Master of Arts in Management

Department of Management Programs of Study - Overview

The Department offers two different graduate programs: 1) the MA in Management (MAM), and 2) the Master of Business Administration (MBA). These programs share a small core of courses designed to prepare all graduates to lead change initiatives within their organizations, professions, and communities. In addition, each program offers a unique curriculum that is tailored to the needs, interests, and talents of students. Students also may earn both degrees through a special dual degree option.

Both programs allow students to focus their study within certain professions or areas of management practice. Students may select electives from all of the following areas or may choose to concentrate in just one of them: Finance, Marketing, Health Care Administration, Organization Development (Planned Change), IT Leadership, and Human Resource Management (Duluth only). Courses that emphasize the international and cultural aspects of each area are also found within each disciplinary area.

Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The MBA program is designed for students who want a broad knowledge base in all the areas of business management: finance and accounting; marketing; operations and supply chain management; strategic management; and, managerial applications of technology. The curriculum offers students an opportunity to develop strong technical skills with the personal capacity for leadership and managing change. Ethical decision-making, social responsibility, and cultural acumen in a global setting are integrated within the curriculum. Students have opportunities in this program for international travel and learning in foreign settings.

Master of Arts in Management (MAM)
The MAM program focuses on the behavioral elements of management and treats them as part of a practice that can be mastered, much like medicine or law. Its graduates are skilled at identifying and analyzing organizational problems, developing innovative solutions, and making correct, ethical decisions at the most critical times. Courses of primary focus include: organizational behavior, organization development (planned change), management communication, human resource management, and strategic management. It also requires fundamental business courses such as marketing, finance and economics.

Detailed Program Description

Master of Arts in Management (MAM)

Format
The 40-semester-credits program is offered in an evening format that allows professionals to maintain their current work schedules while enhancing their knowledge and skills. The management program can be completed in 16 to 28 months, depending on how many courses a student takes during each eight-week term.

Program Outcomes
Graduates of the Management Program at St. Scholastica will be able to:

1. integrate management theory and practice;
2. demonstrate problem-solving skills;
3. demonstrate oral and written communication skills and research skills;
4. integrate personal values and management style;
5. understand the implications of global issues in the practice of management.

Admission Requirements
Applicants must demonstration proficiency in basic statistics. Proficiency can be demonstrated by:

• Having taken an undergraduate statistics course.
• Taking an on-line statistics course or tutorial specified by the Department.
• Documenting work or research experience through which the competency with statistics has been attained.

Applicants are not required to have taken undergraduate courses in accounting, but successful applicants without background in that subject matter will be asked to complete a self-directed tutorial as specified by the Department.

The Master of Arts in Management program will consider applicants who:

• Submit a completed Graduate Admissions application form and nonrefundable fee of U.S. $50.
• Have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• Submit all official transcripts of baccalaureate and graduate coursework.
• Have earned an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.8.
• Submit a completed Computer Competency form verifying skill level in word processing, spreadsheets, database, and communication applications.
• Submit a complete Master of Arts in Management Essay.
• Submit two Graduate Recommendation forms from individuals who observed and evaluated applicant's leadership competences or abilities.
• Submit a completed Student Immunization form.

International Applicants
ALL applications must be received no later than 90 days prior to the beginning of the starting term. Students will be notified in writing of their admissions status as soon as possible after the committee review.
An international applicant is any candidate who is not a:

• U.S. citizen.
• U.S. permanent resident alien.
• Permanent resident of the Northern Mariana Islands.
• Permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

In addition to the program requirements, international applicants must:

• Submit a TOEFL examination or the Michigan Test score which is required of all international applicants and applicants whose primary language is not English. The minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper-based or 213 on the computer-based test is required. The minimum Michigan Test score of 80 is required.
• Have a required English language translation of all transcripts, including transcript grading system.
• Submit a completed International Student Finance Statement form with current bank statement(s) showing evidence of adequate funds to cover one year's tuition.
• Make minimum deposit of U.S. $1,000. Without this deposit, the Immigration and Naturalization Form I-20A cannot be completed, and the international applicant cannot enter the United States.
• Submit an affidavit of support (INS Form I-134) for students with U.S. sponsors.
• Present the applicant's passport and/or current visa in addition to the I-94 card (for applicants already in the United States).
• Submit documentation of enrollment in a current private or national health insurance plan or enrollment in a St. Scholastica health insurance plan.
• Submit proof of current immunization for tetanus, diphtheria, and MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella).
• Have a required English language evaluation when the applicant's primary language is not English.

Note: Upon acceptance, international applicants will need to provide information concerning martial status and children in order to complete the INS I-20 form.

U.S. Permanent Resident Alien Applicants
U.S. Permanent resident alien applicants must present an official green card

Note: Meeting minimal entrance requirements does not necessarily guarantee admission. Exceptions to minimum criteria may be made at the discretion of the admissions committee.

