Graduate Catalog 2010-2011

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Master of Business Administration
Master in Strategic Leadership

Social Media Emphasis

Program Chair: Susan Bartel, M.Ed.

Graduate Business Faculty:
Zach Batson, MBA
John Flanders, MA
Sally Hackman, MBA
Dana Jarvis, MSW
Melody Parry, MA
Pamela Shackelford, MBA
Gillian Silver, Ph.D.
Orlando Smith, MA
W.B. Tichenor, J.D.

Master of Business Administration

Faculty :: Program Purpose :: Program  Requirements :: Online Orientation:: Admission Requirements :: Transfer Credit :: Academic Probation :: Graduation Requirements :: Course Descriptions

Program Purpose

The primary objective of the MBA program is to provide students with preparation for professional careers in business. The curriculum incorporates the necessary knowledge and competencies required of tomorrow’s tomorrow's business leaders. Graduates of this program develop skills to handle diversity, analyze and solve problems using an integrated approach, and understand ethical, global and social issues. The ability to extend theory to application is expected with an emphasis on case and project work.

Program Requirements

The MBA Program is a 36 to 39 credit hour program consisting of core MBA and elective coursework, and a strategic integrated project.

Core courses make up 33 credit hours of the curriculum (BUS515 Strategic Fiscal Management may be waived if the student has previously taken undergraduate coursework in economics, accounting and finance receiving the grade of “B or above” in each of the three courses). Elective coursework totals three credit hours of coursework and a three credit hour Strategic Integrative Project is required at the end of the program. Courses are delivered either in blended or online format. The blended format combines online coursework with two on-campus meetings during each eight week session.

Students are required to attend an on campus seminar in BUS500G: Leadership Communication, which should be taken in the first semester in the MBA program.

After completion of the core curriculum, the program culminates with a customized strategic integrative project. Students will design their own strategic project under the close direction of a faculty member. Projects will vary given the industry and student’s interest. The strategic integrative project may include:

• Business Research Project
• Thesis
• Practical problem solving in an applied setting
• Portfolio Project
• Comprehensive business plan
• Certification process
• Other appropriate comprehensive project

Online Orientation

Flexibility and quality are the hallmarks of the Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies program. In an effort to stand by our mission and to assist new students in making a successful transition back into college, Stephens requires that all new students complete a one hour online orientation during the first four weeks of classes.

As part of the orientation, students will complete comprehensive assignments designed to familiarize them with all aspects of Blackboard as well as Stephens College policies and procedures as outlined in the graduate catalog.

MBA Graduate Core Coursework (33 credit hours)

BUS 500G: Leadership Communication (required two-day on-campus seminar)
BUS 505G: Project Management
BUS 510G: Strategic Management
BUS 515G: Strategic Fiscal Management (course may be waived if student has a total of nine hours in accounting, finance and economics as an undergraduate and earned at least a grade of B in each course)
BUS 520G: Managerial Economics
BUS 525G: Managerial Finance
BUS 530G: Marketing Management
BUS 535G: Managerial Accounting
BUS 540G: Strategic Human Resources
BUS 550G: Business Law
BUS 690G: Applied Business Research

Elective Coursework (3 credit hours required)

BUS 545G: Organizational Behavior & Theory
BUS 600G: Leadership Theory
BUS 635G: Business and Society
BUS 680G: Topics in Leadership

Project (3 credit hours):

BUS 695G: Strategic Integrative Project (all coursework listed above must be completed and student must have a cumulative g.p.a. of 3.0 to enroll)

Admission Requirements

Applications are accepted throughout the year with entry possible every session. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. Admission is based on a combination of undergraduate GPA, Statement of Purpose, interview, recommendation letters, and TOEFL score, if applicable. Admission is not guaranteed.

Admission may be offered at full or provisional levels.  To move to full acceptance, provisionally accepted students shall meet the terms outlined in their provisional acceptance letter.

