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2018 - 2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

School of Business Course Descriptions

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Raymond A. Mason School of Business

Courses

Full-Time MBA

  • BUAD 598A - Business Analytics and Supply Chain

    (3)

    The Business Analytics and Supply Chain Career Acceleration Module combines two mayor themes: Machine Learning techniques and topics in Supply Chain Management. These themes are complimentary since many of the analytical techniques in Machine Learning that are discussed are readily applicable to the Supply Chain discussion  topics. The Machine Learning topics include Cross Validation, Subset Selection, Smoothing Splines, Principal Component Analysis, and Support Vector Machines. The topics in Supply Chain Management include  single and multi-echelon Inventory policies in stochastic settings, the Sales and Operations Planning process, Risk Pooling and Postponement, and other elements of supply chain design and operation. Students also visit local port and distribution facilities to obtain real-world exposure to the operational aspects of logistics.  

  • BUAD 598B - CAM - Brand Management

    (3)

    The “Customer-Driven Decision Making” module focuses on preparing students for careers in marketing management, primarily in product and brand management for consumer goods (B2C marketing.) The module is organized around the structure and content of a basic marketing plan, with the goal that students will develop a rich understanding of the tools and frameworks of product or brand management as they are applied in the contemporary customer-driven organization.

  • BUAD 598C - CAM - Corporate Finance

    (3)

    The module in Corporate Finance is designed to prepare students for careers in corporate financial decision-making, consulting, and financial analysis. The module aims to develop students’ understanding of financial analytical tools and to improve students’ ability to interpret and analyze issues typically faced by corporate controllers, treasurers, CFOs, and their staffs.

  • BUAD 5011 - Communicating for Results

    (2)

    Being a successful leader in business or the professions requires effective communication skills.  The need to communicate well is critical.  This course covers topics relating to the personal awareness and development of communication abilities, as well as, an appreciation of audience analysis, message and content development, structure strategies, and style and tone impact.  Throughout the course, students have many opportunities to develop their communication skills by writing, speaking, and increasing their insight and knowledge of the communication process.

  • BUAD 5101 - Financial Accounting and Disclosure

    (2)

    This course develops students’ ability to measure, communicate and interpret financial information. Financial accounting provides the most comprehensive source of information used to assess an organization’s past performance and future prospects. Specifically, financial accounting focuses on the financial statements and related disclosures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Rather than solely focusing on technical competencies, this course also emphasizes the underlying rationale for accounting practices and the effectiveness of these practices. As such, attention is given to contemporary issues in financial reporting, the use of judgment in financial accounting, and the economic consequences of reporting choices.

  • BUAD 5111 - Accounting for Decision Making

    (2)

    This course develops students’ ability to prepare accounting information that enhances decision-making within organizations.  The accounting information is non-financial as well as financial, primarily forward -looking, generally model-based, assembled in reference to the needs of managers within an organization  (as opposed to regulators, creditors ,  or shareholders), and often disaggregated to enable various analyses (on products, services, activities, divisions, tasks, operations, etc.) to be performed, which support the performance of management planning and control functions. The course emphasizes managerial decision-making and control of operations using accounting information systems. Included are basic accounting concepts, accounting for manufacturing and investment decisions, and designing management control systems to implement strategies (e.g., transfer pricing, balanced scorecard.)

  • BUAD 5211 - IT Infrastructure and Business Transformation

    (2)

    This course has two foci related to information technology, the first emphasizing information and the second emphasizing technology.  In the first focus, students will gain an understanding of how IT enables fundamental transformations in firms, markets, products and business processes through readings and case discussions. These transformations have important implications for the way companies organize (both internally and with customers and suppliers) and compete. Accordingly, this focus addresses the management issues surrounding the impact of information technology in organizations and is designed with the line and general managers in mind, rather than the managers of the IT function.  The objective in the technology focus is to provide students with advanced skills in the computer technologies of the modern workplace-namely spreadsheets and databases. When applied creatively, these technologies enable more efficient execution, enhance decision making and support the design of more effective business processes, all of which are essential for success in an increasingly competitive business environment.

  • BUAD 5301 - Financial Management

    (2)

    This course provides students an introduction to important financial concepts critical to both investing and running a successful business.  Students will gain an understanding of various financial markets, as well as different approaches to calculating risk and return. Valuable corporate finance skills will be developed to prepare students to become successful financial managers. Financial analysis and forecasting, project evaluation, and financial policy are some of the topics to be covered. The primary objectives of the course are to provide a framework for students to approach the financial decisions they will face in their future careers and to build a solid foundation for graduate students interested in pursuing more advanced coursework in the field.   

  • BUAD 5401 - Marketing Management

    (2)

    Focuses on developing integrated marketing programs that address customer needs, competitive activity, channel and supplier behavior, macro environmental factors, and market evolution. Emphasis is placed on assessing the market and developing a responsive marketing mix: product policy, pricing, channels of distribution, integrated marketing communications, and support structure.