Priority Consideration
The deadline for priority consideration for fall term is August 1 and spring term is November 15. Review of completed application files will continue until all open seats for the program are filled.

Degree Requirements
A total of 40 semester credits are required for graduation. Credit toward the degree will be given for courses with a grade of "C" or better; students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. A maximum of six graduate semester credits may be transferred from another accredited college or university if approved by The College of St. Scholastica. The Master of Arts in Management program must be completed within seven years, and students must make sufficient academic progress toward the degree during their enrollment. (Credits more than seven years old as of the date of graduation will not count toward the degree.) Evidence of regular progress in the program generally means registration in at least one course each semester during the academic year. Students will be allowed to register for courses only when they have met course prerequisites and have demonstrated sufficient academic progress toward the degree.

Every student must complete one of the following final project options: 1) directed capstone, 2) final research project, or 3) thesis.

Curriculum
A student must complete a required core curriculum (total of 27 credits), a final project (which could be: a Directed Capstone - 4 credit hours; a Final Research Project - 4 credit hours; or a Thesis - 6 credit hours), and sufficient elective courses to meet the program's 40 credit hour graduation requirement.

A maximum of six graduate semester credits may be transferred from another accredited college or university if approved by The College of St. Scholastica.

Summary of Curriculum
Core Curriculum (27 credits)

MGT 6412: Management Writing & Resources 3 cr.
MGT 6413: Management Communication 3 cr.
MGT 6415: Economic Issues 3 cr.
MGT 6420: Organizational Behavior 3 cr.
MGT 6430: Organization Development 3 cr.
MGT 6440: Financial Management 3 cr.
MGT 6445: Human Resource Management 3 cr.
MGT 6450: Marketing 3 cr.
MGT 6455: Strategic Management 3 cr.
MGT Elective: 3 cr.
MGT Elective: 3 cr.
MGT Elective: 3 cr.
MGT 6490: Directed Capstone 4 cr. or
MGT 6800: Final Research Project 4 cr. or
MGT 6810: Thesis 6 cr.

Course Descriptions for Both the MAM and the MBA Programs (a bolded title indicates a course in development)

MGT 6301: Global Operations Management
3 credits
This course covers the tools, techniques and methodologies used by managers to plan for, design, implement and control systems that create/produce services and/or goods in an organization. The decisions for which operations managers are held accountable, methods used to make those decisions, and the factors affecting productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in an organization are covered. Topics include strategic considerations in operations management, operations decision-making, quality management, forecasting, JIT inventory management, the impact of culture on the management of operations, and facility location for an international network. (MGT 6445 Human Resource Management can be substituted; only one is a core requirement)

MGT 6307: Managerial Economics in a Global Environment
3 credits
This course focuses on economic decision making in business, where the application of economic theory guides an organization in achieving its aims or strategic objectives. The tools and applications are used to make decisions, assess outcomes and adjust strategy in a global context. The importance of information, competing with a market structure, pricing strategies for firms with varying market power and the nature of industries are covered. A global competitive analysis of a firm in a global market is conducted.

MGT 6412: Management Writing & Resources
3 credits
Provides students an opportunity to develop and practice their writing skills for graduate coursework. Differences between academic and business writing are examined in terms of audience, purpose, format, and demands. Course includes examples of good academic writing and previews the final project and final project proposal for the MA in Management. Foundation course.

MGT 6413: Management Communication and Cultural Competency
3 credits
Prepares students to develop and direct employees using culturally sensitive interpersonal communication. The course incorporates theory with practice and helps students develop the awareness and skills necessary to manage effectively across cultures in both the domestic and global workplace.

MGT 6415: Economic Issues
3 credits
Introduces students to the wide range of economic theories that apply directly to the events happening in their lives. The world of management rests within a web of economic forces. Students are exposed to the phenomena that explain these forces, including the theories of price and profit determination, the role of the Federal Reserve System and the impact of the federal government's economic policies. Essentials course.

MGT 6420: Organizational Behavior
3 credits
Explores the behavior of people within organizations in terms of the factors that most influence it. Those include factors related to individuals, groups, and the larger organization system. The course utilizes an experiential learning process that helps students understand their strengths and weaknesses as learners. This course is required for students who join the MA in Management and MBA programs.

MGT 6431: Statistics
3 credits
Studies the basic principles of descriptive and inferential statistics, focusing on their application in conducting business research and understanding the research of others. Topics will include: Probability, frequency distributions and graphs, measures of central tendency, measures of variance, correlations, linear and multiple regression, and hypothesis testing (t-test, analysis of variance, and chi square). Foundation course.

MGT 6440: Financial Management
3 credits
Covers a wide variety of financial topics that are required tools for managers and officers of both large and small organizations. Covers the topics of value tracking and capital budgeting as well as financial decision-making within dynamic organizations. A previous course in accounting is recommended but not required.

