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MBA Specializations
The marketing department offers five courses which are specifically addressed to MBA students. A person seeking a career in advertising would be advised to take *821, *822, and *830 while a person looking at a career in industrial marketing would be advised to take *821, *823, and *835. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jim Gentry at 402-472-3278 or any other marketing faculty member.
Graduate level only
Research methods to supply marketing information pertaining to the: 1) assessment of the nature of demand, 2) assessment of the extent of demand, 3) marketing program development, and 4) the monitoring of marketing performance.
Survey of the literature of buyer behavior. Economic, sociocultural and psychological aspects of buying behavior are examined as the basis of marketing strategy and public policy.
Analysis and application of current concepts regarding the formulation and evaluation of marketing communication strategy in organizations which operate on a profit and not-for-profit basis.
Marketing management issues related to selection of intermediaries, channel control, marketing institutions, channel power, and pricing. Distribution management issues include location, finished goods inventory, transportation, communications, and customer service.
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In addition to GRBA *811 and *812, the finance department offers the following classes that could be used as part of a concentration in finance. If you are interested in a concentration in finance, any member of the finance department faculty would be happy to help you plan a program.
Analysis of risk theory, property and liability risks, and the economic functions of property insurance. Traditional and modern theories of risk, property and liability coverages, and functional insurance areas. The role of property and liability insurance in meeting current economic and social problems in urban core areas of major central cities.
Analysis of the economic functions of life insurance. Human-life value concept and the basic forms of life insurance and annuities used in insuring life values. Life insurance pricing, functional company operations, legal aspects, and contractual provisions. Health and other specialized forms of human-life value insurance.
International aspects of financial management. Exchange risk analysis and management. Accessing international capital markets. International capital budgeting. Numerical optimization technique.
Analysis of the development and functions of the various financial institutions, with emphasis on the nonbank financial intermediary. Sources and uses of funds for each of the major types of intermediary, the nature and structure of financial markets, the behavior of financial insitutions, and the theories of interest rate determination.
Overview of the workings of securities markets and develops the fundamental intuition of the risk-return trade-off along with the role of information in financial markets. All major asset pricing models with emphasis on their practical application to risk management in a portfolio context.
Bank asset management; policy and practices for reserves, loans, and investments. Internal organization of commercial banks. New problems and recent innovations in commercial banking.
Analysis of the properties of derivative securities that are commonly encountered in practice. Examines the theoretical framework within which derivative securities can be valued. Discussion of alternative hedging strategies for financial institutions and portfolio managers.
Consideration of procedure, instruments, techniques, and trends in financing urban real property; an examination of realty credit markets and sources of funds (private and public); valuation of real property for lending and investment purposes; and measurement of investment performance.
Agribusiness is a growing industry, providing opportunities related to every business field. Today, agribusiness firms face new challenges and are hiring a new type of college graduate who will be able to cope with the forces of economic and technological change. To meet these needs, they seek graduates with solid academic backgrounds in both agriculture and business.
A student working toward the MBA in Agribusiness will:
A minimum of 9 hours of course work are taken at the graduate level in agricultural economics or closely related agribusiness subjects, including:
For the past three years an agribusiness MBA student accompanied the Governor's Trade Mission to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Chile, and Brazil. The Nebraska delegation included leaders of commodity boards and associations, agribusiness representatives, manufacturers, state officials, and past trade mission participants.
For more information: www.mbaa.unl.edu
The personnel/human resource management field is growing in importance in business and the public sector. The management department offers a concentration in this field that would allow one to become a human resource management professional. If you have any questions contact a faculty member in the management department.
Review and analysis of current policies, problems, and issues in personnel/human resource management. Students apply knowledge of P/HR principles, practices, policies, and procedures to the identification and solution of case problems.
Interdisciplinary approach to labor-management relations with emphasis upon collective bargaining and grievance administration. Appreciation of collective bargaining process is gained through the actual negotiating of a labor-management contract. On-going union-management relationships.
Design and administration of compensation systems. Determinants of general level of pay, pay structures, wage and salary surveys, job analysis, job evaluation, performance evaluation, benefit plans and financial incentive systems.
Analytic exposure to human resource planning at the level of the organization and builds an understanding of human resource concepts, models, adn problem-solving tools. Strategic planning, human resource planning, analysis of people-related business issues, and forecasting. Policy-setting and long-range planning for such human resource functions as job analysis, recruitment, selection, human resource information systems (HRIS), training and development management of diversity and compensation adminstrations.
Government regulation of employment and labor relations. Includes laws and agencies relating to employment practices, pay, hours, equal employment opportunity, labor relations, safety, health pensions, and benefits. Social and economic implications of governmental regulation.
Historical background, various approaches to management, and the functions, roles, and activities of the modern manager within the organizational and environmental context. Contemporary issues such as total quality management, employee productivity, and international management. The theme and perspective is how to make the practice of management of today's organizations more effective.
MBA students who wish to have a concentration in MIS can select from the following courses. Students are encouraged to take at least one high-level programming language, e.g., Basic, Pascal, Cobol or C, before taking any of these courses.