  • BUAD 5501 - Organizational Behavior & Process

    (2)

    Designed to provide you with the analytic frameworks and tools to diagnose events in and to take effective action in today’s changing organizations. The course draws on knowledge from the domains of Organization Behavior (OB), Organization Theory (OT), and Human Resource Management (HRM) to provide you with the understanding and skills that you need to be an effective manager of people in these changing organizations. OT, OB and HRM are concerned with developing understanding about how human beings act in organized settings and how organized systems affect human behavior through policies, structures and strategies. In addition to conceptual understanding, ongoing assessments and experiential exercises provide you opportunities to reflect on your own behavior in order to develop new and more effective ways of interacting with others to accomplish work.

  • BUAD 5601 - Operations and Supply Chain Management

    (2)

    This course introduces students to Operations Management, one of the major functional areas of business.  Operations Management is devoted to how an organization efficiently converts resources into products and services.  These resources include an organization’s facilities, workforce, equipment, information, and materials. The course will use two perspectives to explore Operations Management. The first is the “process” view - a set of activities and resources that transform inputs into outputs. We will explore how to design, analyze, and control business processes within a firm. The second half of this course will use the supply chain – a network of firms that source, make, and deliver the product or service to the customer – as the overarching model to explore the latest operations-related initiatives.

  • BUAD 5701 - Data Analysis

    (2)

    The aim of this course is to supply the student with the analytical tools needed to succeed in business. The material will be closely coordinated and integrated with the other course offerings in the first year core (economics, marketing, finance, etc.). The course covers the tools that are necessary to analyze and understand the implications of collected data.  These include probability distributions, hypothesis testing, correlation and covariance analysis, ANOVA, simple and multiple regression, and forecasting.  Emphasis will be placed on a student’s ability to apply the appropriate tool to collected data and to understand and interpret the results of their analyses.

  • BUAD 5721 - Economic Analysis & Insights

    (2)

    Decision-making is one of the most crucial roles of managers in public and private firms, large and small.  This course draws on microeconomics to develop concepts and techniques that help managers allocate resources efficiently and determine appropriate strategies across their organization including pricing, production, and marketing in the context of various competitive market conditions. This is an applied course where students are actively engaged in using the concepts being covered, culminating in a major team project/presentation.

  • BUAD 5801 - Leadership Development & Ethics (LDE)

    (2)

    The LDE program is intended to help students enhance their professional effectiveness by promoting personal development and the understanding and practice of key leadership skills.  Through a range of experiential activities students will cultivate an understanding of their unique strengths, learn how they show up behaviorally and develop skills to push their edge in acting on their values and promoting ethical conduct.  In this program, students will be paired with a Mason Executive Partner  who will provide personalized coaching to both support and challenge them as they engage in a range of assessments, exercises and simulations.

  • BUAD 5811 - Business, Government, and the Global Economy

    (2)

    This course introduces the basic macroeconomic concepts in the global economy for both industrialized and developing countries. Students are encouraged to analyze business and economic policies and money and capital markets.

  • BUAD 5881 - American Politics and National Defense

    Summer 3

    This course will survey key features of American national politics, including public opinion, Congress, the executive branch, the judiciary, and the policy-making process. There will be an emphasis on war and national defense, including public opinion on war and military conflict, political control of the defense department, national security decision-making, and the question of who has the power to commit the nation to war.

  • BUAD 5901 - Global Competitive Strategy

    (2)

    The objective of this course is for graduate business students to better develop the capacity to think strategically about a company, its business position, and how it gains sustainable competitive advantages in the global environment. In so doing, students will be exposed to the issues that influence the competitive behavior and performance of organizations. Skills will be developed and applied in conducting strategic analysis in a variety of industry and competitive situations by analyzing and crafting business strategies through case studies and class discussion. The primary outcome of this course is for students to be able to apply a manager’s strategic perspective to the resolution of major business problems at different levels within the organization, with the goal of improving organizational performance.

  • BUAD 5911 - MGJW Core Capstone

    Summer 4.5 Staff

    The MGJW Core Capstone course is a project based course where small teams of 3-4 officers work on a real-world Lean-Six Sigma project for the U.S. Army. Students work full-time on the projects over an approximately 6 week period. The course involves research, in-depth analysis using both Lean and Six Sigma tools, development of a solution to the problem as well as multiple presentations to different audiences including members of the Senior Executive Service and General Officers. Students are expected to coordinate, and successfully work with, numerous parties including staff at government agencies, contractors and vendors. Students also write a major technical report on the project as well as a shorter article suitable for publishing in one of the Army journals. Students who successfully complete the course requirements receive their Lean Six Sigma Green Belt from the Mason School of Business.

  • BUAD 5931 - Charting your MBA Career

    (.5)

    This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of planning and executing a successful career and job search strategy. Emphasis is placed on identification of individual career goals, assessment of skills and career motivations, exploration of career options, analysis of the job market, effective use of individual marketing tools (e.g., resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn), interviewing skills, effective networking, and evaluating/negotiating job offers. Learning will be through career management staff, guest speakers and experts in talent acquisition, recruiting and interviewing by providing frameworks, theories and real-world examples.

  • BUAD 5941 - Bus, Govt, & Global Economy

    (2)

    This course introduces the basic macroeconomic concepts in the global economy for both industrialized and developing countries. Students are encouraged to analyze business and economic policies and money and capital markets.

