MBA Concentrations
Concentrations (6 credits)
In order to deepen their education, students must take at least one concentration area and successfully complete 6 credits in that area. The Stuart MBA offers the following five concentrations:
• Finance
• Sustainable Enterprise
• Innovation and Emerging Enterprises
• Management Science
• Marketing
Finance Concentration
Students learn how to apply economic and financial theory to obtain solutions to financial problems, such as choosing among alternative investment projects and evaluating proposed investment strategies. A finance concentration prepares students for careers in corporate finance and treasury management, banking and insurance, and portfolio management. A student entering the MBA (Finance) concentration must meet certain special admission requirements. Please contact the MBA Program Director for more details. The admitted student will need to successfully complete the curriculum described below. Since the concentration electives in Finance require special core course prerequisites, students should plan their core curriculum early.
Finance Core Courses (Required for Finance Concentration)
The Finance concentration requires that students substitute two core courses, MBA 505 and 507, with equivalent but more specialized Finance core courses, FIN 511 and FIN 521.
FIN 511 Mathematics with Financial Applications (instead of MBA 505)
FIN 521 Statistical Analysis in Financial Markets (instead of MBA 507)
Concentration Electives (6 credits)
Students can pursue three tracks: Corporate Finance, Risk Management and Investment Management, each requiring the completion of different courses
Corporate Finance Track (two required courses)
FIN 521 Corporate Finance (3 credits)
FIN 522 Investment Banking (3 credits)
Risk Management Track (two required courses)
FIN 581 Market Risk Management (3 credits)
FIN 583 Enterprise Risk Management (3 credits)
Investment Management Track (two required courses)
FIN 571 Equity Valuation (3 credits)
FIN 572 Structured Fixed Income Portfolios (3 credits)
Sustainable Enterprise
This concentration prepares students for an understanding how an organization can develop a competitive advantage while allowing the planet's natural resources to support it indefinitely. The concepts described would be applicable to manufacturing and service corporations, government bodies, and NGOs. Courses deal with the philosophy of industrial ecology along with the application of its tools such as industrial metabolism, life cycle analysis, and design for the environment; sustainable strategies necessary to compete in the “next economy”, energy alternatives and related driving forces, and the development of sustainable communities. The Sustainable Enterprise concentration prepares students for careers in corporate strategic planning, environmental policy development, management consulting, product design and marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Concentration Electives (6 credits)
(A) Take any 1 or 2 courses from the following:
EM 507 Industrial Ecology (3 hr.)
EM 590 Business Strategy: The Sustainable Enterprise (3 hr.)
(B) If you chose ONLY 1 from the above you can choose
EM 530 Energy, Environment and Economics (3 hr.)
OR
EM 514 Carbon Management and Climate Change (1.5 hr.) +
EM 525 Sustainable Communities (1.5 hr.)
Innovation and Emerging Enterprises
This concentration may be appropriate for students interested in pursuing entrepreneurial careers in high-technology industries or interested in developing corporate careers in technology management and innovation.
Concentration electives (6 credits)
All four following courses are mandatory for this concentration.
MBA571 Management of Technological Innovation (1.5 credits)
MBA572 Creativity and Contemporary Entrepreneurial Opportunities (1.5 credits)
MBA573 New Venture Creation (1.5 credits)
MBA574 Financing New Ventures (1.5 credits)
Management Science
This concentration emphasizes the formulation and analysis of quantitative models for the solution of management problems. Courses focus on the quantitative tools needed for decision-making, forecasting, and data analysis. Management Science prepares students for consulting and for staff positions, such as management or business analyst, in business, government, and not-for-profit organizations.
Concentration Electives (6 credits)
The following courses are required:
MBA561 Models for Decision Making (3 credits)
MBA562 Spreadsheet Modeling (3 credits)
Marketing
The Stuart Marketing concentration has a strong emphasis on marketing in technology industries. Participants learn how to understand and identify customers' needs and wants. More importantly, they learn to look at business problems from a customer-centric viewpoint. An understanding of marketing is essential in today's highly competitive marketplace. Participants will be exposed to cutting-edge tools and techniques for creating business value by leveraging a deep knowledge of the customer. The Marketing concentration prepares professionals for careers in corporate marketing departments, particularly in high technology industries.
Concentration Electives (6 credits)
All of the following courses are required:
MBA581 Marketing Research (1.5 credits)
MBA582 Strategic Marketing: Formulation (1.5 credits)
MBA583 Strategic Marketing: Implementation (1.5 credits)
MBA585 Analysis of Customer Behavior (1.5 credits)
