Nov 25, 2024

2014-2015 Graduate Catalog

2014-2015 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Business Administration

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Graduate Business Programs
238 Elliott Hall (map)
(248) 370-3287 • Fax (248) 370-4964
http://www.oakland.edu/business/grad

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Program coordinator:
Paul Trumbull
238B Elliott Hall
(248) 370-3277
trumbull@oakland.edu

Program description

A program leading to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) with special emphasis in information technology and international business is offered by the School of Business Administration. It is designed to educate students for managerial roles in private, public, or not-for-profit sectors of the economy.

The MBA program is designed for undergraduate majors from any discipline, including business or management. It is preferred that students with an undergraduate degree in business or one of the functional areas of management have two years of work experience before entering the MBA program. A typical entering class may consist of undergraduate majors from engineering, the natural sciences, the social sciences, computer science, mathematics, business, health care, education and the humanities.

The program is based on the belief that an education in management should:

Prepare students for careers involving problem identification, problem solving, decision making and leadership in any type of organization
Emphasize the determination of goals and the effective utilization of scarce resources
Help students understand and effectively interact with the emerging workplace issues of globalization and diversity
Assist students in understanding the effects of, and successfully deal with, the changing social, legal, ethical and technological environments of the organization
Stress understanding of human behavior and the organizational setting, for much of management relates to people - understanding them, communicating with them, working with them, and leading them
Stress the importance of the management of information technology resources in the successful operation of an organization.

Students in the MBA program may choose to focus their elective work in one of the ten areas of concentration offered at Oakland University or select to choose from a variety of elective courses for more general study. Currently, the MBA program at Oakland University has areas of concentration in accounting, business economics, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources management, international business, management information systems, marketing, and production/operations management and supply chain management.

Program delivery

Courses are offered Monday through Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings at the Rochester campus and Monday through Thursday evenings at Oakland University site locations.

Length of program

The length of the MBA program varies from 36 to 48 credits (not including prerequisites), depending on the student’s prior preparation.

Full-time students normally take 12 credits (four courses) in the fall and winter semesters and three credits (one course) in each summer session. The full-time student can finish the complete 48-credit program in less than two years. Students with sufficient background in business courses may be able to complete the minimum 36-credit MBA program in 16 months of full-time study.

Part-time students taking six courses per year can finish the complete 48-credit program in two and two-thirds calendar years (32 months) in a year-round program.

Satisfactory progress

The MBA program must be completed within six years from the date of entry into the program. The scheduling of MBA classes is based on the assumption that students will be enrolled in a standard part-time program: six courses per year (two courses in each of the 15-week fall, winter and summer semesters).

In accordance with university regulations, all course credits used to meet requirements of the MBA program must be earned within six years of the date that the MBA is awarded.

Application terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

July 15 for fall semester
November 15 for winter semester
March 15 for summer semester
International applicants

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

Graduate Application Requirements
Additional department application requirements

Supplemental Program Form

Official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. The GMAT or GRE scores must be five years or less at the time of the applicant’s intended enrollment at Oakland University.

Applicants applying to one of the graduate programs may request a waiver of the GMAT or GRE requirement if they meet one of the following criteria.
- Applicant has earned a master’s degree (or higher) from a U.S. institution.
- Applicant has earned a bachelor’s degree within the last five (5) years of the expected date of enrollment with an overall GPA of a least 3.5 from an AACSB accredited business school.
- Applicant has earned a bachelor’s degree from the Oakland University School of Engineering and Computer Science within the last five (5) years of the expected date of enrollment with an overall GPA of at least 3.5.

To request a waiver, applicants must submit a Request to Waive GMAT form to Graduate Admissions as part of the application packet. The request for waiver is subject to the approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to the Master of Business Administration degree program is selective and depends on several elements, including scholarship and an ability to communicate effectively. In making admission recommendations, the admission committee assesses the potential of applicants for success in the MBA program by examining their undergraduate records, their GMAT or GRE scores, their responses to questions on the supplemental application, their work experience, and their recommendation forms.