  • BUAD 5951 - Sprint

    (1)

    Sprints are first-of-its-kind collaborative work sessions that put you in the middle of the action. You’ll partner with some of the world’s most dynamic leaders to find solutions for the issues that are affecting today’s businesses. During these comprehensive weeklong work sessions, you’ll merge theory with practice by collaborating with top business executives in authentic business settings - and gain resume-building experience in the field.

  • BUAD 5961 - Field Consultancy

    (1.5-4.5)

    Corporate Field Consultancy

    Each year, the Mason School’s Corporate Field Consultancy Program contracts with major companies across the mid-Atlantic region. Teams of second-year MBA students work as consultants charged with identifying, researching and proposing a solution for a real business problem faced by their client organization. Each project focuses on different issues, based on the needs of our clients.  Each project team works under the guidance of a Faculty member and Executive Partners to address management issues, develop a deeper understanding of the interdependence of functional areas, and polish teamwork and communication skills.

    Entrepreneurship Field Consultancy

    Selected teams comprising second-year MBA students, third year law students, and undergraduates work as consultants charged with identifying, researching and proposing a solution for a real business problem faced by their client organization.  Each project team works under the guidance of a Faculty member and Executive Partners to address management issues, develop a deeper understanding of the interdependence of functional areas, and polish teamwork and communication skills.

    Batten Fund

    The Batten Fund project tasks 16 - 17 selected second year MBA students to research stocks in depth, develop an investment thesis, complete valuation analysis, sell the idea to fellow Batten analysts and track the performance of stocks within the Fund if their stock is selected by the group.  The funds used are real dollars, donated 17 years ago by Frank Batten. 

  • BUAD 6001 - Internship Issues

    Summer (1) Graded Pass/Fail.

    This course is for international students completing CPT or students needing educational credit for a summer internship. Two parts will include: a mandatory written paper evaluating the internship due in the fall, and two class sessions in the fall semester of your second year. The credit associated with this course does not count towards your degree requirements.

  • BUAD 6151 - Taxation and Business Strategy

    (3)

    This economics-based course provides a conceptual framework for understanding tax issues in the context of business decisions and business strategy. Students learn about the role of taxes throughout the firm’s life cycle: choice of organizational form, employee compensation, investment opportunities, capital structure and dividend policy, financial innovations, international operations, and business combinations. The key conceptual components include: (a) consideration of the tax implications for all parties to the transaction; (b) consideration of both explicit and implicit taxes, such as lower before-tax rates of return on tax-favored investments; and (c) consideration of both tax and non-tax costs. Ultimately, the course provides a useful framework for thinking about taxes in all tax regimes (i.e., across countries and over time).

  • BUAD 6171 - Advance Audit & Audit Research

    (3)

    Expands and integrates knowledge of US and international generally accepted auditing principles (GAAS) in a rigorous study of financial reporting issues with significant balance sheet implications. Topics include advanced treatments of analytical procedures, audit planning, risk assessment, internal controls, audit evidence, audit documentation, and auditing fair. Incorporates related academic research, research into auditing standards, and contemporary auditing issues.

  • BUAD 6181 - Tax Compliance, Research & Planning

    (3)

    The objective of this course is to broaden the ability of the student to engage in tax compliance, tax research, and tax planning in a team-oriented environment. Group communication opportunities, both oral and written, are emphasized.

  • BUAD 6271 - Database Management

    (3)

    This course considers the application, logical structure and physical implementation of databases to aid in developing business intelligence. Primary topics include data modeling, relational databases, structured query language, data analytics and visualization, amongst other contemporary data management topics. Multiple database management systems and analytical platforms may be introduced.

  • BUAD 6311 - Forecasting

    (1.5-3)

    The course deals with methods and processes for evaluating the future. About two-thirds of the time will be devoted to short-term forecasting, praparing monthly and quarterly forecasts for the next one-two years.  The remaning one-third of the course will focus on the long-term, the strategic foresight perspective using futuring methods such as scenarios to explore plausible futures for a 5-15 year time horizon.

  • BUAD 6321 - Corporate Financial Policy

    (3)

    This course is intended to give the students a forum to investigate both the theory and practice of finance in a corporate setting. It covers a broad spectrum of issues facing a financial manager including: planning and financial control; working capital policy; analysis of financing alternatives; capital structure and equity management policy; investment analysis; resource allocation policy; and corporate restructure and merger analysis.

  • BUAD 6331 - Advanced Financial Management

    (2)

    Building on the core finance class, this class will further develop a theoretical and applied understanding of corporate finance. The goal is to develop insights into the methods by which financial managers can create value for their shareholders. 

  • BUAD 6341 - Investment Management: Equity Markets

    (1.5) Prerequisite(s): BUAD 5301

    This course will examine the structure and operation of equity markets, the theory and practice of portfolio management, equity valuation, investor behavior, performance measurement, and equity options. 

  • BUAD 6351 - Investment Management: Fixed Income Markets

    (1.5) Prerequisite(s): BUAD 5301

    This course will examine the structure and operation of fixed income markets, the characteristics and pricing of bonds, interest rates and interest risk management, credit risk, and fixed income portfolio management.