Transfer Credits

Graduate students may transfer a maximum of nine semester hours of equivalent graduate credit toward core coursework required in the Stephens MBA program. These graduate credits can be earned prior to admission to Stephens College or, upon approval of the Graduate Business Chair, after admission to Stephens College. The total amount of graduate transfer credit cannot exceed nine semester hours.

Students who have already earned an advanced degree and wish to pursue an MBA may transfer up to 18 hours of credit.  Official transcripts must be submitted and reviewed by the Graduate Business Chair to determine acceptable courses.  In no case will a student be granted more than 18 hours of transfer credit toward the MBA degree.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

MBA students whose cumulative GPA drops below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. See Academic Probation and Dismissal in the Graduate Catalog for more information.

In addition, MBA students must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA in order to enroll in BUS 695: Strategic Integrative Project.

Graduation Requirements

To receive the Master of Business Administration degree, students must meet the following requirements:

• Complete all required coursework and maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher
• Complete BUS 695: Strategic Integrative Project and earn at least a B.
• Students must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher in order to graduate.

Master in Strategic Leadership

Program Purpose :: Program  Requirements :: Online Orientation:: Admission Requirements :: Transfer Credit :: Academic Probation :: Graduation Requirements :: Course Descriptions

Program Purpose

The purpose of the Master in Strategic Leadership (MSL) is to provide students the opportunity to develop and improve their knowledge about strategic leadership and apply leadership skills across a variety of organizational settings. Students will increase their understanding of leadership and leaders and demonstrate enhanced conceptual knowledge and leadership development.

The curriculum is centered on three primary learning areas, which build upon each other and support the development of a leader. These primary areas include organizational planning and management, interpersonal and leadership development and societal and culture influences. The program willfocus on the theoretical foundations, contemporary readings and practical development of leadership and facilitate the development of organizational leadership.

Upon graduation students will be able to demonstrate:

• an integrated knowledge of leadership theory, crisis and change management, organizational behavior theory, and communication theory to explain best practices in organizational leadership.
• practical and personal leadership skill development
• knowledge of planning, management, human resources, and core concepts of business.
• analysis of the impact of social responsibility, societal and ethical influences on organizations.
• a greater understanding of the range of perspectives and choices about leadership
• capacity to assist in organizational change initiatives, both from a theoretical and experiential standpoint

Program Requirements

The MSL is a 33 to 36 credit hour program intended for emerging and managerial leaders and will be delivered online with a required on-campus component and capstone project. Thirty credit hours are core courses (BUS515 Strategic Fiscal Management may be waived if the student has previously taken undergraduate coursework in economics, accounting and finance receiving the grade of “B or above” in all three courses); three credit hours are elective coursework; three credit hours are strategic integrative project. The learning is focused on strategy, case studies, application and skill development.

Students are required to attend an on campus seminar in BUS500G: Leadership Communication, which should be taken in the first semester in the MBA program.

Online Orientation

Flexibility and quality are the hallmarks of the Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies program. In an effort to stand by our mission and to assist new students in making a successful transition back into college, Stephens requires that all new students complete a one hour online orientation during the first four weeks of classes.

As part of the orientation, students will complete comprehensive assignments designed to familiarize them with all aspects of Blackboard as well as Stephens College policies and procedures as outlined in the graduate catalog.

MSL Graduate Core Courses (30 hours)

BUS500G: Leadership Communication
BUS510G: Strategic Management
BUS515G: Strategic Fiscal Management
BUS540G: Strategic Human Resources
BUS545G: Organizational Behavior and Theory
BUS600G: Leadership Theory
BUS625G: Change Management and Crisis Leadership
BUS635G: Business and Society
BUS680G: Topics in Leadership
BUS690G: Applied Research in Business

Elective Coursework (three credit hours required)

BUS 505G: Project Management
BUS 520G: Managerial Economics
BUS 525G: Managerial Finance
BUS 530G: Marketing Management
BUS 535G: Managerial Accounting
BUS 550G: Business Law

Project

BUS 695G: Strategic Integrative Project (all coursework listed above must be completed and student must have a cumulative g.p.a. of 3.0 to enroll)

Admission Requirements

Applications are accepted throughout the year with admission possible each session. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, and a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. Admission is based on a combination of undergraduate GPA, Statement of Purpose, recommendation letters and TOEFL score, if applicable. Admission is not guaranteed.

