From: Anthony, Anika To: Evans, Kevin; Reed, Katie Cc: Carpenter,
Thomas J. Subject: BUS_MBA_STEM Specialization Date: Wednesday,
December 9, 2020 8:03:16 AM Attachments:
BUS_MBA_STEM_Specialization.docx
Revision of MBA Request for STEM Designation.docx
Dear Kevin and Katie, Attached are materials for the proposal to
develop a new Graduate Specialization for STEM- Designation in the
Master of Business Administration program in the Fisher College of
Business. The proposal is to develop a STEM specialization within
the Full-Time Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. In
offering the specialization, the Fisher College of Business seeks
to join other top-tier U.S. business schools that have been
approved to offer a STEM-designated MBA. The Fisher Full-Time MBA
curriculum consists of 60 credit hours. The College is proposing
that students enrolled in the STEM specialization will complete 33
credit hours of core MBA requirements that include courses on
management, marketing, and strategy. The core MBA curriculum also
includes courses on data analytics, finance, and economics, which
are intended to provide students a foundation for the
specialization’s advanced STEM electives. Students in the STEM
specialization would also enroll in an additional 27 credit hours
of electives, 12 hours of which must be selected from a list of
STEM-approved courses. The STEM electives include coursework on
statistical modeling, financial modeling, and other quantitative
topics. Students will also have an opportunity to take STEM
electives outside of the Fisher College of Business. Pending
approval of the STEM specialization, the Fisher College of Business
will work with the Office of International Affairs to seek U.S.
Department of Homeland Security approval for the program to be
classified as a STEM- designated program. Please let me know if you
need any additional information in order to add this proposal to an
upcoming CAA meeting agenda. Sincerely, Anika Anika Anthony, PhD
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Associate Professor, Department
of Educational Studies The Ohio State University Graduate School
250E University Hall, 230 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: (614) 247-2083
[email protected]
https://gradsch.osu.edu/
FROM: Anika Anthony, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Graduate
School
DATE: December 9, 2020
RE: Proposal to Develop a Graduate Specialization, Master of
Business Administration, Fisher College of Business
The Fisher College of Business is proposing to develop a new
graduate specialization in STEM within the existing Master of
Business Administration.
The proposal was received by the Graduate School on October 16,
2020. The combined GS/CAA subcommittee reviewed the proposal on
October 28, 2020 and requested revisions. Revisions were received
on November 17, 2020. On November 24, 2020, GS/CAA reviewed the
revised proposal and recommended it for approval by the Graduate
Council. The proposal was approved by the Graduate Council on
December 8, 2020.
Associate Dean’s Office
614-688-2129 Phone fisher.osu.edu
17 November 2020
The Ohio State University
Dear Associate Dean Anthony:
Herein please find a revision of the Fisher College’s request for
approval for a STEM-designated specialization within its Full-Time
MBA program.
In this letter, I would like to walk you through our responses to
the comments, questions, and concerns from the GS/CAA’s curricular
subcommittee, which reviewed the initial proposal.
Our responses appear in bold lettering so that they will be easier
to track.
1. Additional information about the STEM emphasis
0. Will students in the program be expected to have a background in
STEM (e.g., prior degree, coursework, and/or professional
experience)? No, students need not have a STEM background in order
to pursue the STEM MBA. The program’s core coursework, which
consists of data analytics, finance, and economics, to name a few,
provides a rigorous foundation for students who elect the STEM MBA.
After completing the core, STEM MBA students are well-prepared to
complete the more advanced electives in such areas as statistical
modeling, financial modeling, and other quantitative topics. We
clarify this under Point 5 in the revised proposal, Plans to Enroll
Students and Prospective Enrollment.
0. Concerning the list of required STEM electives, the subcommittee
observed that the only prerequisites noted in the short syllabi are
other courses in the Fisher College of Business. Are there
STEM-specific prerequisites that students must meet in order to
take the STEM-focused courses (e.g., calculus, statistics, etc.)?
Because the MBA core provides STEM MBA students with the
preparation that they need to complete the STEM-relevant elective
courses, there are no other pre-requisites. This clarification also
appears in the revised language under Point 5, Plans to Enroll
Students and Prospective Enrollment.
0. Will students have the opportunity to enroll in STEM courses
offered across campus to meet program requirements (either
STEM-designated or additional electives)? At this time, with
their advisor’s approval, MBA students may take up to 9 hours of
electives outside the Fisher College. We have revised the proposal
(see Point 2, Proposed Curriculum) to reflect the idea that
completing STEM-approved electives outside of the Fisher College
will count toward the 12 hour minimum associated with the STEM
MBA.
0. What is the overlap between the STEM MBA and the three other
STEM-designated programs offered through the Fisher College of
Business? If there are STEM courses that overlap across the four
STEM programs, which courses overlap? Students in the
STEM-designated specialized Master programs do not take the MBA
core curriculum. There is, however, some overlap in terms of the
electives that STEM MBA students would be eligible to take and the
core and elective courses that students in the specialized Master
programs may take. We have prepared a table that shows the courses
in the STEM MBA that may be completed by students in other Fisher
College STEM-designated programs.
STEM MBA Elective Courses
Specialized Masters in Finance
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
MGT 7242: Six Sigma Principles (3.0)
MGT 7256: Tools for Data Analysis (1.5)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M&L 7204.01: Customer Management, Pricing, and Analytics I
(1.5)
X
M&L 7204.02: Customer Management, Pricing, and Analytics II
(1.5)
X
X
BUS FIN 5402: Real Estate Valuation (3)
X
2. Transition Plan
0. Concerning plans to enroll students and the transition plan (p.
6), I believe the Fisher GPO will notify OIA (instead of OAA) and
the Graduate School about which students have elected the STEM MBA.
Please confirm whether OIA or OAA will be notified and edit if
necessary. Yes, we will be notifying OIA and we have changed this
in the document.
0. By what point in a student’s program must they declare interest
in switching to or from the STEM MBA program? Will there be a
petition process for students who do not transfer to/from the STEM
MBA program by a given point in time? Upon matriculation, MBA
students will be asked to identify whether or not they will be
pursuing the STEM MBA. We do not expect many students to request to
be transferred or switched later (i.e., no more than five per
year). Students requesting a switch will inform their STEM MBA
advisor who will contact Graduate Registration Services to request
the switch. This process will be performed manually. This is
explained under Point 6 of the revision, Transition Plan for
Currently Enrolled MBA Students.
3. Assessment Plan
0. The proposal indicates that the assessment plan for the STEM MBA
program will not differ from the assessment plan for the Full-Time
MBA. The subcommittee recommends that an assessment plan be added
that aligns with the goals of the STEM specialization, indicates
how progress to the goals will be monitored, and describes how the
program will respond to assessment data. The following kinds of
program assessment components could be included in the plan for a
program of this type – you may already be collecting information of
this kind.
0. Indirect Measures, including: Number of applications to the
program, Quality of the applicant pool (cGPA, diversity),
Admissions to the program (% admitted, % matriculated), Student
surveys (program satisfaction during enrollment), Student
evaluations of instruction (Course satisfaction), Retention rates,
Graduation rates, Cumulative student GPAs, Time-to-Certificate,
Exit surveys at graduation, Alumni surveys (applicable employment,
use of degree). For its Full-Time MBA program, the Fisher College
collects and tracks, year-to-year, all the information that you
mentioned. As reported in Point 8 of the revised proposal under the
heading, Assessment Plan, we plan on doing the same for STEM
MBA.
0. Direct Measures, including: Specific student evaluations to
assess attainment of each competency, e.g. proportion of students
exceeding and meeting expectations associated with each of the
competencies (this can be collected as a set of numbers that can be
compared over years of the program to measure student success and
make targeted changes to increase it), cumulative course
performance. Also under Point 8, we have provided details about the
direct measures that the Fisher College uses to assess Full-Time
MBA student learning goal attainment. We also report on the
development of new learning goals and measures for students in the
STEM MBA specialization.
4. Student Impact
0. The proposal indicates that the STEM-designated specialization
will not impact students’ expected time to degree. How will the
program monitor student progress, ensuring that students’ time to
degree has not been impacted (e.g., data collected and monitored by
a program coordinator or advisor)? Under Point 9 of the revised
proposal, Monitoring Student Progress, we note that advisors in the
Fisher College’s GPO track the progress of all its graduate
students. At present, the retention rate for the Full-Time MBA,
which includes students that take STEM-laden coursework, is
extremely high (i.e., we usually lose zero students per year and
rarely more than one). To ensure that coursework is completed, an
advisor will work closely with the STEM MBA student just as they
would any other traditional Full Time MBA student. A degree audit
report system tool will also be used to track progress toward STEM
MBA completion. Any STEM MBA student who fails to complete the
requirements will not have the STEM designation listed upon
completion of the degree. Prior to commencement, the GPO advisor
will notify the Graduate School of this.
Please let us know if we can supply additional information about
the Fisher College’s plans for the STEM MBA.
