One-Year MBA Curriculum

1.5 credit hours

The primary responsibility of all managers is to make decisions in situations in which there are multiple competing objectives. This course introduces students to a set of tools that can be applied to scenarios in a variety of business environments. It also introduces and addresses the challenges of making decisions within the context of complex business systems with multiple stakeholders and short- and long-term social, environmental, and economic consequences. Specifically, this set of tools will include data summarization, data visualization, optimization methods, Monte Carlo simulation, multi-criteria decision analysis, decision trees, and causal loop diagrams. The analysis will be conducted using Excel, various Excel add-ins for advanced analytics, and causal loop diagramming software. These analytical tools will be applied to scenarios that include social, environmental, and economic considerations. Subsequent courses in the program will utilize these analytical methods within their specific decision environments. Prerequisite: Online Statistics Module material to completed prior to GRBU 713.

1.5 credit hours

This course features a live problem-solving case project with a real-world client. It introduces proven IDEO design thinking and project management methodologies while tying theory to practice across the curriculum.

Aligned to Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), the course requires you to interact with managers of business corporations and explore jointly effective approaches to the ethical management of social, environmental and financial and informational resources. Students will interface with clients on three occasions: (1) at the outset when the client presents the challenge and desired outcomes, (2) at mid-point to provide a status report and ask questions about context, data and expectations; and (3) at the end to present solutions to the client management team.

In this course, students represent Duquesne University as professional consultants, and faculty will serve as managing directors of the engagement. With guidance and coaching, students will audit and analyze the client's internal/external situation, drivers and risks; identify problems and opportunities; evaluate return on investment from alternative courses of action; and recommend solutions for short- and long-term prosperity. Within student teams, individuals will develop skills as project manager, researcher, analyst, writer, speaker and peer coach. Performance evaluation includes 360-degree feedback from the client team, faculty and peers.

3 credit hours

This course provides graduate business students with a deeper understanding of the accounting cycle used in companies to produce both internal and external financial information. Special emphasis is placed throughout the course on understanding, analyzing and interpreting financial statements and related information. Additionally, students will be introduced to decision making tools such as ratio analysis and challenged to utilize them to critically evaluate financial information and make effective decisions. The basics of corporate sustainability reporting will also be covered. Prerequisite: Online Accounting Module to be completed prior to ACCT 715; material to be tested in ACCT 715.

3 credit hours

In this course, students will learn how to apply statistical methods of inference, produce and interpret statistics that attempt to answer typical business questions, and use probability theory and statistical methods to draw conclusions. Students are required to arrive having a working understanding of basic probability and statistics up through and including hypothesis testing. Utilizing datasets that involve environmental, social and governance reporting (e.g., Bloomberg, Trucost), students measure the costs versus benefits of different business strategies. As such, this course places heavy emphasis on the application of statistical techniques to business problems and the interpretation of results for a non-technical audience. Prerequisite: Online Statistics Module material to be completed prior to STAT 710; material will be tested in STAT-710.

3 credit hours

This course introduces students to the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business' policy on ethical behavior and provides students with basic ethical decision-making skills necessary to recognize, evaluate and resolve ethical conflicts. Emphasis is on common ethical challenges facing graduate students in the classroom and at work. This course provides an analytical framework for students to use when grappling with sustainability-focused, ethical dilemmas in subsequent core and elective courses in the graduate program and in their professional business careers. An additional goal of this particular SMBA course is to emphasize the link between ethics and sustainable development, and the challenges managers face to maintain a concern for both in the current business environment.

0 credit hours

This course is presented in a series of seminars offering practicum experiences for professional and career development designed to build a career management skill set and core competencies. Invited industry experts and professional practitioners provide students with enriching perspectives and opportunities for networking. The course is designed to build a career management skill set that will assist the student in obtaining a professional position upon graduation and as well as to be utilized throughout the progression of his/her career.

3 credit hours

Strategic sustainability advances students' managerial skills for identifying, researching, evaluating and communicating innovative opportunities involving the efficient and effective management of financial, environmental and social resources.

