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Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Admissions Requirements| Program Structure | Degree Requirements | Course Descriptions

The M.B.A. program is for men and women who wish to upgrade their professional credentials, increase their knowledge of the business disciplines, and enhance their competencies as effective managers.

While Long Island University’s M.B.A. program in Westchester meets the highest standards in curriculum and instruction, its schedule and delivery make it a practical undertaking for the student with other work or family responsibilities.

About the M.B.A. Program

Rapid Completion: The program can be completed in 24 months, owing to the intensive 8-week semesters and innovative cohort schedule.
Practical Orientation: Students have extensive and direct contact with experienced faculty practitioners, who bring a real-world orientation to the classroom.
Focus on Critical Competencies: Learning means not only new knowledge but also the mastery of skills—skills in communication, teamwork, diversity management, financial analysis, strategic thinking, and leadership—the kinds of critical competencies required for effective managerial performance.
Cohort System: Students entering the program at the same time will take courses together throughout the 24-month period, a system which affords mutual support while fostering team leadership and project management skills. Individual arrangements are made to accommodate different entry points or special scheduling needs.

Prospective students are invited to meet with the M.B.A. Program Director in a personal interview on-site. A careful assessment of each candidate’s educational background, professional experience, and career goals is part of the admissions process and ensures that enrollment is a sound decision for each applicant.

While most M.B.A. students are currently employed in business, those in other fields such as health, government, education, non-profit organizations and the arts have also found the program beneficial for career advancement.

Inquiries may be directed to:
Dr. Lynn Gunnar Johnson,
M.B.A. Program Director
Telephone: 914-831-2711
E-Mail: Lynn.Johnson@liu.edu

Admission Requirements

Full Matriculant Status Requirements
The standards for admission as a full matriculant student into the graduate program are the following:

1. A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
2. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
3. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended
(foreign documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation)
4. Results of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
NOTE: The GMAT will be waived for applicants who hold a previous master's or doctoral degree and for applicants with professional credentials such as CPA, CMA, CFA etc. The GMAT may also be waived for applicants with significant business experience, which ordinarily includes at least seven years of professional employment after completing an undergraduate degree.
5. Two letters of recommendation
6. A written statement outlining the applicant’s objective of seeking admission
7. Current resume
8. Official score report of the TOEFL examination required of all applicants with degrees from foreign colleges or universities.

Applications and information regarding the GMAT can be obtained through the Office of Admissions, by visiting the GMAT website: www.GMAC.org, or by calling 1-800-GMAT-NOW.

Limited Matriculant Status Requirements
A student admitted with technical or academic deficiencies is classified as a limited matriculant student. A limited matriculant student may enroll for a maximum of 6 credits before applying for full matriculation. If full matriculation status is not attained after 6 credits, the student may not enroll for any additional credits in the degree program. The standards for admission as a limited matriculant are as follows:

1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
2. Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.50
3. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended
(foreign documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation.)
4. Completion of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
(Applicants with a previous Master’s degree, CPA license or J.D. do not need to take the GMAT.)
5. Two letters of recommendation
6. A written statement outlining the applicant’s objective of seeking admission
7. Current resume
8. Official score report of the TOEFL examination required of all applicants with degrees from foreign colleges or universities

Reclassification From Limited to Full Matriculant Status
A student admitted as a limited matriculant may achieve full matriculant status by:

1. Maintaining a 3.25 cumulative GPA in 6 credits of graduate level courses as a limited matriculant student
2. Submitting all required documentation.

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Program Structure

The basic structure of the M.B.A. program consists of four levels:

Degree Requirements-48 credits

General Business Core:
Six courses (18 credits) at the 500 Level

Advanced Business Core:
Five advanced courses (15 credits) at the 600 level

Concetrations:
Four advanced courses (12 credits) at the 700 level in either Mangement or Finance

Capstone Course:
One Business & Strategy course (3 credits) at the 800 level

The general business core courses are particularly important for students who have not had previous work in economics or business, or who lack comparable business experience. A student who majored in economics or business administration as an undergraduate may qualify for a reduction of some or all of the general business core courses, reducing the total requirements of the program. Further information about waivers can be found in the paragraph on waivers.

