The University of Connecticut EMBA curriculum was developed by the faculty to meet AACSB accreditation standards and the needs of the business community. It represents a careful balance among technical rigor, management theory, practical applications, and integration in realistic business situations. While the precise content of each course evolves in response to changes in the business environment, the overall curriculum provides the diverse building blocks that managers need to effectively operate their business units.
The curriculum is constructed and sequenced to integrate four basic building blocks: environmental issues, managerial tools, functional applications, and strategy. In any given semester students will take courses within each of these building blocks. The Executive Management Projects course is an independent study to allow students to individualize the Program to their needs. Students select a topic in consultation with the faculty and study this issue throughout the Program. A final presentation is made to the class during the final semester.
Included in the EMBA Program tuition is an opportunity for students to specialize in one functional business area through our Advanced Business Certificate (ABC) Program to better prepare you for specific job responsibilities and/or career goals. You may take four courses in a concentration area, e.g. Information Technology, Finance, Marketing, etc. at no additional cost.
Typical Course Sequence
First Semester
• Managing Organizations (MGMT 5138)
• Financial Accounting & Reporting (ACCT 5121)
• Introduction to Economic Markets (FNCE 5151)
• Managerial Statistics (OPIM 5103)
Second Semester
• Market-Drive Management (MKTG 5115)
• Financial Management (FNCE 5101)
• Operations Management (OPIM 5110)
Third Semester
• Financial Issues For Today’s Managers (FNCE 5894)
• Cost Analysis & Control (ACCT 5123)
• Global Business Issues (BADM 5895)
• Business, Law & Ethics (BLAW 5175)
Fourth Semester
• Special Seminar Series (BADM 5894)
• Executive Management Project (MKTG 5895)
• Strategy, Policy, & Planning (MGMT 5800)
• Management Information Systems (OPIM 5165)
Course Summary
Accounting 5121-- Analysis of Financial Statements
Accounting is an information system. This course is designed to introduce students to accounting concepts essential to the preparation and interpretation of financial statements issued to management and to external users such as stockholders and creditors. While appropriate consideration is given to the procedural aspects of accounting, emphasis is placed on understanding the conceptual bases of generally accepted accounting principles and the effects of using alternative accounting methods on financial statements.
Accounting 5323 -- Cost Analysis for Decision Making
Internally, managers need timely information in order to plan and control operations. This course focuses on managerial uses of accounting information for decision making within the business enterprise. Decisions considered include product pricing, transfer pricing, make or buy, and capital budgeting. Formation of budgets, establishing an internal control structure, performance evaluation, and cost control techniques are also discussed.
BADM 5895 -- Global Business Issues
Globalization of the world’s economies is one of the most important challenges business executives confront. This course explores background issues such as regional economic alliances, trade policy and privatization and strategic issues such as global sourcing, cultures and marketing mix in the impact of technology. The centerpiece of the course is the international travel-study trip during which teams visit many companies and collect data on their own projects. The course is team taught with instructors drawn from each functional discipline. The culmination of the course is a critique and review session of team projects.
Business Law 5175 -- Corporate Accountability & the Legal Environment
In order to survive, businesses must meet the legal and ethical standards imposed by a changing society. Business enterprise is not an island and business decision making must be undertaken in light of current legal and ethical demands. Such demands may take the form of globalization of the business enterprise, reactions to hostile takeovers, concerns with market concentration and efficiency, changes in legal philosophy and corporate ethics, and developments in international law and administrative regulation. By examining the philosophical, legal, social, historical, and political/economic regulatory environments, this course places business decision making in the legal and ethical perspective so critical in today's markets
Finance 5895 -- Financial Issues for Today's Managers
Modern theory and practice of investing is introduced. Finance 300 examines real investments, securities and their derivatives. Investments analysis, portfolio construction, and asset allocation are studies form the standpoint of meeting investment objectives. Financial decision making is taught using cases. Each case presents a real-life financial problem. Students are asked to put themselves in the manager’s position, analyze problems, and make recommendations. Class participation is required. Cases cover most areas of finance, including working capital management, capital budgeting, capital structure, mergers, leveraged buy-outs, and business valuation. Also covered is the analysis and valuation of speculative securities including options and futures with emphasis on their use for hedging and speculative motives. Major valuation models are discussed and applications of contingent claim valuation framework to corporate finance problems are also explored.
