The Bentley MBA

This course covers basic statistical techniques in a managerial setting, and features case studies and conceptual exercises. Statistical topics include effective use of numerical and graphical summaries, estimation and confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and regression. More advanced topics such as data mining, the Bayesian paradigm and principles of model building, may be encountered during projects.

This course examines managerial decision-making from an economic standpoint. The first half (microeconomics) explores how prices, wages and profits are determined in market economies; the advantages and disadvantages of unfettered competition; and the impact of government intervention on market outcomes. The second half (macroeconomics) investigates the factors influencing gross domestic product, interest rates, unemployment, inflation and growth; the causes of the business cycle; the role of the federal government and the Federal Reserve in stabilizing the economy; the impact of technology on productivity and growth; and the influence of international trade and finance on economic activity.

This course covers the processes involved in the creation, distribution and sale of products and services, and explores the tasks and decisions facing marketing managers. It focuses on market and competitive analysis, customer behavior, and the design and implementation of marketing strategies in domestic and international markets, including product, price, promotion, distribution and customer service decisions.

This course highlights how managers use cost, cash flow and financial reporting information in their decisions. It will introduce the student to (a) purpose of accounting and its role in making business decisions, (b) accounting principles, procedures and judgments underlying corporate financial statements, (c) use, interpretation and limitations of financial statements, (d) use and interpretation of cost accounting data in managerial decision-making, and (e) approaches to identify problems, analyze their financial and managerial implications, and evaluate alternative solutions.

The objective of this course is to provide an applied understanding of the finance concepts and tools of analysis used in measuring firm performance and in making investment decisions that create value. This will be achieved through instructor conferences and the use of cases. The main concepts covered include financial statements, ratio analysis, financial planning, the time value of money, capital budgeting, capital structure, the cost of capital and asset valuation.

This course provides an enterprise-wide perspective on IT management, focusing on how IT professionals, non-technical managers, and external service providers work together to ensure that applications , data, and knowledge align with organizational strategy and business processes (i.e., Strategic IT Alignment). Cases and readings examine how companies in various industries use IT to serve customers well, manage operations efficiently, coordinate with business partners, and make better business decisions. We consider how to maximize the strategic benefits of investments in hardware and software, while minimizing risks. The course places equal weight on technical and managerial skills. Our primary objective is to help students prepare to be effective contributors to IT initiatives in partnership with IT professionals, including external service providers here and abroad.

Provides a conceptual framework for understanding the fundamentals and characteristics of business processes. To set a solid foundation for accomplishing this aim, reviews the basics of process analysis and introduces process modeling. Included here are various methods of analyzing, measuring and evaluating processes. With these fundamentals in place, explores the concept of the value chain to offer a backdrop for understanding both intra- and inter-organizational relationships and the associated dependencies that exist. The last part of the course focuses on how information technology can be used effectively in redesigning processes to improve their overall performance. Students are introduced to the enterprise resource planning system SAP. The course includes assignments, exercises and projects focused on different aspects of business processes.

Examines the multiple roles of ethical and responsible leadership and the challenges associated with leading organizations and teams in a rapidly changing environment. Through discussion, case analysis, and team based experiential exercises; students explore the complex issues of responsibly leading and guiding organizations and teams in contemporary society. Focus is placed on the development of the student as evolving leader. Students assess individual strengths and weaknesses as a leader, identify and develop a range of leadership competencies, and then apply these leadership skills to a variety of situations.

This course focuses on how multinational companies and other firms create and sustain competitive advantage in a highly competitive, networked economy. Students learn about models of competition such as Porter's Five Forces model and D'Aveni's Hyper-Competition. Strategic innovation, the resource-based view of the firm, and new business models are other important topics. Emphasis is placed on formulating strategy at the corporate and business levels and on implementing strategy at all levels of the firm. The macro-global environment, ethics, risk management and government regulation are covered. This course serves as a capstone course, with discussion of comprehensive, international case studies that require financial analysis. Students use the university's Trading Room for research projects.

This course introduces concepts relating to value chain management, including supply chain management and designing new goods and services. Students apply these concepts in simulations of real-world business situations, deepen their knowledge by learning from industry guest speakers, and work within a team to experience the complexities of making collaborative decisions and engage with individuals across teams to generate insights for solving business problems. The course will prepare students for understanding complex product design, supply chain, and global business environments.

This course provides an overview of the legal environment of business, with an emphasis on the roles of law, ethics and corporate social responsibility in managerial decision-making. The course provides an overview of traditional sources of ethics and ethical conflict. These will ground students in the legal and ethical framework for the specific areas of law studied throughout the rest of the course. The course also covers the resolution of legal disputes, Constitutional law, torts including product liability, contracts and sales, employment law, intellectual property and environmental concerns. International perspectives on legal issues will also be included in almost every week of the course. The course will also examine the ways in which the Internet, including e-commerce and online publications, affects the legal environment of business. The course prepares students to spot legal and ethical issues in business, and to seek expert legal advice where appropriate.

Four electives are required and may be completed in either of the following options:

Option 1: Declare one of the Concentrations below and select four courses from the list of below offerings.

• Accountancy
• Business Analytics
• Finance
• Information Systems and Technology
• Law and Taxation
• Leadership
• Marketing

Option 2: Take four courses for a general MBA.