Online MBA: Curriculum

Foundation Courses (18 credits)

The foundation consists of nine two-credit courses, each of which covers an area of business. The purpose of the foundation is to ensure that students have a solid understanding of the basic functions carried out in organizations and of the environment in which they operate, as well as an introduction to the tools used to analyze business problems. Foundation courses include:

Foundation Courses may be waived based upon acceptable prior undergraduate or graduate coursework.

Core Courses (15 credits)

The core consists of a set of five courses designed to integrate the foundation areas to address activities that are critical for a manager in a globally-competitive, technical world. In each course, appropriate management of technology, ethical and international issues are addressed. Core Courses include:

ACC 514 Business Analysis for Technological Managers (4 credits)
BUS 515 Legal and Ethical Context of Technological Organizations (2 credits)
MKT 512 Creating and Implementing Strategy in Technological Organizations (3 credits)
OBC 511 Interpersonal and Leadership Skills for Technological Managers (3 credits)
OIE 513 Creating Processes in Technological Organizations (3 credits)

Graduate Qualifying Project (GQP) (BUS 516, 4 credits)

All students, singly or in teams, will be required to complete a capstone project that, within the context of the Management of Technology, will:

be a self-contained project course
will include some formal communications skills component
integrate management theory and practice
incorporate a number of skills and tools acquired in the MBA curriculum
be contained in a report, available in the Department
be formally presented to members of the Department, outside sponsors, and other interested parties
clearly demonstrate that a number of the desired outcomes, described in the mission statement, are fulfilled

Sources for topics and/or sites for execution of the project can come from the faculty member managing the project course, other faculty members (in or out of the department), participating students (so long as the activity remains outside the scope of their employment), and representatives from outside organizations.

Elective Courses (12 credits)

Students will be required to take 12 credits of elective work. Elective concentration areas include Entrepreneurship, Information Security Management, Information Technology, Operations Management, Process Design, Supply Chain Management, Technological Innovation, and Technology Marketing.

Specialty Courses (6 credits - optional)

Students may specialize by taking an optional 6 credits of additional coursework in a particular functional area. In addition, at least 6 credits of the required free electives will need to be in the chosen area.

Maintained by webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: Sep 05, 2006, 16:33 EDT