demonstrate superior patient outcomes. This course will focus on the complexities and processes of assuring quality performance in healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines health policy development and implementation as well as important and cutting-edge U.S. health issues, including their policy and ethical implications. Topics may change each year, but usually include state and federal healthcare reform, access and health disparities, medical errors, healthcare quality, evidence-based practice and shared decision making, chronic illness and disabilities, behavioral health, stem cells and genetics, the consumer paradigm, emergency response management, and end-of-life issues.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701 AND HLTH-831;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The imperative to improve and assure the quality and safety of services is of paramount importance to clinical providers, managers, and executive leadership. This course builds on the basic principles, concepts, tools, and analytic methods addressed in HLTH 831. Among the topics explored in this advanced course are: creating a culture of safety; establishing and sustaining organizational alignment; quality/safety implications for accreditation and regulatory compliance; measuring and improving the patient experience; mistake-proofing the design process; and principles and strategies to improve reliability. The course will provide a foundation for the learner to: 1.Compare and contrast definitions of quality from a variety of stakeholder perspectives. 2.Classify medical error and identify means to reduce risk and/or take effective corrective action. 3.Explore sense-making and its applicability to transformational change in healthcare quality. 4.Identify leadership strategies for establishing an organization-wide culture of safety. 5.Apply essential healthcare team concepts, especially collegiality and collaboration, in complex circumstances of quality improvement. 6.Define mistake-proofing and mistake-proofing approaches and design applied to patient safety. 7.Apply reliability principles to performance improvement in complex systems. 8.Complete an actual healthcare performance improvement project that involves the use of knowledge and skills acquired in the pre-requisite course HLTH 831: Performance Improvement and Patient Safety as well as this course.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    As the healthcare industry continues to be highly competitive, and as health-related information becomes more available through television and the Internet, healthcare organizations are challenged to communicate their messages more aggressively and in new ways to their key audiences. This course enables students to learn about the nature of those audiences as well as healthcare marketing and communications, with emphasis on designing and conducting market research, identifying market segments and their unique characteristics, selecting promotional strategies and tactics for reaching target audiences, and developing marketing plans.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    Healthcare is among the most complex and dynamic industries in the United States. It is characterized by: changing demographics, health conditions and consumer wants and needs; continuous innovation in programs, services, treatments, technology and delivery systems; increasing complexity of care; intense competition among some providers, and mergers and affiliations among others; increasing shortages of key personnel; rising costs; mounting pressure to deliver quality care and manage costs; changing laws, regulations and payment systems; 45+ million Americans without health insurance, resulting in disparate levels of service accessibility and quality; and a growing movement to make health insurance available and affordable for more Americans. In such an environment of challenge and change, healthcare leaders and managers must be able to understand current reality, anticipate the future, and continuously design and implement change. Healthcare organizations must be change-able: i.e., equipped with the orientation, skills and approaches to manage change across a wide range of leadership, management and service delivery dimensions). Accordingly, this course enables students to: 1. examine key external and internal forces for change that face healthcare organizations, and 2. begin to develop the orientation and skills to envision, design, lead, and implement change in healthcare organizations. Drawing on theory and case studies of organizational change, the course covers such topics as: the nature of organizational change; why the ability to create desired change is so important; key external and internal factors that require healthcare organizations to change; aspects of healthcare organizations that support and resist change; designing and implementing successful and lasting change; sources of greatest leverage for achieving desired change; and key requirements for success.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The health and wellbeing of people throughout the world are challenged by many factors. To highlight those factors and what is being done to address them, this course focuses on global health problems and needs, including those related to infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, mental illness and substance abuse, and complex emergencies such as natural disasters and war, with particular attention to women, children and families. It also review critical global health-related policy issues such as poverty, population growth, the food and nutrition crisis, water wars, environmental degradation and climate change. Among the assignments, students write papers on specific global health problems and needs and identify healthcare and health-related organizations and financial resources in selected countries that are addressing the problems and needs. The course closes by examining the challenges of how to prioritize the deployment of scarce resources and mobilize citizens, governments and for-profit and non-profit organizations to enhance people's health and wellbeing and save civilization.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course covers health information and a range of healthcare IT applications as well as topics related to IT planning and management. Applications include medical records, order entry, decision support, and emerging applications. Planning and management topics include data security, IT cost, systems interoperability, project management, IT implementation, and governance.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces concepts and managerial views of business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and leadership practice as applied to organizational settings in healthcare.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.00- 3.00

    Description:

    This is a student-initiated directed study project. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report, and the project must be approved by the Dean of Academic Affairs prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    0.00- 3.00

    Description:

    The internship enables students to learn about important aspects of healthcare by working in a healthcare organization. It is intended for students who do not have professional experience in the U.S. healthcare system as well as students who already work in healthcare and seek to gain exposure to other areas of the system. For all students, the internship provides networking opportunities for future career development. The internship requires each student to: work with a healthcare faculty member to identify opportunities and secure an internship in a healthcare organization; complete 400 hours of supervised work in that healthcare organization; attend classes to examine relevant aspects of the internship; and report on the lessons learned from the internship and how they could be applied in the student's future professional endeavors.

    Prerequisites:

    This course is the capstone of the MHA Program and should be taken in the last semester of coursework. MHA and MBA/HLTH students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The success of any healthcare organization depends on the ability of its leaders and managers to continuously identify, evaluate and address the key issues and challenges facing the organization. This capstone course for healthcare explores the essential elements of strategic management: the foundation (including Systems Thinking), strategic analysis, and strategy development and implementation. Using Futurescan and provocative case studies, students: conduct assessments of external trends, assumptions and implications; identify and assess organizational opportunities and threats/challenges as well as strengths and weaknesses; identify strategic and operational issues; and review and develop strategies and action steps to address the issues. For the final project, each student develops a strategic plan for a healthcare organization or conducts a research project on a healthcare organization or strategic issue of particular interest (e.g., mergers and acquisitions in healthcare). Fundamentally, this course focuses on applying strategic and systemic thinking in diagnosing organizational circumstances and developing strategies for "what to do next."

    Information Systems and Operations Management

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Analyzes various real world business problems and explores the full scope of MS Excel's formulas, functions and features to create data models and present solutions. Students analyze data, design custom charts, graphs, PivotTables and Pivot charts, create three-dimensional workbooks, build links between files and endow worksheets with decision-making capabilities. Students conduct What-If Analysis, utilizing Scenario Manager, Solver, Data Tables and Goal Seek. This course provides the skills necessary to pass the Microsoft Office Specialist Certification in Excel.

    Prerequisites:

    This course was formerly ISOM-815

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the importance of information as an organizational resource, role of big data in organizations, and the application of tools to provide high quality information. Students will be able to select the most appropriate data management tool (e.g., SQL vs. non-SQL databases) to business scenarios. Develops the skills needed to succeed in today's big data environment through the application of data management techniques, cases and exercises. Students will become proficient in designing databases using entity relationship modeling and normalization, in building and querying databases of various sizes with Access and SQL (an industry standard), preparing high quality data and applying data visualizing techniques. Students will complete a series of business-oriented hands-on exercises, prepare cases, and complete projects on database design and big data.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides students with an understanding of the nature of enterprise integration and enterprise software, business process reengineering, the implementation within organizations, and strategies for maximizing benefits from enterprise systems. To manage complex business processes in today's multi-national, wired and wireless world, firms need integrated software packages to manage their global business. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are used to support a wide range of business functions for all companies across industries. With ERP systems, business managers are able to make decisions with accurate, consistent, and current data. Intensive lab projects on the SAP ERP System with real life business scenarios are utilized to reinforce understanding of enterprise systems functionality and business process concepts.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the fundamental principles of information and big data security. Security vulnerabilities, threats and risks will be analyzed. Common types of computer attacks and counter-attacks will be identified. Security technologies such as biometrics, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and cryptography systems will be applied in conjunction with human based safeguards. Business continuity and disaster recovery planning will be covered. Students will then learn how to design and build a layered security defense combining several of the above controls to address the different challenges to data security. The managerial concerns of security and privacy of information will be stressed including the legal and privacy issues. Best practices for planning and auditing security and privacy will then be covered.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces business intelligence and data analytics. Business intelligence and data analytics help organizations in strategic and operational decision making by improving performance management, optimizing customer relations, monitoring business activity, and improving decision support. On a macro-level, the class will discuss business cases for the adoption of business intelligence and data analytics. We will discuss technologies and processes for gathering, storing, accessing, and analyzing data to provide users with better insights and business decisions. On a micro-level, students will use a variety of tools to build their skills in analyzing data to solve business problems. In summary, this course provides a conceptual understanding of business data resources and the development of capabilities for data preparation, warehousing, selection, description, mining, interpretation, visualization, communication, and innovation.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the fundamental principles and concepts for effective management of supply chains via performance drivers such as procurement, facilities, inventory, transportation, and pricing. No company can do better than its supply chain, a complex network of organizations that collaboratively manage transformation processes to deliver final products/services to customers. Managing a supply chain is a tremendous challenge for most firms which, paradoxically, can also be a crucial source of competitive advantage. This is also a "how-to" course with an extensive use of Excel for supply chain managers and analysts who can benefit from experiencing hands-on familiarity with modeling supply chain applications along with data analysis and interpretation.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the basic principles, tools and technique of the Project Management Life Cycle with practical real-life examples and scenarios. The basic concepts will be studied within the framework of the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK (R)Guide) guidelines set forth by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Other project management framework will be described though not in detail. The course will attempt to help students understand the relationship between good project management and successful software management, development and implementation, and the best practices at each stage of project planning, execution, control and closure. The course will also help build skills to research, analyze and report project management case studies that illustrate the topics covered in this course. PMP(R) and (PMBOK(R)Guide) are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

    Prerequisites:

    Instructor Permission

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This elective course option involves a student initiated written proposal to a willing and appropriate full-time faculty member for a directed study project. The project should be completed during one semester. The faculty member and student must concur on a written proposal, final project and grading criteria. Approval by the Department Chair and the Dean is necessary before registration.

    Prerequisites:

    Approval of the student's Program Director and ISOM Department chair required.

    Credits:

    0.00- 3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the department chair and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either information systems, operations management, or business analytics. A final written report and presentation are mandatory if this course is taken for credit. Offered every semester.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to the concepts and applications of data analytics on large data sets for managerial decision making. Students will learn foundation skills needed to extract valuable information out of data, including various descriptive and predictive analytics techniques. Students develop knowledge of data visualization and interpretation coupled with conveying data, results and insights. Issues on data acquisition, storage and management will be discussed.

    International Business

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Imparts an understanding of differences among nations in approaches to disclosure and choices of accounting measurement systems. Students learn about the influence of the IASB and IOSCO on multinational accounting harmonization, contrasting historical cost/purchasing power accounting with other accounting approaches, including current value accounting. Students will assess how differences in industrial and ownership structures affect accounting performance measurement. Students will also analyze risk management, accounting for derivative contracts, consolidation accounting, budgetary control, and transfer pricing in a multinational company.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 680 or MBA 730

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the complex interactions among legal, political, economic and cultural forces. Students discuss contemporary international conflicts in the areas of trade,expropriation, political risk analysis, foreign direct investment, anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws, export control laws,extraterritoriality and taxation of income.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course addresses the creation of competitive advantage in a multinational firm. Topics include: analysis of the nature of globalization, the formulation and implementation of international strategy, market entry and organizational forms, and the management of global operations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course focuses on the institutional and policy contexts in which businesses develop global strategies. It expands the understanding of global contextual factors impacting business, in order to gain deeper local, national, and global perspectives on competition. The course pays particular attention to social and political dimensions of strategy that are an essential component for superior performance in the contemporary world but receive little consideration in standard strategic analysis, such as trade protectionism, political risks affecting foreign direct investment, the use of the law as a competitive tool, government regulation, lobbying, and corporate social responsibility.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625, MBA-635, MBA-640, MBA-650 MBA-660, and Instructor's approval. Limited to MBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the MBA advisor and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either accounting, business law and ethics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, strategy or tax. Offered every semester.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA 660;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    In many firms, the brand or portfolio of brands has become the most valuable asset requiring strategic management in order to secure the goals of the organization. Hence, developing strong brands for markets around the world has become increasingly important in today's global economy. This objective of this course is to examine appropriate theories, models and other tools to help make branding and communication decisions for brands globally. The course presentation will combine lectures, case studies, guest speakers and a semester long, team-based project.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The application of marketing principles and practices to competition in global markets. The course emphasizes the skills necessary for cross-cultural marketing.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-660 (previously or concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A key to successful marketing is cracking the code of consumer behavior. The scope of this course is analyzing consumer behavior both at home and abroad, particularly contrasting the emergent markets in the East with more established Western markets. This comparison highlights issues such as the role of consumption in negotiating modernity while honoring tradition, responses of consumers to innovations, the role of social class and status in consumption, and value placed on authenticity in different cultural milieus. This course is constructed in three modules. The first focuses on the globalization of consumption, the second on the adoption and consumption of innovations, and the last on special topics in cultural and cross-cultural studies.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-861 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course studies the U.S. taxation of U.S. persons with non-U.S. income and/or activities. Covers foreign tax credit and foreign tax credit limitation, individuals with earned foreign income, controlled foreign corporations, Subpart F, investment in U.S. property, and transfer pricing. Also address compliance and disclosure requirements.

    Marketing

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625, OR SBS-604, OR MBA-622; AND MBA-660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course explores the role of research in marketing decision-making, including the cost and value of information. The course uses cases and problems to explore problem definition, research design, sampling, questionnaire design, field methods, data analysis and reporting.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The foundational course in the digital marketing track this course focuses on the consumer of digital media and five big picture marketing strategy challenges confronting marketers in the new digital (mobile +social) marketing era. Challenge 1: Marketing to a smarter, more engaged, empowered consumer; Challenge 2: Marketing to a networked, collaborative, and more social consumer; Challenge 3: Marketing to a more distracted and fickle consumer; Challenge 4: Marketing to a unique, individual consumer; and Challenge 5: Marketing to prosumers or producer-consumers. The course takes on these big picture challenges thorough a deep engagement with and critical analysis of readings and cases. Given this focus the course demands thorough preparation for class and active engagement in the class discussion. The evaluation is assignment and project based.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 660

    Credits:

    1.00- 3.00

    Description:

    A student proposes a directed study project, generally for three credit hours and completed during one semester. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report, and the project must be approved by the Office of the Dean prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625 and Instructor's approval.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A semester long internship in a company, non-profit organization, or public agency in the Boston Metropolitan area, usually requiring the equivalent of at least one day per week on site. The internship project is described in a written proposal agreed upon by the company sponsor and faculty members. The intern must complete a mid-semester progress report, a final report and/or presentation.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The application of marketing principles and practices to competition in global markets. The course emphasizes the skills necessary for cross-cultural marketing.

    Organizational Behavior

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces learners to the concepts of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Learners will assess their own EI, examine how their EI impacts their performance in the workplace, and develop a plan to improve their own emotional intelligence. In addition, learners will study how EI concepts are applied in organizations via their use in selection, training, management development, coaching, and performance evaluation.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Most employees will encounter difficult interpersonal situations at some point in their careers. This course focuses on the high costs of incivility to employee well-being and productivity. Students will reflect on their experiences, learn techniques to improve their communication skills, and experientially practice having difficult conversations. Topics such as abusive supervision, sexual harassment, and abnormal psychology will also be covered. Students will gain insight into how to cope with challenging interpersonal situations, address problematic behaviors, and develop more positive relationships in the workplace.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course emphasizes the theory and skills of win-win negotiation. Students assess their own negotiation styles, analyze the process of negotiation, and apply theory-based skills for integrating problem solving approaches to negotiation. The course utilizes a mix of teaching tools, including readings, lectures, cases, exercises, videotapes, and role-playing.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course brings to light one of the most important yet vastly unmentionable topics of management: Failure. We will examine various aspects of failure from a sense making perspective at the organizational and individual levels, within emphasis on the latter. Examples of course questions include: What is failure? How do I usually handle it? Can I change if I want to? How? We will adopt an action learning pedagogical perspective so that students may enjoy the difference between mere knowing and understanding of material, on the one hand, and acting upon their understanding, on the other hand, to detect and possibly correct their frameworks for personal groundings, meaning-making, and failure handling strategies. There are no formal academic prerequisites for the course, except a desire for personal mastery and a white belt mentality.

    Public Administration including Nonprofit Management

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This introductory graduate-level course provides an overview of public administration and service and serves as a basis for further advanced studies in the MPA program. This course covers the structure, functions, and process of public service organizations at various levels, including governments and nonprofit organizations. Students explore historical trends, ethical considerations, and political rationale for the present operations of public service.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course demonstrates how issues, problems, and questions surrounding public policies, program operations, and administrative systems can be structured as hypotheses and made amendable to resolution through the application of social science research techniques. The elements of research design such as surveys, true experiments, quasi-experiments, case studies and non-experimental studies are described, as well as sampling techniques and descriptive statistics. Ethical issues related to employment of these methods in the policy making process are also explored. The course content is presented as a way to reduce managerial uncertainty regarding alternative courses of action.

    Prerequisites:

    PAD 712

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Pre-requisite: PAD 712 Quantitative analysis introduces basic statistical techniques used to analyze and draw conclusions from citizen and client surveys; program and policy evaluations; and performance and operations data. These techniques include chi square, lambda, gamma, correlations, and analysis of variance, t test correlations, and multivariate regression. Knowledge of these statistical techniques empowers managers by giving them the ability to evaluate the work of consultants, access the policy and management of literature, and analyze data using the analytical tools available in commonly uses statistical software, such as Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course will explore complex issues in public and non-profit human resource management (HRM) by examining policies and practices that support and enhance the value and contribution of individuals in these organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Leadership is a critical ingredient of successful communities and organizations. This course develops a diagnostic framework as well as strategies and tactics to mobilized adaptive work, engage multiple government, no-profit, and business stakeholders, and build awareness and momentum for actions at all levels of government and community and in one's organization. It introduces the catalytic model of leadership and applies it to the ethical handling of societal and organizational problems. Students' leadership competencies are reviewed and improved. This course is designed for people from diverse backgrounds with varied experienced in the leadership role.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students review the basis for administrative practice. They learn legal interpretation of statutes, regulations, and proposed legislation that impact public administration and public policy.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Instructor's signature required for registration. Students examine the interrelations among the federal executive, Congressional committees, constituency groups, and federal administrative agencies in the formulation and implementation of federal policies. Also discussed are managerial functions (e.g., personnel regulations, program evaluations, and intergovernmental design). This course includes a 3-day travel seminar to Washington D.C.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examination of patterns of intergovernmental operations and administration. Special emphasis on changing techniques of intergovernmental management and emerging patterns of intergovernmental relations. Issues such as regionalism, program mandates, and resource management will be explored.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The primary focus will be on understanding the operational and strategic leadership aspects of managing mission driven, public service organizations. Specific emphasis will be placed on nonprofit corporations, including coursework that explores the legal, structural, and operational issues that are particular to such organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This is an intensive analysis of selected public policy challenges. Using a combination of case studies, theoretical writings, and real-time intelligence and reports, students discuss and compare the substance, practices, and impacts of contemporary public policy issues. Through this examination students will consider operations and methodologies used to understand and tackle public policy systems analysis. Examples are used to demonstrate how these analytical methods can be used to make more informed policy decisions and assessments. Topics for this course will vary and students may take this course more than once as long as the topic (title) is different.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is built on the premise that state and local government leaders have an obligation to fully develop the human resources, network relationships and physical assets available to them so as to increase the value of their organizations to the public. Through case studies, students will explore the successes and failures of state and local government leaders and their strategies in major policy arenas, such as public safety, health and welfare, education, then environment and economic development. Through readings, students will examine state and local government structures and functions, political culture, and administrative reforms.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    PAD 819 covers both Grant seeking and Grant writing. Students, individually, but most often in teams, work with a nonprofit or government organization to develop a project idea and prepare a Master Grant Proposal and a Grant Application to be submitted to a most-likely-to-fund Grand maker. Classes focus on step-by-step Grant writing & Grant seeking process, and the instructor also consults with student-Grant writers individually an via Blackboard.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A decision-making course focusing on applying high speed information systems to support administrative and managerial functions. PMIS incorporates organizational assessments leading to purchasing computer hardware and software, office automation, and diverse communications including electronic automation, and diverse communications including electronic mail, Internet, telecommunications, and networking. Current events, professional journals and the technology presently used will be highlighted.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    An introduction to the health system, its origins, its components, and how they are organized and interrelated; determinants of health and disease; the role of professions, institutions, consumers, and government; landmark legislation, and social responses to the system.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Recessions and economic stagnation, loss of economic base, and natural disasters have significant consequences for the effectiveness of governments and nonprofits, yet during times of fiscal crisis these organizations carry more responsibility as people look to these organizations for leadership and relief from hardships. This course addresses strategies to prepare for and cope with fiscal crises. Students will learn to assess economic and financial vulnerability, develop management and budget methodologies that are adaptable to changing economic conditions, and develop strategies to ensure long-term financial viability and effectiveness of governments and nonprofits.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students develop techniques and directives related to communication processing. Both interpersonal communication and electronic information flow will be examined. Communication skills, styles, and strategies will be stressed through use of all media. Students will also analyze the theory and practice of public service marketing in relation to the administration of multiple sectors including private, public, nonprofit and health care by looking at innovative public service products and services.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Participants in this course will examine a variety of innovations that attempt to reap the benefits of diverse engagement by bringing together varied parties to forge new solutions to public service challenges. Across a variety of policy areas, practitioners have developed innovative policies and practices that engage citizens in public problem-solving, giving power to groups made up of citizens and public employees, and holding them accountable for producing and measuring results. Citizens play a critical and increasingly influential role in government decision-making and performance. As a result, leaders must understand the complexity of citizen participation and build skills for effective citizen engagement.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine disability issues of health, mental health, substance abuse, special education, long-term illnesses including HIV/AIDS, sensory impairments, and early-life and end-of-life issues, including genetics.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    In this course, students study the ethical, moral, and legal dilemmas in public and private managerial operations. The gray areas of decision-making provide case studies for exploration of effective ethical practices. Management approaches to deter fraud, waste, abuse, and corrupt practices are identified as are the tools and strategies to strengthen the organizational ethic and culture in business and government. Ethical management strategies designed to improve productivity within organizations are explored.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students learn effective approaches to leadership by examining leadership models, styles, and strategies. Emphasis is placed on the values and ethics of successful managerial leadership in public, private, and nonprofit sectors

    Prerequisites:

    Registration requires instructor approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    An opportunity will provided for students to research, experience, analyze, and compare public policy development and implementation in the United States, and in other nations like Dublin, Ireland, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The course consists of classroom lectures and independent research on the Suffolk campus as well as at a university related center in another country. Students may pick their specific research topics from a variety of public policy and program subject areas. This course may be taken twice, for a maximum of 6 credits.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Workplace and labor law affects every manager's ability to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Ignorance of the relevant statutes and case law leads to misunderstanding, mismanagement, and substantial legal costs and controversies. This course reviews some of the more significant legal requirements associated with recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, discipline, wages and benefits, etc. Teaching method includes lecture and case analysis.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides a practical framework for understanding the legal and ethical challenges continually faced by nonprofit human and social service organizations. Students learn about the various levels of legal influence, including federal, state, and city, as well as the "internal" laws of the corporation, and will explore the impact these laws can have on the day-to-day operation of the nonprofit organization. Students develop a methodology for identifying issues that can trigger a legal response and processes for best protecting their organizations, their clients, and themselves.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides an in-depth look at today's philanthropic trends, patterns, and best practices in fundraising techniques.

