MBA Specializations

Students may specialize their MBA studies by aligning elective credits with a specialization area.  Specializations are available in business and managerial analytics, economics, finance, health systems leadership, international business, leadership, marketing, and supply chain management and are described further below. 

Business and Managerial Analytics Specialization

The courses required for the Business and Managerial Analytics Specialization (MBA-BMAN) align with a STEM-designated program and Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code.  Therefore, within the online application process, students interested in the MBA-BMAN hould apply to the specific MBA-BMAN academic pathway.  Current students who are interested in the MBA-BMAN are encouraged to contact their academic advisor. 

Students in the MBA and Online MBA may specialize in Business and Managerial Analytics by completing the following courses to fulfill MBA electives:
COSC 6520 Data Analytics (3 cr.)
ECON 6114 R Programming (1 cr.)
ECON 6116 SQL (1 cr.)
ECON 6118 Python Programming (1 cr.)
9 credits of analytics-focused elective coursework.  See MBA-BMAN website for a full course list.

Finance Specialization

This specialization is an excellent path for professionals who want to grow within or transition into the finance sector or a finance-focused role.  Students in the MBA and Online MBA may specialize in Finance by completing 12 credits of FINA coursework.  Graduate-level courses with the FINA subject code are eligible.  Finance offerings regularly include but are not limited to:

FINA 6200 Advanced Financial Management
FINA 6081 Investment Banking
FINA 6111 Investments
FINA 6140 International Financial Management
FINA 6165 Fixed Income Markets and Securities
FINA 6175 Fintech: Foundations and Applications

Health Systems Leadership

The Health Systems Leadership Specialization provides a unique curriculum combining health care and business courses to prepare students for leadership, administrative, and executive roles across complex health systems.  Students in the MBA and Online MBA may specialize in Health Systems Leadership by completing 12 credits from the course options below. 

HEAL 6009, Health Care Systems: Managing Populations and Access
HEAL 6007, Ethics, Policy, and Health Care Advocacy
HEAL 6835, Health Care Informatics, Technology and Professional Issues
HEAL 6830, Quality Improvement Science in Health Care
HEAL 6837, Workforce Solutions: Culture, People and Processes

International Business Specialization

The International Business specialization integrates the MBA Strategic Management Introduction course (MBA 6110) and therefore may be completed through 9 MBA elective credits.  International students may substitute the travel abroad requirement for an advisor-approved course.  Courses include:

MBA 6110, Strategic Management Introduction
INBU 5951/6951 OR GSM Travel Abroad Experience
6 credits from:
FINA 6140, International Financial Management
MARK 6140, Global Marketing Strategy
One Political Science graduate course may be substituted (as approved by the GSM).

Leadership Specialization

Excellent leadership is embodied in exemplary service to others, especially customers, employees and communities. To become an excellent business leader requires a balance between technical, and ethical interpersonal skills, with the latter becoming increasingly important as one achieves more leadership responsibility within an organization.  The focus of the leadership specialization is to teach these skills reinforced through multiple applications to complex business situations.  Students in the MBA and Online MBA may specialize in Leadership by completing 12 credits through the requirements below.

LEDR 6051 Contemporary Leadership
LEDR 6115 Character Driven Leadership

6 credits from:
MANA 6115 Change Leadership in Self and Organizations
HURE 6535 Leading for Inclusion 
MANA 6110 Managing Behavior in Organizations
MANA 6120 Leading in Turbulent Times 
MANA 6125 Negotiations
SPLE 6001 Intro to Sports Leadership

Marketing Specialization

The difference between firms that succeed and those that don't is often found in how effectively they market themselves.  The Marketing specialization enables students to pursue diverse areas of learning and skill development within the marketing discipline.  MBA students may specialize in Marketing by completing 12 credits of MARK coursework.  Marketing offerings regularly include but are not limited to:

MARK 6110 Consumer Behavior
MARK 6140 Global Marketing Strategy
MARK 6160 Marketing Research
MARK 6165 Marketing Analytics
MARK 6136 Sales Management
MARK 6200 Marketing for Management Decision Making

Economics Specialization

Students with prior learning in intermediate macroeconomics and intermediate microeconomics are well-prepared to pursue this quantitative specialization.  MBA students may specialize in Economics by completing 12 credits through the requirements below.

ECON 6560, Applied Econometrics
ECON 6561, Applied Time-Series Econometrics and Forecasting
3 skills courses: ECON 6114, R Programming; ECON 6116, SQL and ECON 6118, Python Programming
3 credits of graduate ECON elective chosen with the direction of the MSAE Program Director.

Sport Business

The Sport Business specialization is available to students pursuing the JD/MBA.

MBA 6110, Strategic Management Introduction
LAW 7106, Amateur Sports Law
LAW 7303, Professional Sports Law
LAW 7955, Workshop: Adv. Legal Research
And a sports law workshop, i.e. LAW 7842, LAW 7786, LAW 7821

Supply Chain Management

The Supply Chain Management specialization equipes students with the compentencies and tools needed to understand and lead within the transition from physical to digital supply chains.  Specilaization courses include courses from the MS in Supply Chain Management, excluding the workshops, project course and capstone.  Students in the MBA and Online MBA may specialize in Supply Chain Management by completing 12 credits through the course options below.

SCMM 6510: Sourcing in the Digital Supply Chain (2 cr.)
SCMM 6515: Industry 4.0 (2 cr.)
SCMM 6520: Additive Manufacturing (1 cr.)
SCMM 6535: Supply Chain Collaboration (2 cr.)
SCMM 6570: Supply Chain Finance (1 cr.)
SCMM 6505: Logistics – Methods and Systems (2 cr.)
SCMM 6931 Topics in Supply Chain Management: Blockchain (1 cr.)
SCMM 6525: Transportation and Network Design (2 cr.)

Course descriptions can be found in the Graduate Bulletin.