Master of Business Administration Courses

BUS 601 - Professional Communication  • 3 hours

The intersection of business, culture, and technology is dynamic. One thing that remains constant is the need for effective communication of ideas to meet the challenges and opportunities presented. This course explores foundational principles and theories of human communication. Further, it provides the business professional with a set of strategies, tools, and practical applications necessary for communication competence in the digital workplace. As the first course in this sequence, it also lays the groundwork for learners’ academic success by introducing technological, written, and oral competencies required throughout the program.

BUS 603 - Managerial Accounting  • 3 hours

This course examines the principles, techniques and uses of accounting in the planning and control of business organizations from the management perspective. Budgetary process and related performance evaluation techniques, cost volume to profit relationships and product costing methods are examined. Review of legal and ethical implications of accounting practices.

BUS 605 - Data Acquisition and Analysis  • 3 hours

Examines strategies for meaningful decision making based on data. Reviews sources and quality of data, how ethics and bias can alter interpretation. A proven system of information evaluation is reviewed and applied to a wide range of information sources typically used by professional managers to plan and operate their ventures.

BUS 606 - Managerial Finance  • 3 hours

This course explores financing of current operations and long-term capital management, sources and uses of funds, capital structure, and budgeting. Explores the concept of analyzing the financial health of organizations and connects financial health to organizational mission. Examines the challenge of global operations on finance.

BUS 607 - Marketing and Brand Management  • 3 hours

Examines how and why organizations benefit from branding success. Examines the varied nature of brand communication, message development, and brand management. Incorporate elements of market research, pricing of product and services, and market positioning, product placement. Examines financial, legal and ethical constraints of marketing initiatives.

BUS 655 - Decision Making  • 3 hours

This course looks at the relationship between leadership and decision making. Examines decision making as a skill set by exploring decision framing, intelligence gathering, coming to conclusions, and review. Examines the legal, ethical, cultural and organizational challenges related to decision making.

BUS 657 - Otherness: Cultural Understanding, Social Differences & Diversity  • 3 hours

Learners will take a snapshot of their individual traditions, cultural practices, and social norms to examine how they impact their perceptions of individuals who are different and begin to see “otherness” through a lens of empathy. Learners will explore how diversity of thought and experiences can impact their personal and professional lives. This course will allow learners to reflection on the Christian Faith and how it relates to otherness. They will engage in several discussions and assignments on this, reflecting on the ways in which they can integrate the principles of Faith and Scripture through devotional thoughts each week.

BUS 665 - Business Strategy  • 3 hours

Students learn how to create strategic alternatives for businesses, test the plausibility of strategy plans, and make the case for the preferred direction. The course concentrates on planning competitive strategy for small to mid-sized businesses, not on reactive or realized strategy. The essential activity for developing effective strategy is thinking strategically, a skill that is developed throughout the course with the following activities applied to case analysis.

BUS 667 - Emotional and Cultural Intelligence  • 3 hours

Experienced professionals and new hires alike need effective emotional and cultural intelligence to navigate organizational life, which can be challenging on many fronts with the net effect of diminished productivity. Awareness of personal strengths and weakness and those of the people you work with helps clear the path for more constructive collaboration and lowers personal and organizational stress. Through case analysis, students enhance their emotional and cultural intelligence with the following activities.

*Students have the option to take BUS-657 -or- BUS-699.

BUS 636 - Power, Politics, & Leadership • 3 hours (Optional)

This course explores a leader’s ability to impact effective change in organizations. Embracing concepts on the effective use of power can create change at all levels. The identification of sources of power, ethical strategies and tactics for its use, and how power is lost.

Leadership Certificate

BUS 651 - Applied Leadership  • 3 hours

Learners in this course will explore a definition of leadership with an emphasis on identifying leadership traits, leadership styles, and leadership skill development. Specific emphasis will be on practical implementation of leadership strategies such as overcoming obstacles and addressing ethical matter. Students will reflect on their own personal leadership traits and styles.

BUS 652 - Understanding and Creating Effective Organizations  • 3 hours

This course focuses on the management areas of leadership. Learners will be exposed to elements of organizational structure, topics of human resource management and organizational behavior. Learners will explore how corporate strategy is linked to organizational structure.

BUS 653 - Managing Change  • 3 hours

Today’s leaders need to be proactive and forecast the needs of the organization for the short-term, the intermediate, and the long-term. Students will explore how leaders are primarily change agents to influence a shared vision for the future. Students will learn to identify elements critical to leading in a changing environment.

BUS 636 - Power, Politics, & Leadership • 3 hours (Optional)

This course explores a leader’s ability to impact effective change in organizations. Embracing concepts on the effective use of power can create change at all levels. The identification of sources of power, ethical strategies and tactics for its use, and how power is lost.

*A student can choose between BUS 651 - Applied Leadership or BUS 636 - Power, Politics, & Leadership.

Healthcare Leadership Certificate

BUS 641 - Healthcare Ethics and Compliance  • 3 hours

Learner will take an in-depth look at how leaders navigate the complex healthcare environment in light of ever-changing regulatory demands. They will focus on decision-making, ethics and organizational mission. Learners address issues related to healthcare law, reporting, self-reporting, and outcomes.

BUS 643 - Quality Improvement in the Healthcare Setting  • 3 hours

This course looks at the demand of continuous quality improvement in the healthcare setting. Learners examine the relationship between quality and outcomes. They look at methods of measuring quality, and how measured results create actionable process in operations.

