MS in Management Course Descriptions

BAd 510 – Management and Organizational Policy and Practice (4 credit hours)

This course is designed to provide an introduction to concepts and theories about the factors that influence the functioning of complex organizations and to develop foundations and frameworks that can be used to analyze and solve organizational problems. This course traces the historical development of organizations, reviewing changes in organization, management, and the nature of competition. Change is a pervasive feature of organizations. As the management of organizations becomes increasingly complex, the ability to analyze and respond to change is a fundamental part of effective management. This course focuses on fostering an understanding of organizational change process in order to facilitate students’ abilities to influence effectively organizational change situations.

BAd 520 – Leadership, Power, and Influence (4 credit hours)

The purpose of this course is to examine, consider, and experience the kind of leadership that will be required to create and maintain high levels of organizational excellence in the future. The course will consider the following questions: How do we de-bureaucratize our existing organizations? Who will lead these organizations to higher levels of quality, productivity, and effectiveness? How do such leaders instill a stronger sense of vision, mission, a higher purpose, greater feelings of urgency and importance into the lives of the people doing the work? This course addresses the process of asking and answering these types of questions and helps students integrate their own answers into their lives and their practice of management. The course also explores such issues as power dynamics in organizations, methods by which managers acquire and use influence, and the use of power in times of crisis.

BAd 560 – The Legal Environment of Management (4 credit hours)

This course seeks to heighten students’ awareness of the role of government, administrative agencies, and other forces in regulating business conduct and management decision-making. Its principal goal is to help students understand the responsibilities of managers and modern organizations. The course provides a framework for thoughtful analysis and for developing practical, responsible plans of action. Students will explore conflicts between organizational and personal values, and ways of balancing obligations to government, agencies, and inside and outside constituencies. The course uses case studies, readings, and video materials to engage students intellectually and personally in the strategic, administrative, and ethical complexity of organizational decisions.

BAd 580 – Human Resource and Organization Development (4 credit hours)

This course examines human resource development within the context of organization development and change. It focuses on human resource systems and policies as they enhance or constrain organizational effectiveness. The course works from a dynamic model of human resource and organization development, examining changing skills, motivations, values, and demographics as they affect employment and development practices. Emerging trends triggered by globalization and new technologies are also examined. An overriding consideration in the course will be the dimensions of organizational change, focusing on developing an understanding of alternative strategies for managing change as well as considerations which should guide choices between alternatives.

BAd 610 – Business, Government, and the International Economy (4 credit hours)

This course takes an integrated conceptual approach to the analysis of the international environment and national economic strategies. It provides a management framework and analytical tools for evaluating trends in the economic, political, and social contexts of business throughout the world. Students compare development strategies in a variety of nations, consider their influence on business and organizations, and assess their impact on managerial decisions and international competitiveness. Monetary and fiscal policy, national economic performance, trade relations, and industrial policy are discussed, with attention to political concerns. Students analyze the key resource flows that tie nations together in order to understand better the structure and dynamics of international competition. Discussions focus on developments in the European Common Market, the opening of markets in Eastern Europe, and emerging trends in Pacific Rim and Latin American markets.

BAd 620 – Industry Analysis and Global Competitive Strategy (4 credit hours)

This course will be taught from a strategic management perspective with global strategy, strategic change, and international competitiveness as its central themes. The formulation of competitive strategy requires an inclusive view of the overall operating environment. Market forces, competition, government, and society all influence the development of a common set of strategic goals. Students learn how to analyze industries and how organizations position themselves for superior performance. Students also learn ways that organizations can enhance competitive advantages through strategically selected industries in which to participate and through coordinating the strategies of related units within the system. The course also offers opportunities to study how companies in Asia, Europe, and North America have changed to become globally competitive through the excellence of their operations.

BAd 640 – Management of Organization Functions (4 credit hours)

The fundamental premise for this course is that each manager has both an operating and strategic sector in her/his position. The emphasis of the course is on decision making and implementation under uncertainty. The point of view is often that of the manager in the formative years of experience who must develop the ability to lead, take action, and operate effectively in a system generally designed by others in an environment typically not under her/his control. The content of the course emphasizes the use of hard and soft data in making the useful methods for conducting research, including data collection and statistical analysis, and continues the functional analysis begun in the Management and Organizational Policy and Practice course. High priority is given to the management of cross-functional issues and problems and extends to macroeconomics, research and development, global marketing, operations, and finance. Coverage of advanced topics from a multi-functional base continues to emphasize diagnosis, action-planning, and implementation. The course will also examine the principal concepts and processes required to manage today’s large complex projects and critical issues related to individual and group behavior within the project management spectrum.

BAd 651 – Advanced Managerial Topics (4 credit hours)

This course provides students with the opportunity to examine in-depth a specific topic of current significance in managerial theory and practice. The primary criteria used to select the course topic are relevance and timeliness.