  • BUAD 6361 - Portfolio Management

    (3)

    This course is designed to give students an understanding of the principles of portfolio management in a global capital market. Emphasis is placed on mutual fund management. Topics include individual and institutional investor behaviors, international diversification, latest developments in trading, fundamental analysis and technical analysis, performance measurement, mutual fund structures and management, risk management and hedging. Students will emerge from this course with an understanding of the portfolio management process, and with the ability to evaluate the performance of portfolios with respect to different investor objectives and to articulate recommendations for changes.

  • BUAD 6371 - International Financial Foundations

    (1.5)

    This course extends students’ understanding of foundational concepts, tools, and techniques necessary to work in an international finance function.  Using an applied approach, students develop deeper appreciation for the nature of global connectedness, including both trade and financial flows, and country risk assessment.  The live case method engages students in currency markets and exchange rate determination.  Management of global outsourcing arrangements, and compliance with the FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) complete the course.  This course is appropriate for all second year MBA students and for MACC and Public Policy students with some macroeconomic background. 

  • BUAD 6381 - International Financial Management

    (1.5)

    This module covers important concepts in international economic and financial analysis, and stresses their use in the financial management of multi-national corporations, in international portfolio management, and foreign direct investment decisions.

  • BUAD 6391 - Real Estate Finance

    Spring (3) Staff

    The real estate market collapse which led to a global financial crisis has changed the way we view and evaluate commercial real estate. This Real Estate Finance CAM will provide students with an essential understanding of the key forces underlying various real estate related financing decisions from unsecuritized local commercial properties to real estate-based financial derivatives traded on Wall Street.

  • BUAD 6411 - Marketing Research

    (2)

    This course is designed to examine marketing research as a systematic process that delivers actionable insights.Special emphasis will be given to digital tools that can be used for data collection and analysis.Topics will include research design and methods, with a focus on how to utilize marketing research for effective management decisions.

  • BUAD 6421 - Marketing Strategy

    (3)

    Focuses on analyzing market threats and opportunities, assessing competitive advantages, forecasting patterns of market evolution and developing marketing strategies that are consistent with these assessments.

  • BUAD 6431 - Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications

    (3) Prerequisite(s): BUAD 5401

    This course explores the evolving world of integrated marketing communications, with special emphasis on digital media.  Students will create an integrated marketing communications plan to effectively promote a selected product to a target market through various media channels.  In addition, students will examine how digital media tools can be applied to advance professional products and services as well as their personal brands.

  • BUAD 6441 - Customer Experience Management

    (3)

    To be competitive in today’s marketplace, service organizations must provide a quality experience for their customers. Customer experience management (CEM) is the process of strategically managing a customer’s entire experience with a company. Specifically, this course identifies the key dimensions on which customer perceptions of service excellence are based, and describes strategies for offering superior customer service. Key course concepts include: (1) identifying the key drivers of service excellence, (2) reducing problems (i.e., failures) in service performance, (3) measuring customer and employee satisfaction, (4) developing a service recovery system, (5) understanding the role of employees in the service process, (6) managing and measuring financial customer outcomes, (7) developing social media marketing strategy, and (8) managing customer rewards/loyalty programs. Students who complete this course will not only have a better understanding of how customers evaluate service firms; they will also have a “tool kit” of ideas, measures and techniques to help improve service excellence.

  • BUAD 6451 - Solving Creative Problems

    Spring (3) Staff

    A study of the processes of creativity and innovation in complex problem-solving, informed by both business and inter-disciplinary approaches. Throughout the course, students engage in a mix of experiential, experimental, and reflective exercises designed to promote integrative and creative problem-solving, with an emphasis on the techniques, frameworks and mindsets that drive innovation in organizations.

  • BUAD 6461 - Product Management

    (3) Prerequisite(s): BUAD 5401

    Product Management is an advanced course that focuses on operational-level marketing analysis, with an emphasis on translating marketing strategies into coherent operating plans.  While all marketing functions, there is a strong focus on product decisions and the new product development process in marketing programs.  The course also develops quantitative and qualitative analysis of market data as part of the planning and control functions.

  • BUAD 6471 - Design as Marketing Strategy

    (3) Prerequisite(s): BUAD 5401

    This course considers the relationship between theories and practice in the two very different realms of strategy and design.  The course focuses on analyzing complex information, developing and exploring alternative solutions, and prototyping future innovations and scenarios.  Visual and other design techniques and tools are added to the traditional strategic toolbox to bring new insights into new venture strategy, competitive strategy, marketing strategy and tactics, decision sciences, entrepreneurship, business plan writing, and innovation.  Personal insights are also a possibility.  This course is both a survey of design tools and techniques appropriate to strategy along with an opportunity to apply those appropriate for the project.

  • BUAD 6501 - Managing Project Teams I

    (1.5) Prerequisite(s): BUAD 5501

    Working in teams has become the norm in most organizations, yet most people have many misconceptions about what makes groups effective.  Groups can be exhilarating or maddening.  This course is designed to develop the knowledge that enables you to improve the performance of most teams.

  • BUAD 6511 - Managing Project Teams II

    (1.5) Prerequisite(s): BUAD 5501

    Building on the foundation of Managing Project Teams I, this course focuses on developing the skills to design, manage and facilitate project teams.  Specific tools for improving team performance will be introduced and applied.