Sincerely,
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Irving Abramowitz Memorial
Professor
Associate Dean’s Office
614-688-2129 Phone fisher.osu.edu
17 November 2020
The Ohio State University
Dear Vice-Provost Smith:
The Fisher College of Business respectfully requests approval for a
new, STEM-designated specialization within its Full-Time MBA
program.
The desired title of the new specialization is: STEM MBA, and the
classification that would be appropriate is 52.1301 Management
Science: a general program that focuses on the application of
statistical modeling, warehousing, data mining, programming,
forecasting and operations research techniques to the analysis of
problems of business organization and performance. Includes
instruction in optimization theory and mathematical techniques,
data mining, data warehousing, stochastic and dynamic modeling,
operations analysis, and the design and testing of prototype
systems and evaluation models.
The documentation accompanying this letter include:
1. A letter documenting approval for the proposal from Dean Anil
Makhija.
2. A letter documenting approval for the proposal from the Fisher
College’s MBA Policy Committee.
3. The proposal itself. The proposal includes an Appendix
consisting of short-form syllabi for the program’s STEM-relevant
core and elective coursework.
Sincerely,
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Irving Abramowitz Memorial
Professor
Office of the Dean 201 Fisher Hall 2100 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH
43210-1144
614-292-2666 Phone 614-292-7999 Fax fisher.osu.edu
November 16, 2020
The Ohio State University
Dear Randy:
Our MBA Policy Committee and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs,
Ben Tepper, has endorsed a proposal to create a STEM specialization
for the Fisher College’s Full-Time MBA Program. I also support this
initiative.
By adding such a specialization to our MBA program, the Fisher
College will be joining virtually all top-tier business schools,
which have already approved and deployed STEM-designated MBA
programming. As the proposal makes clear, our international and
domestic MBA students will benefit by having this option made
available to them.
Please accept my deepest thanks for considering this proposal and
shepherding it through the levels of review in the OAA and in the
Graduate School.
Sincerely,
Associate Dean’s Office
614-688-2129 Phone fisher.osu.edu
Proposal for a STEM MBA Specialization within
the Fisher College’s Full-Time MBA Program
1. Rationale for the STEM MBA Specialization. The Fisher Full-Time
MBA program recruits against peer and aspirant business schools
and, within the last three years, not having the STEM designation
has left Fisher at a serious recruiting disadvantage. Relatedly,
the absence of a STEM specialization has left many of our recent
MBA graduates at a disadvantage in the job market. International
graduates of U.S. business schools (who do not earn a
STEM-designated degree) are permitted to complete optional
practical training (OPT) in the U.S. for only 12 months before they
must secure an H1-B visa. In 2016, the federal government launched
the STEM Designated Degree Program, under which international
graduates are permitted to remain in the U.S. for an additional two
years of OPT. In other words, students who have earned a
STEM-designated master’s degree may complete their optional
practical training in the U.S. for three years without an H1-B
visa. Domestic students are also impacted in that STEM jobs
generally yield higher wages than non-STEM jobs and the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics projects that, over the next 25 years, the
demand for STEM-designated degrees will grow at a faster rate than
will demand for non-STEM degrees. This explains why in just the
last few years virtually all the leading business schools, as well
as others, have secured a STEM designation for their entire MBA
program (e.g., Stanford, Chicago, MIT, Columbia, Berkeley, NYU,
Carnegie Mellon, Arizona State, Georgia, Washington University, UC
Davis, UC Irvine) or for a specialization in their Full-Time MBA
(e.g., Harvard, Wharton, Northwestern, Dartmouth, Yale, Michigan,
Georgetown, Cornell, North Carolina, Purdue, Indiana, Vanderbilt,
Johns Hopkins, Case Western, Wisconsin).[footnoteRef:1] Making a
STEM designated specialization available to the Fisher College’s
Full-Time MBA students will put them on a competitive employment
footing with the alums of other highly ranked MBA programs. [1: For
further details about this trend, see the following article in
Poets and Quants:
https://poetsandquants.com/2020/04/20/all-the-stem-programs-at-major-u-s-business-schools/]
2. Proposed Curriculum: The Fisher Full-Time MBA curriculum
consists of 60 credit hours. There are 33 hours of required
instruction that includes 25.5 hours of core coursework and 7.5
hours of experiential project-based instruction. The other 27
credit hours are elective options. Nine of the 27 elective hours
may be taken outside of the Fisher College of Business. At this
time, there are no formally recognized specializations within the
Full-Time MBA. In other words, all students are enrolled in the
same “plan.”
The 33 hours of required instruction for all Full-Time MBA students
consists of:
· MBA 6203: Organizational Behavior and Leadership (3)
· MBA 6211: Accounting for Decision Making (3)*
· MBA 6223: Finance (3)*
· MBA 6243: Organizations, Markets, & Management (3)*
· MBA 6253: Marketing (3)
· MBA 6292: Business Lab Challenge (3)*
· MBA 6293: Strategy Formulation and Implementation (3)
· MBA 6295: Social Impact Challenge (3)
· MBA 6296: Max Problem Solving (1.5)
Six of these courses, comprising 18 credit hours and denoted above
with an asterisk, emphasize STEM content: MBA 6211 Accounting for
Decision Making, MBA 6223 Finance, MBA 6233 Operations Management,
MBA 6243 Organizations Markets & Management, MBA 6273 Data
Analysis for Managers, and MBA 6292 Business Lab Challenge.
Students will satisfy the requirements for the STEM MBA by
completing an additional 12 hours of elective coursework that
emphasizes STEM content. In total, then, students in the STEM MBA
would complete at least 30 hours of STEM coursework (of the 60
hours required for the degree). Listed below are the elective
courses that are offered by the Fisher College and from which STEM
MBA students would need to select a minimum of 12 credit hours.
Appendix A shows the short-form syllabi for the core and elective
courses that emphasize STEM content.
Elective Coursework from which STEM MBA Students Will Select 12
Credit Hours
FIN 5402: Real Estate Valuation (3)
MGT 7222: Simulation Risk Analysis and Decision Making (1.5)
AMIS 7220: Financial Statement Analysis 1 (1.5)
M&L 7201: Marketing Research & Analytics (1.5)
FIN 7210: Corporate Financing (1.5)
MGT 7232: Supply Chain Analytics (1.5)
AMIS 7221: Financial Statement Analysis II (1.5)
M&L 7204.01: Customer Management, Pricing, and Analytics I
(1.5)
FIN 7218: Fixed Income Securities (1.5)
MGT 7235: Health Care Operations Management (1.5)
AMIS 7230: Accounting for Mergers and Acquisitions (1.5)
M&L 7204.02: Customer Management, Pricing, and Analytics II
(1.5)
FIN 7220: Investments Management (1.5)
MGT 7242: Six Sigma Principles (3.0)
AMIS 7310: Managerial Accounting for Decision Making (1.5)
M&L 7382: Logistics Analytics (1.5)
FIN 7221: Financial Modeling (1.5)
MGT 7256: Tools for Data Analysis (1.5)
AMIS 7430: Taxes and Business Strategy (1.5)
M&L 7386: Logistics Technology and Application (1.5)
FIN 7222: Fixed Income Analysis (1.5)
MGT 7257: Data Analysis and Visualization (3)
AMIS 7640: Data Mining for Business Intelligence (1.5)
FIN 7223: Quantitative Portfolio Management (1.5)
FIN 7230: Derivatives Markets (1.5)
FIN 7232: Derivatives Valuation and Application (1.5)
FIN 7234: Fintech (1.5)
FIN 7241: Real Estate Finance (1.5)
FIN 7250: International Finance (1.5)
FIN 7290: Enterprise Risk Management (1.5)
In addition, in keeping with current rules, which allows MBA
students to take up to nine hours of their elective coursework from
outside the Fisher College, STEM MBA students will be permitted to
apply (toward their required 12 hours of STEM coursework) up to
nine hours of STEM CIP-coded coursework from outside the Fisher
College.
3. Comparison Between the Current Full-Time MBA Program and the
STEM MBA Program: The STEM MBA will be a specialization within the
current, Full-Time MBA Program. Like all other Full-Time MBA
students, STEM MBA students will take the same 33 hours of required
coursework and 27 hours of electives. However, the specialization
will be different in that at least 12 credit hours of STEM MBA
students’ electives will come from courses listed in Table 1.
Regular, Full-Time MBA students will be permitted to take STEM
electives as well; but students will be recognized as STEM MBA’s
only if they have formally declared that they are pursuing the
specialization.
4. Administrative Arrangements: The STEM MBA will be administered
primarily by the Fisher College’s Graduate Program Office (GPO),
which houses the recruiters, advisors, and event planners whose
work supports the Full-Time MBA program. The Fisher College’s
Office of Career Management (OCM)will counsel STEM MBA students on
career planning and job search. Other units that support the
operations of the STEM MBA will be the Fisher College’s fiscal
office, Office of Global Business, and Office of Diversity &
Inclusion Student Services and Corporate and Community Outreach.