BUS 644 - Developing Community Based Health Services  • 3 hours

This course examines the state of healthcare, and the increased demand to provide a continuum of care based on the needs of diverse population in the marketplace. Learners examines the business implications of creating alternative service location to traditional models of care and alternative healthcare solution such as education, wellness, and access to care.

Corporate Communications & Media Strategy Certificate

BUS 661 - Writing for Internal and External Audience  • 3 hours

Students learn the craft, demands, and expectations of written communications to fulfill corporate-communications strategy. Students write a range of communication forms used in print and digital communications including social media, blogs, and e-newsletters.

BUS 662 - Communications Research  • 3 hours

Learners will have an opportunity to explore the purpose and value of a buyer’s persona. They will develop a persona that includes the following elements: Name, Demographics/Description, Picture, Identifiers/psychographic elements. To support the development process, they will create data collect instruments, perform statistical calculations, interpret statistical results, and craft corporate communication messages tailored to their persona. Students will also engage in group and team discussions, complete assignments, and reflect on the ways in which they can integrate the principles of Faith and Scripture through devotional thoughts each week.

BUS 663 - Corporate Communications and Media Strategy  • 3 hours

This course is a comprehensive application of corporate-communications strategy, tactics, and programs. Small teams will design, implement, and evaluate a campaign in the context of a challenging 8-week case study. Team projects are presented via a student-created website for evaluation by classmates and faculty.

Nonprofit Management Certificate

BUS 663 - Corporate Communications and Media Strategy  • 3 hours

This course is a comprehensive application of corporate-communications strategy, tactics, and programs. Small teams will design, implement, and evaluate a campaign in the context of a challenging 8-week case study. Team projects are presented via a student-created website for evaluation by classmates and faculty.

BUS 671 - Nonprofit Operations  • 3 hours

This course connects organizational mission to operations. Students examine the dynamics of board governance, the benefits and challenges of working with volunteers, and the hiring challenges of nonprofits. Students will learn how to connect long term goals into short term action.

BUS 673 - Nonprofit Fundraising and Financial Reporting  • 3 hours

This course examines fundraising in the non-profit settings and addresses fundraising campaigns, grant writing, donor development and communication strategies. Students learn the importance of both financial and social service reporting in communicating organizational needs.

Intercultural Competence Certificate

INT 611 - Culture Awareness  • 3 hours

Through self-assessment and readings, this course provides the framework for understanding oneself in order to communicate and interact appropriately in a diverse world.

INT 621 - Geography of Thought  • 3 hours

This course provides insight into how differing ecologies, social structures, philosophies and educational systems impact the way in which we see and make sense of our world.

INT 631 - Cross Cultural Management Skills  • 3 hours

The increase in globalization has heightened organizational awareness of cross cultural differences and increased the demand for employees with the ability to manage effectively across multiple cultures. In this course, the context of global business, and its intersection with faith, ethics, religion, values, leadership, human resources, and organizational design are explored. Also, the skills to manage relevant cultural, political, legal, regulatory, economic, socioeconomic forces are applied to a challenge selected by the student for an organization to enter a new country.

BUS 699 - Global Immersion  • 3 hours

This course explores cultural intelligence, foreign business climate, societal and personal transformation and culminates in a global journey where students experience the intersection of business, faith and culture. Course work includes pre and post cultural assessments, and a detailed look at personal and societal transformation.

*Students must choose between INT 631 - Cross-Cultural Management Skills and BUS 699 - Global Immersion.

Salesforce Management Certificate

BUS 605 - Data Acquisition and Analysis  • 3 hours

Examines strategies for meaningful decision making based on data. Reviews sources and quality of data, how ethics and bias can alter interpretation. A proven system of information evaluation is reviewed and applied to a wide range of information sources typically used by professional managers to plan and operate their ventures.

*If a student chooses the Salesforce Management Certificate as their MBA certificate, they wouldn't take BUS-605, they would choose one of the following courses to replace it:

  • BUS 633 - Organizational Culture & Ethics
  • BUS 634 - Performance Metrics
BUS 653 - Managing Change  • 3 hours

Today’s leaders need to be proactive and forecast the needs of the organization for the short-term, the intermediate, and the long-term. Students will explore how leaders are primarily change agents to influence a shared vision for the future. Students will learn to identify elements critical to leading in a changing environment.

PLA 699 - Salesforce Administrator Certificate  • 3 hours

The Salesforce Administrator credential is designed for those who have experience with Salesforce and continuously look for ways to assist their companies in getting even more from additional features and capabilities. Visit https://www.salesforce.com/ to learn how to obtain this certificate.

Tableau Data Analysis Certificate

BUS 615 - Essentials of Business Analytics  • 3 hours

Learners will explore the topics of competing with analytics, using analytics to create value, enterprise data management & analytical and modeling tools, value chain and business analytics, marketing and sales valuation processes, and telling the story of the data - communication and visualization.

BUS 625 - Data Mining  • 3 hours

The benefits of using data to optimize the decision-making process, including understanding the differences between various types of data, data formats, data warehouses and data marts. Learners will develop usable extraction, transformation and loading (ETL) techniques associated with data analysis and be introduced to data modeling and data mash-up techniques.

PLA-699 - Tableau Desktop Certified Professional Certificate • 3 hours

Tableau Desktop Certified Professionals have advanced knowledge and skills in Tableau Desktop and the ability to apply visual analytics methodologies to help people see and understand data. Visit https://www.tableau.com/ to learn how to obtain this certificate.

Master of Business Administration