Professors: Askim-Lovseth, Bagheri, Bateman, Beneda, Biederman, Blackwell, Braathen, Byars, Campbell, Carlson, Chen, da Silva, de Magalhaes, Dennis, Dosch, Elbert, Ellingson, Faircloth, Flynn, Francis, Goenner, Hansen, Haskins, Helleloid, Hollingworth, Lawson-Body, Lee, Lesch, Loyland, Mialon, Moser, Nam, Nelson, O’Keefe (Program Director), O’Neill, Park, Patton, Schultz, Smith, Stamp, Tangsrud, Vitton, Wilde and Zuo
Program Description
The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) is a professional degree with a program designed to prepare persons for general management responsibilities at the executive level. The program is accredited by AACSB International (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). The recipient of the degree must have demonstrated critical, analytical, and decision-making abilities in the broad area of management and also must have demonstrated an ability to study and write in one specialized area. The M.B.A. degree program is designed for individuals who have an undergraduate background in a field other than business, as well as for those with undergraduate training in business. The M.B.A. program is available as part of a combined program resulting in both an undergraduate degree in a business area plus an M.B.A. degree in five years.
Admission Requirements
Admission
to Approved Status requires:
- Applicant must adhere to the UND Graduate School standards for admission.
- Completion of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) with a score that equals or exceeds an overall score of 500. Those being admitted under the Combined Model must complete the GMAT with a score that equals or exceeds an overall total score of 550. In certain circumstances, applicants may substitute the GRE or LSAT for the GMAT (with similar percentile scores expected to those noted above). This situation will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
- An overall grade point average of at least 3.00 in the undergraduate degree program or at least 3.25 for the last two years, or equivalent, of undergraduate work (based on 4.00 scale).
- Command of the M.B.A. Prerequisite Curriculum (see description below). This command is demonstrated by having satisfactorily completed coursework or testing out of all of the courses found in the M.B.A. Prerequisite Curriculum. An individual may be provisionally admitted if all but nine credits of the M.B.A. Prerequisite Curriculum have been completed as of the date of application. All remaining M.B.A. Prerequisite Curriculum courses must be completed within one year of program admission. During this time, a provisional student will be allowed to take no more than nine credits of graduate coursework. It is critical that all course prerequisites are followed as the initial courses are taken in the program.
Applicants who fail to meet the minimum grade point or GMAT requirements, but who otherwise show high potential for success may be considered for admission to Provisional Status, provided they meet one of the following indices:
- A composite index score of at least 1010 determined by the formula: (GMAT) + [200 x (overall undergraduate gpa)]
- A composite index score of at least 1,060 determined by the formula: (GMAT) + [200 x (last 2 years or equivalent undergraduate gpa)]
Under no circumstances will applicants with GMAT scores below 450 (550 for students under the combined 3/2 model) be recommended for admission. Students may take nine graduate credits towards the MBA degree as a non-degree student. Additional credits beyond the nine will not fulfill degree requirements. It is critically important that MBA students seek admission prior to exceeding nine credits.
Combined Admission
IIndividuals at UND currently completing their junior year towards their business degree, or those who received a three-year degree from a non-U.S. college/university, may make application to the MBA under combined admission. For students currently completing their undergraduate degree, combined admission allows the ability to more effectively manage their course load. For prospective students holding a non-U.S. three year degree, the combined admission permits admission to the MBA without taking a year of study as a non-degree student. The MBA program under the combined admission, however, will be a minimum of two years of study.
MBA Core Curriculum
Applicants must demonstrate command of a core curriculum in business and administration through course work in economics, accounting, quantitative methods, the functional areas of business, mathematics, and administrative process. This command normally will be demonstrated by completion of the following UND undergraduate courses or their equivalents, or by competency examinations.
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Accounting 200
& 201 |
Elements of Accounting I & II |
6 credits |
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ISYS 317 |
Information Systems in Enterprise |
3 credits |
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Economics 206 |
Survey of Economics Principles: |
|
| |
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Micro-Macro (MBA only) |
4 credits |
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Economics 216 |
Mathematics and Statistics |
|
| |
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for the MBA |
3 credits |
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Accounting 315 |
Business in the Legal Environment |
3 credits |
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Finance 310 |
Principles of Financial Management |
3 credits |
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Management 300 |
Principles of Management |
3 credits |
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Management 301 |
Operations Management |
3 credits |
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Marketing 305 |
Marketing Foundations |
3 credits |
The above courses are described in the departmental listings covering undergraduate programs.
