Business Administration

This is an archived copy of the 2023-24 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.

The total course requirements to complete the MBA degree will vary depending on the background of the student. An adequate background in the functional areas of business is necessary for all students.

Foundation course areas include accounting, economics, statistics, management, marketing, and finance. Based on previous course work, some or all of these courses may be waived.

Beyond the foundation course requirements, all students must complete 30 semester hours of graduate work. Graduate courses in the MBA program include the following eight required 2-credit core courses, along with 14 credits of approved electives.

MBA Core Courses (16 credits)
MBA 701Strategic Cost Management2
MBA 702Advanced Financial Management2
MBA 703Advanced Organizational Behavior2
MBA 704Supply Chain and Operations Management2
MBA 705Strategic Marketing Management2
MBA 706Managing Information Resources 2
MBA 707Microeconomics for Managers2
MBA 708Advanced Strategic Management2
MBA Elective Course Options (14 credits)14
Advanced Investment Analysis
Advanced Portfolio Management
Financial Derivatives
Financial Analysis and Valuation
Creating and Marketing Innovations
Marketing Analytics and Customer Intelligence
Digital Marketing
Integrated Marketing Communications
Leading and Managing Teams
Managerial Leadership: Essential Competencies
Management Decision Making
Negotiations
Business Analytics Concepts
Business Analytics Strategy
Business Analytics Methods
Any 700-level or higher course offered by the College of Business may be accepted as an elective for the MBA program. Select 600-level courses (FIN 610, FIN 620, FIN 630, FIN 640, and MGMT 630) may also be accepted as electives for the MBA program, so long as the student has not already earned credit for a 400-level equivalent course.
Total Credits30

Business Analytics Graduate Certificate


Description

The Business Analytics Graduate Certificate equips working professionals with methodologies and analytical tools needed to analyze data available in modern organizations. Participants will learn to use advanced spreadsheet functionality, dashboard visualization tools, and report generators for descriptive analytics to understand and report on historical data. In addition, participants will use data mining and other advanced methodologies for predictive and prescriptive analytics to understand future trends.  

Curriculum

The certificate requires 8 credits of study, comprised of the following four courses.

MBA 751Business Analytics Concepts2
MBA 752Business Analytics Strategy2
MBA 753Business Analytics Methods2
MBA 722Marketing Analytics and Customer Intelligence2

Leadership and Managerial Skills Graduate Certificate


Description

The Leadership and Managerial Skills Graduate Certificate is designed to help participants improve their skills relating to decision making, communicating, negotiating, working in teams, and leading. In addition to learning theoretical aspects of these areas, the courses in the certificate also provide opportunities for students to improve their “soft skills” relating to working with other people and organizations. 

Curriculum

The certificate requires 8 credits of study. Students must take four of the following five courses.

Required Courses

MBA 731Leading and Managing Teams (Leading and Managing Teams)2
MBA 732Managerial Leadership: Essential Competencies2
MBA 733Management Decision Making 2
MBA 734Negotiations 2

Digital Marketing and Innovation Graduate Certificate


Description

The Digital Marketing and Innovation Graduate Certificate advances participants' knowledge and skill in areas such as marketing strategy, communication, and customer intelligence. Students learn about such topics as new product development, strategy analysis, search engine optimization, marketing analytics, integrated marketing communications, various media vehicles, and much more.

Curriculum

The certificate requires 8 credits of study, comprised of the following four courses.

MBA 721Creating and Marketing Innovations2
MBA 722Marketing Analytics and Customer Intelligence2
MBA 723Digital Marketing2
MBA 724Integrated Marketing Communications2
Total Credits8

Somnath Banerjee, Ph.D. 
University of Central Florida, 2015
Field: Marketing

Linlin Chai, Ph.D. 
Iowa State University, 2016
Field: Marketing

Rajani Ganesh-Pillai, Ph.D.
University of Central Florida, 2009
Field: Marketing 

Fariz Huseynov, Ph.D.
University of Memphis, 2009
Field: Finance

Joseph M. Jones, Ph.D.
University of Missouri-Columbia, 1991
Field: Marketing

Derek Lehmberg, Ph.D.
University of Western Ontario, 2010
Field: Strategic Management

Joshua Marineau, Ph.D.
University of Kentucky, Lexington, 2012
Field: Organizational Behavior

Oudom Hean, Ph.D.
The Ohio State University, 2020
Filed: Economics

Supavich Pengnate, Ph.D.
Oklahoma State University, 2013
Field: Management Information Systems

Michael J. Peterson, Ph.D.
The University of Iowa, 2002
Field: Accounting

Tim O. Peterson, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University at College Station, 1988
Field: Management/Organizational Behavior

Frederick Riggins, Ph.D.
Carnegie Mellon University, 1994
Field: Management Information Systems

Limin Zhang, Ph.D.
University of Arizona, 2005
Field: Management Information Systems 

Courses

MBA 701. Strategic Cost Management. 2 Credits.