Finance 5101 -- Financial Structure in the Modern Corporation
All major decisions have financial implications, and therefore, the financial manager's contribution to directing the operations of the firm has become increasingly critical in the last decade. This course provides an overview of techniques for effectively studying financial decisions and their impact on the company. The course covers the basic concepts and tools necessary to understand the financial decision-making process. The fundamental issues of timing and uncertainty are integrated into the problem of asset valuation. Financial analysis models for determining appropriate sources of capital and effective use of long-term and short-term assets are discussed
Finance 5151-- The Changing Global Economic Environment
This course provides a foundation in the economics of markets, with particular application to financial markets and the role of information. Specific topics include the following: (1) the basic principles of supply, demand, profit maximization, price determination, international trade, and exchange rates; (2) the basic structure of modern, global financial markets as an application of the basic economic principles; (3) the use of information and information technology in financial markets, including use of the Internet, Bloomberg, Dow Jones and other computerized sources of information; and (4) a review of the "efficient market hypothesis."
Management 5138 -- Managing Organizations
Today's business climate demands that organizations and their managers be innovative, flexible, adaptive, and capable of maximizing the contributions of all their members. In addition, today’s manager must possess the leadership and team skills necessary to manage an increasingly diverse work force. Knowing how to reap maximum benefit from an organization's human capital is essential for today's manager. This course examines topics such as leadership, motivation, team dynamics, organization structure, design and culture, conflict, power and politics.
Management 5801 -- Strategic Management
A firm's ability to survive and succeed in an increasingly competitive global arena depends on its ability to develop and maintain an effective strategy. This capstone course deals with the two major aspects of strategy: formulation and implementation. Strategy formulation examines such issues as environmental threats and opportunities, the values and priorities of management and societal stakeholders, and the strengths of company resources and competencies relative to principal competitors. Strategy implementation covers such topics as strategic leadership, organizational structure, resource allocation, and building a strategy-supportive culture. The course will use cases and readings to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare students to deal with strategic issues.
Marketing 5115 -- Market Driven Management
The purpose of a business is to create a satisfied customer. To accomplish this, managers must incorporate both their customers' and competitors' perspectives into their decision making. This course focuses on the need to become a market-driven organization. Topics covered include: market segmentation and target marketing, marketing research for obtaining critical customer information, development of marketing strategies, product development and the key linkage between marketing and R&D, pricing strategies and implementation, working with distribution partners, developing effective promotional programs, control and evaluation of the marketing function. These and other topics will be applied in a wide range of market areas such a global marketing, the new service economy, industrial and high technology products, consumer goods and services, financial services and health care.
Marketing 5895 -- Executive Management Project
Marketing 5895 is a six-credit independent study course introduced in the Spring Semester of Year 1 and completed in Spring Semester of Year 2. The course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to apply the concepts, theories and skills acquired in the Executive MBA Program. Students, working, individually or in a group, must identify a project for the course. The topic may or may not be within the field of student’s expertise, but it should be selected with concern for demonstrating advanced (graduate) level competence in analysis and presentation. The project can take on a variety of forms. For example, the project can be a feasibility plan or business plan for a new or existing business, a management review of a functional area within an organization, or an industry audit or analysis. Students may work with an employer mentor on the project. To fulfill the requirements, students must submit a written project and make a presentation.
OPIM 5103 -- Effective Statistics
A manager is concerned with recognizing and formulating statistical problems in business decision making. This course covers the more familiar classical inference procedures and basic statistical concepts often essential to interpretation of business data. Methods of understanding and detecting changes are explored using variability; descriptive, exploratory, and inferential statistics found in widely available statistical packages. Topics include: discrete and continuous random variables, sampling, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and linear regression.
OPIM 5110 -- Productivity, Efficiency, and Technology
An operations manager is concerned with designing, operating and controlling a system for producing goods and services. Design decisions include selecting a process technology, organizing jobs, selecting vendors, and developing the location and layout of facilities. Operating the system involves planning and scheduling work and material flow, controlling quality, and managing inventories. General systems concepts and models are developed and applied. Topics include process flow analysis, inventory systems, waiting line analysis, quality design, capacity resource planning, project management, and integrating operations with the firm's strategic plans.
OPIM 5165 -- Information Systems for Managers
A manager is concerned with the solution of business problems by exploiting the information resources available through the explosion in information technology. Emphasis is on business applications and the development and use of information systems for maximum benefit to the organization. Topics include: decision support systems, impact of the computer upon individual and organizations, competitive implications, technology change, telecommunications, and control of information systems, resources.