Econ 206 may be satisfied by Micro and Macroeconomics
Econ 216 may be satisfied by one semester each of Statistics and Calculus
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Degree Requirements
The M.B.A. degree program is interdisciplinary and taught by the faculty in several departments within the College of Business and Public Administration. The M.B.A. Program Director is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the program. Business courses carrying graduate credit status from the Departments of Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Management, and Political Science and Public Administration are described elsewhere in this section. |
The M.B.A. degree program course requirements are: |
1. |
A minimum of 32 semester credits of academic work must be completed. The gpa for all courses listed on the Program of Study must be 3.00 or better. The program includes an M.B.A. curriculum of 26 semester credits, including the Independent Study (BADM 997 — 2 credits), and sufficient cognate electives to total 32 semester hours. |
The M.B.A. Curriculum includes the following required courses: |
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Management 501 |
Quantitative Analysis for |
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Management Decisions |
3 credits |
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Management 585 |
Advanced Strategic Management |
3 credits |
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Management 515 |
Advanced Managerial Theory |
3 credits |
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Marketing 510 |
Strategic Market Planning |
3 credits |
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Economics 509 |
Macroeconomic Decision-Making |
3 credits |
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Accounting 509 |
Accounting Information for |
|
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Decision and Control |
3 credits |
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Finance 501 |
Managerial Finance |
3 credits |
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ISYS 510 |
Information Systems |
3 credits |
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TOTAL |
24 credits |
2. |
Cognate elective courses may be chosen from those offered at the 300, 400 and 500 level in the areas of Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Management, Political Science & Public Administration and related fields. A cognate may be chosen from selected courses in the aviation management area.
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300 and 400 level courses taken for graduate credit must have a graduate level component included to be considered part of the Program of Study.
All cognate elective courses and aviation management cognate courses must be approved by the M.B.A. Program Director prior to enrollment.
Students who already have completed courses similar to those in the MBA Curriculum may be required to choose substitutes from the graduate credit offerings listed in this catalog. Substitutions require the prior approval of the MBA Director and the Graduate Dean.
Final Examinations. The requirement of the final examinations for the M.B.A. degree is satisfied by the successful completion of Management 585, Advanced Strategic Management.
Concentration in Accounting
In order to receive a concentration in accounting, a minimum number of courses in accounting must be taken at the undergraduate level. The courses below provide the student with the necessary minimum background to pursue graduate education in accounting. Based on the advice of the MBA Director, additional courses may be recommended, depending on the individual student’s level of preparation and background. |
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Accounting 200 & 201 |
Elements of Accounting
I & II |
6 credits
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Accounting 301 & 302 |
Intermediate Accounting
I & II |
7 credits |
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Accounting 309 |
Accounting Information Systems |
3 credits |
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Accounting 320 |
Accounting for Production |
3 credits |
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Accounting 405 |
Assurance Services |
3 credits |
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Accounting 411 |
Business Income Taxation |
3 credits |
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Total Minimum |
25 credits |
The graduate level concentration in accounting
includes the following:
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- Twelve (12) credits including Accounting
509 and a minimum of nine (9) credit hours
to be selected from the following accounting classes: 312, 401,
406, 410, 501 or 591, 503, 504, 507, 592.
- Two
(2) credits of Independent Study,
Business Administration 997.
If choosing
accounting as a concentration,
the Independent Study would focus
on
the field of accounting.
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Of the courses selected from #1 above, a maximum of six hours may be selected from undergraduate (300-499) courses. If undergraduate courses are selected, additional work is necessary for the course to qualify for graduate credit.
Concentration in International Business
This concentration consists of nine semester hours, including the six semester hours of electives comprising the 32 semester hour MBA program. The International Business Concentration requires an additional three semester hours, thus making the MBA with the concentration a total of 35 semester hours.
The concentration in International Business
includes the following components:
- UND and the respective foreign college/university must have a formal course transfer agreement in place prior to the approval of the student’s international experience.