  • BUAD 6521 - Management Consulting

    (2)

    This course examines the management consulting process and prepares students for a role as either an internal or external consultant. The course is designed to provide a framework for understanding the art and science of providing management counsel to client organizations in the public and private sectors. The course follows the process of a typical consulting engagement in identifying key project requirements, feasibility and design alternatives. 

  • BUAD 6541 - Human Resources Management I

    (1.5)

    This course will provide an overview of human resource management (HRM) and the connection HRM principles and how those play out in organizations.  This course focuses on the everyday decision made by all managers (e.g. selection, evaluation, compensation, termination).

  • BUAD 6551 - Teams: Design, Selection, & Development

    (3)

    Working in teams has become the norm in most organizations yet most people have many misconceptions about what makes groups effective. We will cover work in a variety of teams including: project teams, self-directed teams, research teams, consulting teams, and multinational teams. Groups can be exhilarating or maddening. This course is designed to develop the knowledge and skills to enable you to improve the performance of most teams. The course includes a refresher on practical theories of group effectiveness, application of human resource management techniques to teams; selecting team members; developing the team and its members; applying appropriate rewards, and coverage of skills and tools designed to diagnose and improve team functioning.

  • BUAD 6561 - Human Resource Management

    Spring (3) Staff

    This course will provide an overview of human resource management (HRM) and the connection between HRM principles and how those play out in organizations.  The course focuses on a) HRM professionals and their role in working with other organizational managers and leaders to develop and implement effective and efficient HRM practices that support the strategic objectives of their organizations, b) the everyday HRM decisions made by all managers (e.g., selection, evaluation, compensation, termination), and c) puts students in the role of an HRM Director for a growing organization and offers students valuable experience with decisions that affect selection, evaluation, compensation, turnover, productivity, diversity, morale, quality, accident rate, grievances, fringe benefits, absenteeism, termination, and budget utilization.

  • BUAD 6571 - Leadership and Planned Change

    (3)

    Examines current issues in leadership and managerial strategies for successfully implementing, institutionalizing and evaluating change initiatives.

  • BUAD 6581 - Human Resources Management II

    (1.5) Prerequisite(s): BUAD 6541

    This course will provide an overview of human resource management (HRM) and the connection between HRM principles and how those play out in organizations.  The course focuses on a) HRM professionals and their role in working with other organizational managers and leaders to develop and implement effective and efficient HRM practices that support the strategic objectives of their organizations, b) the everyday HRM decisions made by all managers (e.g., selection, evaluation, compensation, termination), and c) puts students in the role of an HRM Director for a growing organization and offers students valuable experience with decisions that affect selection, evaluation, compensation, turnover, productivity, diversity, morale, quality, accident rate, grievances, fringe benefits, absenteeism, termination, and budget utilization.

  • BUAD 6591 - Predictive Analytics

    (3)

    This course is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the theory and practice fo Classification techniques, which constitutes perhaps the most commonly used techniques in the Data Scientists’s toolkit.  These Predictive Analytics techniques are important members of a family of analytics often referred to as Machine Learning techniques. An important part of this course is an introduction to a powerful and ubiquitous software package called R, which is used extensively in labs and assignments in this class.

  • BUAD 6601 - Management of Emerging Technologies

    (3)

    This course focuses on the state-of-the-art techniques for developing and managing the development of new products and software, especially those technologies for identifying competitive product and software configurations, rapid prototyping, and discovering what users want and need in a quick, cost-effective manner.  Topics include 3D printing, prototyping, voice of the customer, agile development, maturity models, collaborative design, and Scrum.

  • BUAD 6611 - Supply Chain Management

    (3)

    This course deals primarily with the design and operation of logistics networks or supply chains, and the flow of materials and information on them.  Students in this course will be exposed to both the strategic and operational aspects of managing today’s complex supply chains.  Specific topics include vendor-managed inventory; efficient customer response; collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment; planning distribution and supply; managing product variety, transportation, supply chain planning, distribution and supply; managed product variety; transportation; supply chain planning software; eMarketplaces; inter- and meta-mediaries and design and optimization of supply networks.

  • BUAD 6621 - Project Management

    (1.5-3)

    This course focuses on the management of complex projects and the rules and techniques, which have been developed in the past 25 years to assist managers with such projects. All three phases of project management - Planning, Scheduling, and Control are explored in detail. In addition to studying various scheduling techniques for projects, this course explores issues dealing with project selection methods, project risk assessment, project team dynamics, new product development projects, runaway projects, and monitoring and control of projects.

  • BUAD 6631 - Advanced Project Management

    (1.5)

    This course picks up where Project Management Part I ends. The objectives of this course are to:

    •  extend the student’s knowledge of project management, particularly in the areas of project cost management (cost estimating and application of earned value management) and project risk management. We will use a (30 day trial version) of an add-on software package to MS Project for quantitative risk management.

    •  expand the student’s capabilities with MS Project

    •  extend the student’s knowledge in other areas of project management including (1) project selection, (2) value engineering as well as (3) program management and (4) project portfolio management.

  • BUAD 6641 - Lean Toolkit

    (1.5)

    In this course, you will learn the Lean methodology, which uses a particular type of business process mapping in order to document and understand business processes (values stream mapping). This course would not qualify a student for Green Belt Certification.