MBA foundation requirements

Students admitted to the Master of Business Administration program must demonstrate proficiency or complete coursework in the following areas:

A college course in principles of microeconomics and a college course in principles of macroeconomics. Students without any college course in economics or with only one principles-level economics course may take ECN 501 (Introduction to Economics) to meet the requirement.
A college course in financial accounting
A recent college algebra course or mathematics at a higher level
A college course in calculus or a continuing education course in quantitative methods which included basic calculus

These requirements must be completed prior to beginning MBA coursework.

Degree requirements

The Master of Business Administration degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 36-48 credits in an approved program of study.

The MBA program consists of four parts: the foundation requirements, the core program, the integrative business policy course (MGT 535) and a set of at least five electives. Each part of the program is detailed below.

Course requirements

a. Core requirements

ACC 512 - Managerial Accounting Systems (3 credits)
QMM 510 - Statistical Analysis for Managers (3 credits)
ECN 521 - Economics for Managers (3 credits)
ORG 530 - Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
MGT 550 - Legal Environment of Business (3 credits)
MIS 524 - Enterprise Information Systems (3 credits)
MKT 560 - Marketing Management (3 credits)
POM 521 - Operations Management (3 credits)
FIN 533 - Financial Management (3 credits)
MGT 526 - International Business (3 credits)

Core course exemptions

Students may be exempted from some of the core courses if the applicant passed an equivalent undergraduate course with a grade of 2.0 (C) or above within the previous seven years and the student is current in the subject matter. Exemption from a core course may reduce the total credit requirement for the MBA. Students exempted from some or all the core courses will be required to take a minimum program of 36 MBA credits. As part of his or her program, the MBA student must take at least one graduate level course in each of the functional areas (i.e., at least one graduate course in ACC, FIN, MKT, and POM/QMM) either as one of the five MBA electives or in addition to these electives. Exemptions from core courses are determined by the Office of Graduate Business Programs after an evaluation of the student’s transcript. A student will be allowed to take a core course from which he/she had been exempted only with prior written approval from the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Repeating waived courses may increase a student’s MBA program beyond the minimum of 36 credits.

b. Electives

MBA candidates complete their program by selecting a minimum of 15 credits of MBA electives. Of these, one course must be an information technology elective and one must be an international business elective. The remaining 9 credits may be drawn from MBA elective courses offered by the School of Business Administration or from approved courses offered by other units of Oakland University. MBA electives are numbered 500 and above for accounting and MIS electives and 600 and above for all other areas.

c. Concentrations

If MBA students want a more structured set of electives, they can take one of the MBA concentrations. A maximum of two concentrations can be noted on their transcripts. The MBA concentrations consist of the electives structured as noted under each MBA concentration listed below. A single class may not be counted toward more than one concentration. All courses are 3 credits, unless otherwise noted.

1. Accounting concentration

To provide more background in accounting, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following list for a concentration in accounting. Many of the courses listed below require additional prerequisites. Students must provide proof of completion of prerequisites to the Faculty Coordinator of the MAcc program before an override will be processed.

ACC 505 - Business Law for Accountants (3 credits)
ACC 515 - Federal Income Taxation (3 credits)
ACC 518 - Introduction to Accounting Information Systems and Databases (3 credits)
ACC 521 - Federal Income Tax II (3 credits)
ACC 522 - Auditing (3 credits)
ACC 524 - Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting (3 credits)
ACC 526 - Accounting Information Systems: Audit and Control (3 credits)
ACC 533 - Accounting Information Systems: Analysis and Design (3 credits)
ACC 600 - Financial Reporting and Analysis (3 credits)
ACC 617 - International Financial Accounting Standards and Reporting (3 credits)
ACC 620 - Cost Management (3 credits)
ACC 622 - Advanced Auditing (3 credits)
ACC 625 - Federal Income Taxation for Business (3 credits)
ACC 631 - Fraud Examination (3 credits)
ACC 650 - Professional Issues in Accounting (3 credits)
ACC 680 - Special Topics in Accounting (3 credits)
ACC 690 - Independent Study in Accounting (3 credits)