Administrative oversight for the STEM MBA will run through the
Academic Director of the Full-Time MBA Program and the Executive
Director of GPO, to the Fisher College’s Associate Dean for
Graduate Programs, and on to the Dean of the Fisher College.
5. Plans to Enroll Students and Prospective Enrollment: The
application to the Full-Time MBA will be modified so that new
students are placed in the STEM MBA specialization upon
matriculation. Also upon matriculation the Fisher GPO will notify
OIA and the graduate school which students have and have not
elected the STEM MBA. We anticipate that, each recruiting cycle,
fifteen to twenty new students will avail themselves of the STEM
MBA specialization. GPO will conduct degree audits for STEM MBA
students and the graduate school will conduct final reviews.
Students need not have a STEM background, nor do they need prior
STEM-related coursework, in order to pursue the STEM MBA. The
program’s core coursework, which consists of data analytics,
finance, and economics, to name a few, provides a rigorous
foundation for students who elect the STEM MBA. After completing
the core, STEM MBA students will be well-prepared to complete the
more advanced electives in such areas as statistical modeling,
financial modeling, and analytical models.
6. Transition Plan for Currently Enrolled Full-Time MBA Students:
We are aware that a subset of currently enrolled students would
have pursued a STEM-designated degree if it had been available when
they matriculated. We will offer these students the option of
switching to the STEM MBA specialization after it has been
approved. In the future, it is conceivable that students who have
enrolled in the specialization will want to switch to the “regular”
Full-Time MBA or vice-versa. We do not expect many students will
request such transfers (nor more than five per year). Students
seeking a switch will inform their STEM MBA advisor, who will
contact Graduate Registration Services to request the switch. This
process will be performed manually.
7. Advising Sheet for the New Specialization: The advising sheet
for STEM MBA students is the same for “regular” MBA students, but
for the inclusion of a section in which advisors keep track of STEM
MBA students’ completion of the required fifteen hours of STEM
elective work.
Advising Worksheet for the STEM MBA
Core Coursework
3
3
3
3
1.5
33
Grade
12
27
8. Assessment Plan: In keeping with the accreditation standards
outlined by the Association to advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB), the Fisher College has developed robust
assessment processes for all its programs. Of relevance here, the
college conducts assessment of its Full-Time MBA program using
indirect measures and direct measures. The indirect indicators,
which will also be used to assess the STEM MBA, include tracking on
a year-to-year basis the quality of the applicant pool (in terms of
undergraduate GPA, average GMAT score, and proportion of women and
under-represented minorities), application, admission, and
enrollment counts, satisfaction with instruction on a
course-by-course basis, and satisfaction with the program during
the program, immediately upon completion, and in the years after
completion.
As for direct measures of student learning, the Fisher College
assesses student Full-Time MBA student learning with respect to
five learning goals:
· 1: Graduates are able to apply their knowledge and skills to
identify and solve business problems.
· 2: Graduates have a global perspective and an awareness of how
cultural differences impact business.
· 3: Graduates are able to work and lead effectively in a
team-based environment.
· 4: Graduates demonstrate professional deportment, self-awareness,
leadership polish, and effective communication skills.
· 5: Graduates demonstrate an appreciation for and understanding of
the importance of ethics and values as they pertain to decision
making in business.
The relationships between the Full-Time MBA program’s learning
goals and core coursework is shown in the following curriculum map.
Curriculum mapping ensures that learning goals are reflected in a
program’s curriculum so that each goal is taught and assessed. The
Fisher College assesses, and compares year-to-year, the proportion
of students that meet and exceed expectations on these
competencies.
1 = Beginning
2 = Intermediate
3 = Advanced
MBA 6223: Finance
Advanced
Advanced
Advanced
Advanced
Intermediate
Advanced
Intermediate
Intermediate
Internship
Advanced
Advanced
Advanced
Advanced
The assessment process for STEM MBA students will include these
five learning goals, as well as two more that capture mastery of
STEM-relevant content:
· 6: Graduates will demonstrate fluency in techniques involving
scientific inquiry, use of technology, mathematical modeling,
and/or statistical modeling in line with STEM education.
· 7: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to adopt methods of
scientific inquiry, technology, mathematics, and/or statistics
learned in STEM coursework to the analysis of problems in business
and management.
Because it is elective coursework that differentiates the STEM MBA
from the regular Full-Time MBA, and because no two STEM MBA
students may take precisely the same slate of electives, we have
developed an assessment process that has broad applicability. That
process will consist of the following steps:
· Prior to graduation and, as a requirement for receiving the STEM
designation, each student will submit to GPO a paper, project, or
assignment exemplifying their best work in a STEM elective.
· The Program Chair and faculty with relevant expertise will use a
rubric to assess each submission. These results will be shared with
the Fisher College’s Assurance of Learning Coordinator, who is
responsible for preparing and disseminating reports for use within
the college and for accreditation purposes.
The rubric to be used in the assessment of STEM MBA student papers
and projects is as follows:
Goal
Definition of problem articulates business implications of project
or assignment
7
6,7
6,7
6,7
7
7
Learnings are summarized clearly and completely
Note: Assess students only on the Criteria/Assessment Traits
applicable to each assignment
9. Monitoring Student Progress. The GPO will track each STEM MBA
student’s progress through the program. So ensure that the
appropriate coursework is completed, an advisor in the GPO will
work closely with each STEM MBA student just as they would any
other traditional Full Time MBA student. A degree audit report
system tool will also be used to track progress toward STEM MBA
completion. Any STEM MBA student who fails to complete the
requirements will not have the STEM designation listed upon
completion of the degree. Prior to commencement, the GPO advisor
will notify the Graduate School of this.
Miscellaneous Matters:
No programs or units outside of the Fisher College will be impacted
by the creation of the new specialization. The majority of the
coursework taken by STEM MBA students will come from the Fisher
College. And the creation of the STEM MBA specialization will not
change the overall amount of coursework taken by MBA students
outside the Fisher College.
There are no plans to create new courses to serve the
specialization (a rich selection of STEM-laden electives are
already offered within and outside the Fisher College).
Like the current, Full-Time MBA, the STEM MBA specialization will
be a residential program. There are no plans to change the mode of
delivery (e.g., to online) for this new specialization.
Appendix
Short-Form Syllabi for STEM MBA Core and Elective Courses Offered
by the Fisher College
Core Courses
MBA 6233: Finance
MBA 6273: Data Analysis for Managers
MBA 6292: Business Lab Challenge
Elective Courses
ACCTMIS 7230: Accounting for Mergers and Acquisitions (and other
Complex Transactions)
ACCTMIS 7310: Managerial Accounting for Decision Making
ACCTMIS 7430: Taxes and Business Strategy
ACCTMIS 7640: Data Mining for Business Intelligence
BUSFIN 5402: Real Estate Valuation
BUSFIN 7210: Corporate Financing
BUSFIN 7220: Investments Management
BUSFIN 7221: Financial Modeling
BUSFIN 7230: Derivatives Markets
BUSFIN 7234: Fintech
BUSFIN 7250: International Finance
BUSMGT 7222: Simulation Risk Analysis and Decision Making
BUSMGT 7232: Supply Chain Analytics
BUSMGT 7235: Health Care Operations Management
BUSMGT 7242: Six Sigma Principles
BUSMGT 7256: Tools for Data Analysis
BUSMGT 7257: Data Analysis and Visualization
BUSML 7201: Marketing Research and Analytics
BUSML 7204.01: Customer Management, Pricing, and Analytics I
BUSML 7204.02: Customer Management, Pricing, and Analytics II
BUSML 7382: Logistics Analytics
Core Courses:
Course Number: MBA 6211
Prerequisites: Enrollment in the Full-Time MBA Program
Course Description: Accounting systems provide important
information for all types of organizations throughout the world.
Despite their many differences, all accounting systems are built on
a common foundation. Economic concepts such as assets, liabilities,
and income are used to organize information into a standard set of
financial statements. Bookkeeping mechanics compile financial
information with the double entry system of debits and credits.
Accounting conventions help guide the application of the concepts
through the mechanics. This course outlines these accounting
fundamentals. It then extends this knowledge by examining how
accounting information and financial statements can be used to make
decisions for planning and valuation.
Course Objectives: Students will acquire basic accounting knowledge
that is useful in the day-to-day practice of general management and
other careers in business.
Content Topic List:
Mechanics of Financial Reporting
Statement of Cash Flows
Using Financial Statement Information
Inventory
Prerequisites: Enrollment in the Full-Time MBA Program
Course Description: A market-oriented framework for analyzing the
major types of financial decisions made by corporations.
Course Objectives: Students will understand the concepts of net
present value, the time value of money, capital budgeting,
portfolios, and how financial institutions work.
Content Topic List:
Present Value Techniques
Prerequisites: Enrollment in the Full-Time MBA Program
Course Description: Case studies are used to provide an overview of
various manufacturing and service operations contexts and
appropriate planning and control mechanisms.