Waivers
Students with undergraduate and/or graduate business administration training may petition the Academic Standing Committee of the School to waive courses in the general business core. Students shall have received grades of at least 3.0 (B) in two courses for each general business core course to be waived. If courses are waived for students, their performance in the remaining general business core courses will be used to assess eligibility for M.B.A. matriculation.

The Cohort Framework
Courses at each level of the M.B.A. are offered within a framework provided to each entering cohort of students. The cohort framework organizes course offerings by major themes, as follows:

Business Leadership and Decision Making
GBA 512 Principles of Management and Leadership
GBA 510 Financial Accounting for Managers

Building Analytical and Communications Skills
GBA 511 Corporate Financial Management
GBA 515 Managerial Communications

Utilizing Statistical and Technology Applications
GBA 516 Business Statistics
GBA 517 Fundamentals of Management Information Systems

Positioning the Corporation in a Global Economy
MBA 632 Marketing Management & Strategy
MBA 630 Financial Services and Capital Markets
MBA 611 Global Economic Environment

Managing the High-Performing Organization
MBA 614 Operations Management
MBA 633 Organizational Behavior in a Global Society

Mastering Management and Organizational Leadership Competencies
Mastering Financial Management and Analysis Competencies

[Four Advanced (700-Level) Courses: To be Determined]

Setting Business Policy and Strategy
MBA 811 Business Policy & Strategy [Capstone Course]

All of the above are three-credit courses.

Degree Requirements

All courses at the 500 level (except for waivers) and at the 600 level are required of all students. Some of these courses have prerequisites, as indicated in the course descriptions.

The four courses at the 700 level may vary somewhat from year to year, depending on the size and characteristics of each cohort, but will be drawn from the courses listed under the heading Course Descriptions. All 700 courses have prerequisites, as indicated in the course descriptions.

The Capstone Course (MBA 811) is also required of all students and is taken when all other courses have been satisfactorily completed. An application to take the capstones must be submitted to the Program Director at least one month before they begin.

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Course Descriptions

GBA 510 Financial Accounting
Study of basic accounting concepts and methods and their significance to management and to the financial analyst. Topics include an introduction to financial statement analysis, the measurement of income and capital, accounting for fixed assets, inventory costing and price-level changes, measuring and accounting for corporate debt, corporate investment in securities, and computer applications in accounting. This course does not require previous training in accounting. Three credits.

GBA 511 Corporate Financial Management
In a risky global environment, methods are studied by which firms and individuals 1) evaluate stocks, bonds and investment projects, 2) combine them in optimal portfolios, and 3) determine the best level of debt versus equity. The basic tools are risk versus return, and the evaluation of future cash flows. Three credits.
Prerequisite: GBA 510

GBA 512 Principles of Management and Leadership

Analysis of current management theory and practice. Discussion of its historical foundations and investigation of various approaches to the management discipline. Primary emphasis on administrative functions of planning, decision-making, organizing, staffing and controlling. Three credits.

GBA 515 Managerial Communications
This course is concerned with improving the way people within organizations communicate. It includes the interpretation and application of organizational communication theory for the working or aspiring manager. Topics include: personal communication styles, media and tools for the manager/communicator, organizational communications climate, one-to-one communications, meetings and conferences, speaking before groups, written managerial communications, planning and producing business reports, advertising managerial communications. Three credits.

GBA 516 Business Statistics
This course is designed to give fundamental knowledge of principles, concepts and techniques involved in application of probability and statistics to business research and managerial decisions. The range of applications covers various functional areas such as Finance, Marketing, Accounting, Management, Economics and Production. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability concepts, risk assessment techniques, decision theory, and statistical inference (estimation and hypothesis testing). Three credits.

GBA 517 Fundamentals of Management Information Systems
This is a survey course analyzing the role of information systems in business strategy. Information systems are shown to be facilitators of market penetration, competitive advantage and organizational change. The material is presented within an integrated framework of organization, management and technology. Topics include: organizational and technical foundations of information systems; applications of information systems to operational, tactical and strategic decision making; management of information as an organizational resource; information architectures; emerging technologies; various approaches to building and management of information systems. Three credits.

