Executive MBA in Information & Communication Technology
Course descriptions
MBA 616 Fundamentals Of Financial Instruments & Institutions (1)
This course will familiarize students with the fundamental concepts, models and theories of financial markets, instruments and institutions. Students will be provided a basic survey of (a) the nature and forms of financial markets; (b) the financial instruments available for investing, financing operations and managing various kinds of financial risk and the markets which trade these instruments; and (c) the role and operation of financial institutions and regulatory bodies.
MBA 618 Accounting For Decision Making (3)
This course will introduce students to the accounting concepts and use of accounting information in decision making. Topics include basics of financial statements, measurement of assets, equities and income, financial statement analysis, cost behavior and measurement, cost and profitability analyses, long-term investment analysis, relevant cost, and performance measures.
MBA 627 Entrepreneurship: Venture Management (3)
This course immerses students in the dynamic, cash driven environment of the entrepreneur by studying case histories of lifestyle ventures, smaller profitable ventures, and fast-growth ventures. This comprehensive course focuses on new venture management and the process of developing strategies and plans for successful entrepreneurial operations.
MBA 628 E-Business (3)
The subject of E-Business is an exciting and cutting edge component of entrepreneurial studies. This course is designed to educate the student to the level whereby he or she will be able to plan for and implement an e-business start-up or be able to lead the transition team of a traditional bricks and mortar business that is expanding to include e-business solutions in its business strategy.
MBA 630 Entrepreneurship: Venture Funding (3)
Explore the many tools, tactics, and strategies available to the successful small business for obtaining cash to finance fast-growth, such as private placement exemptions, uniform limited offerings and public offerings. Special emphasis is placed on the emerging trends of Direct Public Offerings and navigating SEC regulations. Upon completion, students should be able to determine effective funding strategies and be able to complete funding plans or simple prospectuses that would be successful in raising capital in today’s marketplace. Prerequisite: MBA 618.
MBA 638 Informatics: Health Information Systems And Technology (3)
Analyzes current information and management systems including workforce planning and productivity, financial planning and monitoring, quality assurance, staffing and scheduling, administrative information systems, patient care systems, and legal/regulatory requirements for security and confidentiality. Evaluates alternative uses of computer technology in health care, including tele-health technologies.
MBA 646 Informatics: Integration And Application (3)
Informatics – the intersection of technology, information, and health care – impacts health care on national and local levels. Health care personnel are developing ehrs (electronic health records), electronic billing systems, patient and practitioner portals, and other manifestations of the information age universally – yet few systems communicate with one another. As informatics continues its consumption of resources both human and monetary, all in the field of health care need to understand what it is, how it affects their services, and how to direct its efforts to improvement of health care delivery. Prerequisite: MBA 638.
MBA 652 Intermediate Statistics For Management (3)
An intermediate level course in statistics covering a review of point and interval estimation type I and II errors and hypothesis testing, with an extension to the analysis of simple survey designs, followed by a rigorous development of simple and multiple regression, elementary ANOVA, discrete data analysis, and nonparametric methods. Students will learn to work with the MINITAB statistical package and other spreadsheet programs.
MBA 653 Spreadsheet Modeling And Simulation (3)
This is a spreadsheet-based course in building decision models and simulating the uncertainty inherent in decision-making. It will build on basic statistical concepts in developing random simulations. Spreadsheet tools for conducting simulation analyses will be covered. Integration of data, modeling, and presentation of results will be stressed.
MBA 654 Systems Thinking And Computer Simulation (3)
Systems dynamics is a perspective and a set of conceptual tools that enable you to understand the structure and dynamics of complex systems. Systems dynamics is also a rigorous modeling method that enables you to build formal computer simulations of complex systems and use them to design more effective policies and organizations. The goal of this course is to develop your intuition and conceptual understanding of business processes.
MBA 664 Leadership (3)
An experiential course that enables the student to examine several leadership styles, traits, and behaviors. The student will also discover a variety of group creative problem-solving techniques and processes. The students will examine their leadership role within a team-building environment. Students participate in class exercises and in an outdoor experiential lab environment.
MBA 670 Corporate Finance (3)
Students will gain knowledge of financial and economic needs and processes within the organization, including financial needs and sources of funds, behavior of the economy, institutional structures and markets, internal financial decision making, performance and risk management and measurement. Prerequisite: MBA 616
MBA 675 Investment Theory And Practice (with lab) (4)
Course will cover return concepts, policy statements, investment alternatives and historic returns, efficient markets theory, Markowitz mean/variance portfolio theory, the capital asset pricing model and extensions, asset pricing theory, portfolio strategies, and performance evaluation. Management of the student fund is an integral part of the class. Prerequisite: MBA 652 or permission of instructor.
MBA 697 Capstone Course (3)
Integration and application of the skills learned in competitive strategy, finance, human resource management, marketing, accounting, operations management, and other functional areas through an interactive management simulation conducted in teams. This course is normally taken in the last semester of the student’s enrollment in the MBA, MBAICT or MGF program. Prerequisites: Completion of at least nine (9) MBA, MCT or MGF courses representing a cross section of functional management disciplines or instructor permission.