    Prerequisites:

    Restricted to students that have completed 30 credits.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Prerequisite: Students must have completed 30 credit hours. Students will integrate the substance of previous courses in order to develop a capacity for strategic management based on a personal perspective of the role of the professional manager in the policy making process. This holistic perspective is expressed in an extensive research paper that describes the leadership role of the professional manager and defines a basis for ethical action. The course features the review of research articles, the discussion of case studies, and a consideration of future trends in public and non-profit management.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    When offered this course focuses upon a special topic in the field of public administration. The course may be retaken for credit when the topics differ. Courses are wither three or 1.5 credits. Examples of 1.5 credit courses are: lobbying, housing, transportation, and managed care.

    Credits:

    1.00- 6.00

    Description:

    Instructor and Dean's Approval required for registration. This elective course option involves a student- initiated proposal to a willing and appropriate faculty member for a directed study project. The faculty member and student must concur on a written proposal and final report. Approval by the Office of the Dean is necessary prior to registration.

    Strategic Management

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Over the past decade, the world of business and the environment has exploded. Beginning as an engineering-driven movement among a handful of companies during the 1980s, many firms have learned that improved environmental performance can save money and create competitive advantage. Much of the focus over the last 30 years has been on larger businesses. But now the big businesses are encouraging their small and mid-sized enterprises vendors and partners to pay attention to these concerns also. Consequently, the "greening" of Small Business is of utmost importance as many small businesses are a part of the supply chains of larger companies. And improving their performance can strengthen the business relationships of all parties by becoming cleaner, greener and sustainable businesses. This course will cover all aspects of green and sustainable business from innovation to new products to greening of the supply chain. It will cover how small and large businesses like General Electric, General Motors and others are paying attention to this very critical topic and taking actions which benefit the environment as well as their bottom lines and thus creating entrepreneurial opportunities in this growing market.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is designed to provide you the tools to analyze your organization's competitive situation and develop innovative strategies and proposals that disrupt your competition and are game changers for your industry. You will also learn how to develop blue ocean strategies that create new growth opportunities and bring new customers into your industry. Next, you will learn how to assess existing business models and design business models supportive of your overall innovation-based strategy offerings. Lastly, you will learn how to access and leverage external sources of innovative ideas through the processes of open innovation, including crowd sourcing and co creation and their application in diverse industry settings.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is designed to examine the underlying theoretical foundations and practice of decisions central to corporate strategy development. Since this subject is important to scholars in strategic management, financial economics, and public policy, it is approached from an integrative, interdisciplinary perspective. Topics include: the history of merger waves in America and comparative global trends; types of mergers; merger financial and economic motives; strategic and managerial motives; acquisition processes; synergy of the diversified corporate portfolio; empirical evidence of merger success; post-merger integration; divestment; takeover defense strategies; leveraged buyouts; and public policy issues. Students will develop conceptual and analytical skills required for effective merger and divestment analysis through class lectures, selected readings, case discussions, and guest speakers.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A student proposes a directed study project, usually for three credit hours and to be completed in one semester. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report, and the project must be approved by the Office of the Dean prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    Approval of the MMS Program Director or Management and Entrepreneurship Department Chair required. MBA students may not take this course.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The internship is a semester-long, hands-on, practical learning experience in a company or non-profit organization. It usually requires the equivalent of at least one day per week on site. The site cannot be a firm where the student is already employed, unless the internship is confirmed to be related to the degree, substantially differentiated from the student's current work, and sponsored by a different department or division. The internship project is described in a written proposal agreed upon by the company sponsor and sponsoring faculty member, and it includes degree-related and career-related learning outcomes. The intern completes several written reflection assignments, a final report, and a presentation.

    Taxation

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Focuses on the federal income taxation of individuals with some discussion of business taxation. Explores the basic structure of individual income taxation, including the individual tax formula, income, deductions, and credits, and provides an introduction to property transactions. Emphasizes how tax laws affect everyday personal and business decisions.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Presents further consideration of tax issues as they affect the sole proprietor, including the Alternative Minimum Tax, nontaxable exchanges, basis rules, and passive activities.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Covers tax research methods, including identifying and defining tax questions, locating appropriate authority, and interpreting statutes, cases, and rulings. Emphasizes effective communication of research findings and recommendations, and proper administration, ethics and responsibilities of tax practice.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces concepts, principles and practices of taxation of corporations and their shareholders. Covers the effects of taxation on corporate formation, capital structures, distribution and liquidation.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Presents concepts, principles, and practices of taxation of partnerships and S-corporations, including the use of pass-through entities for tax planning.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Explores strategies of tax practice before the Internal Revenue Service. Covers tax deficiencies, assessments, claims for refunds, rulings, statutes of limitation, penalties, interest assessed, and appeals.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-861 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course studies the U.S. taxation of U.S. persons with non-U.S. income and/or activities. Covers foreign tax credit and foreign tax credit limitation, individuals with earned foreign income, controlled foreign corporations, Subpart F, investment in U.S. property, and transfer pricing. Also address compliance and disclosure requirements.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-861(may be taken concurrently) or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course strikes a balance between theoretical concepts and practical, real-world issues and covers the interrelationships between the federal and state taxation systems. Includes the coverage of sales and use taxes, corporate income, franchise taxes, and excise taxes.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-862 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines tax-free and taxable acquisitions/reorganizations in relation to various acquisitive and reorganizational transactions as well as consolidated returns. Covers continuity of enterprise and interest issues in conjunction with the tax treatment accorded a transaction, as well as carryover, basis and compliance provisions.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Includes a review and analysis, from an estate planning prospective, of legal principles critical to the development of an effective dispositive plan with a primary focus on past, current and proposed Federal tax law principles (under the income, gift, and estate tax statutes) pertinent to the development of a variety of estate plans. In addition, the course includes the discussion of particular estate planning problems and techniques for the purpose of determining the most effective means of achieving the client's goals.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Identifies concepts, principles and practices of the transfer taxation of decedents' estates, trusts and lifetime gifts. Covers valuation of property subject to estate and gift taxes, Generation Skipping Transfer Taxes, and the use of trusts for tax planning.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-861 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Studies U.S. taxation of non-U.S. persons with activities in the United States. Covers source of income, business investment, and financial planning from a tax perspective for non-U.S. persons doing business in the United States. Also addresses withholding, treaty implications, and compliance and disclosure requirements.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801, TAX-861, and 1 additional TAX course or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the history and evolution of the tax policy and budget process in the United States and the players in that process. Considers the issues of fairness, simplicity and efficiency in the context of the current tax system and evaluating past and current tax policy to make recommendations to craft new policy. Emphasizes the ethical dimensions involved in the tax policymaking process.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Presents the legal, economic, cash flow, tax, investment and insurance ramifications of life and death. Emphasizes tools and techniques necessary to maximize benefits generated from net worth, cash flow, and employment, and minimize the loss resulting from unforeseen contingencies, death, and retirement. Students participate in class discussions and are required to submit a written financial plan for a hypothetical client.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    1.00- 3.00

    Description:

    Enables a student-initiated directed study project. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report. The project must be approved by the dean of academic affairs prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625, MBA-635, MBA-640, MBA-650 MBA-660, and Instructor's approval. Limited to MBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the MBA advisor and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either accounting, business law and ethics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, strategy or tax. Offered every semester.

    Advising

    The MBA Programs Office and academic departments provide academic advising to both full-time and part-time students. All students are encouraged to discuss their academic interests, goals, and concerns with their advisor.

    The MBA Programs Office assists all prospective, current, returning MBA students, and MAPS students with their programs of study. Questions can be directed to the MBA programs office.

    MBA students have five (5) years to complete their degree.

    Waiver/Transfer

    Waiver Policy

    Core courses may be waived. Required MBA Courses (SBS 700, MBA 701, MBA 721, MBA 730, MBA 740, MBA 745, MBA 750, MBA 760 and MBA 770) cannot be waived.

    To waive a core course, a student must successfully complete equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MBA matriculation, with a grade of “B” or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable).

    All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student’s acceptance into the MBA Program and are waived during the student’s first semester. Students may also elect to take a proficiency exam, for a fee, to gain a waiver. Proficiency exams must be taken in the first semester and are administered on the Boston campus only, with prior arrangements. All MBA students must complete a minimum of 36 credits in the Sawyer Business School.

    Six (6) credits of elective courses, taken at the graduate level from an AACSB-accredited graduate program in business, may be transferred if the credits do not apply to a previously completed degree. Transfer credits must have an earned grade of "B" or better and be taken within five (5) years prior to entering the Suffolk MBA programs. Transfer credits apply only to electives.

    Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete

    Occasionally, Suffolk MBA students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. You may be able to transfer in six credits of elective courses from an AACSB-accredited MBA close to your new place of residence. Courses must be pre-approved by Suffolk’s assistant dean of graduate programs and have a grade of "B" or better.

    Students who leave the area may also complete their Suffolk MBA online.

    Transfer Credits from the Moakley Center for Public Management’s Certificate Programs to the MBA

    Students who have completed a certificate program through the Suffolk University Moakley Center for Public Management may transfer a maximum of 12 elective credits to the MBA or the MBA/Nonprofit elective portion of the MBA degree. Graduate course transfers may be considered for students who completed a PAD 800-level graduate course equivalent, receiving a grade of "B" or better within five (5) years prior of entering the MBA program. Applicants must successfully complete the certificate prior to enrolling in the MBA and cannot be enrolled in two (2) programs at the same time. Applicants must also meet MBA admission standards. All transfers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the MBA Programs Office.

    MBA Concentrations Archive 2018-2019

    The MBA program requires four (4) electives as part of the degree program. If a concentration is declared, at least three (3) electives in one functional area must be completed. The schedule for when courses within a concentration are offered vary by semester.

    Boston campus concentrations include: MBA Concentration in Accounting Principles, Forensic Accounting, Business Intelligence, Creative Disruption: Entrepreneurship for New and Existing Businesses, Finance, Quantitative Finance, Health Sector Management, Marketing, Marketing Research, Strategic Management, and Supply Chain Management.

    MBA/JD students can declare a concentration only if they are approved to substitute at least three (3) electives due to MBA core course waivers.

    Students who declare a concentration must submit a Declaration of Concentration form. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor before they declare a concentration.

    The concentration appears on the transcript, not the diploma.

    View the requirements for MBA Concentrations.

    MBA Online Archive 2018-2019

    The Suffolk MBA program is internationally accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The MBA Program is offered in a full-time or part-time format in Boston and Online.

    The MBA program provides all the basic skills of an MBA, as well as exposure to Boston's world-class industries. The MBA curriculum integrates experiential learning by having students regularly interact with Boston-area organizations.

    The MBA Online is a fully online degree. Students in the Online Program earn the same AACSB-accredited MBA degree as their Suffolk campus counterparts. MBA Online courses are taught by Suffolk faculty and have the same high expectations as campus courses.

    Curriculum

    MBA Curriculum Total Credits Required: 36-51

     

    Contextualize: from Boston to the World (5 credits)

    Must be taken as early in the program as possible.

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    SBS 700 is the first required course in Suffolk's graduate programs. The course is based on the precepts of experiential learning. Based on the idea that people learn best by participating in meaningful activities, this course provides students with the opportunity to learn about and experience first-hand the many complexities of business and the role of top managers. To accomplish this, students will work in small groups as they take on the roles of top managers in a hands-on behavioral simulation.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students ethical frameworks to lead and manage organizations that go beyond the standard legal compliance and risk management approaches, and that embrace the more inclusive principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility. This course will set forth the fundamentals of managerial ethics and will prepare students for the complex, multilevel managerial and leadership integrity challenges that corporations face today.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This first-semester MBA course introduces students to the topic of world-class clusters as a multi-level phenomenon. Beginning from the macro level of analysis and proceeding to the micro level, the course covers a panoply of concepts and frameworks for understanding why world-class clusters emerge at specific locations in the first place and then regularly succeed in transforming themselves to keep up with and even lead the pace of change in their respective industries. In the group projects that they conduct for this course, students are expected to emulate the characteristics of high-powered teams found in world-class clusters: the course thus begins with conceptual understanding of world-class clusters and then proceeds to have students emulate the behavior that can be observed in world-class clusters.

    Core Courses (15 credits)

    May be waived.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic tools and concepts of microeconomics (2 classes) for supply and demand analysis; for consumer market behavior; and for production, cost, and pricing decisions in different market structures. Greater emphasis (4 to 5 classes) in the course is on the macroeconomic topics of national economic performance, the economic role of government and fiscal and monetary policy, and the banking and financial system in the current economic environment. The course is intended for MBA students who have no recent academic background in economics.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course emphasizes the importance of basic concepts in probability and statistics for managerial decision making with a strong emphasis on practical application. Students will learn basic data analysis, random variables and probability distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression. MS Excel will be used throughout the course. Numerous examples are chosen from quality control applications, finance, marketing and Management to illustrate the managerial value of applying sound statistical techniques to the analysis of operational data.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625 or SBS-604 (may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides students with Operations Management concepts, techniques, and tools to design, analyze, and improve operational capabilities in any organization. Students will understand and analyze common OM decisions on managing inputs (materials, information, finances, and human resources) and processes to deliver desirable outcomes to customers. Topics covered include operations strategy, process analysis, quality management and lean operations, capacity analysis, inventory management, product development, supply chain management, project management, revenue management and pricing, decision analysis, and forecasting. Software tools used may include MS Excel, Visio, and Project Management. This course will contain experiential learning components related to Boston's world-class industries, which may include guest lectures, simulation exercises, or visits to local organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course deals with the structure and information content of the three principal financial statements of profit-directed companies, namely the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. It develops skill in using accounting information to analyze the performance and financial condition of a company, and to facilitate decision making, planning and budgeting, and performance appraisal in a managerial context. This course also contains an experiential component by offering guided inquiry and real company cases.

    Prerequisites:

    1 course from each of the following groups: MBA-615 or SBS-603; MBA-625 or SBS-604; MBA-640 or ACCT-800; These courses may be taken prior to or concurrently with MBA-650.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic principles of corporate finance. The main focus is on fundamental principles such as time value of money, asset valuation, and risk and return tradeoff. Topics to be covered also include cost of capital, capital budgeting, and capital structure.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    At its core, marketing is about providing consumer value. The practice of doing this is changing constantly-driven by rapid and far-reaching changes in technology; globalization; and the evolution of consumer values, practices, and lifestyles. This course will present themes, theories, and trends that are critical for: 1. understanding the business of creating, capturing and sustaining value; 2. introducing students to the global, consumer, and technological realities of marketing in the 21st Century; and 3. providing students with a sound foundation to explore marketing in further depth in upper-level elective courses. This course also contains an experiential component. .

    Understand Business Fundamentals (9 credits)

     

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students critical thinking and problem solving skills in the context of two essential ingredients of collaboration: leading people and teams, and managing projects. Students will learn concepts and processes that support building and launching high performing teams that can manage complex projects efficiently and effectively. Students will collaborate experientially to solve problems facing Boston's world-class industry clusters.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to three essential ingredients of innovation: Entrepreneurial Thinking, Information Technology in an Age of Disruption, and Law as Framework. Entrepreneurial thinking is a critical element in the creation, growth, and sustainability of an organization. In new ventures, entrepreneurs drive innovation with limited resources and within a flat organization. Information technology, strategically selected and implemented, can provide a significant, competitive advantage. Students will survey the increasingly complex, evolving, and highly competitive business environment in which ethical, legal, economic, and regulatory forces are continuously reshaping the global marketplace both to create and limit competitive opportunities. This course will contain experiential components, relating to Boston's world-class industries.

    Prerequisites:

    Please email Hillary Sabbagh at [email protected] to register for a travel seminar.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The Immersion course provides an opportunity for students to link their program work to hands-on experience and visits to real-life global companies. The highly experiential, intensive course combines classroom learning with a direct business and cultural experience. Students will work in teams directly for a client or several clients, solving real challenges, using their analytical skills, knowledge, and experience to develop feasible solutions. Required for all MBA students, the course will be offered globally or nationally to accommodate a variety of student needs.

    *Campus based students must take MBA 740. Fully online MBA students can either take MBA 740 or MBA 741 – Experiential Intensive.

    MBA Electives (12 credits)

    Three or four electives in one functional area comprise a concentration. A concentration is not required. All electives must be 800-level or above (some 700-level electives are acceptable for HLTH and PAD. See elective list for acceptable 700-level courses) within the Sawyer Business School.
     

    Construct the Big Picture (7 credits)

     

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-721, MBA-730, and SBS-700

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course involves synthesizing and applying the content from Values Based Decision Making through two deliverables, both of which require reflection on the MBA experience. Students will consider the external clients they have worked with in their client oriented classes and the MBA curriculum through an ethical lens. They will focus on identifying organization-based ethical issues and values, applying ethical frameworks to analyze them, and making an argument as leaders or managers for an ethical solution. This course will offer application and synthesis, taught towards the end, allowing students to creatively apply ethical perspectives to what they learned in the MBA.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the global business environment in a way specifically relevant to innovation in world-class clusters. The course has a three-part format: 1. global business fundamentals; 2. opportunity recognition, validation and planning; and 3. experiential term group project in the elaboration of a proposed innovation. Global business fundamentals include the complexities of operating in the international economic environment, the theory and practice of trade, the global integration and local responsiveness of the multinational firm, the internationalization decision of firms, as well as the different modes of entry.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students engage in a variety of learning activities, such as case studies, computer simulations, examinations, project reports, and most especially, experiential exercises involving competition. Students will develop a multi-functional general management perspective. The course is designed to help students integrate and apply their knowledge and techniques learned in the core courses of the MBA program into an overall view of the firm, evaluate the environment, and speculate on the future direction of the organization. Students will also learn about the principal concepts, frameworks, and techniques of strategic management, they will develop the capacity for strategic thinking, and they will examine the organizational and environmental contexts in which strategic management unfolds. This course will make extensive use of experiential activities and projects designed to get students to experience the dynamics of competition right in the classroom.

     

    Lead and Implement Change (3 credits)

    Must be taken as late in the program as possible.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700 MBA-701 MBA-710 MBA-615 MBA-625 MBA-635 MBA-640 MBA-650 MBA-660 MBA-720(or MBA-721) MBA-730 MBA-745 MBA-750 MBA-760 (MBA 745, MBA-750 and MBA-760 may be taken concurrently with MBA 770)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The final course in the MBA curriculum ties together the integral components of the four industry clusters, strategy and business fundamentals to the experience of leading change. Students experience the change process personally through a simulation. Students then apply their learning to an applied project based in one of the four clusters that is team-based, client-focused, grounded in research, and integrates MBA concepts as required with a final presentation to a live client. As part of understanding change, students will also evaluate the wider societal impacts of the business change. Finally, students reflect on their MBA program in total, revisiting their career plan and vision. This course uses multiple approaches, defining, understanding and experiencing the strategic value of change at the organizational, team, and individual levels.

     

    MBA Learning Goals & Objectives

    Learning Goals Learning Objectives

    Be able to effectively communicate in oral form.

    (Oral Communication)

    1. Organize the presentation effectively
    2. Deliver the presentation with attention to volume, clarity, grammatical correctness and precision
    3. Develop the topic
    4. Communicate with the audience
    5. Use communication aids effectively
    6. Summarize the presentation

    Be able to effectively communicate in written form.

    (Written Communication)

    1. Develop a topic with supporting details
    2. Organize written communication effectively and logically
    3. Use correct word choice and effective sentence structure
    4. Employ normal conventions of spelling and grammar
    5. Provide examples and supporting evidence
    6. Communicate accurate quantitative information

    Be able to effectively apply analytical and critical reasoning skills to solve organizational challenges.

    (Analytical Reasoning)

    1. Identifies the problem and related issues
    2. Identify key assumptions
    3. Generates salient alternatives
    4. Examine the evidence and source of evidence
    5. Identify conclusions, implications, and consequences

    Effectively articulate the role of ethics in management.

    (Ethics)

    1. Identify conflicts of interests and pressures that could lead to unethical conduct
    2. Understand what kinds of questions are helpful to ask oneself when confronting an ethical dilemma
    3. Demonstrate the ability to identify and take into account the interests of different stakeholders
    4. Understand how business strategies that facilitate “doing good” can be made consistent with profitability
    5. Understand that what is legal may not always be ethical and that what is ethical may sometimes not be legal
    6. Appreciate that ethical norms vary across different countries and cultures

    Indicate an understanding of how culture, economic and political issues differ across countries.

    (Global Awareness)

     

     

    1. Articulate fundamental challenges of global business
    2. Analyze financial impacts of operating a global business
    3. Apply the analysis to global management situation
    4. Identify challenges of an international workforce
    5. Demonstrate cultural awareness of external constituents

    Electives

    Customize your MBA to your career goals with the electives you choose. The Suffolk MBA offers electives across a variety of functional areas. Four (4) electives must be taken within the Sawyer Business School and be 800-level or above. A select number of 700-level courses are acceptable within Healthcare, Public Administration and Nonprofit electives. Check the website as well as with your advisor for a list of acceptable 700-level HLTH and PAD electives.

    • Accounting
    • Business Law and Ethics
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Finance and Managerial Economics
    • Healthcare Administration
    • Information Systems and Operation Management
    • International Business
    • Marketing
    • Organizational Behavior
    • Public Administration and Nonprofit
    • Strategic Management
    • Taxation
    *SBS 920 SBS Graduate Internship is designed for students interested in completing an internship, not for credit. Students must consult with the MBA Advisor for guidance on how to be considered for this option.