Course Objectives: Students develop a solid foundation and
understanding of how operations function and contribute to ensuing
effective and efficient flow of materials and information within
and outside organizations. By the course’s conclusion, students
will be able to (a) relate operations planning and control to
business and functional strategies, (b) identify problem
situations, analyze, and formulate strategies, and (c) develop
viable alternatives to augment competitive advantage for the firm
and its supply chain partners.
Content Topic List:
Forecasting (Patterns of Demand, Forecast Error Measures)
Capacity Planning (Estimating Capacity Requirements)
Constraint Management (Constraints and Bottlenecks)
Inventory Management (Inventory Costs, ABC Analysis, EOQ)
Supply Chain Design & Integration (Measures, Outsourcing vs
Vertical Integration, Efficiency)
Operations Planning and Scheduling (Managing Demand, Prioritizing
Work)
Process Analysis (Data Analysis Tools, Costs of Quality, Total
Quality Management)
Quantity and Performance (Six Sigma, Statistical Process Control,
Process Capability, ISO)
Lean Systems (Forms of Waste, Value Stream Mapping)
Course Title: Organizations, Markets, and Management
Course Number: MBA 6243
Prerequisites: Enrollment in the Full-Time MBA Program
Course Description: An examination of the role that economics plays
in analyzing and solving business problems.
Course Objectives: Provide students with a way of analyzing and
solving problems in business through the lens of economics. These
applications include but are not limited to predicting firm and
individual behavior using the rational actor paradigm, correctly
identifying the relevant costs associated with a decision or
investment, setting optimal prices and price discrimination
structures, predicting industry-level changes using demand/supply
analysis, developing long-run strategies to prevent profit erosion
and to increase firm level, using elements of game theory to
predict how actions influence those of others, make better decision
in uncertain environments, identifying and solving problems caused
by moral hazard and adverse selection, aligning individual and
division incentives with the goals of a company, managing
relationships between upstream suppliers or downstream retailers,
identifying opportunities to profitably consummate wealth-creating
transactions.
Content Topic List:
Market Analysis, Market Forces, and Equilibrium
Profits and Sustaining Competitive Advantage
Price Discrimination and Cross-Price Effects
Sequential and Simultaneous Move Games and Nash Equilibria
Strategic Bargaining and the Nash Bargaining Solution
Uncertainty and Modeling Risk
Risk and Adverse Selection
Risk and Moral Hazard
Course Number: MBA 6273
Prerequisites: Enrollment in the Full-Time MBA Program
Course Description: Large quantities of data are widely available
in all disciplines of business. The analysis of data in accounting,
finance, marketing, operations, and human resources is based on the
same underlying principles and techniques. This course exposes
students to these fundamental principles.
Course Objectives: This course introduces and develops the
quantitative thinking and skills needed for managerial data
analysis. Students develop an application-oriented understanding of
the roles that statistical inference plays in business decision
making.
Content Topic List:
Course Number: MBA 6292
Prerequisites: Enrollment in the Full-Time MBA Program
Course Description: This experiential learning course is designed
to equip students with effective consulting project management
techniques and methods typically used in client engagement practice
to solve complex business issues, while using a variety of
analytical methods and tools. Course focus is upon (1) developing
proficiencies in a range of skills required to practice management
consulting and then (2) applying these proficiencies in a
semester-long client engagement project. This course will leverage
frameworks of analysis from Finance, Strategy, and Marketing, and
runs concurrently with data analytical skill development (e.g. Data
Analysis for Managers).
Course Objectives: This course introduces and develops tools and
techniques of complex business problem solving in a project
management consulting framework. Students deliver a semester-long
client project through management consulting methods and frameworks
in areas of company strategy, operations, or market expansion.
Students develop a disciplined approach towards using business
analysis frameworks to solve real-world client problems through an
analysis process that begins with a request for proposal and ends
with the write-up and presentation of the proposed solution to the
client’s senior management team. Prior client list includes
(partial): Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Root Insurance, Sarnova,
White Castle, Rotary (Deloitte), and State Auto.
Content Topic List:
Project Management tools: Project Statement of Work (SOW), Gantt
Charts, Pert Charts, Work Breakdown Structure, Agile Methods of
Estimation
Change Management: Initiative Cash Flow Analysis and IRR/NPV,
Balanced Scorecard Evaluation
Financial Analysis: Cash Flows, Income Statements, Balance Sheets,
Simple & Complex Financial Modeling
Consulting Methods: Case Interview Development, Minto Pyramid
Principle (MECI) Analysis
Business Scenario Analysis: M&A, Growth Strategies, Market
Expansion, Portfolio Modeling, Marketing & Competitive
Analysis, Business Case Analysis
Operations and Supply Chain: Lean Six Sigma Defect and Trend
Analysis, Value Chain Analysis, Procurement Management Model
Analysis, Digital Transformation Investment Analysis
Elective Courses
Course Number: ACCTMIS 7220
Course Description:
The methods of fundamental analysis will be examined in detail.
Topics include, but are not limited to: models of shareholder
value, traditional ratio analysis, a comparison of accrual
accounting and discounted cash flow approaches to valuation, the
analysis of profitability, growth and valuation generation in a
firm, diagnosing accounting quality, forecasting earnings and cash
flows, pro-forma analysis for strategy and planning, and the
determination of price/earnings (P/E) and market-to-book (P/B)
ratios. The course is of interest to those contemplating careers in
equity research, security analysis, consulting, public accounting,
auditing, corporate finance, and data analytics.
Course Objectives:
This course is designed to improve students' ability to use
financial statements as part of an overall assessment of a firm’s
strategy and valuation. The primary focus is on analyzing financial
statements with the goal of estimating an equity (share)
valuation.
Content Topic List:
Identifying Value Created for Shareholders
Analyzing Financial Statements for Valuing Equities
Relevance of Cash Flows, Dividends, Earnings, and Book Values in
Valuation
Ratio Analysis and Valuation
Profitability, Growth, and Valuation
Analyzing Financial Statement Quality
Determining a Firm’s Market-to-Book (P/B) Ratio
Evaluating Risk for Equity and Debt
Evaluating an Equity Research Report
Trading on Fundamental Information
Course Number: ACCTMIS 7221
Prerequisites: AMIS 7220
Course Description: The methods of fundamental analysis will be
examined in detail. Topics include, but are not limited to: models
of shareholder value, traditional ratio analysis, a comparison of
accrual accounting and discounted cash flow approaches to
valuation, the analysis of profitability, growth and valuation
generation in a firm, diagnosing accounting quality, forecasting
earnings and cash flows, pro-forma analysis for strategy and
planning, and the determination of price/earnings (P/E) and
market-to-book (P/B) ratios. The course is of interest to those
contemplating careers in equity research, security analysis,
consulting, public accounting, auditing, corporate finance, and
data analytics.
Course Objectives: This course is designed to improve students'
ability to use financial statements as part of an overall
assessment of a firm’s strategy and valuation. The primary focus is
on analyzing financial statements with the goal of estimating an
equity (share) valuation.
Content Topic List:
Identifying Value Created for Shareholders
Analyzing Financial Statements for Valuing Equities
Relevance of Cash Flows, Dividends, Earnings, and Book Values in
Valuation
Ratio Analysis and Valuation
Profitability, Growth, and Valuation
Analyzing Financial Statement Quality
Determining a Firm’s Market-to-Book (P/B) Ratio
Evaluating Risk for Equity and Debt
Evaluating an Equity Research Report
Trading on Fundamental Information
Course Title: Accounting for Mergers and Acquisitions (and other
complex transactions)
Course Number: ACCTMIS 7230
Course Description: Students will critically analyze the
implications of how accounting standards influence the information
available to financial statements users. Students will also
analyze, critique, and debate how academic accounting research
influences contemporary financial reporting issues.
Course Objectives: The objective of this course is to provide a
foundation for understanding the conceptual and practical issues
surrounding the accounting for business combinations, structured
transactions, derivatives, and foreign operations. In addition to
learning the current accounting rules for complex
transactions,
Content Topic List:
Course Number: ACCTMIS 7310
Prerequisites: MBA 6211
Course Description: This course focuses on the strategic nature of
management accounting and emphasizes the critical role that
information plays in decision-making, strategy execution, and
overall enhancement of a firm’s value.
Course Objectives: Primarily taught through lectures and case
studies, this course will utilize and build upon the concepts
studied in prior Management Accounting courses, and allow the
students an opportunity to see how these concepts fit
together.
Content Topic List:
Job Costing
Activity-Based Costing
Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis
Master Budget / Flexible Budgets, Direct-Cost Variances
Flexible Budgets, Overhead Cost Variances
Flexible Budgets, Overhead Cost Variances Case
Transfer Pricing/Review
Course Number: ACCTMIS 7430
Prerequisites: MBA 6211
Course Description: The course will provide a framework for
thinking about taxes that is applicable across time (as tax rules
change) and across jurisdictions. Topics covered in this course
include tax considerations in establishing a business, how taxes
impact the structure of mergers and acquisitions,
crossjurisdictional tax planning (including international and
multistate), and tax implications in personal finance decisions
(including deferred compensation, stock compensation, retirement
plans, and alternative savings vehicles). We will approach this
course using the (infamous) ScholesWolfson framework, which
considers all parties, all taxes, and all costs to the transaction.