MCT 660 Overview Of Information And Communication Technology (3)
Overview of information and telecommunications technologies, business models and public policy issues. The emphasis is on attaining basic knowledge of voice and data communications, including circuit switched technologies, data networks, wireless communications, satellite communications, and convergence. Field visits will be utilized for first-hand exposure to these technologies. (formerly MTM 660).
MCT 661 Information And Communication Technology And Theory (3)
This course provides an understanding of the technologies, standards, and protocols used to provide digital communications services. It will include both wired and wireless technologies. Topics include the OSI model, layered communications protocols, packet switching, frame relay, ATM, cable networks, satellite networks, local area networks, wide area networks, broadband networks, licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Emphasis will be on the cost, quality, and lifecycle dimensions and tradeoffs of the various technologies. (formerly MTM 661).
MCT 662 Managing Network Security (2)
Practical and theoretical knowledge of network security. Topics covered include security policies and their place in information technology and business plans, virtual private networks, firewalls, public key infrastructures, and intrusion detection. Emphasis will be placed on risk analysis and network security strategies rather than detailed analysis of "how to" provide network security. Prerequisite: MCT 661.
MCT 663 Telecommunications And Information Policy And Regulation (3)
The Telecommunications Act of 1996, along with parallel international legislation and continued evolution of domestic and international policies, form the basis for this course. Topics reviewed include: obligations and rights of common carriers; universal service in the information age; market entry and exit; pricing rules; network access by consumers, competing providers, and information providers; and strategies for interacting with regulatory agencies. (formerly MTM 663).
MCT 665 Technology And Intellectual Property Marketing And Strategy (3)
Rapid technological change, high investment costs, unique product life cycles, and the central role played by intellectual property all pose strategic marketing challenges to the information and communication sectors. Topics studied include: information society demand drivers, customer value expectations, the global networked society, convergence, patent and copyright issues, and evaluation of competitive strategies. (formerly MTM 665).
MCT 667 Technological And Organizational Innovation (2)
Innovation in the information and telecommunications industry is a complex process that requires a constant stream of new ideas, technical competence, appropriate organizational design, and "public places" that facilitate the collaboration and discourse. Disruptive innovations pose challenges for existing market leaders, while incremental innovations appear to evade the grasp of market entrants (Christensen, The Innovator’s Dilemma, The Innovator’s Solution). This course will explore how innovation is fostered or hindered by the structure and interaction of firms, consumers, regulators, and other stakeholders in the industry. Case studies will be used to examine multiple aspects and applications of the innovation process.
MCT 669 Financial Technology And Systems (2)
This course will introduce students to the challenging interface between cutting-edge information and telecommunications technology and financial systems and applications. The consolidated nature of the financial services industry, involving banking, insurance and investment services, has created an urgent need for customer relationship channels across multiple products and brands. This course will expose students to a variety of integrated e-CRM applications in the financial services industry including web inquiry, online transactions and product recommendations. Other facets of financial technology that will be covered in the course include web and wireless-based information processing and transaction-enabling applications, secure on-line banking, smart card devices, mobile networks, e-commerce and mcommerce systems, electronic brokerage and program trading applications. Apart from the technical insight required to comparatively appraise several "off-the-shelf" applications that are currently available in the market, students will also acquire the necessary decision-making skills in order to be able to select the proper technology precisely suited for the job at hand given organizational budget and resource constraints. Prerequisites: MBA 618 and MBA 670.
MCT 680 Directed Study (1-3)
Individual study in a given field under the guidance of a faculty member. (formerly MTM 680).
MCT 685 Internship (1-3)
Practical work experience or experiential opportunity in a given area of concentration under the guidance of a faculty member and onsite supervisor. Completion of a written report or document. (formerly MTM 685).
MCT 692 Special Topics (1-3)
Examination or study of special topic or area. Offered as needed. Course description published when offered, but examples include: wireless data services, managing IT departments, telecommunications contracting, etc. (formerly MTM 692).
ES 641 Introduction To GIS (Geographic Information Systems) (3)
This course is an introduction to the theory and use of Geographic Information Systems, including the fundamental concepts of GIS, capabilities of GIS, and applications for dealing with spatial data. Key issues for discussion include vector data input, data models, database design and database queries, sources of spatial information, spatial analysis, and cartographic display. These topics are discussed within an environmental context using ArcGIS, a PC-based GIS software package. The course is presented in a classroom/laboratory format. Lab fee required.
ES 642 Applied GIS (Geographic Information Systems) (3)
This course is an advanced GIS course dealing with spatial modeling. Key issues of discussion include raster modeling, specifically hydrologic and distance modeling, as well as surface interpolation. The course is project-based, with classroom and laboratory components. Lab fee required. Prerequisite: SC 341 or instructor permission.