MGT 6445: Human Resource Management
3 credits
Explores how decisions about human resources (HR) contribute to an organization's overall effectiveness. Integrates HR activities with the organization's strategic planning objectives. Students study both traditional and contemporary HR issues from a practitioner's perspective. (MGT 6301 Global Operations Management can be substituted; only one is a core requirement)

MGT 6450: Marketing
3 credits
Prepares students to direct, control and develop employees through the use of effective interpersonal communication. Incorporates theory with practice and provides students opportunities to develop the skills necessary to accomplish work through the efforts of others (i.e., manage). Essentials course.

MGT 6455: Strategic Management
3 credits
Introduces students to the theory and practice of strategic management, including its phases of planning, implementation and evaluation. Serves as a capstone course in the Master of Arts in Management Program that requires the integration of information and skills derived from previous coursework. The drivers of organizational change, dynamic nature of strategic thinking, and "big picture" systems perspective for implementation are emphasized over merely long-term planning.

MGT 6460: Managerial Accounting
3 credits
This course focuses on cost accounting. It enables students to analyze and interpret historical and estimated data used by management to conduct daily operations, plan future operations and develop overall company strategies. Students become familiar with standard cost accounting methods and systems. They also analyze the ethical issues that arise from cost accounting.

MGT 6465: Global Leadership & Ethics
3 credits
Provides practical frameworks to understand and analyze differences in ethical and leadership issues as they arise in domestic and global business settings. The tools and their application by organizations and individuals to effectively make decisions, solve problems, management change and adjust strategy are covered. Topics include cultural comparisons of ethics, social responsibility and leadership, the crucial and distinctive functions of management versus leadership in ethics in an international setting, and the role of leadership in balancing firm profitability with social and individual responsibility in the context of different cultures.

MGT 6470: Global Supply Chain Management
3 credits
Focuses on how to market diverse products through various channels of distribution in various countries and how to manage a supply line across national borders. The techniques and practices used in managing supply chains in emerging economies as well as highly regulated, mature countries are discussed. The key concepts of supply chain management are covered including planning, sourcing, making, delivering and coordinating. Metrics for measuring performance, the role of communications and cultural literacy in supply chain management and the use of information technology are also covered. Other topics include pricing, promotion, distributor and representative identification, selling, ethics in global supply chain management, identifying opportunities and creating supply chains for competitive advantage. The range of industries covered includes services, consumer products and business to business marketing.

MGT 6475: Financial Accounting
3 credits
This course is designed to give students a practitioner foundation in the principles of financial accounting. The tools and applications used in graduate business courses and by businesses in decision making in an international environment are covered. Topics include financial accounting methods, preparation of financial statements, the accounting cycle, internal control, and accounting for partnerships and corporations. Essentials course

MGT 6490: Directed Capstone Abroad
4 credits
Serves as a final demonstration of a student's capacity to apply theoretical lessons from the MBA Program to organizational issues or problems. An international field project will be embedded in this course to give students an opportunity to assess organizational issues or problems in a cross-cultural and global context. Students, working with an advisor, write a significant paper that includes a review of literature, an analysis of the issue or problem, and prescriptions or conclusions that emerge from the analysis in the context of the international experience.

MGT 6520: Business Law
3 credits
This course focuses on how legal and regulatory systems affect firms, business strategy, and the decision making process of organizational members. Topics include agency, contracts, commercial transactions, employment law, intellectual property, real property and business organization and finance. The differences between domestic and international legal systems and impact on business operations and ethical perceptions are addressed.

MGT 6530: Managerial Applications of Technology
3 credits
Provides an overview of the technological responsibilities of a manager in the area of finding strategic solution, business process solutions, project management solutions and technology solutions to daily business problems. The use of technology in decision making, strategy and attainment of competitive advantage is discussed. Other topics include aligning technology with organizational goals metrics and accountability development, vendor selection, needs assessment, project planning and facilitating and technology enhanced/enabled communications. 50 or approval of instructor.

MGT 6800: Final Research Project
4 credits
Students have a choice of an Applied Project, a Conceptual Model Study, an Industry Analysis, or other applied projects with application to the students' interests, career employment or relevancy to individual goals. Students design and carry out a research project with a significant international or multi-cultural dimension that includes the gathering and analysis of data. They write a report that includes their research methods, the results of their analysis and a discussion of their conclusions.

MGT 6810: Thesis
6 credits
Students will design and carry out a research project that includes a review of the literature, formulation of a problem statement, and the gathering and analysis of data. They will write a report that includes their research methods, the results of their analysis, and a discussion of their conclusions.

MGT 6900: Continuing Enrollment: Final Research Project
0 credits
Required registration for continuing work on final projects. Students not completing the final project within the eight week term in which that course is scheduled must register for MGT 6900 each subsequent term until the completion of the final project.