Transfer Credits

Graduate students may transfer a maximum of nine semester hours of equivalent graduate credit toward core coursework required in the Stephens MSL program. These graduate credits can be earned prior to admission to Stephens College or, upon approval of the Graduate Business Chair, after admission to Stephens College. The total amount of graduate transfer credit cannot exceed nine semester hours.

Students who have already earned an advanced degree and wish to pursue an MSL may transfer up to 18 hours of credit.  Official transcripts must be submitted and reviewed by the Graduate Business Chair to determine acceptable courses.  In no case will a student be granted more than 18 hours of transfer credit toward the MSL degree.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

MSL students whose cumulative GPA drops below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. See Academic Probation and Dismissal in the Graduate Catalog for more information.

In addition, MSL students must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA in order to enroll in BUS 695: Integrative Strategic Project.

Graduation Requirements

To receive the Master in Strategic Leadership, students must meet the following requirements:

• Complete all required course work and maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA
• Complete BUS695G and earn at least a “B”

Social Media Emphasis

Effective January 1, 2011

Program Purpose

There is an increasing desire among companies to hire or train employees with business-case knowledge of social media tools, tactics, strategy development and measurement.

Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the MBA or MSL programs may add a social media emphasis. Coursework will include an additional 9 credit hours (three courses) of coursework, plus a 3-hour internship resulting in a 45-51 credit hour program. One three-hour course may serve as the elective for the MBA or MSL program.

Social Media Coursework (12 hours)

BUS511G: Social Media Strategy

BUS512G: Social Media Measurement and Analysis

BUS513G: Social Media Planning

BUS695GB: Strategic Integrative Project in Social Media

Graduate Business Course Descriptions

BUS 500G: Leadership Communication (3 credit hours)
Requires two-day on-campus visit.
Must be taken within first semester.
This course helps students to develop communication capabilities needed to lead effectively. The content is based on research in communication and leadership. Students will learn how to develop an effective communications strategy and the importance in building and sustaining an organization.

BUS 505G: Project Management (3 credit hours)
Course discusses practical methods and techniques for managing projects. Includes project breakdown analysis, task network scheduling, resource allocation, and assessment/evaluation of project performance. Focus is on using management information systems in project management.

BUS 510G: Strategic Management (3 credit hours)
This is a skills-oriented, practitioner perspective that reflects current research and strategy. Modern case studies are integrated throughout the course to encourage higher-level analysis and discussion of real-world scenarios. Strategic report writing is used to integrate the analysis and resolution of complex business strategic planning problems. Global issues, internationalism and the global marketplace are intertwined throughout the course.

BUS 515G: Strategic Fiscal Management (3 credit hours)
This course introduces students to the essential tools, techniques, and concepts needed to understand financial management from a strategic and operational perspective. This course will help students understand the accounting process and methodologies, forecast financial performance, spot trends and study the economic climate. The course is taught by step-by-step examples and illustrative case studies.

BUS 520G: Managerial Economics (3 credit hours)
(Prerequisite: BUS515G: Strategic Fiscal Management)
This course is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of microeconomics and with the ability to apply this understanding to any business setting. Topics include: statistical analysis, demand analysis, market structure analysis and estimation, and long-term investment decisions.

BUS 525G: Managerial Finance (3 credit hours)
(Prerequisite: BUS515G: Strategic Fiscal Management)
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of financial issues that face business concerns. It is also designed to provide students with an opportunity to use financial techniques to address issues in financial statement analysis, working capital management, capital budgeting, long-term financing and capital structure. The course will be conducted with assigned readings and cases, responses to posted discussion questions, and two proctored exams.