  • BUAD 6651 - Six Sigma Toolkit

    (1.5)

    In this course, you will learn the Lean methodology, which uses a particular type of business process mapping in order to document and understand business processes (values stream mapping). This course would not qualify a student for Green Belt Certification.

  • BUAD 6671 - Lean Six Sigma Project

    (1.5)

    Students learn Lean and Six Sigma tools in the Lean Toolkit and Six Sigma Toolkit courses for improving the quality and efficiency of business processes.  These courses also offer a first exposure to the application of those tools.  This course offers additional experience in applying Lean and Six Sigma tools to a project.  Analogous with industry standards, a student who completes this course earns a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification.

  • BUAD 6691 - Engineering Economic Analysis

    (3)

    Organizations that do engineering and/or technology development must address the economic aspects of their projects.  Early portions of the course assume that benefits, costs, and quantities have a high degree of certainty. The latter portion of the course explores risk (uncertainty) with regard to benefits, costs, and quantities.

  • BUAD 6701 - Data Science for Managers

    (2)

    A family of (often non-parametric) analytical methods collectively referred to as “Machine Learning” methods has grown out of the Artificial Intelligence community and has become commonplace in many of the world’s leading analytics competitors. This course introduces students to one of the leading software applications for such tools (the open source system called R), and uses it to discuss several of Machine Learning’s most frequently used techniques in supervised and unsupervised learning.  

  • BUAD 6711 - Advanced Modeling Techniques

    Spring (3) Staff

    This course is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to develop advanced decision models using a variety of programming and database tools. This semester, we will focus on VBA and Access.

  • BUAD 6731 - Healthcare Informatics

    Spring (3) Staff

    Health Informatics involves the management and use of resources – technology, capital, governance and people – and methods such as process management and innovation to promote efficient and effective delivery of healthcare. The objective of this course is to provide an understanding of how to use information, and information systems to support clinical, administrative and patient services in conducting the business of healthcare. Through hands-on experience, students will learn from analysis of operational or strategic problems in a health care setting and explore challenges and opportunities in various segments of the healthcare industry such as consulting and policy making, supply chain, pharmaceuticals and insurance.

  • BUAD 6741 - Principles of Negotiation

    (3)

    This course uses Game Theory to provide a theoretical foundation for understanding negotiation, and it provides first hand experience in different bargaining situations. A number of tools are developed that are useful in planning and preparing for a negotiation.

  • BUAD 6751 - Health Sector Management

    (1.5)

    This course introduces the structure of a health care organization and the issues such organizations face.  Specific topics include ownership, organizational design, responsibilities of functional areas within an organization, metrics used to measure performance, and the description of key processes including financial flows.

  • BUAD 6761 - Health Analytics

    (1.5)

    This course focuses on the sources and uses of data in the analysis of health care data with the goal of improving health care processes and outcomes.  Specifically, the course covers various analytical methodologies and the visualization of health care data.  The course prepares students for the Certified Healthcare Data Analyst (CHDA) Exam.

  • BUAD 6811 - Global Business Immersion

    (1.5-3)

    The objectives of this course are: 1) to introduce students to the interactive concepts of marketing and culture, 2) to enable students to understand the cultural issues at the corporate, national and transnational levels, 3) to provide insights on effective marketing and management decision making in unfamiliar or cross-cultural settings, particularly with respect to various international contexts, and 4) most importantly to give students unique experiences with cultural immersion.

  • BUAD 6831 - Non-Profit Organization

    (3)

    The objective of this course is to analyze the role of non-profit organizations as economic entities in a market economy (for example, methods of financing these organizations.) The course will also explore liability, application of strategic planning to identify potentially useful market niches of these organizations, the legal obligations of management, and portfolio management appropriate for these organizations.

  • BUAD 6851 - Design Thinking

    (3)

    Design Thinking is a systematic, iterative, human-centered approach to solving tough, real-world problems that are often ill-defined and stubbornly immune to traditional problem solving approaches.  Design Thinking is a methodology for generating innovative solutions that are at the intersection of people’s needs, technological feasibility, and business viability.  This course provides a hands-on introduction to Design Thinking methodologies and mindsets and encourages students to immediately put them into practice.

  • BUAD 6861 - Entrepreneurial Ventures

    (3)

    This hands-on course provides real world, experiential learning about how scalable startups are built.  The focus of this course is not how to write a business plan.  Rather, it is designed to be more of a practicval course - essentially a startup lab.  You will work in teams learning how to turn a great idea into a great company.  In fact, you won’t just learn about doing it, you’ll really do it.  This course provides students with a live opportunity to build a venture.  You’ll learn how to use a business model to brainstorm each part of a company and customer development to validate your model and to see whether anyone other than you would want/use your product.  You will get your hands dirty talking to customers, partners, cometitors, as you encounter the chaos and uncertainty of theearly stages of a startup.  The goal, within the contraints of a classroom and a limited amount of time, is to create an entrepreneurial experience with all of the pressures and demands of a startup.  Finally, based on the customer and market feedback you gathered, you will rapidly iterate your product to build something customers would actually use and buy.  Each week you will test each part of your business modell outside of the classroom and share your knowledge/insight gained with the rest of the class. 