MBA 611 Global Economic Environment of Business
The main goal of this course is to analyze and understand the global economy in which business operates. Attention centers on the key policy issues and major economic forces that affect business activity and on the tools necessary to evaluate these issues and forces. The former include unemployment, inflation, fiscal policy, budget deficits, monetary policy, the changing financial environment, the roles of the U.S. dollar, productivity, and international trade. The tools of analysis include the portfolio approach, post-Keynesian and modern monetarist approaches, rational expectations and state-of-the-art analysis of saving and investment. The course also explores the role played by U.S. and world financial markets in influencing the domestic and global economic environment. Three credits.

MBA 614 Operations Management
Analysis and synthesis of important problems encountered in the management operations of a business organization. Analytical methods employed in solving problems such as inventory, queuing, network models, linear programming and PERT are explored. Emphasis is on problem-solving and decision-making in such areas as investment in operations, production planning, scheduling and control, reliability and maintenance. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 512, GBA 516

MBA 615 Management in a Global Society
Explores the environment in which business is conducted, with emphasis on legal, social and political dimensions. The demands for ethical responsibility in business are also explored and evaluated. Three credits.
Prerequisite: GBA 512

MBA 630 Financial Services and Capitol Markets
[Combines GBA514 Money, Banking, Capital Markets and MBA610, Financial Services/New Financial World]
This course is a survey of money markets, the banking function, investments, and new corporate financing techniques in relation to global macroeconomic activity. Emphasis will be given to understanding the principle forces that shape U.S. and global money and capital markets. Money creation, the demand for money, and the relation of money to inflation and financial flows will be reviewed in a national and international context. Interest rates and their behavior will be examined carefully within the context of offering a broad based introduction to the financial world, the changing role of competitive financial institutions and the effects of these changes on fiscal and monetary policy. Three credits.
Prerequisite: GBA 511

MBA 632 Marketing Management Strategy
[Combines GBA513 Marketing Management and MBA612 Marketing Strategy]
This course focuses on strategic planning, problem-solving, and management of the marketing function. The principal components of marketing operations, including product development, promotion, pricing, and distribution, will be discussed, as well as the processes, concepts, and methods of marketing strategy at both the product level and the corporate level. The marketing strategies and management practices of contemporary firms will be examined as they relate to industrial and consumer products and services. The relation between marketing and other business functions will be reviewed as well. Three credits.
Prerequisite: GBA 513

MBA 633 Organizational Behavior in a Global Society
[Combines MBA613 Organizational Behavior and MBA615 Management in a Global Society]
This course analyzes both the formal and informal aspects of organizational behavior as well as the ethical demands on the business organization for social responsibility. Topics cover issues of human behavior in an organizational context, such as individual patterns of motivation and behavior, norms and values, ethical dilemmas, communication, teamwork, collaboration versus conflict, and group dynamics, Organization-wide issues such as leadership, superior/subordinate relationships, and organizational change are also explored. The moral, legal, and political challenges which arise as a result of conducting business in a global society are discussed. Three credits.
Prerequisite: GBA 512

Finance 702A Money and Capital Market Applications
Study of financial markets as allocators of funds and distributors of risk. Emphasis is given to the roles and functions of financial intermediaries. Theories of financial asset pricing are considered as they help to determine risk and return in competitive markets. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 510, GBA 511, GBA 514

Finance 704 Financial Reports Analysis
Survey of the analytical tools and techniques used to evaluate the current financial position of the firm. Financial reports are analyzed for growth potential, solvency, earnings quality, investments, and forecasting implications. Topics include: business and financial trends, proper adjustments of financial data, cash flow forecasting, estimation of debt risk premiums, and identification of likely candidates for acquisition and high bankruptcy risk firms. Required of all Finance concentration students. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA510, GBA 511, GBA 514

Finance 705 Securities Analysis
Introduction to the theory and practice of security analysis, including the valuation of individual securities, valuation of the stock market as a whole, portfolio management and investment strategies. Investment risks will be analyzed and measurements of risk, including duration and convexity, will be examined. An introduction to derivative securities and international investments will be included. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 510, GBA 511, GBA 514, Finance 704