    Accounting

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This introductory-level accounting course provides students with a solid base in accounting fundamentals, including U.S. GAAP, the conceptual framework, nature of accounts, journal entries, and ultimately, financial statements. Provides in-depth coverage of the process by which accountants analyze, journalize, post, and summarize transactions. Reviews and analyzes multiple examples of current "real life" financial statements. The students would practice data analytics through the analysis of companies' financial ratios. The course includes a discussion of ethical issues facing accounting professionals and time value of money techniques. For MSA, GCA, & MST students, this is the first course in the financial accounting sequence. For MBA students, this potential elective course builds upon concepts learned in MBA 640.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MSA Program Director permission

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This is the first of two intermediate-level accounting courses that build on students' learning in ACCT 800, going in-depth into measurement and reporting of asset, liability, and stockholders' equity accounts for external financial reporting purposes. Discusses pronouncements of authoritative sources such as the SEC, AICPA, and the FASB. Introduces students to IFRS and their similarities to and differences from U.S. GAAP. Develops strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-801 or MSA Program Director permission

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This is the second of two intermediate-level accounting courses. The critical thinking and problem-solving skills developed in ACCT 801 are broadened as this class tackles more complex accounting concepts, including: dilutive securities, earnings per share, investments, revenue recognition, income tax accounting, pensions and leases. Since accounting for many of these areas has been a source of substantial debate and major revisions in recent years, subject matter covered will be topical. Pertinent pronouncements of standard-setting bodies continue to be studied.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the concepts and practices of cost measurement: variable costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, goal setting and performance monitoring, standard costing, and variance analysis. Students learn how to prepare a financial plan for a business by constructing operating, working capital, and capital budgets. Students study and practice Excel skills and how those are used to build a financial plan, analyze the sensitivity of the financial plan to different changes, examine performance, and measure and control overhead costs. Students study data analytics techniques and perform analyses in support of decisions, such as pricing, setting product line and customer profitability policy, sourcing of products and services, and matching costing systems to strategy. For MSA, GCA, & MST students this is the first managerial accounting course you will take. For MBA students, this potential elective course builds upon concepts learned in MBA 640.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the field of auditing, with a concentration in auditing historical financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, and some exposure to auditing the internal control over financial reporting of large public companies. Covers the environment, standards, regulation, and law of auditing in the US, with some exposure to the international environment. Covers audit planning, risk, and materiality assessments, audit evidence, evaluation of internal control, documentation, and audit reports. Includes researching and resolving practice-oriented problems and practice in using computer-assisted audit techniques and electronic confirmations.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the pervasiveness and genres of fraud and explores the motivations, opportunities, and rationalizations that facilitate fraudulent behavior. Covers methods of detection, investigation, and prevention of financial statement frauds and other types of financial-related frauds.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT 800 or MBA 640, and MBA 650 or program director approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course consists of two parts. The first part teaches students how to use Tableau to analyze large data sets and visualize data patterns to derive meaningful, actionable insights. We will utilize different data sets containing detailed information on sales, inventory, and other operational and financial metrics. This part will also introduce some basic tools used in accessing and compiling relevant big data from online resources such as the SEC's EDGAR website and Twitter. Students will be provided with necessary computer code and software to perform textual analysis for company documents and social media posts. The second part focuses on the analysis of financial statement data in an automated fashion. We will employ advanced tools in Excel along with the state-of-the-art data sources including Calcbench to perform financial data analytics and peer benchmarking. Our discussion on financial ratios and credit risk will have an analytical emphasis. This part will conclude with exercises on forecasting income statement data and valuing public companies.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-804 and ACCT-800 or MBA-640 or program director approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This case based course, teaches students how to better use information for improved decision making. Students will study how to identify the relevant information that is needed to make decisions. The decisions discussed will span a variety of business areas including accounting, finance, marketing and others. A special emphasis would be put on developing and strengthening the students' presentation skills in both face to face and online environments. Students will learn to speak influentially and effectively about numbers and communicate their conclusions and suggested decisions to different stakeholders.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-802, ACCT-805, and ACCT-865 (previously or concurrently) or program director approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This student driven course develops professional and leadership skills that are needed to serve effectively as senior financial professionals in a challenging global economy. In this course students develop their independent learning and research proficiencies by investigating developing areas of accounting practice. Students broaden their appreciation of the accountant's role as a business advisor by examining current challenges for the accounting profession, considering the impact that professional activities have on various stakeholders, and how responsibilities of the profession are evolving in response. Students will develop their awareness of the activities of policy makers and standard setters such as the SEC, FASB, and AICPA. Finally, students develop their effectiveness as professional colleagues throughout the semester by actively working on their professional skill set including: data analytics, business writing, oral presentations, team building, and leadership.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Describes various transaction processing cycles and their use in the structured analysis and design of accounting information systems. Students gain an understanding of Enterprise Resource Planning softwares, Quickbooks, database design, XBRL, implementations of internal controls, and privacy and data security issues.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-640 or ACCT-800

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Covers unique aspects of financial reporting in not-for-profit organizations and governmental units. Topics include fund accounting, encumbrance accounting, GASB pronouncements, cost accounting, and budgetary control for government and its agencies, healthcare, educational, religious and other not-for-profit organizations. Students learn how to apply the cost benefit analysis in the resources allocation process, program planning, budgeting and reporting systems.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Imparts an understanding of differences among nations in approaches to disclosure and choices of accounting measurement systems. Students learn about the influence of the IASB and IOSCO on multinational accounting harmonization, contrasting historical cost/purchasing power accounting with other accounting approaches, including current value accounting. Students will assess how differences in industrial and ownership structures affect accounting performance measurement. Students will also analyze risk management, accounting for derivative contracts, consolidation accounting, budgetary control, and transfer pricing in a multinational company.

    Prerequisites:

    Instructor's approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Enables a student-initiated directed study project. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report. The project must be approved by the dean of academic affairs prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625, MBA-635, MBA-640, MBA-650 MBA-660, and Instructor's approval. Limited to MBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the MBA advisor and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either accounting, business law and ethics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, strategy or tax. Offered every semester.

    Business Law and Ethics

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the philosophy and practice of substantive law affecting the formation, operation and discharge of commercial transactions, contracts, and business associations. Topics include: agency, partnership, corporation and trust forms of association. Considers aspects of property law and international dimensions.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 680 or MBA 730

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the complex interactions among legal, political, economic and cultural forces. Students discuss contemporary international conflicts in the areas of trade,expropriation, political risk analysis, foreign direct investment, anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws, export control laws,extraterritoriality and taxation of income.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Presents an in-depth study of corporate crime and financial fraud. Examines accounting devices and schemes employed to defraud stakeholders, failure of industry watchdogs, and the regulatory and legislative environment. Topics include:corporate governance, corporate finance, corporate compliance programs, ethical misconduct by outside legal, accounting,investment and banking professionals, Sarbanes Oxley Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,Organizational Sentencing guidelines, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering,conspiracy, securities violations, qui tam litigation(whistleblowers)and financial accounting crimes.

    Entrepreneurship

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    In this introductory course you will learn a deliberate process of opportunity recognition. You will learn how to generate ideas that fit within your and your team's mindset, as well as your knowledge, skills and abilities intended to improve the likelihood of success. Once your opportunity is identified, you will determine its level of feasibility from the conceptual stage, industry and competitive analysis, through legal and financial risk areas, leading to a "go or no go" decision. Topics include the individual and team mindset, identifying, growing and seizing opportunities, the founder and the team, and growth strategies. Financial topics include verifying the cost structure, making credible assumptions, identifying financial needs and sources, and preparing forecast financial statements, leading to a final presentation pitching the feasibility of your opportunity.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Corporate entrepreneurship refers to alternative approaches that existing firms use to innovatively generate new products, new services, new businesses and new business models. This course emphasizes the cultivation of each student's ability to evaluate innovations and business models for development in a corporate setting. It emphasizes various kinds of internal corporate ventures and multiple "external" collaborative approaches that include corporate venture capital investments, licensing and different types of alliances and formal joint ventures. Special emphasis will be placed on skills needed to promote and manage corporate entrepreneurship, including opportunity recognition, selling an idea, turning ideas into action, developing metrics for venture success and strategies for aligning corporate entrepreneurial projects with company strategies and growth opportunities and managing the conflicts that may arise between existing businesses and corporate entrepreneurial ventures. Students will also learn to identify the elements of an organization's culture, structure and reward and control systems that either inhibit or support the corporate entrepreneurship, and analyze how corporate entrepreneurial activities relate to a company's ability to drive innovation throughout the organization.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Social entrepreneurship is about applying innovative financial and operational solutions to ameliorating intractable social problems such as health care, education, poverty, climate change and human rights. This course will not only introduce you to the issues and challenges faced by social entrepreneurs the world over, but will also focus on the various business models adopted by social enterprises. The class will be case-based (2 books) with two short exams, one additional book to read, and an out of class project (individual or group--your choice).

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Corporations place high importance on innovation and new product development for competitiveness and profitability. Since many companies are operating in a global environment, there's a need to find ways to harness the talent of people at multiple locations. This course is designed to teach global innovation and new product development using "virtual team and connectivity" techniques involving multiple locations/countries, while equipping students with the necessary knowledge, expertise and capabilities towards this goal. This course may also be conducted with Suffolk Law School students.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Ever wonder what great breakthroughs are on the horizon to improve business thinking, processes, products, and services? If you have, this course is for you. We will learn about how businesses are using principles of design thinking and biomimicry to create entirely new ways of meeting the challenges of modern business: those are, needs to reduce costs, increase revenues, minimize waste & energy use, maximize novel approaches, & meet consumer and business needs. You may recognize the term "design thinking" if you are a follower of Apple, Inc. which has used this process in the development of all of their products and services over the past 15 years. Biomimicry principles are those that seek their inspiration from nature; after all, nature has been problem-solving for 3.8 billion years -- surely there is something to learn from this to be adapted to solving modern challenges. The course will be both conceptual and practical with various experiential learning opportunities.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Over the past decade, the world of business and the environment has exploded. Beginning as an engineering-driven movement among a handful of companies during the 1980s, many firms have learned that improved environmental performance can save money and create competitive advantage. Much of the focus over the last 30 years has been on larger businesses. But now the big businesses are encouraging their small and mid-sized enterprises vendors and partners to pay attention to these concerns also. Consequently, the "greening" of Small Business is of utmost importance as many small businesses are a part of the supply chains of larger companies. And improving their performance can strengthen the business relationships of all parties by becoming cleaner, greener and sustainable businesses. This course will cover all aspects of green and sustainable business from innovation to new products to greening of the supply chain. It will cover how small and large businesses like General Electric, General Motors and others are paying attention to this very critical topic and taking actions which benefit the environment as well as their bottom lines and thus creating entrepreneurial opportunities in this growing market.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This advanced course is held in an experiential setting to help entrepreneurial-minded students, managers, etc. develop and practice their business skills working with real startups or small business under pro bono consulting arrangements. This course will be under the supervision of a faculty member, coach and advisor. Students will learn to assess client situations, develop alternatives and identify and defend solutions, at times within the client organization. This course is offered as a joint practicum with Suffolk Law School or as an independent study.

    Finance and Managerial Economics

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    An in-depth analysis of financial statements, this course is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of business entity. This course also analyzes financial services industry: bank financial statement analysis with an emphasis on off- balance sheet lending and borrowing, capital structure issues, and innovations in mortgage-backed securities and asset-based financing techniques are covered. Additionally, the tax implications of various derivative securities is studied.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students analyze markets for financial assets, including the money market and various bond and stock markets. They learn determinants of the level and structure of interest rates, the Federal Reserve impact on markets, how financial institutions operate with respect to their sources and uses of funds, essentials of the regulatory structure of financial markets, transaction costs, and interrelations among markets.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course extends the body of knowledge acquired in MBA 650. Students expand knowledge of dividend theory, capital structure theory, capital budgeting, long-term financing decisions, cash management and corporate restructuring, market efficiency, and risk and liability management.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine markets for investment procedures, valuation models, basic analytical techniques, and factors influencing risk/return tradeoffs. This course emphasizes the professional approach to managing investment assets. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, options, and futures.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine techniques and decision-making rules for the evaluation and selection of long-term investment projects by corporations and the interaction of investment and financing.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students explore the pricing of options and futures contracts, the characteristics of the markets in which these contracts are traded, options and futures strategies, and the application of these contracts in the hedging of financial positions. In addition, students are exposed to swap markets and a variety of swaps.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The course introduces students to the structure and management of international financial-services firms and methods through which financial institutions manage risk. The course discusses tools for identifying, measuring, evaluating, and managing risks, such as interest rate, credit, foreign exchange, liquidity, market, sovereign, and operational risk. The course also introduces key regulations and discusses important ethical issues in the financial-services industry.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students are introduced to mathematical statistics and basic econometrics. They study fundamental econometric tools as well as hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, linear regressions, simultaneous equations, and models of qualitative choice.

    Prerequisites:

    Take FIN-808, FIN-810, and FIN-814. (FIN-814 can be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine financial theories, techniques, and models applied to the study of corporate financial decisions, aspects of corporate strategy, industry structure, and the functioning of capital markets.

    Prerequisites:

    FIN 810

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students learn theory and techniques of scientific portfolio management, including the establishment of portfolio objectives, evaluation of portfolio performance, asset allocation strategies, and the use of derivative securities in portfolio insurance.

    Prerequisites:

    FIN-818

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The nature, techniques, and problems of business forecasting. Covers indicators of business activity, short-run econometrics forecasting models, and the construction of aggregate forecasts as well as forecasts of major economic sectors. Includes long-term predictions and the application of aggregate and sector forecasts for particular industries and firms. Prerequisite: FIN 818.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course addresses the financial needs of private businesses, focusing on the financial motives and needs of private company owners and their advisors. The course is an opportunity to present private finance as a complement to corporate finance/public finance so as to prepare students to better serve or participate in making better financing decisions in the marketplace of privately held businesses.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The course introduces basic corporate valuation models and shows how risk arises in firms and how managing that risk can impact the firm's valuation. It shows different ways and contracts that can be used to change the risk profile of the firm. The course will introduce methods including using derivatives to hedge, and the use of insurance and hybrid insurance contracts, and through the adjustment of the capital structure and other financial policies of the firm (dividend payout strategies, optimal compensation, etc.). Throughout the course we will use various risk metrics to demonstrate the impact the risk management strategy has on the firm's exposure to risk and the value that is created by undertaking the activity.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students analyze the main functions of investment banks such as origination, syndication, and distribution of security issues. They examine pricing of new issues and secondary offerings by investment banks, mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, valuation of closely held companies, and restructuring of distressed companies. The role of investment bankers in restructuring industry and financing governments and ethical issues faced by investment bankers will be studied.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students are introduced to the language and principles of real estate. Includes an overview of decision-making in the field, with particular emphasis on investment and asset management.

    Prerequisites:

    FIN-810 (may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students develop a framework for understanding, analyzing, and valuing modern financial instruments. Students examine several types of derivative securities and their use in managing financial risk. While the interests of issuers, intermediaries, and investors will all be considered, the primary emphasis will be on the perspective of corporate financial managers and the use of modern financial technology in the creation of value for shareholders.

    Prerequisites:

    Take FIN-810

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The course is designed to provide information on various types of fixed income securities and markets, theories and concepts of the term structure of interest rates and valuation of fixed income securities, measurement and management of risk for traditional bonds and bonds with embedded options, understanding of the role of derivatives such as mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, swaps and exotic options, credit analysis and bond rating, portfolio management and performance evaluation. This course is generally offered as an intensive elective.

    Prerequisites:

    Take FIN-810;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine fundamental equity analysis as the convergence of a number of skills such as accounting, financial, and strategic analysis with detective work and experience. Students practice communicating and defending an argument, use a business analysis framework that helps tie together strategy and finance, practice model building and practical approach to profitability in the markets.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides an integrated framework for analyzing and measuring risk with a computer simulation approach. A common set of computational tools will be applied across several different financial applications ranging from options pricing to portfolio design. Extensive time will be spent on estimating and simulating 'Value at Risk' which has been a standard for measuring risk in large financial institutions. We will also compare this with other traditional methods as well as other modern methods, such as extreme value theory at quantifying risk. Computationally intensive methods, such as bootstrapping, and Monte Carlo analysis will be used extensively throughout the course with MATLAB as the primary programming tool.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    An in-depth analysis of timely special issues in the field of finance. Specific topics are announced when the course is scheduled.

    Prerequisites:

    Instructor's approval required

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A student-initiated directed study project, generally for three credit hours and completed within one quarter or semester. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report, and the proposal must be approved by the Office of the Dean prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625, MBA-635, MBA-640, MBA-650 MBA-660, and Instructor's approval. Limited to MBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the MBA advisor and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either accounting, business law and ethics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, strategy or tax. Offered every semester.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is required for MSA and MSF students and it is also a recommended elective for MBA students with a finance concentration. This course develops an understanding of the concepts, tools, and applications of economics at both the micro and macro level. The focus is on how economic analysis influences decision-making in the public and private sectors and how economic tools can enhance managerial effectiveness and organizational efficiency. The economic role of government and its impact on the business environment in a market economy, the factors that influence firm performance and competitiveness, and the role of financial institutions in the current economic environment are discussed throughout the course.

    Healthcare Administration

    Prerequisites:

    MHA students only

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course is required for all MHA students. Its primary goal is to focus students on their career development. The course provides an orientation to Suffolk's MHA Program and the University's resources, along with guidance for getting the most from the MHA Program and the student's time at Suffolk. It introduces students to the healthcare industry in Massachusetts and identifies opportunities for student involvement in selected healthcare organizations. The course highlights how to build essential skills in written and verbal communication, critical and strategic thinking, resume development, and professional networking. Finally, it enables each student to conduct in-depth planning for his or her career as a healthcare professional. After becoming familiar with the range of competencies put forth by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL), each student develops a Personal Roadmap for Professional Development that incorporates selected competencies. The roadmap is a guide for the student's learning and development as a healthcare manager in the years ahead.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course presents an overview of the origins, components, organization, and operation of the health system in the United States. It is an introduction to the major health issues and institutions, including the settings in which health services are delivered, providers of these services, and the public and private payers for services.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides a framework for understanding the economics of the U.S. healthcare industry. The industry is experiencing great pressure to reduce costs, even as it strives to do better at both improving the health of the population and engaging patients in their care. This course enables students to apply the perspectives and tools of health economics to the tasks of understanding and improving the business of healthcare. Students analyze and evaluate current and evolving healthcare markets, public policies, payment methods, mechanisms for bearing and sharing financial risk, and the economic impact of changes in technology and the health professions. Students participate in envisioning the future and designing better ways for healthcare leaders, managers and policy makers to meet the challenges facing the industry.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces students to a wide range of current innovations as well as innovations that are expected in the future. The course builds students' skills to anticipate, adopt and manage innovation in healthcare. It covers innovation in the organization and delivery of healthcare services as well as in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and healthcare information technology. In particular, the course explores how innovation happens -- i.e., how players across the healthcare industry create, identify, pursue, and support or impede opportunities for innovation.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides an overview of healthcare management. Students develop knowledge and skills required for effective management of organizations that deliver high quality, patient-centered, cost-effective care. The course examines forces that are shaping healthcare organizations and draws on management theory and practice to explore a wide range of topics, including: governance and control; strategy; organizational structure, tasks and positions; culture and ethics; leadership and motivation; communication: planning; decision making and problem solving; recruiting and retaining human resources; teamwork; cultural competence and diversity management; managing people and performance in clinical and support services; and organizational change.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course covers both qualitative and quantitative research methods, with a strong focus on applied healthcare management research. Course topics include scientific reasoning, research design, action research methods, qualitative research methods, fundamental statistical techniques, and display and presentation of quantitative and qualitative analyses. This course prepares students as both producers and consumers of healthcare related research. Students will: Learn fundamentals of scientific reasoning, research design, and action research methods. Gain basic skills in both qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis and presentation. Understand the meaning and appropriate application of basic statistical techniques relevant to healthcare management. Become prepared to analyze and draw conclusions from surveys, program evaluations, and operations data. Be able to troubleshoot the work of consultants and be critical consumers of research performed by others.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH 701

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course prepares students to plan, lead, manage and improve primary care and other ambulatory patient care services ("APC") toward achieving the "Triple Aim" of better population health, better patient care and lower cost. The course covers a range of APC services including physician practices, community health centers, ambulatory surgery, retail clinics, behavioral health and dental care. Students who complete the course will be able to understand and analyze: key structures and processes of APC services and their effects on the Triple Aim; key APC contexts including regulatory, reimbursement, technological and professional; and important industry trends related to APC. Specific topics include organizational structure and governance; workforce and staffing; facilities and licensure; emerging business models; performance measurement; relationship between primary care and public health; and emerging practice models including the patient-centered medical home.