Taxes are one of the largest expenses businesses incur, and thus
tax planning is itself a big business. Taxes are everywhere and
effect every decision, but remember: tax planning is not
necessarily the same as tax minimization.
Course Objectives: The objective of this course is to provide a
broad, bigpicture understanding of how taxes affect financial
decisions, both at the individual and business level. This course
is intended to be fundamentally different from traditional tax
courses, which generally focus either on (a) the macroeconomic
effects of tax policy or (b) the application of tax law to a
particular set of transactions. Instead, this course takes a
microeconomic approach and focuses on economicsbased decision
making.
Content Topic List:
Tax Planning Fundamentals / Taxes and Public Perception Taxation of
Investments
Implicit Taxes, Marginal Tax Rates, Tax Arbitrage
Tax Considerations in Choosing an Organizational Form for
Corporations
Nontax Costs of Tax Planning
Analyzing Tax Information in Financial Statements
Compensation Planning, Deferred Compensation
Multinational and MultiState Tax Planning
Major Tax Issues Associated with Mergers, Acquisitions, and Sales
of Subsidiaries
Course Title: Data Mining for Business Intelligence
Course Number: ACCTMIS 7640
Prerequisites: MBA 6211
Prerequisites: The key prerequisites consist of good graduate
standing and completion of an introductory course in probability
and statistics. Assignments do not involve programming, per se, and
no prior professional IT experience is assumed.
Course Description: Advances in information technologies and the
increased digitization of business have led to an explosive growth
in the amount of structured and unstructured data collected and
stored in databases and other electronic repositories. Much—but
certainly not all—of this data comes from operational business
software (e.g., finance/accounting applications, Enterprise
Resource Management (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM),
workflow and document management systems, surveillance and
monitoring systems, and Web logs) and is often archived into vast
data warehouses to become part of corporate memory. The result of
this massive accumulation of data is that organizations have become
data-rich yet still knowledge-poor. What can be learned from these
mountains of data to improve decisions? How can an organization
leverage its massive data warehouses for strategic advantage? A
large number of methods with roots in statistics, informational
retrieval and machine learning have been developed to address the
issue of knowledge extraction from data sets—both small and large.
The term "data-mining" refers to this collection of methods.
Course Objectives: The objectives of this course are two-fold: (1)
to provide you with a theoretical and practical understanding of
core data mining concepts and techniques; and (2) to provide you
with hands-on experience in applying these techniques to practical
real-word business problems using commercial data mining software.
As an applied course, the emphasis will be less on the inner
working of each method and more on when and how to use each
technique and how to interpret the results.
Content Topic List:
Data as a Strategic Resource; Existing Data Retrieval and
Manipulation Tools for Data/Information Extraction and Reporting;
Data Mining as a Problem-Solving Technique; Data mining methods;
Identifying the Correct Data Mining Technique; Mining a Prepared
Data Set; Interpreting and Evaluate the Results of Data
Mining.
Course Title: Real Estate Valuation
Course Number: BUSFIN 5402
Course Description: This real estate valuation and financial
modeling course will cover existing income producing property as
well as ground up construction. Topics include market analysis,
comparable valuation, income valuation, cost valuation, real estate
finance, expense reimbursements, budget development, and pro-forma
modeling. The course will utilize Argus Enterprise, the industry
accepted real estate specific financial modeling software.
Course Objectives: This real estate valuation and financial
modeling course will cover existing income producing property as
well as ground up construction.
Content Topic List:
Valuation of Income Properties
Market Analysis, Sources and Uses of Debt and Equity Capital
Financial Leverage, Commercial Loan Analysis &
Underwriting
Risk Analysis
Intro to Argus, Entering Properties, Revenues, and Expenses
Rent Roll, MLA, Purchase/Resale, IRR, Direct Capitalization, Port
Analysis
Advanced rents/expenses, Space Absorption, Property Reports
Detailed Recovery Structures, Expense Groups
Leasing Commissions, Renewal Options, Miscellaneous Rent
Sensitivity Analysis, Budgeting Process, Short Cut Keys
Course Title: Corporate Financing
Course Number: BUSFIN 7210
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: BUSFIN 7210 builds upon the principles of
corporate finance covered in 6223 (which may be taken concurrently)
to address the firm’s financial decisions around capital structure,
capital allocation and payout policies. Specifically, we begin by
examining the firm’s capital structure (or financing) decision,
which examines the amount and mix of financing required to finance
investment projects. This section will also include an overview of
capital markets. We will then examine the firm’s payout decision,
which involves when and how much of the firm’s free cash flow
should be returned to its owners, and put this in the context of
the firm’s overall approach to capital allocation. In addition to
these core financial decisions, the course will also introduce the
topic of Initial Public Offerings and Seasoned Equity
Offerings.
Course Objectives: Develop advanced valuation skills and theories
and applications in capital structure and security issuance.
Content Topic List:
The Firm’s Capital Structure Decision
The Firm’s Capital Allocation Process: Introduction
Case Discussion: Structuring Corporate Financial Policy
Case Discussion: California Pizza Kitchen
The Firm’s Capital Allocation Process: Dividends and Share
Repurchases
Case Discussion: Stone Container
Case Discussion: Autozone
Case Discussion: Ferrari
Course Number: BUSFIN 7218
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: The course will introduce students to the
discount rates and models used by practitioners and will cover (1)
US Treasury securities including: discount bills, zero coupon
strips, nominal coupon bonds and inflation protected securities,
(2) Select derivative instruments including Futures, (3) Corporate
bonds, including discussion of the risk premiums associated with
the risk of default and partial recovery, (4) Select (and
simplified) Structured Securities such as Mortgage Backed
Securities, and (5) Risk, return and the elements of portfolio
construction using the above listed instruments.
The course and associated discussion will be focused on the
practices used in the Fixed Income market. Evaluation of bonds is
essentially a discounted cash flow exercise, consequently, as a
pre-requisite, students must understand basic financial discounting
processes. Moreover, the course will include introduction (but not
the theoretical foundation and proof) of the associated mathematics
used in the Fixed Income markets.
Course Objectives: This course will provide students with an
introduction to the mathematics and evaluation of US Dollar
denominated fixed income instruments. Students will learn the
underlying terms and conditions used in the fixed income markets
and apply Excel based mathematical models to evaluate the pricing,
yield, risk and return attributes in the market.
Content Topic List:
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: This course will explore topics affecting the
asset management industry today including: the link between risk
and return, CAPM and factor (“smart beta”) models, expected return,
portfolio
attribution and active versus passive investing.
Course Objectives: Students will learn advanced skills needed for
securities valuation, theories and applications related to the
CAPM, APT, and efficient markets.
Content Topic List:
Multifactor models
Course Title: Financial Modeling
Course Number: BUSFIN 7221
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: This course will focus on leveraging primary
finance skills and Excel to apply and build professional corporate
financial models and detailed discounted cash flow model.
Additionally, the course will reinforce fundamental Excel and
finance concepts and introduce methods of forecasting.
Course Objectives:
Content Topic List:
Excel & Finance Review
Forecasting
Course Number: BUSFIN 7222
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: The goal of this course is to learn the basics
of Fixed Income and Credit Risk. The first two-thirds of the course
will largely focus on interest rate risk and derivative securities
related to interest rates. The last third of the course will focus
on corporate bonds and credit default swaps.
Course Objectives: This course is an intensive 7-week course, and I
expect that it will be one of the more quantitative courses at
Fisher College. I will focus largely on the tools, applications,
and concepts that go into Fixed Income and Credit Risk analysis.
You should expect to apply many formulas and do many calculations.
In some cases, you will need to use Excel to do calculations. The
course will focus largely on classroom lectures/discussions and
problem assignments.
Content Topic List:
Bond Valuation
Derivatives
Interest Rate Swaps and Floating Rate Bonds
Interest Rate Options
Course Number: BUSFIN 7223
Credits: 1.5
Prerequisites: You are expected to have already completed
Investments I and II and have learned the basic analysis of equity,
fixed income and derivative securities. You should also be familiar
with using Excel.
Course Description: Over $49 trillion are invested in mutual funds
worldwide. Roughly $19 trillion is invested in U.S. mutual funds
alone, up from just $5.5 trillion in 1998. Exchange-traded funds
(ETFs) now manage $5.3 trillion ($3.7 trillion of that in the
U.S.), and the number of U.S. ETFs has grown from 2 in 1995 to over
1,800 in the U.S. today. The mutual fund industry employs
approximately 178,000 people in the U.S. Hedge funds, including
Funds of Funds, manage over $3.2 trillion. Retirement accounts in
the U.S., much of which are invested in mutual funds, contain $28.2
trillion.
Course Objectives: To find employment in this industry, it is
necessary to possess the skills that are required, skills above and
beyond those taught in typical Investments and Corporate Finance
courses. The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to
the tools needed to enter the field of professional money
management.