Building on our commitment to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), and Global Compact, this course experience serves as a foundation for strategic sustainability, models and tools integration across the curriculum.

Students work individually, and in teams to frame problems, research and develop training seminars, and manage resources for assigned topics. The focus is inspiring innovation, and creating competitive advantage - both short and long term - for organizations. Deliverables include presentations of mini training seminars to peers, life cycle assessment, enterprise strategic sustainability assessment, along with participation in case analysis, and class discussions while applying critical thinking to identify productivity gains, cost savings, revenue increases, and profit growth when implementing sustainable business practices.

The course is taught as a seminar where sharing learning, best practices and sustainability knowledge across teams and individuals enables all to gain insight to emerging issues beyond the scope of a single entity. Students work within an integrated curriculum to analyze internal/external situations, drivers and risks; to identify problems and opportunities; to evaluate return on investment from alternative courses of action; and to value both short- and long-term prosperity. Students independently learn about, apply, and reflect on proven models and methodologies while honing their skills as a researcher, analyst, writer, and speaker.

 

3 credit hours

The course covers selected topics in microeconomics. It emphasizes the integration of microeconomic theories and tools from a managerial perspective. The applied aspect of the course comes from analyzing case studies and studying empirical evidence of the theories. Topics include both traditional topics in microeconomics (quantitative demand analysis, elasticities, production and costs, market structures and profit maximization), in addition to advanced topics (game theory and pricing strategies). The presence of production externalities results in economic, social and environmental consequences. As a result, is important that social costs are compared to private costs. Prerequisite: Online Economics Module material to be completed prior to ECON 720; material will be tested in ECON 720.

3 credit hours

Financial Management is about the decisions firms make regarding (a) the acquisition of business resources, both tangible and intangible, (b) the management of these resources, and (c) the financing of their acquisition (i.e., how firms pay for them). In surveys of Chief Financial Officers, an overwhelming majority cite corporate culture as the single most important factor in creating value. The Finance function is seen to promote effective culture by exemplifying accountability, integrity and transparency, by providing analytical tools for superior execution, and by focusing employees on long-term objectives. Finance embodies important aspects of sustainability because it is based on objective benefit/cost analysis with the goal of maximizing shareholder wealth while simultaneously considering the impact of decision on other stakeholders. It is nearly always the case that what is good for stakeholders generally also results in long-term shareholder wealth maximization. Through problem solving and case analysis, students obtain a sound foundation in the application of financial decision-making tools toward the goal of optimizing the firm's long-run viability. Topics covered include valuation, cost of capital, financial planning and forecasting, capital budgeting, risk and return, and options and/or international corporate finance. Prerequisite: Online Finance Module to be completed prior to FINC 721; material will be tested in FINC 721.

1.5 credit hours

This course advances students' skill sets for solving contemporary problems and managing financial, social, and environmental resources - efficiently and effectively.

Building on readings and methodology from Sustainable Business Practices Project I and our commitment to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), this course offers a proving ground for applying theory and models from across the curriculum. Taught as a seminar for sharing learning, best practices and knowledge across teams and clients, the course requires all students to examine issues beyond their project scope and client concerns.

Students work in teams to frame problems, develop solution paths, and manage projects from conception to completion for an assigned client. The focus is on improving processes, inspiring innovation, and creating competitive advantage - both short and long term - for real world organizations. Client deliverables include a formal presentation to the client management team and an analytical report with recommendations that will lead to productivity gains, cost savings, revenue increases, and profit growth when implemented by the client.

Students function as professional consultants, working closely with a client organization to analyze internal/external situations, drivers and risks; to identify problems and opportunities; to evaluate return on investment from alternative courses of action; and to recommend solutions for short- and long-term prosperity. Students apply proven models and methodologies and hone their skills as a project manager, researcher, analyst, writer, speaker and peer coach.

1.5 credit hours

The purpose of this course is to provide business professionals with the knowledge needed to manage and utilize information systems and technology within a business organization. As information systems have become critical to the success of modern business organizations, knowledge of information systems has become a key success factor for all business professionals within the organization. This course provides comprehensive and integrative coverage of essential new technologies, information system applications, and their impact on business models. Moreover, this course emphasizes the conceptualization of information systems as structured technology configurations working collectively to serve the information needs of an organization.