    Prerequisites:

    TAKE HLTH 701

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The growing healthcare field is the most labor intensive employer in the United States. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the theories, requirements and practices associated with managing human resources in healthcare organizations. The course covers both strategic and operational aspects of human resources planning and management, and it devotes particular attention to the issues that make human resources management in healthcare so challenging. Perhaps most important, the course guides students in developing practical knowledge and skills to prepare them- as healthcare leaders and managers- to successfully address human resource issues. The course will draw from a range of theoretical material and practical situations, using a variety of learning approaches and featuring guest speakers from healthcare organizations who share their experiences and perspectives from the field of human resources. The course focuses on the following topics: The changing healthcare environment and its implications for human resources management, the use of strategic human resource management to gain a competitive edge in the healthcare industry, workforce design, legal and regulatory requirements, recruitment and retention, organizational development, performance management, compensation and benefits, managing with organized labor and creating customer-satisfying healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course serves as an introduction to the financial accounting of healthcare organizations. Understanding the important principles of a healthcare organization's income statement and balance sheet is the essence of this course. Focused attention will be given to the interpretation and analysis of financial statements, including the implications of assuming risk in an era of managed care.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students investigate the structural and functional aspects of the legal, institutional, and political factors that condition the character of the US healthcare industry, the role of the healthcare manager, the legislative process, administrative policy-making, and national trends related to political parties and interest groups. Topics in healthcare law include medical malpractice, informed consent, confidentiality of patient information, healthcare liability, and administrative law.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701; MHA students are required to take HLTH 824. MBA/H students are required to take MBA 640. Non-MHA and MBA/H students need permission from the Health Department before registering;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course serves as an introduction to the financial management of healthcare organizations. Using financial information for decision making is the essence of this course. Students will gain a perspective on the critical factors related to managing a healthcare organization in a marketplace that is demanding cost effective services. Focused attention will be given to managerial accounting, cost allocation, budgeting, and variance analysis.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701 HLTH-824 HLTH-826;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    In our complex and ever-changing healthcare industry, leaders and managers must understand the financial drivers that are shaping the strategic planning and decision making at all levels of healthcare organizations. This advanced course builds on the healthcare financial management techniques introduced in HLTH 824 and HLTH 826 and is intended for students seeking to enhance their analytic and financial management skill set. Through in-depth research of a healthcare organization's financial statements, students will gain practical experience using the latest tools and analytic methodologies employed by healthcare managers. Our work will focus on financial statement analysis, benchmarking, forecasting, revenue cycle management (including the implications of capitation and pay-for-performance), and capital budgeting (including capital acquisition, lease/buy decisions, and access to capital markets). A group project, guest speakers and course readings aim to develop practical financial management skills that will enable students to make effective managerial decisions that lead to the financial success and long-term viability of their healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH 701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    Healthcare industry trends point toward increasing need for meaningful measurement of the health of populations- from the population of patients who use a particular health service to the populations of nations. Healthcare managers must measure the need and demand for health services as well as the quality, safety and effectiveness or services. This course provides the fundamental information and enables students to develop the skills to apply principles and techniques of epidemiology in planning, delivering and evaluating health services.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701 and either HLTH-812 or SBS-604. MHA and MSBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students are introduced to concepts and analytic tools and techniques in operations management, such as project management, process improvement, queuing theory, forecasting, capacity planning, and supply chain management. Students will be challenged to examine the distinctive characteristics of health services operations, understand process improvement and patient flow, and explore the means for making optimal managerial decisions. In-class exercises, applied concept assignments, guest speakers, and exams are used to help students understand ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    The 'production' of health care is a service of significant personal and social consequence and high on the agenda of every healthcare executive. Today's consumer actively seeks evidence about the quality of care they can anticipate while payers are offering financial incentives to providers who can demonstrate superior patient outcomes. This course will focus on the complexities and processes of assuring quality performance in healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines health policy development and implementation as well as important and cutting-edge U.S. health issues, including their policy and ethical implications. Topics may change each year, but usually include state and federal healthcare reform, access and health disparities, medical errors, healthcare quality, evidence-based practice and shared decision making, chronic illness and disabilities, behavioral health, stem cells and genetics, the consumer paradigm, emergency response management, and end-of-life issues.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701 AND HLTH-831;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The imperative to improve and assure the quality and safety of services is of paramount importance to clinical providers, managers, and executive leadership. This course builds on the basic principles, concepts, tools, and analytic methods addressed in HLTH 831. Among the topics explored in this advanced course are: creating a culture of safety; establishing and sustaining organizational alignment; quality/safety implications for accreditation and regulatory compliance; measuring and improving the patient experience; mistake-proofing the design process; and principles and strategies to improve reliability. The course will provide a foundation for the learner to: 1.Compare and contrast definitions of quality from a variety of stakeholder perspectives. 2.Classify medical error and identify means to reduce risk and/or take effective corrective action. 3.Explore sense-making and its applicability to transformational change in healthcare quality. 4.Identify leadership strategies for establishing an organization-wide culture of safety. 5.Apply essential healthcare team concepts, especially collegiality and collaboration, in complex circumstances of quality improvement. 6.Define mistake-proofing and mistake-proofing approaches and design applied to patient safety. 7.Apply reliability principles to performance improvement in complex systems. 8.Complete an actual healthcare performance improvement project that involves the use of knowledge and skills acquired in the pre-requisite course HLTH 831: Performance Improvement and Patient Safety as well as this course.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    As the healthcare industry continues to be highly competitive, and as health-related information becomes more available through television and the Internet, healthcare organizations are challenged to communicate their messages more aggressively and in new ways to their key audiences. This course enables students to learn about the nature of those audiences as well as healthcare marketing and communications, with emphasis on designing and conducting market research, identifying market segments and their unique characteristics, selecting promotional strategies and tactics for reaching target audiences, and developing marketing plans.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    Healthcare is among the most complex and dynamic industries in the United States. It is characterized by: changing demographics, health conditions and consumer wants and needs; continuous innovation in programs, services, treatments, technology and delivery systems; increasing complexity of care; intense competition among some providers, and mergers and affiliations among others; increasing shortages of key personnel; rising costs; mounting pressure to deliver quality care and manage costs; changing laws, regulations and payment systems; 45+ million Americans without health insurance, resulting in disparate levels of service accessibility and quality; and a growing movement to make health insurance available and affordable for more Americans. In such an environment of challenge and change, healthcare leaders and managers must be able to understand current reality, anticipate the future, and continuously design and implement change. Healthcare organizations must be change-able: i.e., equipped with the orientation, skills and approaches to manage change across a wide range of leadership, management and service delivery dimensions). Accordingly, this course enables students to: 1. examine key external and internal forces for change that face healthcare organizations, and 2. begin to develop the orientation and skills to envision, design, lead, and implement change in healthcare organizations. Drawing on theory and case studies of organizational change, the course covers such topics as: the nature of organizational change; why the ability to create desired change is so important; key external and internal factors that require healthcare organizations to change; aspects of healthcare organizations that support and resist change; designing and implementing successful and lasting change; sources of greatest leverage for achieving desired change; and key requirements for success.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The health and wellbeing of people throughout the world are challenged by many factors. To highlight those factors and what is being done to address them, this course focuses on global health problems and needs, including those related to infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, mental illness and substance abuse, and complex emergencies such as natural disasters and war, with particular attention to women, children and families. It also review critical global health-related policy issues such as poverty, population growth, the food and nutrition crisis, water wars, environmental degradation and climate change. Among the assignments, students write papers on specific global health problems and needs and identify healthcare and health-related organizations and financial resources in selected countries that are addressing the problems and needs. The course closes by examining the challenges of how to prioritize the deployment of scarce resources and mobilize citizens, governments and for-profit and non-profit organizations to enhance people's health and wellbeing and save civilization.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course covers health information and a range of healthcare IT applications as well as topics related to IT planning and management. Applications include medical records, order entry, decision support, and emerging applications. Planning and management topics include data security, IT cost, systems interoperability, project management, IT implementation, and governance.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces concepts and managerial views of business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and leadership practice as applied to organizational settings in healthcare.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.00- 3.00

    Description:

    This is a student-initiated directed study project. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report, and the project must be approved by the Dean of Academic Affairs prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    0.00- 3.00

    Description:

    The internship enables students to learn about important aspects of healthcare by working in a healthcare organization. It is intended for students who do not have professional experience in the U.S. healthcare system as well as students who already work in healthcare and seek to gain exposure to other areas of the system. For all students, the internship provides networking opportunities for future career development. The internship requires each student to: work with a healthcare faculty member to identify opportunities and secure an internship in a healthcare organization; complete 400 hours of supervised work in that healthcare organization; attend classes to examine relevant aspects of the internship; and report on the lessons learned from the internship and how they could be applied in the student's future professional endeavors.

    Prerequisites:

    This course is the capstone of the MHA Program and should be taken in the last semester of coursework. MHA and MBA/HLTH students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The success of any healthcare organization depends on the ability of its leaders and managers to continuously identify, evaluate and address the key issues and challenges facing the organization. This capstone course for healthcare explores the essential elements of strategic management: the foundation (including Systems Thinking), strategic analysis, and strategy development and implementation. Using Futurescan and provocative case studies, students: conduct assessments of external trends, assumptions and implications; identify and assess organizational opportunities and threats/challenges as well as strengths and weaknesses; identify strategic and operational issues; and review and develop strategies and action steps to address the issues. For the final project, each student develops a strategic plan for a healthcare organization or conducts a research project on a healthcare organization or strategic issue of particular interest (e.g., mergers and acquisitions in healthcare). Fundamentally, this course focuses on applying strategic and systemic thinking in diagnosing organizational circumstances and developing strategies for "what to do next."

    Information Systems and Operation Management

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Analyzes various real world business problems and explores the full scope of MS Excel's formulas, functions and features to create data models and present solutions. Students analyze data, design custom charts, graphs, PivotTables and Pivot charts, create three-dimensional workbooks, build links between files and endow worksheets with decision-making capabilities. Students conduct What-If Analysis, utilizing Scenario Manager, Solver, Data Tables and Goal Seek. This course provides the skills necessary to pass the Microsoft Office Specialist Certification in Excel.

    Prerequisites:

    This course was formerly ISOM-815

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the importance of information as an organizational resource, role of big data in organizations, and the application of tools to provide high quality information. Students will be able to select the most appropriate data management tool (e.g., SQL vs. non-SQL databases) to business scenarios. Develops the skills needed to succeed in today's big data environment through the application of data management techniques, cases and exercises. Students will become proficient in designing databases using entity relationship modeling and normalization, in building and querying databases of various sizes with Access and SQL (an industry standard), preparing high quality data and applying data visualizing techniques. Students will complete a series of business-oriented hands-on exercises, prepare cases, and complete projects on database design and big data.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides students with an understanding of the nature of enterprise integration and enterprise software, business process reengineering, the implementation within organizations, and strategies for maximizing benefits from enterprise systems. To manage complex business processes in today's multi-national, wired and wireless world, firms need integrated software packages to manage their global business. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are used to support a wide range of business functions for all companies across industries. With ERP systems, business managers are able to make decisions with accurate, consistent, and current data. Intensive lab projects on the SAP ERP System with real life business scenarios are utilized to reinforce understanding of enterprise systems functionality and business process concepts.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the fundamental principles of information and big data security. Security vulnerabilities, threats and risks will be analyzed. Common types of computer attacks and counter-attacks will be identified. Security technologies such as biometrics, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and cryptography systems will be applied in conjunction with human based safeguards. Business continuity and disaster recovery planning will be covered. Students will then learn how to design and build a layered security defense combining several of the above controls to address the different challenges to data security. The managerial concerns of security and privacy of information will be stressed including the legal and privacy issues. Best practices for planning and auditing security and privacy will then be covered.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces business intelligence and data analytics. Business intelligence and data analytics help organizations in strategic and operational decision making by improving performance management, optimizing customer relations, monitoring business activity, and improving decision support. On a macro-level, the class will discuss business cases for the adoption of business intelligence and data analytics. We will discuss technologies and processes for gathering, storing, accessing, and analyzing data to provide users with better insights and business decisions. On a micro-level, students will use a variety of tools to build their skills in analyzing data to solve business problems. In summary, this course provides a conceptual understanding of business data resources and the development of capabilities for data preparation, warehousing, selection, description, mining, interpretation, visualization, communication, and innovation.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the fundamental principles and concepts for effective management of supply chains via performance drivers such as procurement, facilities, inventory, transportation, and pricing. No company can do better than its supply chain, a complex network of organizations that collaboratively manage transformation processes to deliver final products/services to customers. Managing a supply chain is a tremendous challenge for most firms which, paradoxically, can also be a crucial source of competitive advantage. This is also a "how-to" course with an extensive use of Excel for supply chain managers and analysts who can benefit from experiencing hands-on familiarity with modeling supply chain applications along with data analysis and interpretation.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the basic principles, tools and technique of the Project Management Life Cycle with practical real-life examples and scenarios. The basic concepts will be studied within the framework of the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK (R)Guide) guidelines set forth by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Other project management framework will be described though not in detail. The course will attempt to help students understand the relationship between good project management and successful software management, development and implementation, and the best practices at each stage of project planning, execution, control and closure. The course will also help build skills to research, analyze and report project management case studies that illustrate the topics covered in this course. PMP(R) and (PMBOK(R)Guide) are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

    Prerequisites:

    Instructor Permission

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This elective course option involves a student initiated written proposal to a willing and appropriate full-time faculty member for a directed study project. The project should be completed during one semester. The faculty member and student must concur on a written proposal, final project and grading criteria. Approval by the Department Chair and the Dean is necessary before registration.

    Prerequisites:

    Approval of the student's Program Director and ISOM Department chair required.

    Credits:

    0.00- 3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the department chair and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either information systems, operations management, or business analytics. A final written report and presentation are mandatory if this course is taken for credit. Offered every semester.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to the concepts and applications of data analytics on large data sets for managerial decision making. Students will learn foundation skills needed to extract valuable information out of data, including various descriptive and predictive analytics techniques. Students develop knowledge of data visualization and interpretation coupled with conveying data, results and insights. Issues on data acquisition, storage and management will be discussed.

    International Business

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Imparts an understanding of differences among nations in approaches to disclosure and choices of accounting measurement systems. Students learn about the influence of the IASB and IOSCO on multinational accounting harmonization, contrasting historical cost/purchasing power accounting with other accounting approaches, including current value accounting. Students will assess how differences in industrial and ownership structures affect accounting performance measurement. Students will also analyze risk management, accounting for derivative contracts, consolidation accounting, budgetary control, and transfer pricing in a multinational company.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 680 or MBA 730

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the complex interactions among legal, political, economic and cultural forces. Students discuss contemporary international conflicts in the areas of trade,expropriation, political risk analysis, foreign direct investment, anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws, export control laws,extraterritoriality and taxation of income.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course addresses the creation of competitive advantage in a multinational firm. Topics include: analysis of the nature of globalization, the formulation and implementation of international strategy, market entry and organizational forms, and the management of global operations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course focuses on the institutional and policy contexts in which businesses develop global strategies. It expands the understanding of global contextual factors impacting business, in order to gain deeper local, national, and global perspectives on competition. The course pays particular attention to social and political dimensions of strategy that are an essential component for superior performance in the contemporary world but receive little consideration in standard strategic analysis, such as trade protectionism, political risks affecting foreign direct investment, the use of the law as a competitive tool, government regulation, lobbying, and corporate social responsibility.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625, MBA-635, MBA-640, MBA-650 MBA-660, and Instructor's approval. Limited to MBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the MBA advisor and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either accounting, business law and ethics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, strategy or tax. Offered every semester.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA 660;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    In many firms, the brand or portfolio of brands has become the most valuable asset requiring strategic management in order to secure the goals of the organization. Hence, developing strong brands for markets around the world has become increasingly important in today's global economy. This objective of this course is to examine appropriate theories, models and other tools to help make branding and communication decisions for brands globally. The course presentation will combine lectures, case studies, guest speakers and a semester long, team-based project.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The application of marketing principles and practices to competition in global markets. The course emphasizes the skills necessary for cross-cultural marketing.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-660 (previously or concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A key to successful marketing is cracking the code of consumer behavior. The scope of this course is analyzing consumer behavior both at home and abroad, particularly contrasting the emergent markets in the East with more established Western markets. This comparison highlights issues such as the role of consumption in negotiating modernity while honoring tradition, responses of consumers to innovations, the role of social class and status in consumption, and value placed on authenticity in different cultural milieus. This course is constructed in three modules. The first focuses on the globalization of consumption, the second on the adoption and consumption of innovations, and the last on special topics in cultural and cross-cultural studies.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-861 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course studies the U.S. taxation of U.S. persons with non-U.S. income and/or activities. Covers foreign tax credit and foreign tax credit limitation, individuals with earned foreign income, controlled foreign corporations, Subpart F, investment in U.S. property, and transfer pricing. Also address compliance and disclosure requirements.

    Marketing

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625, OR SBS-604, OR MBA-622; AND MBA-660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course explores the role of research in marketing decision-making, including the cost and value of information. The course uses cases and problems to explore problem definition, research design, sampling, questionnaire design, field methods, data analysis and reporting.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The foundational course in the digital marketing track this course focuses on the consumer of digital media and five big picture marketing strategy challenges confronting marketers in the new digital (mobile +social) marketing era. Challenge 1: Marketing to a smarter, more engaged, empowered consumer; Challenge 2: Marketing to a networked, collaborative, and more social consumer; Challenge 3: Marketing to a more distracted and fickle consumer; Challenge 4: Marketing to a unique, individual consumer; and Challenge 5: Marketing to prosumers or producer-consumers. The course takes on these big picture challenges thorough a deep engagement with and critical analysis of readings and cases. Given this focus the course demands thorough preparation for class and active engagement in the class discussion. The evaluation is assignment and project based.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 660

    Credits:

    1.00- 3.00

    Description:

    A student proposes a directed study project, generally for three credit hours and completed during one semester. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report, and the project must be approved by the Office of the Dean prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625 and Instructor's approval.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A semester long internship in a company, non-profit organization, or public agency in the Boston Metropolitan area, usually requiring the equivalent of at least one day per week on site. The internship project is described in a written proposal agreed upon by the company sponsor and faculty members. The intern must complete a mid-semester progress report, a final report and/or presentation.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The application of marketing principles and practices to competition in global markets. The course emphasizes the skills necessary for cross-cultural marketing.

    Organizational Behavior

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces learners to the concepts of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Learners will assess their own EI, examine how their EI impacts their performance in the workplace, and develop a plan to improve their own emotional intelligence. In addition, learners will study how EI concepts are applied in organizations via their use in selection, training, management development, coaching, and performance evaluation.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course emphasizes the theory and skills of win-win negotiation. Students assess their own negotiation styles, analyze the process of negotiation, and apply theory-based skills for integrating problem solving approaches to negotiation. The course utilizes a mix of teaching tools, including readings, lectures, cases, exercises, videotapes, and role-playing.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course brings to light one of the most important yet vastly unmentionable topics of management: Failure. We will examine various aspects of failure from a sense making perspective at the organizational and individual levels, within emphasis on the latter. Examples of course questions include: What is failure? How do I usually handle it? Can I change if I want to? How? We will adopt an action learning pedagogical perspective so that students may enjoy the difference between mere knowing and understanding of material, on the one hand, and acting upon their understanding, on the other hand, to detect and possibly correct their frameworks for personal groundings, meaning-making, and failure handling strategies. There are no formal academic prerequisites for the course, except a desire for personal mastery and a white belt mentality.

    Public Administration including Nonprofit Management

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This introductory graduate-level course provides an overview of public administration and service and serves as a basis for further advanced studies in the MPA program. This course covers the structure, functions, and process of public service organizations at various levels, including governments and nonprofit organizations. Students explore historical trends, ethical considerations, and political rationale for the present operations of public service.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course demonstrates how issues, problems, and questions surrounding public policies, program operations, and administrative systems can be structured as hypotheses and made amendable to resolution through the application of social science research techniques. The elements of research design such as surveys, true experiments, quasi-experiments, case studies and non-experimental studies are described, as well as sampling techniques and descriptive statistics. Ethical issues related to employment of these methods in the policy making process are also explored. The course content is presented as a way to reduce managerial uncertainty regarding alternative courses of action.

    Prerequisites:

    PAD 712

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Pre-requisite: PAD 712 Quantitative analysis introduces basic statistical techniques used to analyze and draw conclusions from citizen and client surveys; program and policy evaluations; and performance and operations data. These techniques include chi square, lambda, gamma, correlations, and analysis of variance, t test correlations, and multivariate regression. Knowledge of these statistical techniques empowers managers by giving them the ability to evaluate the work of consultants, access the policy and management of literature, and analyze data using the analytical tools available in commonly uses statistical software, such as Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course will explore complex issues in public and non-profit human resource management (HRM) by examining policies and practices that support and enhance the value and contribution of individuals in these organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Leadership is a critical ingredient of successful communities and organizations. This course develops a diagnostic framework as well as strategies and tactics to mobilized adaptive work, engage multiple government, no-profit, and business stakeholders, and build awareness and momentum for actions at all levels of government and community and in one's organization. It introduces the catalytic model of leadership and applies it to the ethical handling of societal and organizational problems. Students' leadership competencies are reviewed and improved. This course is designed for people from diverse backgrounds with varied experienced in the leadership role.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students review the basis for administrative practice. They learn legal interpretation of statutes, regulations, and proposed legislation that impact public administration and public policy.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Instructor's signature required for registration. Students examine the interrelations among the federal executive, Congressional committees, constituency groups, and federal administrative agencies in the formulation and implementation of federal policies. Also discussed are managerial functions (e.g., personnel regulations, program evaluations, and intergovernmental design). This course includes a 3-day travel seminar to Washington D.C.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examination of patterns of intergovernmental operations and administration. Special emphasis on changing techniques of intergovernmental management and emerging patterns of intergovernmental relations. Issues such as regionalism, program mandates, and resource management will be explored.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The primary focus will be on understanding the operational and strategic leadership aspects of managing mission driven, public service organizations. Specific emphasis will be placed on nonprofit corporations, including coursework that explores the legal, structural, and operational issues that are particular to such organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This is an intensive analysis of selected public policy challenges. Using a combination of case studies, theoretical writings, and real-time intelligence and reports, students discuss and compare the substance, practices, and impacts of contemporary public policy issues. Through this examination students will consider operations and methodologies used to understand and tackle public policy systems analysis. Examples are used to demonstrate how these analytical methods can be used to make more informed policy decisions and assessments. Topics for this course will vary and students may take this course more than once as long as the topic (title) is different.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is built on the premise that state and local government leaders have an obligation to fully develop the human resources, network relationships and physical assets available to them so as to increase the value of their organizations to the public. Through case studies, students will explore the successes and failures of state and local government leaders and their strategies in major policy arenas, such as public safety, health and welfare, education, then environment and economic development. Through readings, students will examine state and local government structures and functions, political culture, and administrative reforms.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    PAD 819 covers both Grant seeking and Grant writing. Students, individually, but most often in teams, work with a nonprofit or government organization to develop a project idea and prepare a Master Grant Proposal and a Grant Application to be submitted to a most-likely-to-fund Grand maker. Classes focus on step-by-step Grant writing & Grant seeking process, and the instructor also consults with student-Grant writers individually an via Blackboard.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A decision-making course focusing on applying high speed information systems to support administrative and managerial functions. PMIS incorporates organizational assessments leading to purchasing computer hardware and software, office automation, and diverse communications including electronic automation, and diverse communications including electronic mail, Internet, telecommunications, and networking. Current events, professional journals and the technology presently used will be highlighted.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    An introduction to the health system, its origins, its components, and how they are organized and interrelated; determinants of health and disease; the role of professions, institutions, consumers, and government; landmark legislation, and social responses to the system.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Recessions and economic stagnation, loss of economic base, and natural disasters have significant consequences for the effectiveness of governments and nonprofits, yet during times of fiscal crisis these organizations carry more responsibility as people look to these organizations for leadership and relief from hardships. This course addresses strategies to prepare for and cope with fiscal crises. Students will learn to assess economic and financial vulnerability, develop management and budget methodologies that are adaptable to changing economic conditions, and develop strategies to ensure long-term financial viability and effectiveness of governments and nonprofits.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students develop techniques and directives related to communication processing. Both interpersonal communication and electronic information flow will be examined. Communication skills, styles, and strategies will be stressed through use of all media. Students will also analyze the theory and practice of public service marketing in relation to the administration of multiple sectors including private, public, nonprofit and health care by looking at innovative public service products and services.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Participants in this course will examine a variety of innovations that attempt to reap the benefits of diverse engagement by bringing together varied parties to forge new solutions to public service challenges. Across a variety of policy areas, practitioners have developed innovative policies and practices that engage citizens in public problem-solving, giving power to groups made up of citizens and public employees, and holding them accountable for producing and measuring results. Citizens play a critical and increasingly influential role in government decision-making and performance. As a result, leaders must understand the complexity of citizen participation and build skills for effective citizen engagement.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine disability issues of health, mental health, substance abuse, special education, long-term illnesses including HIV/AIDS, sensory impairments, and early-life and end-of-life issues, including genetics.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    In this course, students study the ethical, moral, and legal dilemmas in public and private managerial operations. The gray areas of decision-making provide case studies for exploration of effective ethical practices. Management approaches to deter fraud, waste, abuse, and corrupt practices are identified as are the tools and strategies to strengthen the organizational ethic and culture in business and government. Ethical management strategies designed to improve productivity within organizations are explored.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students learn effective approaches to leadership by examining leadership models, styles, and strategies. Emphasis is placed on the values and ethics of successful managerial leadership in public, private, and nonprofit sectors

    Prerequisites:

    Registration requires instructor approval

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    An opportunity will provided for students to research, experience, analyze, and compare public policy development and implementation in the United States, and in other nations like Dublin, Ireland, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The course consists of classroom lectures and independent research on the Suffolk campus as well as at a university related center in another country. Students may pick their specific research topics from a variety of public policy and program subject areas. This course may be taken twice, for a maximum of 6 credits.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Workplace and labor law affects every manager's ability to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Ignorance of the relevant statutes and case law leads to misunderstanding, mismanagement, and substantial legal costs and controversies. This course reviews some of the more significant legal requirements associated with recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, discipline, wages and benefits, etc. Teaching method includes lecture and case analysis.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides a practical framework for understanding the legal and ethical challenges continually faced by nonprofit human and social service organizations. Students learn about the various levels of legal influence, including federal, state, and city, as well as the "internal" laws of the corporation, and will explore the impact these laws can have on the day-to-day operation of the nonprofit organization. Students develop a methodology for identifying issues that can trigger a legal response and processes for best protecting their organizations, their clients, and themselves.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides an in-depth look at today's philanthropic trends, patterns, and best practices in fundraising techniques.