There are three main goals for this course:
1) Increasing your knowledge of the portfolio management
industry.
2) Improving your data analysis skills.
3) Improving your understanding of current issues in the
field
Content Topic List:
The Investment Management Process
Equity & Bond Portfolio Investing
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: This course explores the valuation of forwards,
options, forward-based, and option-based financial instruments.
While a student may have studied options and/or forwards in other
courses, this course examines in detail the analytical methods used
to price these securities, and the analytical analysis of
arbitrage, hedging, and speculation using these securities.
Course Objectives: Course objectives are: (1) to provide an
understanding of the basic concepts and principles of derivatives,
(2) to provide opportunities to learn skills used in derivative
analysis and
valuation, (3) to evaluate trading and speculation opportunities
available in the current financial markets, and (4) assess the
influence of economic events upon pricing. The course is divided
into three parts, covering separately (1) Derivative basics,
strategies and payoffs; (2) Valuation of forward and forward-based
derivatives; and (3) Valuation of option and option-based
derivatives.
Content Topic List:
Course Number: FIN 7232
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: In this course, we will first start in
valuation of derivatives products. There are large number of
literatures on option valuation. While the theory might at first
look advanced and difficult, it is in fact quite accessible. The
purpose of this course is to give you an overview of pricing
methods on option contracts. During the course we will examine
different types of option contracts and how they are priced. Most
of the pricing will be done in the context of the binomial
option-pricing model. This is a simple but powerful approach to
valuing a wide variety of derivative. Then we will talk about
famous Black and Scholes formula and applications to various
derivatives products. And then we will cover Option Greeks and
delta-gamma hedging. Last, we will end this course with Exotic
Options.
Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, students should successfully be able
to:
1) understand the pricing of option contracts;
2) learn how to use Binomial Option Pricing Model and Black and
Scholes Formula
3) learn skills used in derivative contract analysis and
valuation,
4) evaluate trading and speculation opportunities available in the
current financial markets, and
5) assess the influence of economic events upon pricing.
Content Topic List:
Binomial Option Pricing
Keller’s Fund Option
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: The course provides an overview of the most
recent technological advances that are radically changing the
financial services industry. Technological breakthroughs offer new
ways for people to save, invest, borrow, and transact. We will
analyze how new technologies create value in the financial
industry, from reducing unit cost, increasing transparency,
increasing competition, creating network effects, leveraging
economies of scales, and lowering asymmetric information. We will
also study the competitive landscape and the market opportunities
and threats for incumbents and new entrants. The course is divided
into four modules. Module 1 will provide an overview of the FinTech
industry; Module 2 will focus on distributed ledgers, blockchains,
initial coin offerings (ICOs), and cryptocurrencies; Module 3 will
analyze application of artificial intelligence and machine learning
to the finance industry, from credit scoring models in marketplace
lending and crowdfunding, to algorithmic trading and robo-advising;
Finally, module 4 will concentrate on other topics in Fintech
including internet of things, insurance, and electronic
payments.
Course Objectives: Case material is “fair game.” All students are
required to read the cases individually, even those that are used
in group assignments. You should be prepared to answer reasonable
questions from case studies in class and on the exam. The
assignments may require using basic statistical tools, but
programming skills are not required. Students will be given the
opportunity to acquire required skills from online tools and
supplied materials.
Content Topic List:
Fintech Space Overview
Intro to Machine Learning and Its Application in Finance
Intermediate Machine Learning – Marketplace Lending
Robo-Advising
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: This is a customized course for students in the
MBA program and is an extension of the core first-year Finance
course (MBA 6223). The core course targets all MBA students and
covers a broad range of topics at a more introductory level.
Course Objectives: The main objective of the Valuation Analysis
course is to build upon the knowledge acquired in MBA 6223 by
focusing on two areas that are of interest to most MBA students: a)
Project Analysis (Capital Budgeting), and b) Business Valuation.
The course will present applications of topics covered in MBA 6223
through case discussions as well as introduce new material, such as
start-up and private company valuation. The course is organized
around three broad themes: a) Estimating cost of capital, b)
Project Analysis, and c) Business Valuation.
Content Topic List:
Estimating Hurdle Rates for Projects
Overview of Project Analysis
Course Number: FIN 7241
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: This graduate course will examine real estate
as an asset class and reinforce the position that real estate is an
important component of well-diversified portfolio. The course’s
goal is to provide students with a solid foundation in the building
blocks of real estate finance. The abbreviated course will step
through a review the major real estate sectors – Multifamily,
Retail, Office, Industrial plus Hotel. It will move on with an
overview of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) and Capital Asset Pricing
Model (CAPM) and discuss the real estate finance concepts such as
Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate), Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) and
Mortgage Amortization. The class will review the real estate
capital stack and discuss the use of equity and debt in the
financing of real estate. The course will touch on the various
types of real estate debt from construction to permanent financing
along with the current underwriting metrics used by today’s
practitioners. The course will then move into real estate due
diligence, financial modeling and real estate valuation. The course
will conclude with the underwriting of an industrial acquisition
and the completion of Investment Committee Memorandum (IC
Memo).
Course Objectives: At the completion of the class, students should
be able to demonstrate a fundamental understanding of:
· Real estate as an asset class in a well-diversified
portfolio.
· Real estate capital stack – equity and debt financing
· Various real estate debt structures along with current
underwriting metrics.
· Alternative financing structures including sale-leasebacks,
participating debt and ground leases.
· Real estate due diligence, financial modeling (DCF) and real
estate valuation
Content Topic List:
Annuities, Present Value, and amortization
Real Estate Capital Stock
Cap Rate Worksheet
Prerequisites: MBA 6223
Course Description: This course provides students with a framework
for making corporate financial decisions in an international
context. The course will discuss a spectrum of topics in the area
of international financial management.
Course Objectives: Student will learn how to measure currency
exposure; how to structure financial and operational hedges for
currency risk; how to structure a global financing program; how to
raise capital in international equity and bond markets; how to
structure capital budgeting analyses for foreign direct investment;
how to incorporate strategic aspects in the globalization process;
and how to value target firms for cross border acquisitions. The
course discussions primarily focus on solving problems facing a
corporate financial manager dealing with today’s global
environment. However, we also consider the challenges facing a
portfolio manager or an investor allocating a global
portfolio.
Content Topic List:
Corporate Strategy and Foreign Investment Analysis
International Capital Budgeting
Course Number: BUSFIN 7290
Course Description:
This course extends the skills students developed in pre-requisite
classes to the role of risk management within the firm. Taking
risks and mitigating risks are integral parts of what Senior
Executives and Board of Directors do to create shareholder value.
Yet, the global financial crisis and corporate meltdowns suggest
that many companies do not fully understand the risks that they
face or how to balance these risks to create value. Companies
around the world are investing in enterprise risk management (ERM)
functions and risk-aware employees. Risk management has become one
of the top priorities of boards, investors, regulators, and rating
agencies. This course is designed to train students in evaluating
and managing risks using an enterprisewide approach. The course
starts with an analysis of how risk management contributes to firm
value and discusses a general framework for how to use risk
management to create value. The course also will examine the
measurement and management of market risks, cash flow risks for
non-financial firms, along with other risks such as operational
risks. We will then turn to the implementation issues of
enterprise-wide risk management and how to incorporate risk
management into corporate decisions.
Course Objectives: The main emphasis of the course is on creating
value with risk management rather than on the technical details of
statistical measurement and pricing of derivatives. The material is
necessarily analytical and quantitative, but the course does not
require knowledge of mathematics and statistics beyond what is
required for the prerequisites.
Content Topic List:
People and Behaviors, Governance, Culture and Risk Taking
Firm Value and the Role of Enterprise Risk Management
Quantitative Risk Assessment
ERM and Strategy
Course Number: BUSMGT 7222
Course Description:
This course that will focus on analyzing management decisions that
involve uncertainty, risk, and complexity. There will be a strong
emphasis on applications and on the use of appropriate decision
analysis techniques and software tools. The analytical methods to
be studied will include Monte Carlo Simulation, Forecasting and
Decision Trees. In analyzing decision problems in these areas, we
will learn several commercial software packages: @RISK, and
PRECISION TREE, both part of the Decision Tools Suite from
Palisade. Class exercises and cases will be used by the instructor
to provide a hands-on approach to learning how to use the
software.
Course Objectives:
It is our expectation that, after this class, students will be able
to analyze real world problems using these tools and techniques and
will be able to effectively utilize the software packages listed
below.
Content Topic List:
Monte Carlo Simulation
Includes: @RISK®, PrecisionTree®, StatTools®
Course Number: BUSMGT 7232
Prerequisites: MBA 6231 and 6232
Course Description: In this course we will explore how firms can
better organize their operations so that they more effectively
align their supply with the demand for their products and services.
Throughout this course we illustrate mathematical analysis applied
to real operational challenges – we seek rigor and relevance. Such
quantitative analysis can help us truly understand issues or make
complex business decisions.