- Students will be admitted to the MBA program. Those students admitted under qualified status must make significant progress towards satisfying needed prerequisite courses. Approval of the MBA Director is necessary for inclusion in the International Business concentration.
- Students will complete the first and last semesters of their program of study at UND.
- Students will take a maximum of nine semester hours from a foreign college/university to be approved for inclusion in their program of study. Students may take additional courses, but they will not be included as part of the MBA program. Courses to be taken at the foreign college/university, and included in the program of study, must be approved by the MBA Director prior to registration.
- Students are expected to take a workshop or course of study in cultural language studies from the foreign college/university beyond the nine semester hours of course work mentioned in #4.
- The independent study (BADM 997) will most likely be in international business. Data or other types of information relating to the independent study may be collected during the student’s international experience.
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Courses
ACCOUNTING
501. Seminar in Accounting Problems. 1 to 4 credits. Special problems in accounting and accounting research. May be repeated.
503. Accounting Theory. 3 credits. Prerequisite: satisfactory evidence of academic training or practical experience. Theory and use of accounts and accounting principles.
504. Advanced Auditing. 3 credits. Prerequisite: the same as for 503. Auditing theory and practice.
505., 506. Specialized Accounting Problems. 6 credits. Prerequisite: the same as for 503. Research, analysis, and problem solving.
507. Advanced Managerial Accounting. 3 credits. Functional uses of accounting in management of the enterprise.
509. Accounting Information for Decision and Control. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Acct 200 and Acct 201; Math 146; and Econ 210. Management accounting concepts and their application in internal planning, control, and decision-making.
510. Industrial Quantitative Controls. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Accounting 306. The use of quantitative techniques in business decision making. Some of the topics included are probability concepts, decision theory, inventory control, and linear programming.
575. Special Topics. 3 credits. Specific topic will vary from offering to offering at the discretion of the department. Departmental permission will be required for enrollment. Prerequisites and/or corequisites may be required depending upon the special topic selected. Course may be repeated up to a total of nine credits with permission of department. Regular grading.
590. Contemporary Readings in Accounting. 2 credits. Review of outstanding monographs and other writings in the field of accounting.
591. Accounting Research. 1 to 6 credits. Individual student projects designed to develop skills in accounting research.
592. Research in Federal Tax. 1 to 4 credits. Prerequisite: Accounting 411 or equivalent. Research in Federal Income Tax with emphasis on corporations and shareholders.
309. Accounting Information Systems. 3 credits.
312. Fund Accounting. 3 credits.
401. Advanced Accounting. 3 credits.
403. Contemporary Accounting Theory. 3 credits.
405. Assurance Services. 3 credits.
406. Independent Assurance. 3 credits.
410. Federal Individual Income Tax. 3 credits.
411. Business Income Taxation. 3 credits.
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
502. Business Research Methods. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Completion of MBA foundation courses or consent of instructor. A study of the methodology of research involving research design, problem definition, information sources, data collection instruments, and the organization and writing of a research paper.
597. Graduate Cooperative Education. 1-3 credits. Prerequisites: Approved status, approval of MBA Director. A practical experience with an employer closely associated with the student’s academic area. A written report describing the student’s job related experiences will be prepared. This course may be taken only once. S/U grading only.
996. Continuing Enrollment. Variable credit.
997. Independent Study. 2 credits.
(See the Academic Policies section for details on 996 and the Degree Requirements section for 997.)
BUSINESS LAW
593. Research in Business Law. 1 to 4 credits. Individual projects designed to develop basic skills in legal research.
416. Advanced Business Law. 3 credits.
ECONOMICS
504. Advanced Price Theory. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Economics 308 and 416. Economic theory and methodology; theory of consumer behavior and demand; theory of production and distribution; equilibrium in commodity and factor markets; general equilibrium and welfare; behavior of economic agents in imperfect competition. Particular attention is given to efficiency and equity ramifications of perfectly competitive economic systems.
505. Advanced Macroeconomic Theory. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Economics 309 and 416. Advanced study of macroeconomic theoretical models with particular attention to the analysis of business cycles, income growth, and evaluation of public policies concerned with inflation and unemployment.