    Prerequisites:

    Restricted to students that have completed 30 credits.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Prerequisite: Students must have completed 30 credit hours. Students will integrate the substance of previous courses in order to develop a capacity for strategic management based on a personal perspective of the role of the professional manager in the policy making process. This holistic perspective is expressed in an extensive research paper that describes the leadership role of the professional manager and defines a basis for ethical action. The course features the review of research articles, the discussion of case studies, and a consideration of future trends in public and non-profit management.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    When offered this course focuses upon a special topic in the field of public administration. The course may be retaken for credit when the topics differ. Courses are wither three or 1.5 credits. Examples of 1.5 credit courses are: lobbying, housing, transportation, and managed care.

    Credits:

    1.00- 6.00

    Description:

    Instructor and Dean's Approval required for registration. This elective course option involves a student- initiated proposal to a willing and appropriate faculty member for a directed study project. The faculty member and student must concur on a written proposal and final report. Approval by the Office of the Dean is necessary prior to registration.

    Strategic Management

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Over the past decade, the world of business and the environment has exploded. Beginning as an engineering-driven movement among a handful of companies during the 1980s, many firms have learned that improved environmental performance can save money and create competitive advantage. Much of the focus over the last 30 years has been on larger businesses. But now the big businesses are encouraging their small and mid-sized enterprises vendors and partners to pay attention to these concerns also. Consequently, the "greening" of Small Business is of utmost importance as many small businesses are a part of the supply chains of larger companies. And improving their performance can strengthen the business relationships of all parties by becoming cleaner, greener and sustainable businesses. This course will cover all aspects of green and sustainable business from innovation to new products to greening of the supply chain. It will cover how small and large businesses like General Electric, General Motors and others are paying attention to this very critical topic and taking actions which benefit the environment as well as their bottom lines and thus creating entrepreneurial opportunities in this growing market.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is designed to provide you the tools to analyze your organization's competitive situation and develop innovative strategies and proposals that disrupt your competition and are game changers for your industry. You will also learn how to develop blue ocean strategies that create new growth opportunities and bring new customers into your industry. Next, you will learn how to assess existing business models and design business models supportive of your overall innovation-based strategy offerings. Lastly, you will learn how to access and leverage external sources of innovative ideas through the processes of open innovation, including crowd sourcing and co creation and their application in diverse industry settings.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is designed to examine the underlying theoretical foundations and practice of decisions central to corporate strategy development. Since this subject is important to scholars in strategic management, financial economics, and public policy, it is approached from an integrative, interdisciplinary perspective. Topics include: the history of merger waves in America and comparative global trends; types of mergers; merger financial and economic motives; strategic and managerial motives; acquisition processes; synergy of the diversified corporate portfolio; empirical evidence of merger success; post-merger integration; divestment; takeover defense strategies; leveraged buyouts; and public policy issues. Students will develop conceptual and analytical skills required for effective merger and divestment analysis through class lectures, selected readings, case discussions, and guest speakers.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A student proposes a directed study project, usually for three credit hours and to be completed in one semester. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report, and the project must be approved by the Office of the Dean prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    Approval of the MMS Program Director or Management and Entrepreneurship Department Chair required. MBA students may not take this course.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The internship is a semester-long, hands-on, practical learning experience in a company or non-profit organization. It usually requires the equivalent of at least one day per week on site. The site cannot be a firm where the student is already employed, unless the internship is confirmed to be related to the degree, substantially differentiated from the student's current work, and sponsored by a different department or division. The internship project is described in a written proposal agreed upon by the company sponsor and sponsoring faculty member, and it includes degree-related and career-related learning outcomes. The intern completes several written reflection assignments, a final report, and a presentation.

    Taxation

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Focuses on the federal income taxation of individuals with some discussion of business taxation. Explores the basic structure of individual income taxation, including the individual tax formula, income, deductions, and credits, and provides an introduction to property transactions. Emphasizes how tax laws affect everyday personal and business decisions.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Presents further consideration of tax issues as they affect the sole proprietor, including the Alternative Minimum Tax, nontaxable exchanges, basis rules, and passive activities.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Covers tax research methods, including identifying and defining tax questions, locating appropriate authority, and interpreting statutes, cases, and rulings. Emphasizes effective communication of research findings and recommendations, and proper administration, ethics and responsibilities of tax practice.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces concepts, principles and practices of taxation of corporations and their shareholders. Covers the effects of taxation on corporate formation, capital structures, distribution and liquidation.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Presents concepts, principles, and practices of taxation of partnerships and S-corporations, including the use of pass-through entities for tax planning.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Explores strategies of tax practice before the Internal Revenue Service. Covers tax deficiencies, assessments, claims for refunds, rulings, statutes of limitation, penalties, interest assessed, and appeals.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-861 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course studies the U.S. taxation of U.S. persons with non-U.S. income and/or activities. Covers foreign tax credit and foreign tax credit limitation, individuals with earned foreign income, controlled foreign corporations, Subpart F, investment in U.S. property, and transfer pricing. Also address compliance and disclosure requirements.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-861(may be taken concurrently) or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course strikes a balance between theoretical concepts and practical, real-world issues and covers the interrelationships between the federal and state taxation systems. Includes the coverage of sales and use taxes, corporate income, franchise taxes, and excise taxes.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-862 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines tax-free and taxable acquisitions/reorganizations in relation to various acquisitive and reorganizational transactions as well as consolidated returns. Covers continuity of enterprise and interest issues in conjunction with the tax treatment accorded a transaction, as well as carryover, basis and compliance provisions.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Includes a review and analysis, from an estate planning prospective, of legal principles critical to the development of an effective dispositive plan with a primary focus on past, current and proposed Federal tax law principles (under the income, gift, and estate tax statutes) pertinent to the development of a variety of estate plans. In addition, the course includes the discussion of particular estate planning problems and techniques for the purpose of determining the most effective means of achieving the client's goals.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Identifies concepts, principles and practices of the transfer taxation of decedents' estates, trusts and lifetime gifts. Covers valuation of property subject to estate and gift taxes, Generation Skipping Transfer Taxes, and the use of trusts for tax planning.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 and TAX-861 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Studies U.S. taxation of non-U.S. persons with activities in the United States. Covers source of income, business investment, and financial planning from a tax perspective for non-U.S. persons doing business in the United States. Also addresses withholding, treaty implications, and compliance and disclosure requirements.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801, TAX-861, and 1 additional TAX course or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the history and evolution of the tax policy and budget process in the United States and the players in that process. Considers the issues of fairness, simplicity and efficiency in the context of the current tax system and evaluating past and current tax policy to make recommendations to craft new policy. Emphasizes the ethical dimensions involved in the tax policymaking process.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Presents the legal, economic, cash flow, tax, investment and insurance ramifications of life and death. Emphasizes tools and techniques necessary to maximize benefits generated from net worth, cash flow, and employment, and minimize the loss resulting from unforeseen contingencies, death, and retirement. Students participate in class discussions and are required to submit a written financial plan for a hypothetical client.

    Prerequisites:

    TAX-801 or approval of the MST Director

    Credits:

    1.00- 3.00

    Description:

    Enables a student-initiated directed study project. The student and faculty advisor must concur on a written proposal and final report. The project must be approved by the dean of academic affairs prior to registration.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-615, MBA-625, MBA-635, MBA-640, MBA-650 MBA-660, and Instructor's approval. Limited to MBA students only.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides a hands-on, practical learning opportunity for a student-initiated experience at a domestic or international organization. Students work closely with the MBA advisor and faculty advisor regarding career-related learning outcomes. Over the course of a semester, students collaborate with their corporate internship supervisor and complete projects in either accounting, business law and ethics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, strategy or tax. Offered every semester.

    Advising

    The MBA Programs Office and academic departments provide academic advising to both full-time and part-time students. All students are encouraged to discuss their academic interests, goals, and concerns with their advisor.

    The MBA Programs Office assists all prospective, current, returning MBA students, and MAPS students with their programs of study. Questions can be directed to the MBA programs office.

    MBA students have five (5) years to complete their degree.

    Waiver/Transfer

    Waiver Policy

    Core courses may be waived. Required MBA Courses (SBS 700, MBA 701, MBA 721, MBA 730, MBA 740, MBA 745, MBA 750, MBA 760 and MBA 770) cannot be waived.

    To waive a core course, a student must successfully complete equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MBA matriculation, “B” or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable).

    All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student’s acceptance into the MBA Program and are waived during the student’s first semester. Students may also elect to take a proficiency exam, for a fee, to gain a waiver. Proficiency exams must be taken in the first semester and are administered on the Boston campus only, with prior arrangements. All MBA students must complete a minimum of 36 credits in the Sawyer Business School.

    Six (6) credits of elective courses, taken at the graduate level from an AACSB-accredited graduate program in business, may be transferred if the credits do not apply to a previously completed degree. Transfer credits must have an earned grade of "B" or better and be taken within five (5) years prior to entering the Suffolk MBA programs. Transfer credits apply only to electives.

    Students Who Leave Boston Before their Degree is Complete

    Occasionally, Suffolk MBA students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. You may be able to transfer in six credits of elective courses from an AACSB-accredited MBA close to your new place of residence. Courses must be pre-approved by Suffolk’s assistant dean of graduate programs and have a grade of "B" or better.

    Students who leave the area may also complete their Suffolk MBA online.

    Transfer credits from the Moakley Center for Public Management’s certificate programs to the MBA

    Students who have completed a certificate program through the Suffolk University Moakley Center for Public Management may transfer a maximum of 12 elective credits to the MBA or the MBA/Nonprofit elective portion of the MBA degree. Graduate course transfers may be considered for students who completed a P.AD 800-level graduate course equivalent, receiving a "B" or better within five (5) years prior of entering the MBA program. Applicants must successfully complete the certificate prior to enrolling in the MBA and cannot be enrolled in two (2) programs at the same time. Applicants must also meet MBA admission standards. All transfers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the MBA Programs Office.

    MBA Online Concentrations Archive 2018-2019

    Accounting Principles Concentration

    The coursework in this concentration emphasizes practical knowledge of key accounting principles and lays the groundwork for CPA* or CMA exam preparation. Graduates with the MBA Concentration in Accounting Principles will graduate prepared to lead successful careers in governmental or for-profit/not-for-profit controllership.

    *While this program lays a foundation for the CPA exam, it will not necessarily give you all of the educational requirements needed to sit for the exam. Visit NASBA.org for more information on requirements.

    Note: If a student has not taken or waived MBA 640 they can count either ACCT 800 or ACCT 804 in place of MBA 640 and chose an additional course from the elective list.

    Required Courses (2 courses, 6 credits)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This introductory-level accounting course provides students with a solid base in accounting fundamentals, including U.S. GAAP, the conceptual framework, nature of accounts, journal entries, and ultimately, financial statements. Provides in-depth coverage of the process by which accountants analyze, journalize, post, and summarize transactions. Reviews and analyzes multiple examples of current "real life" financial statements. The students would practice data analytics through the analysis of companies' financial ratios. The course includes a discussion of ethical issues facing accounting professionals and time value of money techniques. For MSA, GCA, & MST students, this is the first course in the financial accounting sequence. For MBA students, this potential elective course builds upon concepts learned in MBA 640.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examines the concepts and practices of cost measurement: variable costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, goal setting and performance monitoring, standard costing, and variance analysis. Students learn how to prepare a financial plan for a business by constructing operating, working capital, and capital budgets. Students study and practice Excel skills and how those are used to build a financial plan, analyze the sensitivity of the financial plan to different changes, examine performance, and measure and control overhead costs. Students study data analytics techniques and perform analyses in support of decisions, such as pricing, setting product line and customer profitability policy, sourcing of products and services, and matching costing systems to strategy. For MSA, GCA, & MST students this is the first managerial accounting course you will take. For MBA students, this potential elective course builds upon concepts learned in MBA 640.

    Elective Course (1 course, 3 credits)

     Choose one elective from the following list:

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MSA Program Director permission

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This is the first of two intermediate-level accounting courses that build on students' learning in ACCT 800, going in-depth into measurement and reporting of asset, liability, and stockholders' equity accounts for external financial reporting purposes. Discusses pronouncements of authoritative sources such as the SEC, AICPA, and the FASB. Introduces students to IFRS and their similarities to and differences from U.S. GAAP. Develops strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-800 or MBA-640

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the field of auditing, with a concentration in auditing historical financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, and some exposure to auditing the internal control over financial reporting of large public companies. Covers the environment, standards, regulation, and law of auditing in the US, with some exposure to the international environment. Covers audit planning, risk, and materiality assessments, audit evidence, evaluation of internal control, documentation, and audit reports. Includes researching and resolving practice-oriented problems and practice in using computer-assisted audit techniques and electronic confirmations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Focuses on the federal income taxation of individuals with some discussion of business taxation. Explores the basic structure of individual income taxation, including the individual tax formula, income, deductions, and credits, and provides an introduction to property transactions. Emphasizes how tax laws affect everyday personal and business decisions.

    Business Intelligence Concentration

    In order to survive in our competitive, modern economy, organizations need to manage various data resources, analyze data and visualize the results to improve performance management, optimize customer relations, monitor business activity, and support decision making. The market has a high demand for professionals with a solid understanding of data management and analysis, up-to-date knowledge on practical tools to solve business problems in various functional areas, e.g. marketing, finance, accounting and healthcare.

    Required Courses (2 courses, 6 credits)

    Prerequisites:

    This course was formerly ISOM-815

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the importance of information as an organizational resource, role of big data in organizations, and the application of tools to provide high quality information. Students will be able to select the most appropriate data management tool (e.g., SQL vs. non-SQL databases) to business scenarios. Develops the skills needed to succeed in today's big data environment through the application of data management techniques, cases and exercises. Students will become proficient in designing databases using entity relationship modeling and normalization, in building and querying databases of various sizes with Access and SQL (an industry standard), preparing high quality data and applying data visualizing techniques. Students will complete a series of business-oriented hands-on exercises, prepare cases, and complete projects on database design and big data.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces business intelligence and data analytics. Business intelligence and data analytics help organizations in strategic and operational decision making by improving performance management, optimizing customer relations, monitoring business activity, and improving decision support. On a macro-level, the class will discuss business cases for the adoption of business intelligence and data analytics. We will discuss technologies and processes for gathering, storing, accessing, and analyzing data to provide users with better insights and business decisions. On a micro-level, students will use a variety of tools to build their skills in analyzing data to solve business problems. In summary, this course provides a conceptual understanding of business data resources and the development of capabilities for data preparation, warehousing, selection, description, mining, interpretation, visualization, communication, and innovation.

    Elective Course (1 course, 3 credits)

    Choose one elective from the following list:

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Analyzes various real world business problems and explores the full scope of MS Excel's formulas, functions and features to create data models and present solutions. Students analyze data, design custom charts, graphs, PivotTables and Pivot charts, create three-dimensional workbooks, build links between files and endow worksheets with decision-making capabilities. Students conduct What-If Analysis, utilizing Scenario Manager, Solver, Data Tables and Goal Seek. This course provides the skills necessary to pass the Microsoft Office Specialist Certification in Excel.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Provides students with an understanding of the nature of enterprise integration and enterprise software, business process reengineering, the implementation within organizations, and strategies for maximizing benefits from enterprise systems. To manage complex business processes in today's multi-national, wired and wireless world, firms need integrated software packages to manage their global business. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are used to support a wide range of business functions for all companies across industries. With ERP systems, business managers are able to make decisions with accurate, consistent, and current data. Intensive lab projects on the SAP ERP System with real life business scenarios are utilized to reinforce understanding of enterprise systems functionality and business process concepts.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Introduces the fundamental principles of information and big data security. Security vulnerabilities, threats and risks will be analyzed. Common types of computer attacks and counter-attacks will be identified. Security technologies such as biometrics, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and cryptography systems will be applied in conjunction with human based safeguards. Business continuity and disaster recovery planning will be covered. Students will then learn how to design and build a layered security defense combining several of the above controls to address the different challenges to data security. The managerial concerns of security and privacy of information will be stressed including the legal and privacy issues. Best practices for planning and auditing security and privacy will then be covered.

    Competency and Skill Development

    Management Skills

    Utilize communication and presentation skills to help present results in a meaningful and intuitive way.

    Data Management Skills

    Design database, retrieve data from business processes, and address security concerns of data management.

    MS Excel, MS Access, SQL, ERP system, Data Warehouse, security/privacy protection

    Data Analysis and Visualization

    Analyze data and visualize analyzed results.

    SPSS, Tableau, SAP Lumira, MS Excel

    Potential Career Paths

    Data Analyst or Business Analyst in various sectors (e.g., healthcare, investment, government, and retailing)

    Graduates have worked in healthcare, investment, government, and retailing.
    Business Consultant, Business Application Developer, Project Manager

    Graduates have worked as sales commission analyst (Nuance Communications), business and engineering manager (Dell EMC), business solution analyst (Boston Bruins), Application Analyst (Partners Healthcare).

    Creative Disruption: Entrepreneurship for New and Existing Businesses Concentration

    Students may select three (3), from this list of seven (7) courses, that can be combined to provide actionable knowledge about creativity, innovation, and organizational change all in an entrepreneurial context of creating something new and valuable.

    Required Courses (3 courses, 9 credits)

    Select three (3) courses from the following list:

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    In this introductory course you will learn a deliberate process of opportunity recognition. You will learn how to generate ideas that fit within your and your team's mindset, as well as your knowledge, skills and abilities intended to improve the likelihood of success. Once your opportunity is identified, you will determine its level of feasibility from the conceptual stage, industry and competitive analysis, through legal and financial risk areas, leading to a "go or no go" decision. Topics include the individual and team mindset, identifying, growing and seizing opportunities, the founder and the team, and growth strategies. Financial topics include verifying the cost structure, making credible assumptions, identifying financial needs and sources, and preparing forecast financial statements, leading to a final presentation pitching the feasibility of your opportunity.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Corporate entrepreneurship refers to alternative approaches that existing firms use to innovatively generate new products, new services, new businesses and new business models. This course emphasizes the cultivation of each student's ability to evaluate innovations and business models for development in a corporate setting. It emphasizes various kinds of internal corporate ventures and multiple "external" collaborative approaches that include corporate venture capital investments, licensing and different types of alliances and formal joint ventures. Special emphasis will be placed on skills needed to promote and manage corporate entrepreneurship, including opportunity recognition, selling an idea, turning ideas into action, developing metrics for venture success and strategies for aligning corporate entrepreneurial projects with company strategies and growth opportunities and managing the conflicts that may arise between existing businesses and corporate entrepreneurial ventures. Students will also learn to identify the elements of an organization's culture, structure and reward and control systems that either inhibit or support the corporate entrepreneurship, and analyze how corporate entrepreneurial activities relate to a company's ability to drive innovation throughout the organization.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Social entrepreneurship is about applying innovative financial and operational solutions to ameliorating intractable social problems such as health care, education, poverty, climate change and human rights. This course will not only introduce you to the issues and challenges faced by social entrepreneurs the world over, but will also focus on the various business models adopted by social enterprises. The class will be case-based (2 books) with two short exams, one additional book to read, and an out of class project (individual or group--your choice).

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Corporations place high importance on innovation and new product development for competitiveness and profitability. Since many companies are operating in a global environment, there's a need to find ways to harness the talent of people at multiple locations. This course is designed to teach global innovation and new product development using "virtual team and connectivity" techniques involving multiple locations/countries, while equipping students with the necessary knowledge, expertise and capabilities towards this goal. This course may also be conducted with Suffolk Law School students.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Ever wonder what great breakthroughs are on the horizon to improve business thinking, processes, products, and services? If you have, this course is for you. We will learn about how businesses are using principles of design thinking and biomimicry to create entirely new ways of meeting the challenges of modern business: those are, needs to reduce costs, increase revenues, minimize waste & energy use, maximize novel approaches, & meet consumer and business needs. You may recognize the term "design thinking" if you are a follower of Apple, Inc. which has used this process in the development of all of their products and services over the past 15 years. Biomimicry principles are those that seek their inspiration from nature; after all, nature has been problem-solving for 3.8 billion years -- surely there is something to learn from this to be adapted to solving modern challenges. The course will be both conceptual and practical with various experiential learning opportunities.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Over the past decade, the world of business and the environment has exploded. Beginning as an engineering-driven movement among a handful of companies during the 1980s, many firms have learned that improved environmental performance can save money and create competitive advantage. Much of the focus over the last 30 years has been on larger businesses. But now the big businesses are encouraging their small and mid-sized enterprises vendors and partners to pay attention to these concerns also. Consequently, the "greening" of Small Business is of utmost importance as many small businesses are a part of the supply chains of larger companies. And improving their performance can strengthen the business relationships of all parties by becoming cleaner, greener and sustainable businesses. This course will cover all aspects of green and sustainable business from innovation to new products to greening of the supply chain. It will cover how small and large businesses like General Electric, General Motors and others are paying attention to this very critical topic and taking actions which benefit the environment as well as their bottom lines and thus creating entrepreneurial opportunities in this growing market.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This advanced course is held in an experiential setting to help entrepreneurial-minded students, managers, etc. develop and practice their business skills working with real startups or small business under pro bono consulting arrangements. This course will be under the supervision of a faculty member, coach and advisor. Students will learn to assess client situations, develop alternatives and identify and defend solutions, at times within the client organization. This course is offered as a joint practicum with Suffolk Law School or as an independent study.

    Competency and Skill Development

    Detecting

    Information search, analysis.

    Designing

    Creation of value for stakeholders.

    Deploying

    Taking action to initiate change.

    Potential Career Paths

    Small Business Owner or Manager
    • Bringing innovation to corporations, small business, or family business.
    • Managing a company's green and sustainable practices.
    • Working for or starting a social enterprise.
    • Working for or starting a new business.

    Finance

    General Finance Concentration

    Finance is evolving quickly, and you want to do more than just keep pace. You want to be at the forefront of change, ready to lead. With this concentration, you’ll explore areas such as corporate finance, portfolio management, investment banking, and international finance.

    Required Course (1 course, 3 credits)

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA 650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course extends the body of knowledge acquired in MBA 650. Students expand knowledge of dividend theory, capital structure theory, capital budgeting, long-term financing decisions, cash management and corporate restructuring, market efficiency, and risk and liability management.