This course introduces managerial accounting for decision making and control in profit-directed organizations. It also defines product costing, budgetary control systems, and performance evaluation systems for planning, coordinating, and monitoring the performance of a business. Students will understand how modern organizations use managerial accounting to effectively plan and control operations and make sound business decisions. Prereq: Admission to MBA program.

MBA 702. Advanced Financial Management. 2 Credits.

In-depth coverage of concepts and decision-making tools in financial analysis, cost of capital, capital structure, capital budgeting, and dividend policy through analyzing competitive situations and developing strategic views of key financial dimensions. Prereq: Admission to MBA program.

MBA 703. Advanced Organizational Behavior. 2 Credits.

This course is intended to introduce you to the essentials of the most important organizational behavior concepts and principles through instruction, reading, cases, and experience. The course focuses on practical and useful information and skills which will aid you in managing and working in an organization. The course will use evidence-based research to examine and explore the relationship between individual, team, and organizational characteristics and individual outcomes. Prereq: Admission to MBA program.

MBA 704. Supply Chain and Operations Management. 2 Credits.

Study of analysis and decision-making directed at creating, producing, and bringing goods and services to market under uncertain business conditions. Includes techniques from project management, supply chain management, quality management, inventory management, forecasting, and productions planning. Prereq: Admission to MBA program.

MBA 705. Strategic Marketing Management. 2 Credits.

Focus on the conceptual framework, managerial approach and analysis of deploying marketing resources to communicate and deliver value. Prereq: Admission to MBA program.

MBA 706. Managing Information Resources. 2 Credits.

Managerial perspectives on the role of information resources in supporting organizational functions including the strategic use of information systems; use, design, and evaluation of information resources; use of information technologies for managerial decision making, and IT support of different and business functions. Prereq: Admission to the MBA program.

MBA 707. Microeconomics for Managers. 2 Credits.

This course will provide students with an understanding of microeconomic tools for managerial decision making. Students will learn how to use an understanding of economics to make better value maximization decisions for their company. Course topics will include supply/demand principles, demand elasticity and estimation, production and costs, market structure, strategic interaction, complex pricing problems, and decisions under risk. Prereq: Admission to MBA program.

MBA 708. Advanced Strategic Management. 2 Credits.

This course teaches from the perspective of top management, integrating functional business expertise into analysis of the firm's internal resources and capabilities with analysis of the external environment in which the firm competes, to enable formulation and implementation of company strategy. Prereq: MBA 701, MBA 702, MBA 703, MBA 704, MBA 705, MBA 706.

MBA 711. Advanced Investment Analysis. 2 Credits.

This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of investments and the theory and practice of financial valuation. Students will learn how to value a publicly listed company after identifying key internal and external investment factors. Students will deliver a detailed research recommendation on a stock investment idea. Students will use Bloomberg terminals in the Commodity Trading Lab to gain hands-on experience through valuation analysis and have the opportunity to participate in the Student Managed Investment Fund (Bison Fund). This course will also be useful for students who are planning to take the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exams. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 712. Advanced Portfolio Management. 2 Credits.

This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of investments and the theory and practice of modern portfolio management. Students will gain in-depth knowledge of portfolio construction and performance evaluation. Students will use Bloomberg terminals in the Commodity Trading Lab to gain hands-on experience through portfolio management and have the opportunity to participate in the Student Managed Investment Fund (Bison Fund). Students will deliver a written report and detailed presentation of their portfolio results. This course will also be useful for students who are planning to take the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exams. Prereq:Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 713. Financial Derivatives. 2 Credits.

This course is designed to enable students to understand the nature and functions of financial derivatives, including the various futures and options contracts. It covers the role of derivatives markets, the characteristics of derivative products, pricing methodology, and trading strategy of derivatives.

