The Curriculum

The program's curriculum is designed for the generalist—the manager-leader as opposed to the functional area specialist. While there is significant course content in accounting, finance, operations, etc., emphasis is on the development of those skills which are integral to all management activities. In addition, the program reflects the increasing diversity in the workplace and helps students understand how diversity can provide a competitive edge.

The MBA Program is comprised of two types of courses: Program Courses and the Masters Project. The entire program requires 64 semester units of coursework.

  • Program Courses (60 units)—Composed of 15 four-unit courses, integrating basic business education with advanced MBA-level material. A unique feature of our program is that fifteen of the units (one unit per course, other than the Masters Project course) are one-unit independent study projects for each course. These are intended to be the bridge between academic learning and practical application—students will actively apply what they are learning in their coursework to real-world applications, and complete a solid deliverable for each of the fifteen units.
  • Masters Project (4 units)—Involves the investigation of a government or business entity's operations to achieve cost reduction, service enhancements, etc. The Masters Project is completed in teams of three students each, during the final semester of the Program.

A unique feature of our MBA program is that one unit of each of the fifteen program courses, other than the Masters Project, is an independent study component. This does not involve class time, but is rather an outside-the-classroom activity. There will be one project per course, revolving around four specific themes for each entering MBA class. For example, you may have a managerial accounting project that focuses on ethical issues, a managerial economics project that involves global issues, a marketing strategy project that involves information technology issues, and an operations management project that involves environmental issues. The purpose of these projects is to develop practical applications of your learning for your current work environment, and to build a portfolio of your work that can be used to demonstrate your capabilities to future employers.