    Elective Courses (2 courses, 6 credits)

    Choose two (2) electives from the following list:

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine markets for investment procedures, valuation models, basic analytical techniques, and factors influencing risk/return tradeoffs. This course emphasizes the professional approach to managing investment assets. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, options, and futures.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students examine techniques and decision-making rules for the evaluation and selection of long-term investment projects by corporations and the interaction of investment and financing.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students explore the pricing of options and futures contracts, the characteristics of the markets in which these contracts are traded, options and futures strategies, and the application of these contracts in the hedging of financial positions. In addition, students are exposed to swap markets and a variety of swaps.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The course introduces students to the structure and management of international financial-services firms and methods through which financial institutions manage risk. The course discusses tools for identifying, measuring, evaluating, and managing risks, such as interest rate, credit, foreign exchange, liquidity, market, sovereign, and operational risk. The course also introduces key regulations and discusses important ethical issues in the financial-services industry.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students are introduced to mathematical statistics and basic econometrics. They study fundamental econometric tools as well as hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, linear regressions, simultaneous equations, and models of qualitative choice.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course covers corporate financial decisions in an international setting with a focus on foreign exchange management and capital budgeting.

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-650;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students are introduced to the language and principles of real estate. Includes an overview of decision-making in the field, with particular emphasis on investment and asset management.

    Competency and Skill Development

    Analytical/Critical Thinking

    Students will learn to use the financial tools and methodologies to develop and sharpen their critical thinking skills so that they can approach any challenge systematically and with creativity.

    Problem Solving

    Students will develop problem solving skills that will assist them in meeting the needs of their organizations and supporting shareholder value creation.

    Decision Making

    Any financial or non-financial institution requires sound decision making to ensure that it can thrive financially while limiting its risks. Finance students will learn how to weigh the appropriate options and make the best decision possible.

    Potential Career Path

    Financial Analyst Financial Analysts advise businesses and individuals on investment decisions. They do this by evaluating stocks, bonds and other investment opportunities.
    Risk Manager Risk Managers identify and analyze potential risks that can threaten the assets and financial health of an organization.
    Investment Banker An Investment Banker assists corporations with services that include mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, investment opportunities, or financing.

    Marketing

    Marketing Concentration

    Marketing has become a rapidly evolving field with the onset of globalization, new technologies, and modern lifestyles. Having expertise in areas such as consumer behavior, strategy, and research methods can increase your marketing career opportunities.

    Required Courses (3 courses, 9 credits)

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625, OR SBS-604, OR MBA-622; AND MBA-660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course explores the role of research in marketing decision-making, including the cost and value of information. The course uses cases and problems to explore problem definition, research design, sampling, questionnaire design, field methods, data analysis and reporting.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA 660

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is designed to provide you with both a sound theoretical and an applied approach to developing and implementing marketing strategy at multiple levels of the organization - corporate, division, strategic business unit, and product. Special emphasis will be placed on dealing with contemporary marketing issues in the highly competitive global environment. The course presentation will combine lectures, case studies, guest speakers, and a semester-long, team-based project.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-660 (previously or concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    A key to successful marketing is cracking the code of consumer behavior. The scope of this course is analyzing consumer behavior both at home and abroad, particularly contrasting the emergent markets in the East with more established Western markets. This comparison highlights issues such as the role of consumption in negotiating modernity while honoring tradition, responses of consumers to innovations, the role of social class and status in consumption, and value placed on authenticity in different cultural milieus. This course is constructed in three modules. The first focuses on the globalization of consumption, the second on the adoption and consumption of innovations, and the last on special topics in cultural and cross-cultural studies.

    Strategic Management

    Strategic Management Concentration

    This concentration gives you the tools to understand and analyze business organizations in a holistic way as they relate to their competitive and institutional contexts. You will understand how firms mobilize and reinvent their resources, outperform competition, and deliver superior performance to shareholders and other key stakeholders.

    Required Courses (3 courses, 9 credits)

    Choose three (3) from the following list:  

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course prepares you for the practice of consulting either within the organization or as an external consultant. Topics include: The practice of consulting, finding opportunities, managing the consulting firm, facilitating the consulting engagement including by focusing on client problems, and review of popular models and tools for problem solving.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is designed to provide you the tools to analyze your organization's competitive situation and develop innovative strategies and proposals that disrupt your competition and are game changers for your industry. You will also learn how to develop blue ocean strategies that create new growth opportunities and bring new customers into your industry. Next, you will learn how to assess existing business models and design business models supportive of your overall innovation-based strategy offerings. Lastly, you will learn how to access and leverage external sources of innovative ideas through the processes of open innovation, including crowd sourcing and co creation and their application in diverse industry settings.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-650

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is designed to examine the underlying theoretical foundations and practice of decisions central to corporate strategy development. Since this subject is important to scholars in strategic management, financial economics, and public policy, it is approached from an integrative, interdisciplinary perspective. Topics include: the history of merger waves in America and comparative global trends; types of mergers; merger financial and economic motives; strategic and managerial motives; acquisition processes; synergy of the diversified corporate portfolio; empirical evidence of merger success; post-merger integration; divestment; takeover defense strategies; leveraged buyouts; and public policy issues. Students will develop conceptual and analytical skills required for effective merger and divestment analysis through class lectures, selected readings, case discussions, and guest speakers.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course addresses the creation of competitive advantage in a multinational firm. Topics include: analysis of the nature of globalization, the formulation and implementation of international strategy, market entry and organizational forms, and the management of global operations.

    Competency and Skill Development

    Higher-order Thinking

    The ability to imagine the future and how the firm will fit that environment.

    Ability to think and make decisions cross-functionally and holistically.
    Industry Analysis

    Understanding the external context of strategy – local and global.

    Competitive dynamics; Competitor analysis.

    Company Analysis

    Vertical, horizontal, spatial and geographic scope.

    Resources and capabilities; key areas of the value chain; innovation.

    Stakeholder management.
    Institutional Analysis

    International differences, forces, and opportunities.

    Nonmarket context.

    Potential Career Paths

    Management Consulting Positions

    Analysis and advice to client companies on major strategic issues and decisions.

    Opportunities in specialized firms and consulting arms of major audit firms.

    Analysis of Investment Prospects

    Analysis of performance prospects of potential investment targets; share or bond purchases, venture capital investments, loan guarantees, etc.

    Opportunities in the financial services industry; banks, VC firms, fund management, etc.

    Entrepreneurial Ventures

    Development and execution of business and strategic plans; strategic decision-making.

    Opportunities in startup and corporate ventures; venture capital firms.

    Corporate Management

    Analysis, formulation and implementation of firm-level strategies.

    Opportunities in corporate entrepreneurship.

    Accelerated MBA for Attorneys Archive 2018-2019

    The Accelerated MBA for Attorneys is open to graduates of ABA-approved law schools and offered at all MBA sites and fully online. Students in their final year of law school (third year day students/fourth year evening students) can apply for provisional acceptance into this program, however, acceptance is conditional upon satisfactory completion of the Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent degree. The GMAT exam is waived with documentation of the LSAT. The Accelerated MBA for Attorneys consists of 37 credits.

    Sawyer Business School coursework is completed on either a full- or part-time basis, on campus or online. Students who have completed prior undergraduate or graduate level business school coursework may also be eligible to substitute MBA electives for required core courses.

    Total Required Credits: 37

    Contextualize: from Boston to the World (4 Credits)

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    SBS 700 is the first required course in Suffolk's graduate programs. The course is based on the precepts of experiential learning. Based on the idea that people learn best by participating in meaningful activities, this course provides students with the opportunity to learn about and experience first-hand the many complexities of business and the role of top managers. To accomplish this, students will work in small groups as they take on the roles of top managers in a hands-on behavioral simulation.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This first-semester MBA course introduces students to the topic of world-class clusters as a multi-level phenomenon. Beginning from the macro level of analysis and proceeding to the micro level, the course covers a panoply of concepts and frameworks for understanding why world-class clusters emerge at specific locations in the first place and then regularly succeed in transforming themselves to keep up with and even lead the pace of change in their respective industries. In the group projects that they conduct for this course, students are expected to emulate the characteristics of high-powered teams found in world-class clusters: the course thus begins with conceptual understanding of world-class clusters and then proceeds to have students emulate the behavior that can be observed in world-class clusters.

    Core Courses* (15 Credits)

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic tools and concepts of microeconomics (2 classes) for supply and demand analysis; for consumer market behavior; and for production, cost, and pricing decisions in different market structures. Greater emphasis (4 to 5 classes) in the course is on the macroeconomic topics of national economic performance, the economic role of government and fiscal and monetary policy, and the banking and financial system in the current economic environment. The course is intended for MBA students who have no recent academic background in economics.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course emphasizes the importance of basic concepts in probability and statistics for managerial decision making with a strong emphasis on practical application. Students will learn basic data analysis, random variables and probability distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression. MS Excel will be used throughout the course. Numerous examples are chosen from quality control applications, finance, marketing and Management to illustrate the managerial value of applying sound statistical techniques to the analysis of operational data.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625 or SBS-604 (may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides students with Operations Management concepts, techniques, and tools to design, analyze, and improve operational capabilities in any organization. Students will understand and analyze common OM decisions on managing inputs (materials, information, finances, and human resources) and processes to deliver desirable outcomes to customers. Topics covered include operations strategy, process analysis, quality management and lean operations, capacity analysis, inventory management, product development, supply chain management, project management, revenue management and pricing, decision analysis, and forecasting. Software tools used may include MS Excel, Visio, and Project Management. This course will contain experiential learning components related to Boston's world-class industries, which may include guest lectures, simulation exercises, or visits to local organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course deals with the structure and information content of the three principal financial statements of profit-directed companies, namely the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. It develops skill in using accounting information to analyze the performance and financial condition of a company, and to facilitate decision making, planning and budgeting, and performance appraisal in a managerial context. This course also contains an experiential component by offering guided inquiry and real company cases.

    Prerequisites:

    1 course from each of the following groups: MBA-615 or SBS-603; MBA-625 or SBS-604; MBA-640 or ACCT-800; These courses may be taken prior to or concurrently with MBA-650.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic principles of corporate finance. The main focus is on fundamental principles such as time value of money, asset valuation, and risk and return tradeoff. Topics to be covered also include cost of capital, capital budgeting, and capital structure.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    At its core, marketing is about providing consumer value. The practice of doing this is changing constantly-driven by rapid and far-reaching changes in technology; globalization; and the evolution of consumer values, practices, and lifestyles. This course will present themes, theories, and trends that are critical for: 1. understanding the business of creating, capturing and sustaining value; 2. introducing students to the global, consumer, and technological realities of marketing in the 21st Century; and 3. providing students with a sound foundation to explore marketing in further depth in upper-level elective courses. This course also contains an experiential component. .

    Understand Business Fundamentals (9 Credits)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students three essential ingredients of Collaboration: Ethical Decision Making, How We Work Together, and Managing Projects. Ethical decisions are key to a company's success, its reputation, value, profitability, strategy, morale, and ability to recruit talent. Workplace behavior matters and will be examined from the perspective of leadership, critical conversations, decision making and teams. Project management is important in the context of today's complex, high-pressure work environments that thrive through collaboration and the ability to make disparate groups gel and produce quickly. This course will contain experiential components relating to Boston's world-class industries.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to three essential ingredients of innovation: Entrepreneurial Thinking, Information Technology in an Age of Disruption, and Law as Framework. Entrepreneurial thinking is a critical element in the creation, growth, and sustainability of an organization. In new ventures, entrepreneurs drive innovation with limited resources and within a flat organization. Information technology, strategically selected and implemented, can provide a significant, competitive advantage. Students will survey the increasingly complex, evolving, and highly competitive business environment in which ethical, legal, economic, and regulatory forces are continuously reshaping the global marketplace both to create and limit competitive opportunities. This course will contain experiential components, relating to Boston's world-class industries.

    Prerequisites:

    Please email Hillary Sabbagh at [email protected] to register for a travel seminar.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The Immersion course provides an opportunity for students to link their program work to hands-on experience and visits to real-life global companies. The highly experiential, intensive course combines classroom learning with a direct business and cultural experience. Students will work in teams directly for a client or several clients, solving real challenges, using their analytical skills, knowledge, and experience to develop feasible solutions. Required for all MBA students, the course will be offered globally or nationally to accommodate a variety of student needs.

    Construct the Big Picture (6 Credits)

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the global business environment in a way specifically relevant to innovation in world-class clusters. The course has a three-part format: 1. global business fundamentals; 2. opportunity recognition, validation and planning; and 3. experiential term group project in the elaboration of a proposed innovation. Global business fundamentals include the complexities of operating in the international economic environment, the theory and practice of trade, the global integration and local responsiveness of the multinational firm, the internationalization decision of firms, as well as the different modes of entry.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students engage in a variety of learning activities, such as case studies, computer simulations, examinations, project reports, and most especially, experiential exercises involving competition. Students will develop a multi-functional general management perspective. The course is designed to help students integrate and apply their knowledge and techniques learned in the core courses of the MBA program into an overall view of the firm, evaluate the environment, and speculate on the future direction of the organization. Students will also learn about the principal concepts, frameworks, and techniques of strategic management, they will develop the capacity for strategic thinking, and they will examine the organizational and environmental contexts in which strategic management unfolds. This course will make extensive use of experiential activities and projects designed to get students to experience the dynamics of competition right in the classroom.

    Lead and Implement Change (3 Credits)

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700 MBA-701 MBA-710 MBA-615 MBA-625 MBA-635 MBA-640 MBA-650 MBA-660 MBA-720(or MBA-721) MBA-730 MBA-745 MBA-750 MBA-760 (MBA 745, MBA-750 and MBA-760 may be taken concurrently with MBA 770)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The final course in the MBA curriculum ties together the integral components of the four industry clusters, strategy and business fundamentals to the experience of leading change. Students experience the change process personally through a simulation. Students then apply their learning to an applied project based in one of the four clusters that is team-based, client-focused, grounded in research, and integrates MBA concepts as required with a final presentation to a live client. As part of understanding change, students will also evaluate the wider societal impacts of the business change. Finally, students reflect on their MBA program in total, revisiting their career plan and vision. This course uses multiple approaches, defining, understanding and experiencing the strategic value of change at the organizational, team, and individual levels.

    Concentrations

    Accelerated MBA for Attorney students who waive MBA core courses must substitute with an elective from within the Sawyer Business School. If at least 9 credits of core courses are waived, students may declare a concentration with 3 electives from the same functional area.

    Advising

    The MBA Programs Office and academic departments provide academic advising to both full-time and part-time students. All students are encouraged to discuss their academic interests, goals, and concerns with their MBA Programs advisor.

    Waiver Policy

    If core courses (MBA 615, MBA 625, MBA 635, MBA 640, MBA 650, and MBA 660) are waived, student must substitute with an MBA elective.

    If a 1.5 credit core course is waived, student may complete an independent study for 1.5 credits.

    Students in the Accelerated MBA for Attorneys must complete a minimum of 37 credits in the Sawyer Business School.

    Accelerated MBA for CPAs Archive 2018-2019

    Total Required Credits: 36 to 51

    Contextualize: from Boston to the World (5 Credits)

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    SBS 700 is the first required course in Suffolk's graduate programs. The course is based on the precepts of experiential learning. Based on the idea that people learn best by participating in meaningful activities, this course provides students with the opportunity to learn about and experience first-hand the many complexities of business and the role of top managers. To accomplish this, students will work in small groups as they take on the roles of top managers in a hands-on behavioral simulation.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students ethical frameworks to lead and manage organizations that go beyond the standard legal compliance and risk management approaches, and that embrace the more inclusive principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility. This course will set forth the fundamentals of managerial ethics and will prepare students for the complex, multilevel managerial and leadership integrity challenges that corporations face today.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This first-semester MBA course introduces students to the topic of world-class clusters as a multi-level phenomenon. Beginning from the macro level of analysis and proceeding to the micro level, the course covers a panoply of concepts and frameworks for understanding why world-class clusters emerge at specific locations in the first place and then regularly succeed in transforming themselves to keep up with and even lead the pace of change in their respective industries. In the group projects that they conduct for this course, students are expected to emulate the characteristics of high-powered teams found in world-class clusters: the course thus begins with conceptual understanding of world-class clusters and then proceeds to have students emulate the behavior that can be observed in world-class clusters.

    Core Courses* (12 Credits)

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic tools and concepts of microeconomics (2 classes) for supply and demand analysis; for consumer market behavior; and for production, cost, and pricing decisions in different market structures. Greater emphasis (4 to 5 classes) in the course is on the macroeconomic topics of national economic performance, the economic role of government and fiscal and monetary policy, and the banking and financial system in the current economic environment. The course is intended for MBA students who have no recent academic background in economics.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course emphasizes the importance of basic concepts in probability and statistics for managerial decision making with a strong emphasis on practical application. Students will learn basic data analysis, random variables and probability distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression. MS Excel will be used throughout the course. Numerous examples are chosen from quality control applications, finance, marketing and Management to illustrate the managerial value of applying sound statistical techniques to the analysis of operational data.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625 or SBS-604 (may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides students with Operations Management concepts, techniques, and tools to design, analyze, and improve operational capabilities in any organization. Students will understand and analyze common OM decisions on managing inputs (materials, information, finances, and human resources) and processes to deliver desirable outcomes to customers. Topics covered include operations strategy, process analysis, quality management and lean operations, capacity analysis, inventory management, product development, supply chain management, project management, revenue management and pricing, decision analysis, and forecasting. Software tools used may include MS Excel, Visio, and Project Management. This course will contain experiential learning components related to Boston's world-class industries, which may include guest lectures, simulation exercises, or visits to local organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    1 course from each of the following groups: MBA-615 or SBS-603; MBA-625 or SBS-604; MBA-640 or ACCT-800; These courses may be taken prior to or concurrently with MBA-650.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic principles of corporate finance. The main focus is on fundamental principles such as time value of money, asset valuation, and risk and return tradeoff. Topics to be covered also include cost of capital, capital budgeting, and capital structure.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    At its core, marketing is about providing consumer value. The practice of doing this is changing constantly-driven by rapid and far-reaching changes in technology; globalization; and the evolution of consumer values, practices, and lifestyles. This course will present themes, theories, and trends that are critical for: 1. understanding the business of creating, capturing and sustaining value; 2. introducing students to the global, consumer, and technological realities of marketing in the 21st Century; and 3. providing students with a sound foundation to explore marketing in further depth in upper-level elective courses. This course also contains an experiential component. .

    * May be waived.

    Understand Business Fundamentals (9 Credits)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students critical thinking and problem solving skills in the context of two essential ingredients of collaboration: leading people and teams, and managing projects. Students will learn concepts and processes that support building and launching high performing teams that can manage complex projects efficiently and effectively. Students will collaborate experientially to solve problems facing Boston's world-class industry clusters.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to three essential ingredients of innovation: Entrepreneurial Thinking, Information Technology in an Age of Disruption, and Law as Framework. Entrepreneurial thinking is a critical element in the creation, growth, and sustainability of an organization. In new ventures, entrepreneurs drive innovation with limited resources and within a flat organization. Information technology, strategically selected and implemented, can provide a significant, competitive advantage. Students will survey the increasingly complex, evolving, and highly competitive business environment in which ethical, legal, economic, and regulatory forces are continuously reshaping the global marketplace both to create and limit competitive opportunities. This course will contain experiential components, relating to Boston's world-class industries.

    Prerequisites:

    Please email Hillary Sabbagh at [email protected] to register for a travel seminar.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The Immersion course provides an opportunity for students to link their program work to hands-on experience and visits to real-life global companies. The highly experiential, intensive course combines classroom learning with a direct business and cultural experience. Students will work in teams directly for a client or several clients, solving real challenges, using their analytical skills, knowledge, and experience to develop feasible solutions. Required for all MBA students, the course will be offered globally or nationally to accommodate a variety of student needs.

    Electives (12 Credits)

    Three or four electives in one functional area comprise a concentration. A concentration is not required. All electives must be 800 level or above (some 700 level electives are acceptable for HLTH and PAD. See elective list for acceptable 700 level courses) within the Sawyer Business School.

    Construct the Big Picture (7 Credits)

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-721, MBA-730, and SBS-700

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course involves synthesizing and applying the content from Values Based Decision Making through two deliverables, both of which require reflection on the MBA experience. Students will consider the external clients they have worked with in their client oriented classes and the MBA curriculum through an ethical lens. They will focus on identifying organization-based ethical issues and values, applying ethical frameworks to analyze them, and making an argument as leaders or managers for an ethical solution. This course will offer application and synthesis, taught towards the end, allowing students to creatively apply ethical perspectives to what they learned in the MBA.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the global business environment in a way specifically relevant to innovation in world-class clusters. The course has a three-part format: 1. global business fundamentals; 2. opportunity recognition, validation and planning; and 3. experiential term group project in the elaboration of a proposed innovation. Global business fundamentals include the complexities of operating in the international economic environment, the theory and practice of trade, the global integration and local responsiveness of the multinational firm, the internationalization decision of firms, as well as the different modes of entry.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students engage in a variety of learning activities, such as case studies, computer simulations, examinations, project reports, and most especially, experiential exercises involving competition. Students will develop a multi-functional general management perspective. The course is designed to help students integrate and apply their knowledge and techniques learned in the core courses of the MBA program into an overall view of the firm, evaluate the environment, and speculate on the future direction of the organization. Students will also learn about the principal concepts, frameworks, and techniques of strategic management, they will develop the capacity for strategic thinking, and they will examine the organizational and environmental contexts in which strategic management unfolds. This course will make extensive use of experiential activities and projects designed to get students to experience the dynamics of competition right in the classroom.

    Lead and Implement Change (3 Credits)

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700 MBA-701 MBA-710 MBA-615 MBA-625 MBA-635 MBA-640 MBA-650 MBA-660 MBA-720(or MBA-721) MBA-730 MBA-745 MBA-750 MBA-760 (MBA 745, MBA-750 and MBA-760 may be taken concurrently with MBA 770)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The final course in the MBA curriculum ties together the integral components of the four industry clusters, strategy and business fundamentals to the experience of leading change. Students experience the change process personally through a simulation. Students then apply their learning to an applied project based in one of the four clusters that is team-based, client-focused, grounded in research, and integrates MBA concepts as required with a final presentation to a live client. As part of understanding change, students will also evaluate the wider societal impacts of the business change. Finally, students reflect on their MBA program in total, revisiting their career plan and vision. This course uses multiple approaches, defining, understanding and experiencing the strategic value of change at the organizational, team, and individual levels.

    Advising

    The MBA Programs Office and academic departments provide academic advising to both full-time and part-time students. All students are encouraged to discuss their academic interests, goals, and concerns with their MBA Programs advisor; or Sawyer Business School department chairs and faculty. Questions can be directed to the MBA programs office at [email protected].