Required course
Consideration of kinds of information needed to support the full spectrum of decision making in private and public organizations. Techniques of measuring and reporting on outcomes of managerial decisions. The design of management information systems (MIS) with regard to the proper role of the computer, systems analysts, programmers, managers and users, data management technology, and kinds of computer hardware and software.
Analytical and simulation models for decision making in functional areas such as finance, accounting, marketing, personnel, operations, and inventory. Students learn how to construct decision models for practical applications. Analyzing alternatives and implementing solutions that result in increased productivity.
Technology of the database and related human and managerial considerations. Databases studied from two perspectives: the logical organization, as the manager and applications programmer see and use the organization's data; and the physical organization, as the systems software programmer and database manager view the data. Theory of organization and the practical applications of databases.
Methods and methodologies used in systems analysis, design, and implemention. Decision making process, systems development life cycles, requirement analysis, logical/conceptual design, and basic database concepts.
Fundamentals of business data communications, and networking hardware and software. Communication protocols such as TCP/IP, Internet and electronic commerce.
Students interested in an international business emphasis must complete three or more graduate-level international business and economics courses taken in two or more departments. If you have any questions, Dr. Richard DeFusco, 472-6763, would be happy to discuss the international business emphasis with you.
Determinants of the volume, prices, and commodity composition of trade. Effects of trade, international resource movements, and trade restrictions on resource allocation, income distribution, and social welfare.
Determinants of exchange rates, international payments, and inflation, unemployment, national income, and interest rates in an open economy. International monetary system and capital and financial markets, and of the mechanisms by which a national economy and the rest of the world adjust to external disturbances.
US enterprises operating in the global economy. The manner in which cultural, economic, political, and social differences affect the management of business, governmental, military and other enterprises are considered. Problems of managing in Latin America, Europe and Asia.
Rudiments of conceptual framework for designing and evaluating management accounting and control systems for business firms and situations. Case studies on the management aspects of budgeting, standard setting, variance analysis, cost allocation, operating control, transfer pricing, capital budgeting, performance evaluation, and other pertinent topics relating to managerial uses of accounting data.
A research seminar on the conceptual framework underlying selected accounting systems or subsystems. The specific systems studied vary depending upon interest and background of enrolled students, but ordinarily include insurance or other regulatory systems, governmental or other not-for-profit systems, Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, federal income tax rules, and foreign systems. Contrasts with traditional financial and managerial reporting systems and the reasons for the differences that exist.
Simulation of marketing decision making in an international environment. Material in the course is balanced between the developed and underdeveloped countries of the world in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Case materials are used as a basis for class discussion. Cases and discussions focus on specific interests of students enrolled.
During the last decade, the completion of the 1992 Single Market and the introduction of the euro have affected not only European Union member states but also global business development. This course aims to provide a full and detailed understanding of the origins, development and future economic strategy of the expanding European Union. Special attention will be paid to customs union theory, the single currency and monetary union, the 1992 Single Market, fiscal policy, and the EU’s trade and agricultural policies. The impact of the EU of event in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union will also be stressed, and the process of economic transformation to market economies will be analyzed in detail. Emphasis will also be placed on the role of Germany after reunification, the comparative economic performance of the EEU in relation to NAFTA and Asia – Pacific, the disputes between Britain and the EU, and future potential Eastern enlargement.
GRBA *810 Managerial Accounting is the prerequisite for accounting classes and GRBA *812 Managerial Economics is the prerequisite for International business classes.
Students interested in strategic planning applications of the Strategic Management field should select from the following courses. Please contact Dr. Les Digman, 472-3364, if you have questions.
Series of separate, rather detailed planning problems. Each proglem calls for the selection and planning of a transaction to meet the needs of the parties involved, in light of applicable corporate, partnership, tax, and securities considerations.
Aspects of starting and managing a new enterprise. Characteristics of entrepreneurs; the identification and evaluation of new venture opportunities-resource utilization; development of appropriate strategies and the successful planning, implementation and launching of a new business venture.
Required course, Graduate level only
Theories, concepts, techniques, and practices of strategic management. Includes strategic decision making, assessing the strategic situation, strategic planning systems and techniques, and implementation and control.
Taught predominately by the case method with a few classes for review and summary lectures. Concentrates on higher management desisions involving the manufacturing, service, and public sectors. Facilities planning, labor, aggregate planning, strategic planning, capacity management, and trade-off analysis.
The goal of the MBA with a sports marketing specialization is to educate top quality graduates who will become professionals in sports marketing. These graduates will have knowledge of general business issues, an understanding of marketing issues, and an internship in the field. Graduates may take a variety of positions in a variety of industries, including professional sports, recreation and leisure, and education. Opportunities for sports marketing professionals in these industries are growing at a rapid pace.
The MBA Sports Marketing Specialization combines both classroom and practical experience to prepare students for leadership positions in the sports industry. Drawing not only from the field of business, but also from the fields of law and education, the curriculum covers the important areas that will lead to a successful career in sports business.
MBA Sports marketing students attend many classes with general MBA students. A minimum of 9 hours of course work are taken at the graduate level in sports marketing or law. The following courses are available to fulfill the requirements for the MBA Sports Marketing Specialization.
Dr. Patricia Kennedy, pkennedy1@unl.edu