509. Macroeconomic Decision-Making. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Economics 202 and Math 146. Examination and utilization of theory and empirical evidence on macroeconomics in the business decision-making process will be stressed. Particular emphasis will be placed on inflation, interest rate changes, business taxation, and exchange rate movements.
510. Applied Econometrics. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Economics 310. Matrix methods. Testing of linear hypotheses. Prediction. Collinearity Diagnostics. Generalized Least Squares. Simultaneous models. Maximum likelihood estimation. Nonlinear models. Quantal response models. Applications of the above topics will be explored with computer-based algorithms.
511. Advanced Business and Economic Forecasting. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Economics 310. Various time series and regression approaches as well as special topics are covered in conjunction with computer-based assignments. Specification, estimation, and diagnostic techniques are emphasized for both forecasting and simulation.
516. Advanced Managerial Economics. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Econ 201, Isys 117 and 317, Math 146, or permission of the instructor. Microeconomic analysis applied to business decision-making. Topics include: the nature and scope of the firm, strategic decisions concerning product line, pricing, entry or exit from specific markets, the internal organization of the firm. Case studies are utilized as a main method of analysis. S
524. Applied Economic Analysis I. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Economics 410, 411, 416, and 505. Studies of economic impact, with emphasis on defined area employment, income, tax base, infrastructure, and business feasibility. Students will be expected to design and complete studies of professional quality using the tools of economic theory and econometrics, including input-output analysis, and gravity/entropy models. F
530. Seminar in International Economics. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Economics 309 and Economics 338 or consent of instructor. Topics to be discussed include: Advanced Theory Underlying International Trade, Balance of Payments, International Monetary System. Detailed examination of disequilibria, adjustments and coordination of external and internal monetary and fiscal policies in those areas. Multinational corporations, world trade, New International Economic Order (NIEO) and trade.
534. Applied Economic Analysis II. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Economics 410, 411, 414, 416, and 504. Economic theory and econometric methods are applied to typical business problems. Examples include cost estimation, product demand, learning models, scale and size economies, quality change, wage determination and discrimination, investment expenditure, public utility demand, advertising, factor requirements, and optimization of factor mix. S
550. Seminar on the Economics of Regulation. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Economics 308 or Econ 514 or Econ 504, or permission of the instructor. Journal articles in regulatory economics will be discussed in a seminar format. Key components of the course include: the foundation for utility regulation; determining the cost of capital; the importance of cost and demand factors in rate design; energy conservation; and alternatives to rate-of-return regulation.
575. Advanced Special Topics. 2 to 4 credits. Specific area varies from year to year; some years an important aspect of economic theory; other years, a significant issue in economic policy.
580. Economic Development. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Economics 504 and 505. The first part of this course focuses on growth theories, globalization, economic development and sustainable growth among less developed, developing, and more developed countries as well as countries in transition to market economies. The second part of the course specifically examines economic development for advanced nations, incorporating rural, urban and regional economic analysis. Issues such as rural technology, employment, poverty, housing, transportation, location problems, industrialization, urbanization and sustainable growth in North Dakota and North Central Region are explored. S
592. Research in Economics. 2 to 3 credits. Research work and use of original documents; collecting of material and preparing of special topics and bibliographies; familiarizing the student with government publications and other material available for study of economic problems.
597. Economic Research Internship. 1 to 3 credits. MSAE students are required to participate in a research internship, unless they have chosen the thesis option. Interns may be assigned to governmental agencies, businesses, community organizations, or partnered with faculty members engaged in research. On demand.
997. Independent Study. 2 credits. The independent study requires the student to investigate a topic in applied economics and to prepare a formal report satisfactory to the MSAE Program Director. F,S,SS
998. Thesis. 4 credits. The thesis is an original research project completed under the supervision of a thesis committee. F,S,SS
Courses listed below are described in the undergraduate section of this catalog, and may be taken by MBA students who did not take them as undergraduates. MBA students taking these courses are expected to perform at a higher level, both in the quality and quantity of work.