BUS 530G: Marketing Management (3 credit hours)
This course will focus on the use of marketing principles and data to evaluate, analyze, and solve managerial problems on marketing settings. Market planning, marketing mix strategies and decisions, and issues in marketing will be addressed through the use of case studies, current readings and simulations.

BUS 535G: Managerial Accounting (3 credit hours)
(Prerequisite: BUS515G: Strategic Fiscal Management)
This course is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of product costing systems for service and manufacturing entities. It is also designed to provide students with an opportunity to use accounting techniques to solve management problems in planning, controlling and decision making. Emphasis will be placed on such topics as: activity-based costing, just-in-time philosophy, total quality management, and continuous improvement.

BUS 540G: Strategic Human Resources (3 credit hours)
Modern human resource management is a process of acquisition, development, utilization, and maintenance of people and positions to achieve strategic organizational goals and objectives. The focus is on implementing long term programs that add value, or which effectively manage risks to the organization. Strategic human resource management offers a framework for general managers to implement best HR practices in their organizations.

BUS 545G: Organizational Behavior and Theory (3 credit hours)
The study and application of knowledge about how people “act” and “react” in goal-oriented groups. Emphasis is placed on using theory from the social and behavioral sciences to aid managers in understanding, predicting and influencing behavior. The course focuses on areas such as motivation, leadership, learning theory and organizational development.

BUS 550G: Business Law (3 credit hours)
This course will focus on the major legal issues facing businesses today. The students will be exposed to a combination of theory, historical legal context, and current applicable case study. The use of these methods will enable the student to understand and properly apply the concepts required to successfully navigate the legal areas of any business venture.

BUS600G: Leadership Theory (3 credit hours)
(Prerequisite: BUS500G: Leadership Communication)
This course examines both classic and contemporary theories and models of leadership. Students will analyze various perspectives, assumptions, strengths, and weaknesses of leadership theories. Students will research the connection between theory and practice in actual leadership settings.

BUS625G: Change Management/Crisis Leadership (3 credit hours)
(Prerequisite: BUS600G: Leadership Theory)
This course prepares students to lead change initiatives within a variety of organizational settings. Students will explore change management through a systems approach as it relates to the structural, human resource, and political frameworks. The role of leadership in crisis situations will be explored and analyzed.

BUS635G: Business and Society (3 credit hours)
(Prerequisite: BUS510G: Strategic Management)
Students learn how responsible business decision makers balance and protect the interests of various stakeholders, including investors, employees, the community, and the environment. Strong coverage of ethics and the stakeholder model is balanced with discussion on corporate governance and other current, relevant issues shaping business today.

BUS680G: Topics in Leadership (3 credit hours)
The need for effective leadership is found in all aspects of life. The purpose of this course is to encourage you to think about leadership in different ways using cross-disciplinary perspectives to enhance your understanding of applied leadership. This will be accomplished through selected readings, case studies and applications.

BUS690G: Applied Research in Business (3 credit hours)
(Recommended to be taken in last 9 credit hours of program)
Introduction to the core concepts, methods and values involved in doing business research and program evaluation. Students will examine the distinction between quantitative and qualitative research techniques and how and when they should be used, and combines theoretical issues with topical case examples from a number of work-related fields (such as management, strategy, and marketing).

BUS 695G: Integrative Strategic Project (3 credit hours)
(Prerequisite: All coursework listed above and a 3.0 cumulative g.p.a.)

Strategic Integrative Project provides an opportunity for students to apply and integrate the various theories, strategies and research learned during their MBA or MSL program. Students prepare a proposal for review by a committee before beginning their project. This class is under the direction of a faculty member. The applied leadership project will integrate personal and organizational learning and change in the learner’s place of employment or community.

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