MBA 714. Financial Analysis and Valuation. 2 Credits.

The goal of this course is to develop MBA students' ability to use financial information and related disclosures to evaluate the underlying economics of a firm. This course covers the theory and practice of financial analysis and valuation, and particularly focuses on the analysis, interpretation and prediction of firm financial performance, such as profitability and risks, operating and non-operating cash flows, and management of strategic financing and investing. Prereq: Admission to the MBA program.

MBA 721. Creating and Marketing Innovations. 2 Credits.

This course focuses on creating and enhancing customer value though new products and services. Students will learn the value of new product strategy and new product development process from opportunity identification to launch. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 722. Marketing Analytics and Customer Intelligence. 2 Credits.

This course takes a very hands-on approach with customer intelligence and equips students with the marketing science understanding and techniques they need to solve real-world marketing challenges. This course uses a combination of lectures, cases, and exercises. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 723. Digital Marketing. 2 Credits.

This course focuses on understanding, managing and analyzing an organization's digital marketing strategy. Topics related to online business models, search engine optimization, paid search and display advertising, web analytics, email marketing, social media marketing and reputation management will be considered. Prereq: Admission to the MBA program.

MBA 724. Integrated Marketing Communications. 2 Credits.

This course focuses on marketing communications management in terms of strategy development, implementation, and evaluation. It examines the effects of changing environmental circumstance on integrated marketing communications and promotional strategy - budget allocation, messages, and media vehicles adopted. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 731. Leading and Managing Teams. 2 Credits.

This course is designed to prepare students to effectively develop, lead, and manage teams. We will examine and practice team development. We will examine critical team processes and how to manage these processes. We will have the opportunity to practice both the management skills and leadership skills necessary to have effective collaboration among team members. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 732. Managerial Leadership: Essential Competencies. 2 Credits.

This course is designed to prepare graduate students for the role of being a managerial leader. We will examine and practice the essential competencies such as creating a compelling purpose, role clarification inspiration/motivation, problem solving, team building needed as a manager and a leader. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 733. Management Decision Making. 2 Credits.

This course provides tools and experiences to allow managers to become more sophisticated and effective decision makers. It examines logical processes relating to decision making, but also incorporates behavioral and organizational aspects of decision making. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 734. Negotiations. 2 Credits.

This course is designed to provide practical negotiating knowledge primarily through hands-on experiential exercises. Topics covered are useful to the practicing manager and readings and lectures are designed to reinforce lessons learned during actual negotiations. Some of the topics covered: using agents in negotiation, establishing value, distributive and integrative bargaining, working across diverse contexts, and employing (and defending) against common negotiation tactics. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 735. Global Business. 2 Credits.

This course exposes students to economic, financial, marketing, and strategic views of international business to enable students to better understand the challenges and opportunities firms face competing in the global business arena. Prereq: Admission to the MBA program.

MBA 736. Managing Conflict in Organizations. 2 Credits.

Study of conflict and conflict management in organizational contexts. Topics include conflict styles, conflict resolution, conflict management, conflict analysis, and positive and negative effects of conflict.

MBA 751. Business Analytics Concepts. 2 Credits.

This course covers important business data analytics concepts including data warehousing, OLAP, ETL, data mining, self-service business intelligence, and business reporting and visualization tools. It provides hands-on experience in the use of some popular data analytics software tools with a focus on aiding managerial decision-making across different business functional areas. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 752. Business Analytics Strategy. 2 Credits.

Case-based discussion course examining how data analytics impact organizations today and issues related to the development of an overall business data analytics organizational strategy. Topics include business data analytics in organizations and its impact on business functional areas, strategic use of data and information, ethical issues related to data collection and usage, social and legal implications of pervasive digitization, and management of intellectual property. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 753. Business Analytics Methods. 2 Credits.

This managerially-oriented course covers the use of analytic tools to generate predictive models such as logistic regression, decision trees, neural networks, and cluster analysis to generate deeper business insights in direct support of managerial decision making. Prereq: Admission in the MBA program or permission of the MBA program coordinator or MBA program director.

MBA 793. Individual Study/Tutorial. 1-5 Credits.

MBA 796. Special Topics. 1-5 Credits.

MBA 893. Individual Study/Tutorial. 1-5 Credits.