Course Requirements
Concentrations
In addition to the required core courses, students have six electives they can use to take courses in a specific area of interest. These electives are typically used by students to select one or more concentrations in the area(s) that offer the knowledge, skills, and abilities that best fit the student’s educational needs and interests.
While many students choose to have a specific area of concentration, those who would like more flexibility in selecting courses may choose the general business concentration instead. With this option, the student is free to choose six courses from several different areas of study within the graduate school of business.
If a student does not indicate a specific concentration of interest in the application for admission the student will be assigned to the general business concentration.
M.B.A. Options
Day M.B.A. (Full-time Accelerated)
The Day M.B.A. Program fulfills the business world’s demand for M.B.A. graduates with the ability to understand and manage complex business processes. Students who choose this program option will take all of their foundation and core classes in a full-time, lock step format during the first four terms of the program. Upon completion of the prerequisite core courses, students may begin taking their concentration classes at their own pace. Students in the Day M.B.A. Program may choose to specialize in any of the generally available MBA concentrations offered by the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.
Evening M.B.A. (All Campuses)
All of the core course requirements for the M.B.A. are offered at the Loop and the Naperville and O'Hare suburban campuses. Required core courses are offered every quarter at the Loop campus but variably at the suburban campuses. All requirements are offered at least once each year at each of these locations.
Three full concentrations are available at each of the suburban campuses. These are Finance, Marketing Management and General Business. Electives applicable to other concentrations will be offered variably at the suburban locations but it may be necessary to travel to Loop campus to complete concentrations other than these three.
Weekend M.B.A. at O'Hare Campus
The Weekend M.B.A. Program is a rigorous yet rewarding program designed for the self-directed manager with an interest in using technology to supplement traditional M.B.A. course work. The curriculum provides knowledge in each of the major business functions along with specialized courses in Management and Finance such that students may earn concentrations in Finance and/or Operations Management as part of the weekend program. Upon completion of the required core sequence of courses, students are able to select concentration courses from among the more than 35 concentrations available to part-time M.B.A. students. Please note that only the Finance and Operations Management concentrations are available in the weekend format.
Each course is taught as a blend of traditional lecture and distance learning formats. Classes meet on alternate Saturdays at the O'Hare Campus. Students will work via distance learning in the weeks between class meetings. Admitted students will proceed through the program as a cohort group. Admission to the program is for fall quarter only.
ACC 500
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
This introduction to financial accounting provides both a theoretical foundation and an opportunity to apply accounting logic in increasingly complex situations. The accounting model and information processing cycle are developed. The content of the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows are studied in detail and analyzed.
Prerequisites:
MS in Taxation students are restricted from registering for this class.
ACC 555
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION-MAKING
This course addresses the financial, nonfinancial & ethical dimensions of decision- making. It provides students with a conceptual understanding of cost management and managerial accounting skills. Topics include cost behavior, cost-volume-profit analysis, cost systems, budgeting and control and decision-making. Emphasis is on the interpretation & use of accounting information rather than its creation & accumulation.
Prerequisites:
ACC 500 is a prerequisite for this class.
ECO 509
BUSINESS CONDITIONS ANALYSIS
This course teaches students how to use available economic data to assess business conditions. This is done by: (1) evaluating the sources and usefulness of data periodically released by government and private sources and (2) developing a macroeconomic framework that the student can use to analyze business conditions. Completion of this course will allow students to understand economic news and relate it to their business or job.
Prerequisites:
MS in Taxation students are restricted from registering for this class.
ECO 555
ECONOMICS FOR DECISION-MAKING
This course provides students with an opportunity to apply microeconomic principles to managerial decision-making. These principles include those underlying the theories of consumer choice, production and cost as they relate to decisions made by firms and households. Specific topics include consumer demand analysis and estimation; elasticity; production theory; cost structure and estimation; profit maximization; and the effect of market structure on pricing, output and profit.
Prerequisites:
GSB 420 is a prerequisite for this class.
FIN 555
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
A study of the major decision areas faced by the corporate financial manager and their relationship to the goals of the firm's owners. Specific topics include capital budgeting, capital structure and the cost of capital, dividend policy, and current asset management.
Prerequisites:
ACC 500 and (ECO 555 or equivalents) and GSB 420 are a prerequisite for this class.
GSB 420
APPLIED QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
This course provides a comprehensive review of some basic mathematical and statistical methods and stresses their practical applications in business and economics. The course will equip the student with the quantitative skills required in the MBA program and will also provide a good foundation for addressing typical problems that arise in business. Additionally, the skills acquired in the course will also help the student prepare for the quantitative sections of professional exams, such as the CFA, the CPA and the CMA exams.
This course will stress learning through applications/problem-solving using Excel and/or Minitab software for data analyses. However, the course must be analytical and theoretical to the extent that is necessary to develop a correct understanding of the topics presented. The topics covered in the course include relevant mathematical concepts: use of relevant functions and solving equations in unknowns, elementary calculus and graphing functions. It also focuses on relevant statistical concepts: probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis and forecasting.
GSB 599
STRATEGIC ANALYSIS FOR COMPETING GLOBALLY
This capstone course views the impact of contemporary issues on corporate strategy. Competitive, cultural, social and ethical issues are examined within the context of a global business environment. The course content emphasizes identifying strategic alternatives, developing corporate and business strategies, and understanding the role of functional activities and organizational processes from a strategic viewpoint. The process of the course involves team interaction, problem-solving, group decision-making, written reports and oral presentations.
Prerequisites:
Greater than 30 graduate earned hours is a prerequisite for this class.
MGT 500
MANAGING FOR EFFECTIVE AND ETHICAL ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Students will critically examine ethical and creative methods to solve problems related to managing individuals and teams. Students utilize feedback from a developmental assessment center assessing their managerial and interpersonal skills. Personal development plans are created and skills developed throughout the course. Skill development domains include perception, attribution, motivation, learning leadership, communication, team development, managing change and conflict, decision-making, power and politics and business ethics.
Prerequisites:
MS in Taxation students are restricted from registering for this class.
MGT 502
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
At its core, business is about providing a superior product or service. This course analyzes the processes used to deliver products in the marketplace. World class firms have demonstrated that effective operations management can be a potent competitive weapon. This course addresses the key operations and logistical issues in service and manufacturing operations, which have strategic as well as tactical implications. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques and principles used by leading organizations are examined. Offered every quarter.
Prerequisites:
MS in Taxation students are restricted from registering for this class.
MGT 555
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
This course will help students understand how the management of people is influenced by the social, ethical and legal environment; by diversity in the work place; by the organizational culture; and by the business strategy. Students will learn how to effectively perform the following HR activities: selecting employees, developing people, evaluations and rewarding performance, and motivating employees. Offered every quarter.
MIS 555
MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
This course focuses on the management and use of information technology (IT). As the use of IT in society grows, particularly in business, our graduates are likely to become responsible for managing some technology resources and to participate in IT planning and development projects as founders, sponsors, team members, managers of development or end-user developers. Students should become effective users and evaluators of information, IT, and information services. The course explores a number of IT-related topics such as the strategic role of IT, IT planning and architecture, building the telecommunication highway system, management issues in systems development, the expanding universe of computing, group support systems, intelligent systems, electronic document management, and managing the human side of systems.
MKT 555
DECISIONS IN MARKETING MANAGEMENT
Students are provided with an overview of the marketing process for consumer-oriented firms. Focus is placed on decision-making that aligns a firm's market offerings with the wants and needs of targeted segments of customers within a continuously changing environment. Written cases/projects are part of the course assignment.