1.5 credit hours

The course introduces students to the operations of sourcing, planning, making, and delivering high quality goods and services through efficient transformation processes that use labor, materials, information, and cash to increase value to the various stakeholders. The transformation processes studied are scientific, ethical, sustainable, socially acceptable and in line with the Global Compact's supply chain principles.

1.5 credit hours

This course examines the ways in which leaders, managers, and employees can improve employee performance and commitment - key factors underlying competitive organizations. Guided by an examination of contemporary research and real-world cases, students will develop the knowledge and tools needed to help them navigate the opportunities and challenges inherent in managing themselves and others to generate enduring social and financial value, while incorporating long-term sustainable business objectives into the vision for the firm.

The social and financial pillars of the triple bottom line are central the course, which is focused on improving employee performance and commitment because doing so not only creates internal social value but importantly provides the kind of organizational differentiation that enables the creation of financial value. The environmental pillar is brought into the course through cases.

0 credit hours

This course is presented in a series of seminars offering practicum experiences for professional and career development designed to build a career management skill set and core competencies. Invited industry experts and professional practitioners provide students with enriching perspectives and opportunities for networking. The course is designed to build a career management skill set that will assist the student in obtaining a professional position upon graduation and as well as to be utilized throughout the progression of his/her career.

3 credit hours

This course integrates themes from business strategy, technology and innovation management, and entrepreneurship to help students acquire knowledge and skills needed to convert entrepreneurial opportunities into strategic actions. Students will be exposed to the corporate venturing/entrepreneurial process - from opportunity recognition and evaluation to business planning and implementation. This course is structured to improve students' strategic and entrepreneurial mindset with an emphasis on developing and leveraging capabilities related to sustainability.

1.5 credit hours

This course is presented in a series of seminars offering practicum experiences for professional and career development designed to build a career management skill set and core competencies. Invited industry experts and professional practitioners provide students with enriching perspectives and opportunities for networking. The course is designed to build a career management skill set that will assist the student in obtaining a professional position upon graduation and as well as to be utilized throughout the progression of his/her career.

3 credit hours

This course examines the role of marketing in creating exchanges that satisfy consumer and organizational objectives thereby creating value for the firm. The course focuses on formulating and evaluating marketing strategies. Students learn how marketing mix decisions - product, place, promotion and price - are made as part of a cohesive strategy. Contemporary concepts and theories will be presented with a focus on analytical and financial models that will assist marketing managers in making better decisions. Emerging perspectives on strategic sustainability, marketing management and the impact of digital media are also emphasized.

1.5 credit hours

This course focuses on the global environment of contemporary business. Students will consider the rationale for conducting business internationally and the various issues that complicated decision making in a global context. The course will pay specific attention to the cultural, social, environmental, and legal differences that affect international transactions and the development of collaborative partnerships.

1.5 credit hours

Building on the skills developed in prior courses in the program, this course helps students obtain the knowledge and skills to lead organizational changes necessary to create a sustainable enterprise. Students will focus on theories, concepts, and applications that will allow them to successfully initiate, analyze and implement organizational changes in the context of sustainability issues. Students will be exposed to the following change management and sustainability topics: change leadership processes, the skills that leaders need to make positive change, barriers to change, tools to identify and implement a sustainable business change, and the roles of the various participants in the change process

1.5 credit hours

This course is the capstone experience of our 12-month MBA Sustainable Business Practices program - an opportunity to integrate learning from coursework, consulting, international travel and professional development on a systemic level. The course deliverable is a strategic plan for mission-driven change. Focus is on innovation for competitive or reputational advantage.

As part of this engagement, students will work directly with client personnel at their offices, reporting to work on an agreed-to schedule. Students conduct primary research to identify problems and opportunities and assess tolerance for change. Students analyze internal/external drivers and risks relative to organizational vision and goals, applying methodologies from across the curriculum, including first and second semester courses.