The course covers a range of operations management topics that all
impact managing supply, managing demand, or both. The emphasis is
on managing uncertain demand, both within the firm and across the
supply chain. We demonstrate that matching supply to demand is
easiest when a firm has a flexible supply process, but flexibility
is generally expensive. In this course we will learn (1) how to
assess the appropriate level of supply flexibility for a given
industry and (2) explore strategies for economically increasing a
firm’s supply flexibility. When supply is not flexible, we will
learn how to manage demand to better match it to our fixed
supply.
Course Objectives:
Our aim is to provide both tactical knowledge and high-level
insights needed by general managers and management consultants. We
will demonstrate that companies can use (and have used) the
principles from this course to significantly enhance their
competitiveness.
Content Topic List:
Demand Management/Forecasting
Quick Response with Reactive Capacity
Inventory Models and Analysis in Supply Chains
Managing Risk in Operations (Risk Pooling Strategies)
Postponement (Delayed Differentiation)
Course Title: Health Care Operations Management
Course Number: BUSMGT 7235
Prerequisites: Enrollment in MBA
Course Description: This class will cover the challenges and
opportunities around healthcare delivery with an overview of the
affordable care act and the movement to the volume-to-value
proposition for stages of the care continuum. The process of
prioritization of healthcare centric mandates and imposed tensions
will be shared as well as tactics to engage stakeholders and
metrics to measure success will be shared.
Course Objectives: As healthcare organizations face challenges such
as rising costs & complexity, as well as increasing demand for
limited resources, significant opportunity exists to better manage
their operations. This course applies operations management tools
to examine the healthcare value chain & analyze healthcare
organizations using qualitative & quantitative principles &
develop solutions to common problems.
Content Topic List:
Leadership and Resilience in an era of Change
Data Analytics for Healthcare
Clinical Care Transformation: Bundles Episodes
Engaging Providers in Operational Excellence
Course Title: Six Sigma Principles
Course Number: BUSMGT 7242
Prerequisites: MBA 6271
Course Description: This course is designed to familiarize students
with the Six Sigma process improvement methodology and to provide
them an opportunity to practice using Six Sigma Black Belt tools. A
Six Sigma Black Belt is an individual who is skilled in applying
basic and advanced process improvement and project management
methods in order to complete projects that will result in
significant, sustainable improvements within an organization.
Originally developed by Motorola to improve quality in their
manufacturing processes, Six Sigma has been adopted by companies
throughout the world to improve all types of processes. When
applied in business environments, Six Sigma programs have been used
to dramatically increase an organization’s ability to improve
quality and customer satisfaction while reducing overall costs.
Companies such as AlliedSignal and General Electric have used Six
Sigma to significantly increase productivity, operating income and
cash flow.
Course Objectives: In this course, students will gain an
understanding of the strategy and deployment of Six Sigma Black
Belt methods. The classroom sessions will combine lectures with
group discussions, case based simulations, outside speakers and
hands-on exercises.
Content Topic List:
Policy Deployment and Value-Based Project Selection
Voice of the Customer, Surveys, Market Segmentation, and CTGC
Tree
Process Maps – SIPOC, VSM, Process Map, Spaghetti Diagram
Descriptive Statistics
Process Capability
Course Number: BUSMGT 7256
Prerequisites: MBA 6271
Course Description: Business Analytics is one of the fastest
growing fields in the market today. To succeed, one must be armed
with the ‘tools of the trade’ and demonstrate a high level of
proficiency. This course is designed to introduce students to
commonly used software programs in data science and improve
students’ problem solving skills and logical thought
processes.
Course Objectives: Students will be focus on learning R (the most
pervasive and up-to-date program) and will be exposed to SAS (the
gold standard), SPSS (a more traditional statistical program), and
Tableau (a great visualization tool) if time permits. Statistical
methods and core problem solving skills will be emphasize
throughout the course.
Content Topic List
R Markdown; Control Flow
User Defined Functions; Simulation
Matrix Mathematics; Matrix Representation of Linear
Regression
Probability Distributions; Likelihood Functions
General linear models; logistic regression; glm
More GLM
Course Number: BUSMGT 7257
Prerequisites: Enrollment in MBA
Course Description: In most settings individual decisions are not
made in isolation. Multiple decisions must be made simultaneously
and involve judgments that involve limitations, are interdependent
or prone to considerable uncertainty with regard to outcomes (often
all three). Increasingly this involves leveraging the capabilities
of familiar and accessible technologies. The effectiveness of such
leverage critically is dependent on (1) the ability to translate
real-world problems into forms that such technologies can assist
with, (2) the ability to portray/visualize these translations in
ways that enhance the understanding of the dynamics of these
problems, (3) the ability to structure mechanisms that derive
suggested solutions to these problems, as well as describe the
robustness of these solutions to sources of uncertainty, (4) the
ability to clearly convey the justification and practicality of
final solutions to others. Whereas these skills are often assumed
to be distributed among multiple roles in a firm, managers
competent in all four are certainly at an advantage in modern
firms.
Course Objectives: This course is designed with the goal of
equipping students with competencies in each of the above skill
sets – the intended product being an individual capable of
developing analytically rigorous decision support tools, catered to
specific managerial environments, which can be easily handed off
for robust application by a range of intended users in those
environments.
Content Topic List:
Acquiring and Rationalizing Data
Complex-Dynamic Optimization
Leveraging User-Friendly Design
Critiques and Considerations
Instructor-Group Consultation Lab
Course Number: BUSML 7201
Prerequisites: MBA 6252
Course Description: This course is designed to provide an overview
of the marketing research process and how it can be used to help
inform the marketing decisions faced by managers. In this course,
students will learn how the marketing research process is carried
out through study and practice. This includes problem definition,
research design, data collection, data analysis, and the reporting
of results. To solidify these concepts, students will work through
various lab assignments and complete the construction of a
questionnaire.
Course Objectives: This course will cover various aspects of
marketing research and will apply many of the statistical
techniques covered in the core Data Analytics course. Having
successfully passed this class, students should be capable
of:
- identifying management decision problems and marketing research
problems
- recognizing the appropriate settings for various research
designs
- designing a questionnaire and implementing a survey
- performing analysis of marketing data using R
- interpreting research findings to make marketing
recommendations.
Content Topic List:
Qualitative Research Methods
Measurement and Surveys
Multivariate Hypothesis Testing
Course Number: BUSML 7204.01
Prerequisites: MBA 6250, 6252, or 6253
Course Description: This class will provide an applied approach to
widely-used analytical techniques. On the technical side, the class
will cover regression analysis, logistic regression and spreadsheet
modeling. These techniques are applied to real data from real case
studies, empowering students to apply these models when results do
not look crystal-clear as in textbook applications. The real-life
problems include the analysis of customer satisfaction and customer
value, and churn prediction
Course Objectives: This course will cover various aspects of
marketing research and will apply many of the statistical
techniques covered in the core Data Analytics course. Having
successfully passed this class, students should be capable
of:
- identifying management decision problems and marketing research
problems
- recognizing the appropriate settings for various research
designs
- designing a questionnaire and implementing a survey
- performing analysis of marketing data using R
- interpreting research findings to make marketing
recommendations.
Content Topic List:
Customer Management
Stochastic Models, Advanced models
Course Number: BUSML 7204.02
Prerequisites: MBA 7204.01
Course Description: The purpose of this course is to introduce the
student to quantitative frameworks and techniques relevant for
making pricing decisions. This includes a comprehensive
understanding of the demand side; both at the level of individual
customer values, and the more aggregate level of price
sensitivities of the market. While pricing strategies are taught
within several disciplines, this course will take an integrative
approach, combining concepts from economics, marketing, and
psychology.
Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course,
students will learn
· Concepts and theory surrounding pricing and product design,
· State-of-the-art techniques for answering price and product
design questions, including:
· Analyzing historical data to investigate consumer demand
· Using price elasticity of demand for predictions and optimal
pricing
· Designing conjoint studies to explore consumer preferences
· Estimating and analyzing discrete choice models for optimal
decision-making
Content Topic List:
Crude Pricing Techniques
Discrete Choice Modeling
Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis
Ethics in Pricing
Prerequisites: MBA 7380
Course Description: This course will prepare students to make
data-driven decisions on key logistics issues and then make these
decisions actionable through a focus on appropriate solution
methods needed to achieve firm financial goals. The course is
organized into two modules: Forecasting and Network Design. We will
cover a variety of logistics issues and discuss the quantitative
methods and modeling approaches within these two areas.
Course Objectives: By the end of the course, students will:
· Be familiar with key issues in demand forecasting and several
quantitative methods for developing forecasts
· Understand how companies approach their supply chain network
design in terms of: service objectives, cost components, key
drivers and industry best practices
· Understand how facility location and network design problems are
modeled and solved using mathematical optimization
· Appreciate how companies address these problems in the “real
world.”
