MBA Curriculum

All sections of MBA Math, which consists of: Spreadsheets, Accounting, Economics, Finance, and Statistics, must be completed with at least an 85% to satisfy MBA 502 and to graduate from the MBA Program. MBA Math is paid for via your enrollment deposit. Access to MBA Math will be provided to students shortly after the reply to offer of admission and enrollment deposit are received.

Undergraduate business majors should have most, if not all, prerequisites coming into the program and should complete MBA Math prior to attending the New Student Orientation.

Students who do not have all prerequisites will complete the Spreadsheets section of MBA Math prior to attending the New Student Orientation. These students will then have one year from the start of the program to complete the foundational prerequisites and remaining MBA Math sections. NOTE: The MTH/FIN 217 pre-requisite must be satisfied prior to the Statistics section of MBA Math and the Statistics section must be completed prior to registering for MBA 687.

Students who do not complete MBA Math sections by specified deadlines will be withdrawn from section-aligned courses the week before classes begin, which may delay graduation.

Students will upload a copy of their MBA Math transcript, MS Excel Certificate and Orientation Attendance Form, when completed with each.

The MBA Program requires work experience. To satisfy this requirement students may:

• complete a 300-hour business-related internship
• take the MBA 699: Real-World Experience: Business Internships course for credit
• complete a PC Business real-world consulting class for credit
• demonstrate significant prior business work experience.

More details on these options can be viewed on the School of Business Graduate Programs Advising page. Students who do not take MBA 699 substitute it with an elective.

Students must demonstrate Microsoft Excel proficiency in preparation for MBA 687 and MBA 690. Additional details on Microsoft Excel proficiency options will be available in the weeks after a reply to offer of admission and enrollment deposit are received. Coupled with the MBA Math Spreadsheets section, additional preparation may include an exam or a Microsoft Excel Certification, which can be completed online or in-person with a program of the student’s choice. Students who do not demonstrate Microsoft Excel proficiency prior to beginning MBA 687 will be withdrawn from the course, which may delay completion of the MBA Program.

All new students must attend the mandatory New Student Orientation Workshop(s). Orientation is designed to prepare students for the MBA Program on topics such as: skills and professional development, business communications, and leadership. Students will also network with peers, professors, and MBA staff. Orientation dates are listed on acceptance letters.

The PC Digital Marketing Graduate Certificate is a 3-course, 9-credit hour program consisting of the following three courses.

Required Courses

MBA 651 Marketing Management in Competitive Environments
This course examines marketing management with a strategic emphasis. Such controllable variables as product, price, promotion, and distribution are treated as decision-making areas and studied in depth. The interaction of these variables with each other, with other business functions, and external factors that affect the marketing environment are also explored. Prerequisite: an undergraduate course in marketing. Offered in the fall semester.

MBA 663 Digital Marketing
Building a competitive marketing strategy that drives value is a necessary challenge. This course will examine the strengths and weaknesses of digital brand campaigns, with an emphasis on optimized content creation. Paid, owned, and earned marketing tactics will be presented with emphasis on the unified customer experience. Marketing acquisition and retention strategies will be reviewed and evaluated. Offered over winter session.

MBA 664 Digital Marketing Consulting Project
Many digital marketing and managerial decisions—regardless of their functional orientation—are increasingly relying on data and business analytics.  This course provides an opportunity for students to integrate and apply the analytical skills and knowledge learned in previous courses in marketing and digital marketing to a real-world business project in marketing. Offered in the spring semester.

The Graduate Certificate in Sports Management program is a 3-course, 9-credit hour program consisting of a required sports-related internship and two electives. The internship may be replaced with an additional elective based on relevant work experience.

Requirements

MBA Internship: Sports Internship
Internships often are completed over the summer. More information will be provided once you are accepted into the program. Students have the option to take MBA 699, for credit. The internship may be replaced with an additional elective based on relevant work experience. Please contact the Graduate Programs Office for more information.

Electives (Choose 2):

MBA 692:  The Business of Collegiate Sports

This course prepares provides a foundational preparation for those students who aspire to a leadership position within intercollegiate athletics.  The course explores the relationship between leadership and organizational climate in intercollegiate athletics and develops a comprehensive in-depth understanding and strategic skill-set to thrive in intercollegiate athletics.  The course focuses on sport governance, sport compliance, legal aspects of equity in intercollegiate athletics, human resource strategies in intercollegiate athletics, sport finance, ethics, marketing, public relations, facilities and event management, and much more with the inclusion of leaders in the industry as guest speakers. Offered in the fall semester.

MBA 693:  The Business of Professional Sports

The estimated size of the sports industry in the United States in 2018 was $539.7 billion dollars.* Various factors – teams, leagues, broadcasters, sponsors, players’ unions, facilities – all play a critical role within the sports ecosystem. This course will help students gain a better understanding of the business of sports as well as the opportunities and challenges that the industry faces in years to come. *Source: Plunkett Research Ltd. Offered in the spring semester.

MBA 692: Sports Sponsorship and Activation

This course focuses on the overall sport sponsorship industry; including how to generate and analyze sponsorship opportunities from the perspective of property, brand, agency and how to determine return on investment. Addressing the corporate sponsorship process, emerging markets, and growth, as well as international opportunities.

MBA 770: Special Topics
Other electives will be offered based on industry changes and developments. Previous offerings have included:

The Marketing & Analytics of Sports