2. Business Economics concentration

To provide more background in the application of economics in business, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following program for a concentration in business economics:

ECN 605 - Econometrics (3 credits)
ECN 618 - Seminar in Economic Policy (3 credits)
ECN 620 - Money, Financial Institutions and Markets (3 credits)
ECN 656 - Public Finance (3 credits)
ECN 667 - Economics of Health Care (3 credits)
ECN 673 - International Trade and Finance (3 credits)
ECN 685 - Economics of Industries (3 credits)
FIN 627 - International Financial Management (3 credits)
FIN 633 - Advanced Financial Management (3 credits)
QMM 652 - Forecasting (3 credits)
ECN 680 - Special Topics in Economics (3 credits)
ECN 690 - Independent Study in Economics (3 credits)

3. Entrepreneurship concentration

To provide more background in the strategic aspects of entrepreneurship, startups and small businesses, the student would be required to complete the following program for a concentration in entrepreneurship:

MGT 656 - Entrepreneurship (3 credits)
Plus two electives from the following list:
ACC 625 - Federal Income Taxation for Business (3 credits)
FIN 633 - Advanced Financial Management (3 credits)
FIN 650 - Real Estate Investment Analysis (3 credits)
MGT 660 - Launching and Managing Small Businesses (3 credits)
MGT 670 - Business Ethics (3 credits)
MGT 682 - Special Topics in Entrepreneurship (3 credits)
MGT 692 - Independent Study in Entrepreneurship (3 credits)
MKT 608 - Strategic Marketing (3 credits)
ORG 635 - Decision Making in Organizations (3 credits)
ORG 636 - Leadership and Group Performance (3 credits)
ORG 640 - Quality and Operational Excellence (3 credits)
POM 640 - Process Management (3 credits)
POM 648 - Project Management (3 credits)

4. Finance concentration

To provide more background in finance, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following list for a concentration in finance:

FIN 618 - Investment Analysis (3 credits)
FIN 627 - International Financial Management (3 credits)
FIN 633 - Advanced Financial Management (3 credits)
FIN 650 - Real Estate Investment Analysis (3 credits)
ACC 600 - Financial Reporting and Analysis (3 credits)
FIN 680 - Special Topics in Finance (3 credits)
FIN 690 - Independent Study in Finance (3 credits)

5. Human Resources Management concentration

To provide more background in human resources management and personnel, the student would be required to complete the following for a concentration in human resources management:

ORG 631 - Human Resources Management (3 credits)
Plus two electives from the following list:
MGT 638 - Labor-Management Relations (3 credits)
MGT 670 - Business Ethics (3 credits)
ORG 635 - Decision Making in Organizations (3 credits)
ORG 636 - Leadership and Group Performance (3 credits)
ORG 637 - Motivation and Work Behavior (3 credits)
ORG 640 - Quality and Operational Excellence (3 credits)
ORG 670 - International Organizational Behavior and Human Resources (3 credits)
ORG 680 - Special Topics in Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
ORG 690 - Independent Study in Organizational Behavior (3 credits)

6. International Business concentration

To provide more background in international business, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following list for a concentration in international business:

ACC 617 - International Financial Accounting Standards and Reporting (3 credits)
ECN 673 - International Trade and Finance (3 credits)
FIN 627 - International Financial Management (3 credits)
MIS 630 - Managing Global Outsourcing of IT and IT Enabled Services (3 credits)
MIS 648 - Issues in International Information Technology (3 credits)
MKT 650 - International Marketing (3 credits)
MKT 675 - Customer and Supplier Relationships in the Global Enterprise (3 credits)
ORG 670 - International Organizational Behavior and Human Resources (3 credits)
MGT 681 - Special Topics in International Business (3 credits)
MGT 691 - Independent Study in International Business (3 credits)

7. Management Information Systems concentration

To provide more background in MIS, the student would be required to complete three MIS electives for a concentration in management information systems.