324. Public Finance. 3 credits.
331. Comparative Economic Systems. 3 credits.
338. International Economics. 3 credits.
341. Labor Economics and Labor Relations. 3 credits.
355. Government Regulation of Business. 3 credits.
400. History of Economic Thought. 3 credits.
416. Mathematics for Economists. 3 credits.
438. International Money and Finance. 3 credits.
FINANCE
501. Managerial Finance. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Math 146; Acct 200, Acct 201; Econ 210; and Fin 310. The development of financial decision-making skills, using the case-analysis method, through application of financial theory to topical areas of analysis, planning, control, asset management, financial instruments, markets, capital structure, dividend policy, cost of capital, etc.
520. Investment Theory and Management. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Finance 501 or consent of instructor). An introductory course designed for MBA students in the study of the usage and valuation of the major investment vehicles popular today. Although the ultimate objective is to develop a conceptual framework in which the student can expand his or her knowledge of the investment field, the course is taught in a practical fashion and incorporates materials from both the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) curricula.
575. Special Topics. 3 credits. Specific topic will vary from offering to offering at the discretion of the department. Departmental permission will be required for enrollment. Prerequisites and/or corequisites may be required depending upon the special topic selected. Course may be repeated up to a total of nine credits with permission of department.
410. Cases in Managerial Finance. 3 credits.
420. Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management. 3 credits.
MANAGEMENT
501. Quantitative Methods for Managers. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Mgmt 301. This course introduces concepts and techniques for analyzing situations and formulating sound decisions in both complex and uncertain environments. Students will use a combination of mathematical and computer-based modeling to forecast future events, analyze waiting lines and queuing systems, simulate flows of information and materials, optimize the allocation of resources, analyze networks, and evaluate the effects of risk and uncertainty in decision making. Applications in marketing, management, operations, finance, and other areas of business will be used extensively. Additional topics may be covered at the instructor’s discretion.
585. Advanced Strategic Management. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Acct 509, Mgmt 515, Mrkt 510, Fin 501,or consent of instructor. Course should be taken near the end of an MBA program. An integrating course designed to develop coordinating ability and experience in the decision-making process. The essence of strategic management is to thoroughly evaluate a firm’s strategy, the environment in which it operates, the resources it has available, and develop plans to ensure sustained competitive advantage. Taught from the point of view of the top management and by the case method, the course develops understanding of an overall point of view, through analysis of actual business situations, and an appreciation of the need for all departments in a business to work in concert towards common goals. Cases place emphasis on the role of business enterprise in the community and to society generally.
515. Advanced Managerial Theory. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Management 300 or consent of instructor and graduate standing. Analysis of macro- and micro-behavioral approaches to the study of effective human resource management within the organization. Topics covered include the environment, the individual, small group, leadership, motivation, job design, evaluation, rewards and growth. Macro-behavioral topics such as organizational design, climate, and organizational process are also covered as these relate to human behavior in organizations.
575. Special Topics. 3 credits. Specific topic will vary from offering to offering at the discretion of the department. Departmental permission will be required for enrollment. Prerequisites and/or corequisites may be required depending upon the special topic selected. Course may be repeated up to a total of 9 credits with permission of department.
596. Individual Research. 2 to 4 credits.
597. Readings in Management. 3 credits.
400. Organizational Theory and Analysis. 3 credits.
407. Wage and Salary Administration. 3 credits.
408. Issues in Human Resource Management. 3 credits.
409. Union-Management Relations. 3 credits.
420. Multinational Management. 3 credits.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
510. Information Systems. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ISys 317. An overview of the role of information systems in the life of an organization, and an overview of current and emerging technologies such as data communications, e-commerce, and data mining.
MARKETING
510. Strategic Market Planning. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Econ 201 and Mrkt 305. Marketing from the point of view of an executive charged with the marketing function in a business enterprise. The course introduces students to strategic market planning through the development of marketing plans, use of cases, or simulation exercises.
540. Marketing Seminar. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Marketing 305. Emerging topics in the field of marketing. On demand.
575. Special Topics. 3 credits. Specific topic will vary from offering to offering at the discretion of the department. Departmental permission will be required for enrollment. Prerequisites and/or corequisites may be required depending upon the special topic selected. Course may be repeated up to a total of 9 credits with permission of department.
592. Graduate Research in Marketing. 1 to 3 credits. Prerequisites: BADM 502 and consent of instructor. Repeatable to 6.
595. Graduate Readings in Marketing. 1 to 3 credits. Repeatable to 6. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. |