    Suffolk MBA students have the flexibility to combine taking core or elective courses in Boston or online. Students enrolling in an online course for the first time are strongly advised to also enroll in the New Student Orientation (NSO)- (SBS 002 W1). It is a no-fee, zero-credit session, designed for students who have never taken an online course before. It is hosted the week prior to the start of the semester.

    Waiver Policy

    The MBA Programs Office and academic departments provide academic advising to both full-time and part-time students. All students are encouraged to discuss their academic interests, goals, and concerns with their MBA Programs advisor; or Sawyer Business School department chairs and faculty. Questions can be directed to the MBA programs office at [email protected].

    Core courses may be waived. Required MBA Courses (SBS 700, MBA 701, MBA 710, MBA 721, MBA 730, MBA 740, MBA 745, MBA 750, MBA 760 and MBA 770) cannot be waived.To waive a core course, a student must successfully complete equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven years prior to MBA matriculation (“B”or better) and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable).All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student’s acceptance into the MBA Program and are waived during the student’s first semester. Students may also elect to take a proficiency exam, for a fee, to gain a waiver. Proficiency exams must be taken in the first semester and are administered on the Boston campus only. All MBA students must, however, complete a minimum of 36credits in the Sawyer Business School.

    Students Entering the Suffolk MBA

    Six credits of elective courses, taken at the graduate level from an AACSB-accredited graduate program in business, may be transferred if the credits do not apply to a previously completed degree. Transfer credits must have an earned grade of "B" or better and be taken within five years prior to entering the Suffolk MBA programs. Transfer credits apply only to electives.

    MBA for Music Business Management Graduates of the Berklee College of Music Archive 2018-2019

    The Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University offers an MBA Program for Music Business/Management graduates of the Berklee College of Music. Students who have appropriate credentials could waive nine (9) credits of core courses with their Berklee courses. To waive a core course, a student must successfully complete equivalent academic course work at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MBA matriculation, with a grade of "B" or better.

    Students may be enrolled full-time or part-time.

    MBA for Music Business/Management Curriculum

     Total Credits Required 36-51

    Contextualize: From Boston to the World (5 credits)

    Must be taken as early in the program as possible.

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    SBS 700 is the first required course in Suffolk's graduate programs. The course is based on the precepts of experiential learning. Based on the idea that people learn best by participating in meaningful activities, this course provides students with the opportunity to learn about and experience first-hand the many complexities of business and the role of top managers. To accomplish this, students will work in small groups as they take on the roles of top managers in a hands-on behavioral simulation.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students ethical frameworks to lead and manage organizations that go beyond the standard legal compliance and risk management approaches, and that embrace the more inclusive principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility. This course will set forth the fundamentals of managerial ethics and will prepare students for the complex, multilevel managerial and leadership integrity challenges that corporations face today.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This first-semester MBA course introduces students to the topic of world-class clusters as a multi-level phenomenon. Beginning from the macro level of analysis and proceeding to the micro level, the course covers a panoply of concepts and frameworks for understanding why world-class clusters emerge at specific locations in the first place and then regularly succeed in transforming themselves to keep up with and even lead the pace of change in their respective industries. In the group projects that they conduct for this course, students are expected to emulate the characteristics of high-powered teams found in world-class clusters: the course thus begins with conceptual understanding of world-class clusters and then proceeds to have students emulate the behavior that can be observed in world-class clusters.

    Core Courses (15 credits)

    Nine (9) credits may be waived with the specific Berklee courses as indicated below.

    May be waived with MB 301 and MB 345.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic tools and concepts of microeconomics (2 classes) for supply and demand analysis; for consumer market behavior; and for production, cost, and pricing decisions in different market structures. Greater emphasis (4 to 5 classes) in the course is on the macroeconomic topics of national economic performance, the economic role of government and fiscal and monetary policy, and the banking and financial system in the current economic environment. The course is intended for MBA students who have no recent academic background in economics.

    May be waived with MB 301 and MB 345.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course emphasizes the importance of basic concepts in probability and statistics for managerial decision making with a strong emphasis on practical application. Students will learn basic data analysis, random variables and probability distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression. MS Excel will be used throughout the course. Numerous examples are chosen from quality control applications, finance, marketing and Management to illustrate the managerial value of applying sound statistical techniques to the analysis of operational data.

    May be waived with MB 331, MBA 335 and MBA 337.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625 or SBS-604 (may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides students with Operations Management concepts, techniques, and tools to design, analyze, and improve operational capabilities in any organization. Students will understand and analyze common OM decisions on managing inputs (materials, information, finances, and human resources) and processes to deliver desirable outcomes to customers. Topics covered include operations strategy, process analysis, quality management and lean operations, capacity analysis, inventory management, product development, supply chain management, project management, revenue management and pricing, decision analysis, and forecasting. Software tools used may include MS Excel, Visio, and Project Management. This course will contain experiential learning components related to Boston's world-class industries, which may include guest lectures, simulation exercises, or visits to local organizations.

    May be waived with MB 341 and MB 345.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course deals with the structure and information content of the three principal financial statements of profit-directed companies, namely the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. It develops skill in using accounting information to analyze the performance and financial condition of a company, and to facilitate decision making, planning and budgeting, and performance appraisal in a managerial context. This course also contains an experiential component by offering guided inquiry and real company cases.

    Prerequisites:

    1 course from each of the following groups: MBA-615 or SBS-603; MBA-625 or SBS-604; MBA-640 or ACCT-800; These courses may be taken prior to or concurrently with MBA-650.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic principles of corporate finance. The main focus is on fundamental principles such as time value of money, asset valuation, and risk and return tradeoff. Topics to be covered also include cost of capital, capital budgeting, and capital structure.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    At its core, marketing is about providing consumer value. The practice of doing this is changing constantly-driven by rapid and far-reaching changes in technology; globalization; and the evolution of consumer values, practices, and lifestyles. This course will present themes, theories, and trends that are critical for: 1. understanding the business of creating, capturing and sustaining value; 2. introducing students to the global, consumer, and technological realities of marketing in the 21st Century; and 3. providing students with a sound foundation to explore marketing in further depth in upper-level elective courses. This course also contains an experiential component. .

    Understand Business Fundamentals (9 credits)

     

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students critical thinking and problem solving skills in the context of two essential ingredients of collaboration: leading people and teams, and managing projects. Students will learn concepts and processes that support building and launching high performing teams that can manage complex projects efficiently and effectively. Students will collaborate experientially to solve problems facing Boston's world-class industry clusters.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to three essential ingredients of innovation: Entrepreneurial Thinking, Information Technology in an Age of Disruption, and Law as Framework. Entrepreneurial thinking is a critical element in the creation, growth, and sustainability of an organization. In new ventures, entrepreneurs drive innovation with limited resources and within a flat organization. Information technology, strategically selected and implemented, can provide a significant, competitive advantage. Students will survey the increasingly complex, evolving, and highly competitive business environment in which ethical, legal, economic, and regulatory forces are continuously reshaping the global marketplace both to create and limit competitive opportunities. This course will contain experiential components, relating to Boston's world-class industries.

    Prerequisites:

    Please email Hillary Sabbagh at [email protected] to register for a travel seminar.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The Immersion course provides an opportunity for students to link their program work to hands-on experience and visits to real-life global companies. The highly experiential, intensive course combines classroom learning with a direct business and cultural experience. Students will work in teams directly for a client or several clients, solving real challenges, using their analytical skills, knowledge, and experience to develop feasible solutions. Required for all MBA students, the course will be offered globally or nationally to accommodate a variety of student needs.

    Note: Campus based students must take MBA 740. Fully online MBA students can either take MBA 740 or MBA 741 – Experiential Intensive.

    MBA Electives (12 credits)

    Three or four electives in one functional area comprise a concentration. A concentration is not required. All electives must be 800-level or above (some 700-level electives are acceptable for HLTH and PAD). See elective list for acceptable 700-level courses within the Sawyer Business School.

     

    Construct the Big Picture (7 credits)

     

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-721, MBA-730, and SBS-700

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course involves synthesizing and applying the content from Values Based Decision Making through two deliverables, both of which require reflection on the MBA experience. Students will consider the external clients they have worked with in their client oriented classes and the MBA curriculum through an ethical lens. They will focus on identifying organization-based ethical issues and values, applying ethical frameworks to analyze them, and making an argument as leaders or managers for an ethical solution. This course will offer application and synthesis, taught towards the end, allowing students to creatively apply ethical perspectives to what they learned in the MBA.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the global business environment in a way specifically relevant to innovation in world-class clusters. The course has a three-part format: 1. global business fundamentals; 2. opportunity recognition, validation and planning; and 3. experiential term group project in the elaboration of a proposed innovation. Global business fundamentals include the complexities of operating in the international economic environment, the theory and practice of trade, the global integration and local responsiveness of the multinational firm, the internationalization decision of firms, as well as the different modes of entry.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students engage in a variety of learning activities, such as case studies, computer simulations, examinations, project reports, and most especially, experiential exercises involving competition. Students will develop a multi-functional general management perspective. The course is designed to help students integrate and apply their knowledge and techniques learned in the core courses of the MBA program into an overall view of the firm, evaluate the environment, and speculate on the future direction of the organization. Students will also learn about the principal concepts, frameworks, and techniques of strategic management, they will develop the capacity for strategic thinking, and they will examine the organizational and environmental contexts in which strategic management unfolds. This course will make extensive use of experiential activities and projects designed to get students to experience the dynamics of competition right in the classroom.

     

    Lead and Implement Change (3 credits)

    Must be taken as late in the program as possible.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700 MBA-701 MBA-710 MBA-615 MBA-625 MBA-635 MBA-640 MBA-650 MBA-660 MBA-720(or MBA-721) MBA-730 MBA-745 MBA-750 MBA-760 (MBA 745, MBA-750 and MBA-760 may be taken concurrently with MBA 770)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The final course in the MBA curriculum ties together the integral components of the four industry clusters, strategy and business fundamentals to the experience of leading change. Students experience the change process personally through a simulation. Students then apply their learning to an applied project based in one of the four clusters that is team-based, client-focused, grounded in research, and integrates MBA concepts as required with a final presentation to a live client. As part of understanding change, students will also evaluate the wider societal impacts of the business change. Finally, students reflect on their MBA program in total, revisiting their career plan and vision. This course uses multiple approaches, defining, understanding and experiencing the strategic value of change at the organizational, team, and individual levels.

     

    Advising

    The MBA Programs Office and academic departments provide academic advising to both full-time and part-time students. All students are encouraged to discuss their academic interests, goals, and concerns with their advisor.

    The MBA Programs Office assists all prospective, current, returning MBA students, and MAPS students with their programs of study. Questions can be directed to the MBA Programs Office.

    MBA students have five years to complete their degree. MBA students have the flexibility of taking core, required and elective courses in Boston or online.

    Students enrolling in an online course for the first time are strongly advised to also enroll in the New Student Orientation (NSO) - (SBS 002 W1). It is a no-fee, zero-credit session, designed for students who have never taken an online course before. It is hosted the week prior to the start of the semester.

    Waiver/Transfer Policy

    Waiver Policy

    MBA Core courses (MBA 615, MBA 625, MBA 635, MBA 640, MBA 650 and MBA 660) may be waived. Required MBA Courses (SBS 700, MBA 701, MBA 710, MBA 721, MBA 730, MBA 740, MBA 745, MBA 750, MBA 760 and MBA 770) cannot be waived.

    To waive a core course, a student must successfully complete equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MBA matriculation, with a grade of “B” or better.

    All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student’s acceptance into the MBA Program and are waived during the student’s first semester. Students may also elect to take a proficiency exam, for a fee, to gain a waiver. Proficiency exams must be taken in the first semester and are administered on the Boston campus. All MBA students must complete a minimum of 36 credits in the Sawyer Business School.

    Students Transferring to the Suffolk MBA

    Six (6) credits of elective courses, taken at the graduate level from an AACSB-accredited graduate program in business, may be transferred if the credits do not apply to a previously completed degree. Transfer credits must have an earned grade of "B" or better and be taken within five (5) years prior to entering the Suffolk MBA programs. Transfer credits apply only to electives.

    Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete

    Occasionally, Suffolk MBA students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. You may be able to transfer in six (6) credits of elective courses from an AACSB-accredited MBA close to your new place of residence. Courses must be pre-approved by Suffolk’s assistant dean of graduate programs and have a grade of "B" or better.

    Students who leave the area may also complete their Suffolk MBA online.

    All students must complete a minimum of 34 credits in the Sawyer Business School to earn an MBA.

    Transfer credits from the Moakley Center for Public Management’s Certificate Programs to the MBA

    Students who have completed a certificate program through the Suffolk University Moakley Center for Public Management may transfer a maximum of 12 elective credits to the MBA or the MBA/Nonprofit elective portion of the MBA degree. Graduate course transfers may be considered for students who completed a PAD 800-level graduate course equivalent, receiving a grade of "B" or better within five (5) years prior of entering the MBA program. Applicants must successfully complete the certificate prior to enrolling in the MBA and cannot be enrolled in two (2) programs at the same time. Applicants must also meet MBA admission standards. All transfers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the MBA Programs Office.

     

    MBA/Health Archive 2018-2019

    The Master of Business Administration/Health (MBA/Health) is offered by the Sawyer Business School in collaboration with the Healthcare Administration Department. This specialized MBA degree prepares leaders and managers who want to focus on core aspects of business, such as finance, accounting, marketing, and strategic management. Roles in the healthcare industry include healthcare delivery, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical devices companies. MBA/Health students enhance their business skills, while gaining specific insight into the requirements for success in the healthcare industry.

    The specialized healthcare administration portion of this degree must be completed in Boston.

    MBA/Health Curriculum

    Total Credits Required 54-60

    MBA Curriculum

    Total Credits Required: 36-51

    Contextualize: From Boston to the World (5 credits)

    Must be taken as early in the program as possible.

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    SBS 700 is the first required course in Suffolk's graduate programs. The course is based on the precepts of experiential learning. Based on the idea that people learn best by participating in meaningful activities, this course provides students with the opportunity to learn about and experience first-hand the many complexities of business and the role of top managers. To accomplish this, students will work in small groups as they take on the roles of top managers in a hands-on behavioral simulation.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students ethical frameworks to lead and manage organizations that go beyond the standard legal compliance and risk management approaches, and that embrace the more inclusive principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility. This course will set forth the fundamentals of managerial ethics and will prepare students for the complex, multilevel managerial and leadership integrity challenges that corporations face today.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This first-semester MBA course introduces students to the topic of world-class clusters as a multi-level phenomenon. Beginning from the macro level of analysis and proceeding to the micro level, the course covers a panoply of concepts and frameworks for understanding why world-class clusters emerge at specific locations in the first place and then regularly succeed in transforming themselves to keep up with and even lead the pace of change in their respective industries. In the group projects that they conduct for this course, students are expected to emulate the characteristics of high-powered teams found in world-class clusters: the course thus begins with conceptual understanding of world-class clusters and then proceeds to have students emulate the behavior that can be observed in world-class clusters.

    Core Courses (15 credits)

    May be waived.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic tools and concepts of microeconomics (2 classes) for supply and demand analysis; for consumer market behavior; and for production, cost, and pricing decisions in different market structures. Greater emphasis (4 to 5 classes) in the course is on the macroeconomic topics of national economic performance, the economic role of government and fiscal and monetary policy, and the banking and financial system in the current economic environment. The course is intended for MBA students who have no recent academic background in economics.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course emphasizes the importance of basic concepts in probability and statistics for managerial decision making with a strong emphasis on practical application. Students will learn basic data analysis, random variables and probability distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression. MS Excel will be used throughout the course. Numerous examples are chosen from quality control applications, finance, marketing and Management to illustrate the managerial value of applying sound statistical techniques to the analysis of operational data.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625 or SBS-604 (may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides students with Operations Management concepts, techniques, and tools to design, analyze, and improve operational capabilities in any organization. Students will understand and analyze common OM decisions on managing inputs (materials, information, finances, and human resources) and processes to deliver desirable outcomes to customers. Topics covered include operations strategy, process analysis, quality management and lean operations, capacity analysis, inventory management, product development, supply chain management, project management, revenue management and pricing, decision analysis, and forecasting. Software tools used may include MS Excel, Visio, and Project Management. This course will contain experiential learning components related to Boston's world-class industries, which may include guest lectures, simulation exercises, or visits to local organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course deals with the structure and information content of the three principal financial statements of profit-directed companies, namely the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. It develops skill in using accounting information to analyze the performance and financial condition of a company, and to facilitate decision making, planning and budgeting, and performance appraisal in a managerial context. This course also contains an experiential component by offering guided inquiry and real company cases.

    Prerequisites:

    1 course from each of the following groups: MBA-615 or SBS-603; MBA-625 or SBS-604; MBA-640 or ACCT-800; These courses may be taken prior to or concurrently with MBA-650.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic principles of corporate finance. The main focus is on fundamental principles such as time value of money, asset valuation, and risk and return tradeoff. Topics to be covered also include cost of capital, capital budgeting, and capital structure.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    At its core, marketing is about providing consumer value. The practice of doing this is changing constantly-driven by rapid and far-reaching changes in technology; globalization; and the evolution of consumer values, practices, and lifestyles. This course will present themes, theories, and trends that are critical for: 1. understanding the business of creating, capturing and sustaining value; 2. introducing students to the global, consumer, and technological realities of marketing in the 21st Century; and 3. providing students with a sound foundation to explore marketing in further depth in upper-level elective courses. This course also contains an experiential component. .

    Understand Business Fundamentals (9 credits)

     

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students critical thinking and problem solving skills in the context of two essential ingredients of collaboration: leading people and teams, and managing projects. Students will learn concepts and processes that support building and launching high performing teams that can manage complex projects efficiently and effectively. Students will collaborate experientially to solve problems facing Boston's world-class industry clusters.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to three essential ingredients of innovation: Entrepreneurial Thinking, Information Technology in an Age of Disruption, and Law as Framework. Entrepreneurial thinking is a critical element in the creation, growth, and sustainability of an organization. In new ventures, entrepreneurs drive innovation with limited resources and within a flat organization. Information technology, strategically selected and implemented, can provide a significant, competitive advantage. Students will survey the increasingly complex, evolving, and highly competitive business environment in which ethical, legal, economic, and regulatory forces are continuously reshaping the global marketplace both to create and limit competitive opportunities. This course will contain experiential components, relating to Boston's world-class industries.

    Prerequisites:

    Please email Hillary Sabbagh at [email protected] to register for a travel seminar.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The Immersion course provides an opportunity for students to link their program work to hands-on experience and visits to real-life global companies. The highly experiential, intensive course combines classroom learning with a direct business and cultural experience. Students will work in teams directly for a client or several clients, solving real challenges, using their analytical skills, knowledge, and experience to develop feasible solutions. Required for all MBA students, the course will be offered globally or nationally to accommodate a variety of student needs.

    Note: Campus based students must take MBA 740. Fully online MBA students can either take MBA 740 or MBA 741 – Experiential Intensive.

    Healthcare Specialized Courses (15 credits)

     

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course presents an overview of the origins, components, organization, and operation of the health system in the United States. It is an introduction to the major health issues and institutions, including the settings in which health services are delivered, providers of these services, and the public and private payers for services.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides a framework for understanding the economics of the U.S. healthcare industry. The industry is experiencing great pressure to reduce costs, even as it strives to do better at both improving the health of the population and engaging patients in their care. This course enables students to apply the perspectives and tools of health economics to the tasks of understanding and improving the business of healthcare. Students analyze and evaluate current and evolving healthcare markets, public policies, payment methods, mechanisms for bearing and sharing financial risk, and the economic impact of changes in technology and the health professions. Students participate in envisioning the future and designing better ways for healthcare leaders, managers and policy makers to meet the challenges facing the industry.

    Prerequisites:

    TAKE HLTH 701

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The growing healthcare field is the most labor intensive employer in the United States. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the theories, requirements and practices associated with managing human resources in healthcare organizations. The course covers both strategic and operational aspects of human resources planning and management, and it devotes particular attention to the issues that make human resources management in healthcare so challenging. Perhaps most important, the course guides students in developing practical knowledge and skills to prepare them- as healthcare leaders and managers- to successfully address human resource issues. The course will draw from a range of theoretical material and practical situations, using a variety of learning approaches and featuring guest speakers from healthcare organizations who share their experiences and perspectives from the field of human resources. The course focuses on the following topics: The changing healthcare environment and its implications for human resources management, the use of strategic human resource management to gain a competitive edge in the healthcare industry, workforce design, legal and regulatory requirements, recruitment and retention, organizational development, performance management, compensation and benefits, managing with organized labor and creating customer-satisfying healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701; MHA students are required to take HLTH 824. MBA/H students are required to take MBA 640. Non-MHA and MBA/H students need permission from the Health Department before registering;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course serves as an introduction to the financial management of healthcare organizations. Using financial information for decision making is the essence of this course. Students will gain a perspective on the critical factors related to managing a healthcare organization in a marketplace that is demanding cost effective services. Focused attention will be given to managerial accounting, cost allocation, budgeting, and variance analysis.

    Prerequisites:

    HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    The 'production' of health care is a service of significant personal and social consequence and high on the agenda of every healthcare executive. Today's consumer actively seeks evidence about the quality of care they can anticipate while payers are offering financial incentives to providers who can demonstrate superior patient outcomes. This course will focus on the complexities and processes of assuring quality performance in healthcare organizations.

    Prerequisites:

    Take HLTH-701;

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces concepts and managerial views of business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and leadership practice as applied to organizational settings in healthcare.

     

    Healthcare Specialized Electives (6 credits)

     

    MBA Electives (12 credits)

    Three or four electives in one functional area comprise a concentration. A concentration is not required. All electives must be 800-level or above (some 700-level electives are acceptable for HLTH and PAD. See elective list for acceptable 700-level courses) within the Sawyer Business School.

     

    Construct the Big Picture (7 credits)

     

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-721, MBA-730, and SBS-700

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course involves synthesizing and applying the content from Values Based Decision Making through two deliverables, both of which require reflection on the MBA experience. Students will consider the external clients they have worked with in their client oriented classes and the MBA curriculum through an ethical lens. They will focus on identifying organization-based ethical issues and values, applying ethical frameworks to analyze them, and making an argument as leaders or managers for an ethical solution. This course will offer application and synthesis, taught towards the end, allowing students to creatively apply ethical perspectives to what they learned in the MBA.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the global business environment in a way specifically relevant to innovation in world-class clusters. The course has a three-part format: 1. global business fundamentals; 2. opportunity recognition, validation and planning; and 3. experiential term group project in the elaboration of a proposed innovation. Global business fundamentals include the complexities of operating in the international economic environment, the theory and practice of trade, the global integration and local responsiveness of the multinational firm, the internationalization decision of firms, as well as the different modes of entry.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students engage in a variety of learning activities, such as case studies, computer simulations, examinations, project reports, and most especially, experiential exercises involving competition. Students will develop a multi-functional general management perspective. The course is designed to help students integrate and apply their knowledge and techniques learned in the core courses of the MBA program into an overall view of the firm, evaluate the environment, and speculate on the future direction of the organization. Students will also learn about the principal concepts, frameworks, and techniques of strategic management, they will develop the capacity for strategic thinking, and they will examine the organizational and environmental contexts in which strategic management unfolds. This course will make extensive use of experiential activities and projects designed to get students to experience the dynamics of competition right in the classroom.

