Graduate Catalog 2011-2012

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Graduate Business Programs
Master of Business Administration
Master in Strategic Leadership
Social Media Emphasis

Program Chair:  Susan Bartel, M.Ed.

Graduate Business Faculty:
Zach Batson, MBA
Ted Brandt, MHA, MBA
Tina Ehrhardt, MBA
John Flanders, MA
Sally Hackman, MBA
Jennifer Hollingshead, MBA
Dana Jarvis, MSW
Kate Kromann, BJ
Melody Parry, MA
Pamela Shackelford, MBA
Gillian Silver, Ph.D.
Orlando Smith, MA
W.B. Tichenor, J.D.

MBA Program Purpose :: MBA Program Requirements :: MBA Online Orientation :: MBA Core Coursework :: MBA Elective Coursework:: MBA Project :: MBA Admission Requirements :: MBA Transfer Credits :::: MBA Graduation Requirements :: Graduate Business Course Descriptions

MSL Program Purpose :: MSL Program Requirements :: MSL Online Orientation :: MSL Core Coursework :: MSL Elective Coursework :: MSL Project :: MSL Admission Requirements:: MSL Transfer Credits: MSL Graduation Requirements :: Graduate Business Course Descriptions

Social Media Emphasis

Master of Business Administration
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 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 24 credit hours of the curriculum (BUS515 Strategic Fiscal Management may be waived if the student has previously taken undergraduate coursework in, accounting and finance receiving the grade of “B or above” in each of the two courses).  Elective coursework totals twelve credit hours of coursework and a three credit hour Strategic Integrative Project is required at the end of the program. Courses are delivered in a distance format comprised of online courses delivered in eight week sessions to facilitate degree completion.
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 all coursework 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 (24 credit hours)
BUS 500G: Leadership Communication (required two-day on-campus seminar)
BUS 510G: Strategic Management
BUS 515G: Strategic Fiscal Management (course may be waived if student has a total of six hours in accounting and finance as an undergraduate and earned at least a grade of B in each course)
BUS 520G: Managerial Economics
BUS 525G: Managerial Finance
BUS 535G: Managerial Accounting
BUS 540G: Strategic Human Resources
BUS 690G: Applied Business Research

Elective Coursework (12 credit hours required)
BUS 505G: Project Management
BUS 530G: Marketing Management
BUS 545G:  Organizational Behavior & Theory
BUS 550G: Business Law
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 multiple times a year.   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.

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.

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 a satisfactory grade.

Master in Strategic Leadership
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 will focus 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 credit hour program intended for emerging and managerial leaders and will be delivered online with a required on-campus component and capstone project.   Eighteen credit hours are core courses; 12 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 MSL 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 (18 hours)
BUS 500G: Leadership Communication
BUS 510G: Strategic Management
BUS 545G: Organizational Behavior and Theory
BUS 600G: Leadership Theory
BUS 625G: Change Management and Crisis Leadership
BUS 690G: Applied Research in Business

Elective Coursework (12 credit hours required)
BUS 505G: Project Management
BUS515G: Strategic Fiscal Management
BUS 520G: Managerial Economics
BUS 530G: Marketing Management
BUS 540G: Strategic Human Resources
BUS 550G: Business Law
BUS635G: Business and Society
BUS 680G:  Topics in Leadership

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 multiple times per year.  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.

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 a satisfactory grade.

Social Media Emphasis
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.  The social media emphasis is designed to provide new and current students with innovative and timely courses that can better equip them to be successful in the rapidly changing technology environment of organization communication.

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 resulting in a 45-51 credit hour program.  One three-hour course may serve as the elective for the MBA or MSL program and students should take BUS695GB-Strategic Integrative Project in Social Media as their final course.

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 Description
BUS500G: Leadership Communication
3 hrs.
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.

BUS505G: Project Management
3 hrs.
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.

BUS510G: Strategic Management
3 hrs.
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.

BUS515G: Strategic Fiscal Management
3 hrs.
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.

BUS511G:  Social Media Strategy
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: BUS500G
This course will focus on developing trends in internal and external communication.  Students will learn how to apply social media in a strategic business setting; understand how social media shifts traditional and crisis communication models and methods; understand how to identify and profile audiences for social media; learn how to develop internal social media communications plans and policies; discover ways to stay up-to-date with current trends through research; and discuss ethical considerations in business social media use.

BUS512G:  Social Media Measurement and Analysis
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: BUS500G & BUS511G
The course will help students identify how and why to measure social media, and how to turn the data into actionable information to affect marketing and business strategy and decisions.  Students will apply this knowledge to a client case to measure success and make recommendations.

BUS513G:  Social Media Planning
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: BUS500G, BUS511G & BUS512G
Students in this course will integrate and synthesize their knowledge as they develop a complete social media plan, including audience, objectives, goals, tactics, timeline and measurement.  Students will also work to integrate their social media plan into a larger marketing or business plan.  This course is a hands-on course that will provide students the basis of social media portfolio.  The use of virtual in project planning will be explored.

BUS520G: Managerial Economics
3 hrs.
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.

BUS525G: Managerial Finance
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: BUS515G
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.

BUS530G: Marketing Management
3 hrs.
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.

BUS535G: Managerial Accounting
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: BUS515G
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.

BUS540G: Strategic Human Resources
3 hrs.
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.

BUS545G: Organizational Behavior and Theory
3 hrs.
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.

BUS550G: Business Law
3 hrs.
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 hrs.
Prerequisite: BUS500G
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 and Crisis Leadership
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: BUS600G
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 hrs.
Prerequisite: BUS510G
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 hrs. May be repeated twice with different topics.
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 hrs.
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).

BUS695G: Strategic Integrative Project
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: All coursework for the Master of Business Administraton and/or Master in Strategic Leadership program and a 3.0 cumulative g.p.a. Students with the social media emphasis must also have completed BUS511G, BUS512G & BUS513G.
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. It is the final course and must be taken in the last semester of program immediately following BUS690. 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. 
This course may be repeated up to two times for academic credit with special permission from the Chair of Graduate Business Programs.

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