  • BUAD 6871 - Mng & Fin Small Bus Enterprise

    (3)

    Designed for those who wish to undertake a career journey in the direction of running a smaller business enterprise or a family business. It is structured to allow the students to develop an alternative to a large company or professional service firm. Every aspect of a business is covered, from the legal entity utilized through the management and financing of the enterprise. The creation and review of individual Business Plans will be required.

  • BUAD 6881 - Financing Entrepreneurial Ventures

    (3)

    Covers the essential principles of the risks and rewards associated with Private Equity and Venture Capital. Financial analysis of a business and risk/return characteristics, business valuation methods, and the financing sources are covered to better understand the required returns to risk investors. Other topics include: fundraising, early stage, middle stage, and ultimately late stage investments; buyouts and exit strategies; the structuring of the “deal”; the creation of term sheets, negotiation strategies, and human capital and resources.

  • BUAD 6891 - Entrepreneurship Launch Pad

    (3)

    This course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to apply problem solving, analytical and communications skills and introduce them to the complexities of working in a team to solve a current business problem.  The problem will be defined by a corporation or organization that will be paying the Mason School of Business for the students to conduct the consultancy project.  The client will expect the student team to work 500/700 hours during the project and produce actionable results.


    This course will provide the students with actual experience in conducting a real world management consulting project.  The learning process will consist of project definition, project planning and management, client interface and communication, data collection and analysis, making specific recommendations, report writing, and formal and informal presentations.

  • BUAD 6951 - Business Research Seminar

    (0-6)

    Special topics courses allows the faculty to teach cutting edge material.

  • BUAD 6971 - Independent Study

    (0-6)

  • BUAD 6981 - Batten Fund

    (4.5)

    The Batten Fund project tasks 16 - 17 selected second year MBA students to research stocks in depth, develop an investment thesis, complete valuation analysis, sell the idea to fellow Batten analysts and track the performance of stocks within the Fund if their stock is selected by the group.  The funds used are real dollars, donated 17 years ago by Frank Batten. 

  • BUAD 6991 - Field Consultancy

    (3)

    Each year, the Mason School’s Corporate Field Consultancy Program contracts with major companies across the mid-Atlantic region. Teams of second-year MBA students work as consultants charged with identifying, researching and proposing a solution for a real business problem faced by their client organization. Each project focuses on different issues, based on the needs of our clients.  Each project team works under the guidance of a Faculty member and Executive Partners to address management issues, develop a deeper understanding of the interdependence of functional areas, and polish teamwork and communication skills.             

Flex MBA

  • BUAD 5013 - Communication for Managers

    (3)

    The need to communicate well is a critical part of a manager’s professional development. This course helps prospective and practicing managers assess and develop their communication abilities to be a successful managerial communicator. Through course activities, students will understand the importance of effective communication in managerial and leadership roles, appreciate the value of strategic organizational communication, and enhance their speaking, writing, and other communication abilities. Special topics in the course include: presentation graphics, ethics, intercultural communication, and media relations.

  • BUAD 5103 - Financial Accounting

    (3)

    Concepts and principles of financial and administrative accounting essential to the interpretation and analysis of accounting information, including financial reports, bankruptcy analysis, budgeting, control, production and costing, stock options, and board governance.

  • BUAD 5113 - Managerial Accounting

    (3)

    This course deals with the use of accounting information for decision-making, planning, and control. The goal is to acquaint the student of management with the fundamentals of internal accounting, better known as management accounting. The emphasis is on using accounting information in managing an organization, rather than product costing and income determination.

  • BUAD 5223 - Management Information Systems

    (3)

    The focus of Management of Information Systems is on the technology that enables its use in the business and organizational setting. Issues such as hardware, software, databases, telecommunications, and the Internet will be discussed. Students will experience hands-on applications in some areas. An understanding of how Information Technology enables fundamental transformations in firms, markets, products, and business processes will be gained. This course addresses the management issues surrounding the impact of information technology in organizations. It is designed with the line and general managers in mind, rather than the managers of the IS function.

  • BUAD 5303 - Finance

    (3)

    The course covers basic principles and theories of financial valuation, risk pricing and risk management. These principles are applied to corporate finance topics such as: how a firm decides to invest its resources in long term assets and growth opportunities; how a firm will manage its sources of capital and raise funds to finance chosen investments; and how the firm will plan and control funds flow.

  • BUAD 5403 - Marketing

    (3)

    Examination of marketing from a managerial viewpoint; emphasis on evaluating marketing alternatives and in choosing from these alternatives.

  • BUAD 5503 - Organizational Behavior

    (3)

    Designed to provide you with the analytic frameworks and tools to diagnose events in and to take effective action in today’s changing organizations. The course draws on knowledge from the domains of Organization Behavior (OB), Organization Theory (OT), and Human Resource Management (HRM) to provide you with the understanding and skills that you need to be an effective manager of people in these changing organizations. OT, OB and HRM are concerned with developing understanding about how human beings act in organized settings and how organized systems affect human behavior through policies, structures and strategies. In addition to conceptual understanding, ongoing assessments and experiential exercises provide you opportunities to reflect on your own behavior in order to develop new and more effective ways of interacting with others to accomplish work.