     

    Lead and Implement Change (3 credits)

    Must be taken as late in the program as possible.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700 MBA-701 MBA-710 MBA-615 MBA-625 MBA-635 MBA-640 MBA-650 MBA-660 MBA-720(or MBA-721) MBA-730 MBA-745 MBA-750 MBA-760 (MBA 745, MBA-750 and MBA-760 may be taken concurrently with MBA 770)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The final course in the MBA curriculum ties together the integral components of the four industry clusters, strategy and business fundamentals to the experience of leading change. Students experience the change process personally through a simulation. Students then apply their learning to an applied project based in one of the four clusters that is team-based, client-focused, grounded in research, and integrates MBA concepts as required with a final presentation to a live client. As part of understanding change, students will also evaluate the wider societal impacts of the business change. Finally, students reflect on their MBA program in total, revisiting their career plan and vision. This course uses multiple approaches, defining, understanding and experiencing the strategic value of change at the organizational, team, and individual levels.

     

    Advising

    The MBA and Healthcare Administration Programs Offices provide academic advising to both full-time and part-time students. All students are encouraged to discuss their academic interests, goals, and concerns with their respective advisors or Sawyer Business School department chairs and faculty. Questions can be directed to the MBA Programs Office.

    The MBA and Healthcare Administration Programs Offices assist all prospective and current MBA/Health students as well as MAPS students with their programs of study.

    MBA/Health students have five (5) years to complete their degree. Suffolk MBA students have the flexibility to combine taking core or elective courses in Boston, or online.

    Students enrolling in an online course for the first time are strongly advised to also enroll in the New Student Orientation (NSO)-(SBS 002 W1). It is a no-fee, zero-credit session, designed for students who have never taken an online course before. It is hosted the week prior to the start of the semester.

    Waiver/Transfer

    Waiver Policy

    MBA Core courses (MBA 615, MBA 625, MBA 635, MBA 640, MBA 650 and MBA 660) may be waived. Required MBA Courses (SBS 700, MBA 701, MBA 710, MBA 721, MBA 730, MBA 740, MBA 745, MBA 750, MBA 760 and MBA 770) cannot be waived.

    To waive a core course, a student must successfully complete equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MBA matriculation, with a grade of “B” or better. and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable).

    All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student’s acceptance into the MBA Program and are waived during the student’s first semester. Students may also elect to take a proficiency exam, for a fee, to gain a waiver. Proficiency exams must be taken in the first semester and are administered on the Boston campus. All MBA/Health students must complete a minimum of 54 credits in the Sawyer Business School.

    Students Transferring to the Suffolk MBA

    Six (6) credits of elective courses, taken at the graduate level from an AACSB-accredited graduate program in business, may be transferred if the credits do not apply to a previously completed degree. Transfer credits must have an earned grade of "B" or better and be taken within five (5) years prior to entering the Suffolk MBA programs. Transfer credits apply only to electives.

    Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete

    Occasionally, Suffolk MBA students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. The Sawyer Business School has several options available to insure completion of the Suffolk MBA. You may be able to transfer in six (6) credits of elective courses from an AACSB-accredited MBA close to your new place of residence. Courses must be pre-approved by Suffolk’s Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs and have a grade of "B" or better.

    A student who leaves the area may also complete their Suffolk MBA portion of their degree online.

     

    MBA Nonprofit Archive 2018-2019

    This specialized MBA degree prepares business leaders with focused skills in finance, accounting, strategic management, marketing, and information systems for the nonprofit sector.

    MBA/Nonprofit Curriculum

     Total Credits Required 45-60

    Contextualize: From Boston to the World (5 credits)

    Must be taken as early in the program as possible.

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    SBS 700 is the first required course in Suffolk's graduate programs. The course is based on the precepts of experiential learning. Based on the idea that people learn best by participating in meaningful activities, this course provides students with the opportunity to learn about and experience first-hand the many complexities of business and the role of top managers. To accomplish this, students will work in small groups as they take on the roles of top managers in a hands-on behavioral simulation.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students ethical frameworks to lead and manage organizations that go beyond the standard legal compliance and risk management approaches, and that embrace the more inclusive principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility. This course will set forth the fundamentals of managerial ethics and will prepare students for the complex, multilevel managerial and leadership integrity challenges that corporations face today.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This first-semester MBA course introduces students to the topic of world-class clusters as a multi-level phenomenon. Beginning from the macro level of analysis and proceeding to the micro level, the course covers a panoply of concepts and frameworks for understanding why world-class clusters emerge at specific locations in the first place and then regularly succeed in transforming themselves to keep up with and even lead the pace of change in their respective industries. In the group projects that they conduct for this course, students are expected to emulate the characteristics of high-powered teams found in world-class clusters: the course thus begins with conceptual understanding of world-class clusters and then proceeds to have students emulate the behavior that can be observed in world-class clusters.

    Core Courses (15 credits)

    May be waived.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic tools and concepts of microeconomics (2 classes) for supply and demand analysis; for consumer market behavior; and for production, cost, and pricing decisions in different market structures. Greater emphasis (4 to 5 classes) in the course is on the macroeconomic topics of national economic performance, the economic role of government and fiscal and monetary policy, and the banking and financial system in the current economic environment. The course is intended for MBA students who have no recent academic background in economics.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course emphasizes the importance of basic concepts in probability and statistics for managerial decision making with a strong emphasis on practical application. Students will learn basic data analysis, random variables and probability distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression. MS Excel will be used throughout the course. Numerous examples are chosen from quality control applications, finance, marketing and Management to illustrate the managerial value of applying sound statistical techniques to the analysis of operational data.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625 or SBS-604 (may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides students with Operations Management concepts, techniques, and tools to design, analyze, and improve operational capabilities in any organization. Students will understand and analyze common OM decisions on managing inputs (materials, information, finances, and human resources) and processes to deliver desirable outcomes to customers. Topics covered include operations strategy, process analysis, quality management and lean operations, capacity analysis, inventory management, product development, supply chain management, project management, revenue management and pricing, decision analysis, and forecasting. Software tools used may include MS Excel, Visio, and Project Management. This course will contain experiential learning components related to Boston's world-class industries, which may include guest lectures, simulation exercises, or visits to local organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course deals with the structure and information content of the three principal financial statements of profit-directed companies, namely the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. It develops skill in using accounting information to analyze the performance and financial condition of a company, and to facilitate decision making, planning and budgeting, and performance appraisal in a managerial context. This course also contains an experiential component by offering guided inquiry and real company cases.

    Prerequisites:

    1 course from each of the following groups: MBA-615 or SBS-603; MBA-625 or SBS-604; MBA-640 or ACCT-800; These courses may be taken prior to or concurrently with MBA-650.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic principles of corporate finance. The main focus is on fundamental principles such as time value of money, asset valuation, and risk and return tradeoff. Topics to be covered also include cost of capital, capital budgeting, and capital structure.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    At its core, marketing is about providing consumer value. The practice of doing this is changing constantly-driven by rapid and far-reaching changes in technology; globalization; and the evolution of consumer values, practices, and lifestyles. This course will present themes, theories, and trends that are critical for: 1. understanding the business of creating, capturing and sustaining value; 2. introducing students to the global, consumer, and technological realities of marketing in the 21st Century; and 3. providing students with a sound foundation to explore marketing in further depth in upper-level elective courses. This course also contains an experiential component. .

    Understand Business Fundamentals (9 credits)

     

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course teaches students critical thinking and problem solving skills in the context of two essential ingredients of collaboration: leading people and teams, and managing projects. Students will learn concepts and processes that support building and launching high performing teams that can manage complex projects efficiently and effectively. Students will collaborate experientially to solve problems facing Boston's world-class industry clusters.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to three essential ingredients of innovation: Entrepreneurial Thinking, Information Technology in an Age of Disruption, and Law as Framework. Entrepreneurial thinking is a critical element in the creation, growth, and sustainability of an organization. In new ventures, entrepreneurs drive innovation with limited resources and within a flat organization. Information technology, strategically selected and implemented, can provide a significant, competitive advantage. Students will survey the increasingly complex, evolving, and highly competitive business environment in which ethical, legal, economic, and regulatory forces are continuously reshaping the global marketplace both to create and limit competitive opportunities. This course will contain experiential components, relating to Boston's world-class industries.

    Prerequisites:

    Please email Hillary Sabbagh at [email protected] to register for a travel seminar.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The Immersion course provides an opportunity for students to link their program work to hands-on experience and visits to real-life global companies. The highly experiential, intensive course combines classroom learning with a direct business and cultural experience. Students will work in teams directly for a client or several clients, solving real challenges, using their analytical skills, knowledge, and experience to develop feasible solutions. Required for all MBA students, the course will be offered globally or nationally to accommodate a variety of student needs.

    Note: Campus based students must take MBA 740. Fully online MBA students can either take MBA 740 or MBA 741 – Experiential Intensive.

    Nonprofit Specialized Courses (21 credits)

    Choose 7 courses from the following 8 courses.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Examination of patterns of intergovernmental operations and administration. Special emphasis on changing techniques of intergovernmental management and emerging patterns of intergovernmental relations. Issues such as regionalism, program mandates, and resource management will be explored.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The primary focus will be on understanding the operational and strategic leadership aspects of managing mission driven, public service organizations. Specific emphasis will be placed on nonprofit corporations, including coursework that explores the legal, structural, and operational issues that are particular to such organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    PAD 819 covers both Grant seeking and Grant writing. Students, individually, but most often in teams, work with a nonprofit or government organization to develop a project idea and prepare a Master Grant Proposal and a Grant Application to be submitted to a most-likely-to-fund Grand maker. Classes focus on step-by-step Grant writing & Grant seeking process, and the instructor also consults with student-Grant writers individually an via Blackboard.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students develop techniques and directives related to communication processing. Both interpersonal communication and electronic information flow will be examined. Communication skills, styles, and strategies will be stressed through use of all media. Students will also analyze the theory and practice of public service marketing in relation to the administration of multiple sectors including private, public, nonprofit and health care by looking at innovative public service products and services.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students learn effective approaches to leadership by examining leadership models, styles, and strategies. Emphasis is placed on the values and ethics of successful managerial leadership in public, private, and nonprofit sectors

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course is designed to build financial management skills for students who wish to start or advance nonprofit management careers and for students who are likely to interact with nonprofits, through grants, contracts, or partnerships. The course focuses on the effective allocation of resources to programs which, in turn, have been designed to achieve the strategic goals of a nonprofit organization. From this point of view, financial management is not a disconnected management function, but an integral part of what managers do to fulfill as nonprofit organization's mission. Basic financial management knowledge and skills - including financial analysis, budgeting, full-cost accounting, pricing services, performance measurement, control of operations and financial reporting are taught within the context of the organization's strategic goals.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides a practical framework for understanding the legal and ethical challenges continually faced by nonprofit human and social service organizations. Students learn about the various levels of legal influence, including federal, state, and city, as well as the "internal" laws of the corporation, and will explore the impact these laws can have on the day-to-day operation of the nonprofit organization. Students develop a methodology for identifying issues that can trigger a legal response and processes for best protecting their organizations, their clients, and themselves.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides an in-depth look at today's philanthropic trends, patterns, and best practices in fundraising techniques.

     

    Construct the Big Picture (7 credits)

     

    Prerequisites:

    Take MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-721, MBA-730, and SBS-700

    Credits:

    1.00

    Description:

    This course involves synthesizing and applying the content from Values Based Decision Making through two deliverables, both of which require reflection on the MBA experience. Students will consider the external clients they have worked with in their client oriented classes and the MBA curriculum through an ethical lens. They will focus on identifying organization-based ethical issues and values, applying ethical frameworks to analyze them, and making an argument as leaders or managers for an ethical solution. This course will offer application and synthesis, taught towards the end, allowing students to creatively apply ethical perspectives to what they learned in the MBA.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the global business environment in a way specifically relevant to innovation in world-class clusters. The course has a three-part format: 1. global business fundamentals; 2. opportunity recognition, validation and planning; and 3. experiential term group project in the elaboration of a proposed innovation. Global business fundamentals include the complexities of operating in the international economic environment, the theory and practice of trade, the global integration and local responsiveness of the multinational firm, the internationalization decision of firms, as well as the different modes of entry.

    Prerequisites:

    SBS-700, MBA-701, MBA-710, MBA-615(or SBS 603), MBA-625(or SBS 604), MBA-635, MBA-640(or ACCT 800,) MBA-650, MBA-660, MBA-720(or MBA-721), MBA-730, and MBA-745(may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Students engage in a variety of learning activities, such as case studies, computer simulations, examinations, project reports, and most especially, experiential exercises involving competition. Students will develop a multi-functional general management perspective. The course is designed to help students integrate and apply their knowledge and techniques learned in the core courses of the MBA program into an overall view of the firm, evaluate the environment, and speculate on the future direction of the organization. Students will also learn about the principal concepts, frameworks, and techniques of strategic management, they will develop the capacity for strategic thinking, and they will examine the organizational and environmental contexts in which strategic management unfolds. This course will make extensive use of experiential activities and projects designed to get students to experience the dynamics of competition right in the classroom.

     

    Lead and Implement Change (3 credits)

    Must be taken as late in the program as possible.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA students only. SBS-700 MBA-701 MBA-710 MBA-615 MBA-625 MBA-635 MBA-640 MBA-650 MBA-660 MBA-720(or MBA-721) MBA-730 MBA-745 MBA-750 MBA-760 (MBA 745, MBA-750 and MBA-760 may be taken concurrently with MBA 770)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    The final course in the MBA curriculum ties together the integral components of the four industry clusters, strategy and business fundamentals to the experience of leading change. Students experience the change process personally through a simulation. Students then apply their learning to an applied project based in one of the four clusters that is team-based, client-focused, grounded in research, and integrates MBA concepts as required with a final presentation to a live client. As part of understanding change, students will also evaluate the wider societal impacts of the business change. Finally, students reflect on their MBA program in total, revisiting their career plan and vision. This course uses multiple approaches, defining, understanding and experiencing the strategic value of change at the organizational, team, and individual levels.

     

    Advising

    The MBA Programs Office and academic departments provide academic advising to both full-time and part-time students. All students are encouraged to discuss their academic interests, goals, and concerns with their MBA advisor; or Sawyer Business School department chairs and faculty. Questions can be directed to the MBA programs office.

    The MBA Programs and Public Administration Programs Offices assists all prospective, current, returning MBA/Nonprofit students, and MAPS students with their programs of study.

    MBA/Nonprofit students have five (5) years to complete their degree.

    Waiver/Transfer

    Waiver Policy

    Core courses may be waived. Required MBA courses (SBS 700, MBA 701, MBA 721, MBA 730, MBA 740, MBA 745, MBA 750, MBA 760 and MBA 770) cannot be waived.

    To waive a core course, a student must successfully complete equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MBA matriculation, with a grade of "B" or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable).

    All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student's acceptance into the MBA program and are waived during the student's first semester. A student receives credit for each course waived, thereby reducing the total number of courses for the MBA degree. Students may also elect to take a proficiency exam, for a fee, to gain a waiver. Proficiency exams must be taken in the first semester and are administered on the Boston campus. All MBA/Nonprofit students must complete a minimum of 45 credits in the Sawyer Business School.

    Students Entering the Suffolk MBA

    Six (6) credits of elective courses, taken at the graduate level from an AACSB-accredited graduate program in business, may be transferred if the credits do not apply to a previously completed degree. Transfer credits must have an earned grade of "B" or better and be taken within five (5) years prior to entering the Suffolk MBA programs. Transfer credits apply only to electives.

    Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete

    Occasionally, Suffolk MBA students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. The Business School has several options available to insure completion of the Suffolk MBA. You may be able to transfer in six (6) credits of elective courses from an AACSB-accredited MBA close to your new place of residence. Courses must be pre-approved by Suffolk’s assistant dean of graduate programs and have a grade of "B" or better.

    Students who leave the area may also complete their Suffolk MBA online.

    Transfer Credits from the Moakley Center for Public Management's Certificate Programs to the MBA

    Students who have completed a certificate program through the Suffolk University Moakley Center for Public Management may transfer a maximum of twelve (12) elective credits to the MBA or the MBA/Nonprofit elective portion of the MBA degree. Graduate course transfers may be considered for students who completed a PAD 800-level graduate course equivalent, receiving a grade of "B" or better within five (5) years prior of entering the MBA program. Applicants must successfully complete the certificate prior to enrolling in the MBA and cannot be enrolled in two programs at the same time. Applicants must also meet MBA admission standards. All transfers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the MBA Programs Office.

     

    Graduate Certificate in Business Fundamentals Archive 2018-2019

    The Suffolk Graduate Certificate in Business Fundamentals (GCBF) is a 6-course program that covers the fundamental skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a business environment. Courses include the fundamentals of economics, statistics, operations, accounting, finance and marketing.

    As a part-time student, you can complete the GCBF in as few as nine (9) months. If you apply to the MBA, MSBA, or MSM degree program at the Sawyer Business School within a year of completing this certificate and earn a GPA of 3.3 or higher, you will not need to take the GRE or GMAT.


    Curriculum

    6 Courses
    15 Credits

    Program Length
    9-16 months of part-time study*

    Required Courses (15 credits)

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic tools and concepts of microeconomics (2 classes) for supply and demand analysis; for consumer market behavior; and for production, cost, and pricing decisions in different market structures. Greater emphasis (4 to 5 classes) in the course is on the macroeconomic topics of national economic performance, the economic role of government and fiscal and monetary policy, and the banking and financial system in the current economic environment. The course is intended for MBA students who have no recent academic background in economics.

    Credits:

    1.50

    Description:

    This course emphasizes the importance of basic concepts in probability and statistics for managerial decision making with a strong emphasis on practical application. Students will learn basic data analysis, random variables and probability distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression. MS Excel will be used throughout the course. Numerous examples are chosen from quality control applications, finance, marketing and Management to illustrate the managerial value of applying sound statistical techniques to the analysis of operational data.

    Prerequisites:

    MBA-625 or SBS-604 (may be taken concurrently)

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course provides students with Operations Management concepts, techniques, and tools to design, analyze, and improve operational capabilities in any organization. Students will understand and analyze common OM decisions on managing inputs (materials, information, finances, and human resources) and processes to deliver desirable outcomes to customers. Topics covered include operations strategy, process analysis, quality management and lean operations, capacity analysis, inventory management, product development, supply chain management, project management, revenue management and pricing, decision analysis, and forecasting. Software tools used may include MS Excel, Visio, and Project Management. This course will contain experiential learning components related to Boston's world-class industries, which may include guest lectures, simulation exercises, or visits to local organizations.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course deals with the structure and information content of the three principal financial statements of profit-directed companies, namely the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. It develops skill in using accounting information to analyze the performance and financial condition of a company, and to facilitate decision making, planning and budgeting, and performance appraisal in a managerial context. This course also contains an experiential component by offering guided inquiry and real company cases.

    Prerequisites:

    1 course from each of the following groups: MBA-615 or SBS-603; MBA-625 or SBS-604; MBA-640 or ACCT-800; These courses may be taken prior to or concurrently with MBA-650.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course introduces the basic principles of corporate finance. The main focus is on fundamental principles such as time value of money, asset valuation, and risk and return tradeoff. Topics to be covered also include cost of capital, capital budgeting, and capital structure.

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    At its core, marketing is about providing consumer value. The practice of doing this is changing constantly-driven by rapid and far-reaching changes in technology; globalization; and the evolution of consumer values, practices, and lifestyles. This course will present themes, theories, and trends that are critical for: 1. understanding the business of creating, capturing and sustaining value; 2. introducing students to the global, consumer, and technological realities of marketing in the 21st Century; and 3. providing students with a sound foundation to explore marketing in further depth in upper-level elective courses. This course also contains an experiential component. .

    *Can be completed in two (2) semesters full-time or two (2) or more semesters, part-time.

    Residency Requirement

    To be awarded a graduate certificate from the Sawyer Business School, students must successfully complete a minimum of 15 credits, within the Sawyer Business School, as well as meet the individual requirements of a particular program.

    Time for Completion

    All graduate certificate programs must be completed within five (5) years after the start of graduate work unless otherwise noted by a particular program. All graduate courses must be satisfactorily completed and an overall average of 3.0, with a grade of "B" or better, achieved for the entire graduate certificate program. Students requesting an extension for the time of program completion must submit it in writing and it will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

    Advising

    Upon enrollment students in the GCBF are assigned an advisor from the MBA Programs Office. Students are encouraged to discuss their academic interests and goals with their assigned advisor.

    The Graduate Business Programs Office is also available to respond to any concerns and may be reached at 617-573-8306 or [email protected].

    Waiver/Transfer Policy

    Graduate certificate courses, if waived, will need to be substituted with an approved elective. To substitute an approved elective for a required course, a student must have successfully completed equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the five (5) years prior to matriculation, with a grade of "B" or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable).

    Candidates who apply within one year of completing their graduate certificate will have applicable courses applied to a Sawyer Business School (SBS) graduate degree program in the same discipline as the certificate as long as a grade of "B" or better was earned in that course.

    Candidates who apply beyond one year of from a certificate program outside their discipline will have coursework evaluated on a case-by-case basis for relevancy, current degree requirements, and current Sawyer Business School waiver and transfer policies.

    Transfer credits from the graduate certificate must have an earned grade of "B" or better and have been taken within five (5) years prior to entering a SBS graduate degree program. However, at the discretion of the program director, some courses may not be transferred if the subject material has changed significantly since completion.

    Gainful Employment Disclosure

    View the Federally Mandated Gainful Employment Disclosure for the Graduate Certificate in Business Fundamentals.

    Dual Degree with JD Archive 2018-2019

    The MBA is available as a Dual Degree with the Juris Doctor.
    View the MBA/JD Dual Degree Curriculum.

    Dual Degree with MSA Archive 2018-2019

    The MBA is available as a Dual Degree with the Master of Accounting.
    View the MBA/MSA Dual Degree Curriculum.

    Dual Degree with MSBA Archive 2018-2019

    The MBA is available as a Dual Degree with the Master of Science in Business Analytics.
    View the MSBA/MBA Dual Degree Curriculum.

    Dual Degree with MSF Archive 2018-2019

    The MBA is available as a Dual Degree with the Master of Science in Finance.
    View the MBA/MSF Dual Degree Curriculum.

    Dual Degree with MSM Archive 2018-2019

    The MBA is available as a Dual Degree with the Master of Marketing.
    View the MBA/MSM Dual Degree Curriculum.

    Dual Degree with MST Archive 2018-2019

    The MBA is available as a Dual Degree with the Master of Taxation.
    View the MBA/MST Dual Degree Curriculum.