Content Topic List:
Course Number: BUSML 7386
Prerequisites: MBA 7380
Course Description: This course focuses on the strategic and
operational use of supply chain technologies such as transportation
management systems, warehouse management systems, and inventory
management systems, along with hardware and other
applications.
Course Objectives: The objective of the class is to provide a
strong knowledge and understanding of the technology used in
logistics and supply chain management. In addition, several key
themes will be consistent throughout the course:
· The role of strategic planning, process and relationships, with
technology as an enabler.
· Dependencies and linkages between the various tools and stages in
the supply chain.
· Best practices and pitfalls in implementing and using logistics
systems
Content Topic List:
ERP systems, E-commerce, and Fulfillment Streams (Order and
Warehouse Management)
Transportation Management Systems, Yard and Fleet Management, and
Electronic On-boards
Physical Technology (RFID, AGVs, Conveyor and WCS, Voice Detection,
and Wearables)
Manufacturing Technology (MES, Additive Manufacturing)
Customers (EDW & Big Data, CRM Systems, E-Commerce,
Omni-Channel, Digital Marketing)
Associate Dean’s Office 200-B Fisher Hall 2100 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210-1144 614-688-2129 Phone fisher.osu.edu
13 November 2020
The Ohio State University
Dear Dean Makhija:
The MBA Policy Committee discussed the attached proposal to create
a STEM designated
specialization for the Fisher College’s Full -Time MBA program. The
committee approved
the proposal by a vote of 10 to 0.
I too endorse the proposal, which would put our Full -Time MBA on a
competitive footing
(with other top programs) with respect to new student recruiting
and with respect to the
employment prospects of the specialization’s alums.
Sincerely,
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Irving Abramowitz Memorial
Professor
Associate Dean’s Office
614-688-2129 Phone fisher.osu.edu
13 November 2020
The Ohio State University
Dear Dean Makhija:
The MBA Policy Committee discussed the attached proposal to create
a STEM designated specialization for the Fisher College’s Full-Time
MBA program. The committee approved the proposal by a vote of 10 to
0.
I too endorse the proposal, which would put our Full-Time MBA on a
competitive footing (with other top programs) with respect to new
student recruiting and with respect to the employment prospects of
the specialization’s alums.
Sincerely,
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Irving Abramowitz Memorial
Professor
TO: Randy Smith, Vice Provost for Academic Programs FROM: Anika
Anthony, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Graduate School DATE:
December 9, 2020 RE: Proposal to Develop a Graduate Specialization,
Master of Business
Administration, Fisher College of Business The Fisher College of
Business is proposing to develop a new graduate specialization in
STEM within the existing Master of Business Administration. The
proposal was received by the Graduate School on October 16, 2020.
The combined GS/CAA subcommittee reviewed the proposal on October
28, 2020 and requested revisions. Revisions were received on
November 17, 2020. On November 24, 2020, GS/CAA reviewed the
revised proposal and recommended it for approval by the Graduate
Council. The proposal was approved by the Graduate Council on
December 8, 2020.
Associate Dean’s Office 200-B Fisher Hall 2100 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210-1144 614-688-2129 Phone
fisher.osu.edu
17 November 2020
Anika Anthony Associate Dean of Academic Affairs The Ohio State
University Dear Associate Dean Anthony: Herein please find a
revision of the Fisher College’s request for approval for a STEM-
designated specialization within its Full-Time MBA program. In this
letter, I would like to walk you through our responses to the
comments, questions, and concerns from the GS/CAA’s curricular
subcommittee, which reviewed the initial proposal. Our responses
appear in bold lettering so that they will be easier to track. 1.
Additional information about the STEM emphasis
o Will students in the program be expected to have a background in
STEM (e.g., prior degree, coursework, and/or professional
experience)? No, students need not have a STEM background in order
to pursue the STEM MBA. The program’s core coursework, which
consists of data analytics, finance, and economics, to name a few,
provides a rigorous foundation for students who elect the STEM MBA.
After completing the core, STEM MBA students are well- prepared to
complete the more advanced electives in such areas as statistical
modeling, financial modeling, and other quantitative topics. We
clarify this under Point 5 in the revised proposal, Plans to Enroll
Students and Prospective Enrollment.
o Concerning the list of required STEM electives, the subcommittee
observed that the only prerequisites noted in the short syllabi are
other courses in the Fisher College of Business. Are there
STEM-specific prerequisites that students must meet in order to
take the STEM-focused courses (e.g., calculus, statistics, etc.)?
Because the MBA core provides STEM MBA students with the
preparation that they need to complete the STEM-relevant elective
courses, there are no other pre-requisites. This clarification also
appears in the revised language under Point 5, Plans to Enroll
Students and Prospective Enrollment.
o Will students have the opportunity to enroll in STEM courses
offered across campus to meet program requirements (either
STEM-designated or additional electives)? At this time, with their
advisor’s approval, MBA students may take up to 9 hours of
electives outside the Fisher College. We have revised the proposal
(see Point 2, Proposed Curriculum) to reflect the idea that
completing STEM-approved electives outside of the Fisher College
will count toward the 12 hour minimum associated with the STEM
MBA.
o What is the overlap between the STEM MBA and the three other
STEM-
designated programs offered through the Fisher College of Business?
If there are STEM courses that overlap across the four STEM
programs, which courses overlap? Students in the STEM-designated
specialized Master programs do not take the MBA core curriculum.
There is, however, some overlap in terms of the electives that STEM
MBA students would be eligible to take and the core and elective
courses that students in the specialized Master programs may take.
We have prepared a table that shows the courses in the STEM MBA
that may be completed by students in other Fisher College
STEM-designated programs.
STEM MBA Elective Courses Specialized Masters in
Finance
FIN 7218: Fixed Income Securities (1.5) X
FIN 7220: Investments Management (1.5) X
FIN 7221: Financial Modeling (1.5) X
FIN 7222: Fixed Income Analysis (1.5) X
FIN 7223: Quantitative Portfolio Management (1.5)
X
FIN 7232: Derivatives Valuation and Application (1.5)
X
FIN 7238: Valuation Analysis (1.5) X
FIN 7241: Real Estate Finance (1.5) X X
FIN 7250: International Finance (1.5) X
FIN 7290: Enterprise Risk Management (1.5) X X
MGT 7222: Simulation Risk Analysis and X X
Decision Making (1.5) MGT 7232: Supply Chain Analytics (1.5)
X
MGT 7242: Six Sigma Principles (3.0)
MGT 7256: Tools for Data Analysis (1.5) X X
MGT 7257: Data Analysis and Visualization (3) X X
AMIS 7220: Financial Statement Analysis 1 (1.5)
X X X
X X X
X X
X
X
X X
X
M&L 7204.01: Customer Management, Pricing, and Analytics I
(1.5)
X
M&L 7204.02: Customer Management, Pricing, and Analytics II
(1.5)
X
X M&L 7386: Logistics Technology and Application (1.5)
BUS FIN 5402: Real Estate Valuation (3) X
2. Transition Plan
o Concerning plans to enroll students and the transition plan (p.
6), I believe
the Fisher GPO will notify OIA (instead of OAA) and the Graduate
School about which students have elected the STEM MBA. Please
confirm whether OIA or OAA will be notified and edit if necessary.
Yes, we will be notifying OIA and we have changed this in the
document.
o By what point in a student’s program must they declare interest
in switching to or from the STEM MBA program? Will there be a
petition process for students who do not transfer to/from the STEM
MBA program by a given point in time? Upon matriculation, MBA
students will be asked to identify whether or not they will be
pursuing the STEM MBA. We do not expect many
students to request to be transferred or switched later (i.e., no
more than five per year). Students requesting a switch will inform
their STEM MBA advisor who will contact Graduate Registration
Services to request the switch. This process will be performed
manually. This is explained under Point 6 of the revision,
Transition Plan for Currently Enrolled MBA Students.
3. Assessment Plan
o The proposal indicates that the assessment plan for the STEM MBA
program
will not differ from the assessment plan for the Full-Time MBA. The
subcommittee recommends that an assessment plan be added that
aligns with the goals of the STEM specialization, indicates how
progress to the goals will be monitored, and describes how the
program will respond to assessment data. The following kinds of
program assessment components could be included in the plan for a
program of this type – you may already be collecting information of
this kind. Indirect Measures, including: Number of applications to
the program,
Quality of the applicant pool (cGPA, diversity), Admissions to the
program (% admitted, % matriculated), Student surveys (program
satisfaction during enrollment), Student evaluations of instruction
(Course satisfaction), Retention rates, Graduation rates,
Cumulative student GPAs, Time-to-Certificate, Exit surveys at
graduation, Alumni surveys (applicable employment, use of degree).
For its Full-Time MBA program, the Fisher College collects and
tracks, year-to-year, all the information that you mentioned. As
reported in Point 8 of the revised proposal under the heading,
Assessment Plan, we plan on doing the same for STEM MBA.
Direct Measures, including: Specific student evaluations to assess
attainment of each competency, e.g. proportion of students
exceeding and meeting expectations associated with each of the
competencies (this can be collected as a set of number