  • BUAD 5603 - Operations Management

    (3)

    Study of the design, operation, and control of production and operating systems from a managerial standpoint, with emphasis on quantitative methods of analysis.

  • BUAD 5703 - Quantitative Methods

    (3)

    Role and application of statistics in the analysis of business problems including estimation, statistical measures, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, simple and multiple linear regression and time series analysis.

  • BUAD 5713 - Modeling & Simulation

    (1.5)

    This course is designed to introduce students to basic modeling, analysis, and simulation techniques. Emphasis will be placed on problem identification and formulation, sensitivity analysis, and model construction. Tools such as MS Excel, Solver, Crystal Ball, and @Risk will be used to solve business problems across all business functional areas: Finance, Accounting, Operations, Marketing, Information Systems, Policy, and Human Resource Management.

  • BUAD 5723 - Managerial Economics

    (3)

    This course studies economic analysis applied to managerial decision making. Besides basic topics of demand, cost and production, and market structures, this course also covers demand forecasting, pricing strategies, game theory, and information economics.

  • BUAD 5903 - Global Competitive Strategy

    (3)

    Pre-req: Complete Phase II courses and two electives. Covers analysis for decision making at industry, firm and business levels, focusing especially on multi-business firms and global industries. Firm resources and competencies, business and environmental demands, and the sources of competitive advantage are the major focus points of this course, which stresses practical applications of theory.

  • BUAD 5943 - National & Global Economies

    (3)

    This course is intended to provide information that can be used to interpret economic events and assess their impact on the economy and an organization. Part of this information concerns not just economics but an understanding of how some political choices are made in various countries. This knowledge is critical for risk assessment and a realistic planning of business operations over the next year. You leave the course with some fundamental “rules of thumb” that allow you to assess potential large scale economic risks to your organization.

Executive MBA

  • BUAD 5015 - Communication for Executives

    (1.5)

    This course is designed specifically for the communication needs of executives. Building on skills and knowledge essential for successful communication, the course will focus on the value of effective managerial communication, provide an understanding of strategic organizational communication, and enhance speaking, writing, and other communication abilities.

  • BUAD 5105 - Accounting - Reporting & Analysis

    (2.5)

    This course introduces the basic concepts of financial accounting necessary to generate financial statements and reports. It examines strategies used to master the economic subtleties of business, and provides the managerial skills needed to analyze and interpret financial statements for internal and external use. BUAD 5705 Statistics for Business (2.5 Credits): This course focuses on data analysis and how managers use data to make better business decisions. We will examine the role and application of statistics in the analysis of business problems including estimation, statistical measures, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, and regression models.

  • BUAD 5115 - Accounting for Decision Making & Control

    (2.5)

    This course continues the accounting series with cost accounting, activities analysis, profit planning and budgetary systems, cost allocations, transfer pricing, and performance evaluation.

  • BUAD 5215 - Managing Information Systems

    (2.5)

    The course focuses upon strategic influence of information technology (IT) within organizations. Designed primarily for non-IT executives, the course will prepare for understanding of technological vocabulary, emerging technologies and how they enhance core business functions, and demonstrating the business value of IT investment. Practice based exercises will augment the learning experience through modeling IT choices and information utilization.

  • BUAD 5305 - Financial Management

    (2.5)

    This course is structured on the concepts and tools of valuation. It covers financial and project analysis, financial forecasting, risk and return, cost of capital, mergers and acquisitions, and valuation.

  • BUAD 5325 - Corporate Financial Policy

    (2.5)

    Building on the topics in Financial Management, Corporate Financial Policy covers advanced topics in financial markets and strategy, including debt and equity management policy, financing, derivatives and risk management, and international finance.

  • BUAD 5405 - Marketing Management

    (2.5)

    This course focuses on the problems of building an integrated marketing program in light of external forces, such as the consumer, the trade, the competition and the regulatory environment. Specific emphasis is placed on the marketing concept, the marketing mix, market definition and dynamics, segmentation and positioning, and product/market evolution.

  • BUAD 5425 - Marketing Strategy

    (2.5)

    This course focuses on the formulation of marketing strategy, including balancing market opportunities and threats with available resources and alternative responses, as well as analysis of markets, product and pricing strategies.

  • BUAD 5505 - Leadership in an Uncertain Era

    (2.5)

    This course is designed to improve your effectiveness as a manager by deepening your understanding of how organizations work. To succeed in the business world, you must (a) analyze organizational events and processes and (b) design and implement actions to increase organizational effectiveness. These critical leadership skills are even more important today, as organizations enter a period of enormous upheaval and change. The course begins with an intensive two-day leadership forum that focuses on heightening your awareness of leadership challenges and enhancing your ability to address them. As the semester continues, we build upon that seminal experience by exploring how the structure, power relations, and culture of organizations shape and constrain the behavior of individuals within them. The course culminates in a project in which you apply both conceptual tools and leadership skills to events in your current organization.

  • BUAD 5515 - Leading Change in Organizations

    (2.5)

    Building on the concepts from Leadership in an Uncertain Era, this course examines the leader’s role in diagnosing, anticipating, planning, implementing, and evaluating change within organizations. Case studies and group projects focus on organizational analysis, barriers to change, overcoming resistance to change, change intervention strategies and methods, and change evaluation.

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