Finance 707 Portfolio Management
This course considers the most effective methods of meeting investment objectives for individual and institutional portfolios (specifically pension funds, endowment funds and mutual funds). Focus will begin with dedicated equity and fixed income portfolios and then progress to asset allocation and management strategies for mixed portfolios. Alternative techniques for managing risk, including derivatives, will be explored. Portfolio management, implementation and performance measurement will be analyzed and appraised in terms of economic shifts, yield curve changes, tax and legal considerations. The course makes heavy use of computer programs for portfolio management and analysis. Actual individual and institutional portfolios, managed by large and small institutions, will be examined. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 510, GBA 511, GBA 514, Finance 704, Finance 705

Finance 710 Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions
Study of business enterprise growth through merger and acquisition. Topics include premerger planning and fact finding, legal and accounting considerations, financing aspects, tax and antitrust problems, personnel issues, postmerger integration and valuation techniques. International and domestic mergers and acquisitions are considered. Case studies are employed. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 510, GBA 511, GBA 514

Finance 715 International Trade
Includes a review of international trade, its magnitude, direction, and industrial classification, as well as the institutions (GATT, etc) facilitating it. The course focuses on practical techniques and problems of exporting and importing with special attention to small business. Topics include: sources of marketing information, techniques of payment and collections, currency fluctuation problems and balance of payments analysis, sources and uses of funds to finance foreign trade, and government assistance. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 510, GBA 511, GBA 513, GBA 514

Finance 750 Financial Problems Seminar
Selected foreign and domestic financial and economic developments are analyzed. Emphasis is upon integrating acquired financial knowledge with the problems under study. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 510, GBA 511, GBA 514

Management 702 Theories of the Organization
Survey of organizational theories with particular emphasis on goal setting, assessing, achievement and displacement. Topics include: the relationship of authority, role responsibility, organizational structure, design and culture. Students will diagnose organizational functions, analyze deficiencies and determine ways of adapting organizational structure to realize goals. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 512, MBA 613

Management 703 Project Analysis and Program Management
Survey of managerial criteria for effective project planning and management. Topics discussed: establishment of objectives, cost benefit analysis, planning methods, organizational concepts, causes of conflict, conflict resolution and options in allocation of resources. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 512, MBA 613


Management 704 Managerial Planning and Control Systems

Formulation of integrated long-range and strategic plans relating to organizational objectives, expense centers, performance centers and investment centers. Also studied are methods of performance measuring and information handling. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 512, MBA 613

Management 705 Management Decision Theory
Survey of the decision-making processes and methods for examining, defining, analyzing and solving complex problems. Emphasis is on defining objectives, value systems and methods for identifying and assessing alternative courses of action. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 512, MBA 613

Management 722 Human Resources Management
A review of the major areas of personnel administration. Topics include: selection and replacement, compensation, training and development, labor relations and employee services. These activities are viewed from the position of both the large and small firm. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 512, MBA 613

Management 724 Organizational Development
Survey of contemporary training and development problems with emphasis on the relationship between development and the organizations personnel decisions. Techniques of personnel training are examined. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 512, MBA 613

Management 725 Work, People, and Productivity
Analysis of the problems of the occupational environment in small and large enterprises. Emphasis on the practical problem-solving that is of immediate concern to the participants. Topics include: survey of new approaches to motivation, attitudes, job satisfaction, job enrichment, monotony, fatigue, working conditions and conflict resolution, quality circles, and productivity. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 512, MBA 613

Management 750 Management Seminar
The human problems of organizational management considered from a multidisciplinary point of view. Concepts and research from the behavior sciences are applied to the personnel problems of management. Theory and technique will be integrated by using group and individual study projects. Course is designed to enhance interpersonal skills related to superiors, subordinates, staff specialists, and peers. Three credits.
Prerequisites: GBA 512, MBA 613

MBA 811 Business Policy and Strategy
[Capstone Course: Combines MBA800 and 801, Business Policy I and II]
An examination of the fields of policy making and management that integrates the work covered in the graduate business curriculum. The viewpoint is that of senior general managers who set company-wide objectives and coordinate departmental policies and activities. As an integrating experience, students are expected to bring their acquired business knowledge to bear on managerial decision making. Through readings in strategic management, case analyses, and a computer-based simulation, students take the role of executive team members to test their skill in the use of financial, marketing, and management variables in competition with other student teams on the campus and in other universities. Selected guest lecturers and a major written project round out the learning experience. Three credits.

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Phone: 1-800-GRAD-LIU
E-mail: westchester@liu.edu
 
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