Concentrations
Corporate Financial Management
A MBA student who specializes in corporate financial management will be qualified to work on all the major financial decisions within a corporation- managing working capital, raising capital, allocating capital for new investments or acquisitions, and distributing shareholder claims. Within the treasurer's office, positions exist for the management of cash, debt, foreign currency, pension funds, risk, and insurance. The controller's office, which is responsible for financial analyses and information, offers such positions as planning and budget analyst and financial analyst. These positions encompass a wide range of activities, including capital investment valuation, cost-of-capital calculations, buy/lease analysis, and dividend recommendation. Additional positions also exist in the corporate development division of firms that deal primarily with mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring.
This concentration provides a thorough training in corporate finance to MBAs who aspire to become a treasurer, controller, or, ultimately, a chief financial officer. Graduates will be proficient in oral and written communications, and spreadsheet and presentation software, and will have strong interpersonal skills.
Global Business
The global business concentration offers a set of international business courses and a wide range of opportunities for international experience through internships, study-abroad programs, and partnerships with international institutions. Thus, graduates completing this concentration not only understand the concepts and theories of global business, but also have some experience with the cultures and business environment of other countries.
Students are required to take a study abroad course as part of this concentration. As part of the study-abroad course students travel to one or more countries to learn about these cultures and to visit corporate sites.
Hospitality and Tourism Management
The hospitality and tourism management concentration provides specialized course work for those interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality and tourism industry, one of the largest and fastest growing industries worldwide. Elective courses within the concentration are provided as choices for those interested in gaining more expertise in a particular area.
Information Systems and Technology
The Information Systems and Technology Concentration provides hands-on course work in all aspects of the design, implementation, and management use of computerized information systems. Courses in this concentration are aimed at developing and enhancing students' technical competency and are not merely descriptions of the underlying design and programming. Students who complete this concentration will have a balanced education. They will understand the broad business implications of information technology, including how these systems improve decision making and increase productivity. They will also have an understanding of technical areas, such as networking, systems analysis, database design, and programming.
Typical job titles for students studying information systems and technology include systems analyst, network administrator, project analyst, database developer, applications developer, and information management consultant. Consulting firms are the major employer of MBAs graduating with this concentration. The firms include Accenture, Deloitte Consulting, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Booz Allen and Hamilton, KPMG, and Ernst and Young.
Investment & Financial Services Management
This concentration was developed to prepare the graduate for money management or financial services management. The concentration helps meet the growing need for professionals to manage funds. At the same time, it enables graduates to develop expertise associated with the financial services industry, including commercial banks.
To excel in this field, students should have a range of skills. Money managers are expected to have very strong analytical skills, good communication and people skills, and an understanding of financial markets. Commercial banks require stronger communication and people skills than analytical skills. Investment bankers must excel in both communication and analytical skills. Initiative and creativity are important in all jobs.
Depending on individual interest and skills, MBAs completing this concentration may be employed by a money management company, a consulting organization, a commercial bank, or an investment bank. Liberalization in the industry through changes in banking regulation promises to erase the walls between commercial banks and investment banks, a development that can generate additional career opportunities. Typical titles for graduates with this concentration include portfolio analyst, investment advisor, credit analyst, bank manager, and investment banker.
Organizational Management
This concentration comprises an integrated set of courses that equip future executives with the knowledge and skills to lead organizations at all levels and in a variety of contexts. The courses provide understanding of the history, values, skills, and theory of leadership. Special attention is given to the leadership of change, the leadership of entrepreneurial ventures, and the ethical dimensions of leadership actions.
Regardless of one's specific career discipline, this concentration broadens horizons for MBAs. The concentration will help support advancement in the management ranks for students who already have significant experience in a specific professional field. Those with less experience will find the concentration useful for their professional development as they continue to hone their technical competencies.
The recognition that leadership expertise plays a critical role in organizational success is driving employer interest in graduates with in-depth knowledge of the functions and methods of leadership. The courses offered in this concentration prepare graduates to contribute to the growth and development of tomorrow's leading organizations.