MIS 546 - Business Analytics (3 credits)
MIS 564 - Network Management (3 credits)
MIS 604 - Introduction to Databases and Data Warehouses (3 credits)
MIS 606 - Advanced Databases and Big Data Management (3 credits)
MIS 620 - Electronic Commerce (3 credits)
MIS 622 - Business Object Development (3 credits)
MIS 624 - Business Application Architecture (3 credits)
MIS 625 - IT Planning and Strategy (3 credits)
MIS 630 - Managing Global Outsourcing of IT and IT Enabled Services (3 credits)
MIS 636 - Decision Support Systems (3 credits)
MIS 638 - Knowledge Management (3 credits)
MIS 640 - IS Security (3 credits) (3 credits)
MIS 641 - IS Privacy (3 credits)
MIS 642 - IS Issues in Supply Chain Management (3 credits)
MIS 643 - Intellectual Property and the Public Domain in the Age of Remix (3 credits)
MIS 645 - Simulation in Management (3 credits)
MIS 648 - Issues in International Information Technology (3 credits)
MIS 680 - Special Topics in Management Information Systems (3 credits)
MIS 690 - Independent Study in Management Information Systems (3 credits)

8. Marketing concentration

To provide more background in marketing, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following list for a concentration in marketing:

MKT 604 - Consumer Behavior (3 credits)
MKT 605 - Marketing Research (3 credits)
MKT 608 - Strategic Marketing (3 credits)
MKT 620 - Distribution Channels Management and Logistics (3 credits)
MKT 625 - Supply Chain Logistics (3 credits)
MKT 650 - International Marketing (3 credits)
MKT 670 - Business to Business Marketing (3 credits)
MKT 675 - Customer and Supplier Relationships in the Global Enterprise (3 credits)
MKT 680 - Special Topics in Marketing (3 credits)
MKT 690 - Independent Study in Marketing (3 credits)

9. Production/Operations Management concentration

To provide more background in production and operations management, the student would be required to complete the following for a concentration in production/operations management:

POM 643 - Operations Planning and Control (3 credits)
Plus two electives from the following list:
ACC 620 - Cost Management (3 credits)
POM 635 - Management of Service Operations (3 credits)
POM 640 - Process Management (3 credits)
POM 642 - Supply Chain Management (3 credits)
POM 645 - Cases in Operations Management (3 credits)
POM 648 - Project Management (3 credits)
POM 680 - Special Topics in Production and Operations Management
QMM 652 - Forecasting (3 credits)
POM 690 - Independent Study in Production and Operations Management (3 credits)

10. Supply Chain Management concentration

To provide more background in supply chain management, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following list for a concentration in supply chain management. POM 642 will be required for all students who do not have previous coursework in supply chain management.

POM 642 - Supply Chain Management (3 credits)
MGT 642 - Supply Chain Purchasing (3 credits)
MIS 642 - IS Issues in Supply Chain Management (3 credits)
MKT 625 - Supply Chain Logistics (3 credits)
MKT 675 - Customer and Supplier Relationships in the Global Enterprise (3 credits)
POM 640 - Process Management (3 credits)

d. Exit (integrative business policy course)

The integrative business policy course, MGT 535, draws on all the coursework in the core of the MBA program in the analysis of real world cases in a team setting. MGT 535 is required of all MBA candidates.

MGT 535 - Policy, Strategy and Goals (3 credits)

Master’s project (optional)

The optional master’s project (equal to 6 elective credits) requires the application of classroom training and extra-classroom study to a practical management problem. It must involve collection and analysis of data in an actual organizational setting, as well as cogent recommendations to management for resolving the problem. It should be organized around a management problem that requires input from several functional areas of management.

The master’s project is not designed to be a theoretical master’s ‘‘thesis.’’ Therefore, it does not need to comply with the guidelines on the preparation of a master’s thesis or be submitted to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship
Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
Going on a leave of absence
Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Department requirements: In accordance with the university requirements for graduate students, a grade-point average of 3.0 is required for graduation. Students, therefore, should maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Students may be dismissed if they do not maintain a GPA of 3.0 or appropriate progress toward the degree as determined by the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Any course resulting in a grade below 2.0 must be repeated.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information

Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)

Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.