College of Business Administration Master of Business Administration [MBA] Student Handbook [Revised September, 2011] Table of Contents Topic Page The Establishment and Development of the University of Bahrain 2 College of Business Administration (CoB) in Perspective 3 Vision, Mission and Objectives of the CoB 5 Units of the CoB 6 College Programs 7 Welcome to the MBA Program 7 The Vision The Mission Ethics and Integrity MBA Program General Regulations MBA Admission Regulations and Registration Procedures Transfer Regulations Absence and Withdrawal Regulations Progression and Graduation Requirements 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 Orientation of New Students 11 Academic Advising 11 Handling Student Issues 11 MBA Curriculum 12 MBA Program Requirements 13 Suggested MBA Progression Model 17 MBA Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) 17 Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) at University, College and Department Levels 18 How Your Outcomes Will Be Assessed 20 Feedback on Graded Coursework 20 Generic Assessment Criteria 20 Contact Information for MBA Faculty 21 APPENDICES: Appendix 1: Appendix 2: Appendix 3: Appendix 4: Appendix 5: Course Specification Sample MBA Course Descriptions Teaching and MBA Project Supervision Guidelines MBA Thesis (Project) Supervisor Appointment and Proposal Form Library Resources Available for MBA Students College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook 22 25 39 42 43 Page 1 The Establishment and Development of the University of Bahrain The roots of the University go back to the late sixties when the Higher Institutes for male and female teachers were established. These Institutes later developed into the University College of Arts, Sciences, and Education in accordance with the Amiri Decree No (11) in 1978. The Gulf Technical College was established in 1968. It was later renamed the Gulf Polytechnic by Amiri Decree No (2) on 18th February, 1981. These two colleges remained independent and offered Bachelor’s degrees in the disciplines of Arts, Science, Education, Business Administration and Engineering. On 24th May, 1986, His Highness the Amir issued Amiri Decree No (12), which established the University of Bahrain (UoB) by merging the two colleges. On 18th April, 1999, Amiri Decree No (18) was issued, amending some of provisions of Decree No (12) of 1986 to reorganize UoB to its current form comprising the following Colleges: Applied Studies, Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Information Technology, Law and Sciences. University Intended Learning Outcomes (UILOs) To ensure educational quality and curricular coherence, the University of Bahrain has identified University Intended Learning Outcomes (UILOs) which all students, regardless of academic program of study, will have achieved upon graduating from the University. All programs must ensure that their Program Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs) link to these UILOs. The following are the UILOs for the University of Bahrain: 1. Communication: Communicate effectively (oral and written) in a clear, wellorganized manner to convey ideas with an intended audience in a variety of academic and professional settings. 2. Technological Competence: Demonstrate competence in the use of information technology broad enough to meet personal, academic and professional needs. 3. Critical Thinking Knowledge and Skill: Possess a knowledge base in general education areas and demonstrate and apply critical and creative thinking, and specific knowledge and skills in a major discipline or professional program of study. 4. Information Literacy: Demonstrate the ability to apply research skills to effectively locate, retrieve and evaluate information and use it ethically. 5. Responsibility and Integrity: Act purposefully, ethically, respectfully and responsibly in their interaction with staff, faculty, peers and the institution as a whole. 6. Life-Long Learning: Strive for excellence in life-long learning by planning for the future, participating in continuing education or professional development activities and seeking formal and informal opportunities to enrich their lives. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 2 College of Business Administration in Perspective In order to appreciate the revitalization the MBA program to meet the needs of the local, regional and global economies, it is necessary to review the roots of management education in the UoB which date back to 1968 when Gulf Technical College was established. The year 1981, however, stands out as a significant landmark as it marks the establishment of the Business and Management Department within the newly reconstituted Gulf Polytechnic. The Department was given a mandate to upgrade and diversify its curriculum to meet the mounting needs of the rapidly expanding business community. By Fall, 1982, the Department of Business and Management, which was established in 1981, had already completed the design and installation of a highly innovative credit-hourbased program reflecting a one-track, two-tier philosophy. Within this philosophy, intended to link student output to actual labor market demand, the Department started offering an integrated Associate Diploma/Bachelor of Science track in the twin majors of Business & Management and Accounting. This system remained in place, with ongoing refinements and continuous updating of the curriculum, until 2006 when all Associate Diplomas were moved to the College of Applied Studies. The overriding objective was to offer programs reflecting international, state-of-the-art standards, yet strictly relevant to the needs of Bahrain. Prospective business majors went through the rigors of a common core semester following which they were screened into or out of the integrated Associate Diploma/Bachelor of Science track. Those found eligible to continue chose either the AAD (Accounting track) or the ABD (Business Administration track). The Associate Diploma was awarded upon successful completion of 68 AAD or 70 ABD credit hours – which normally coincided with the end of the second year of study. Outstanding students were allowed to continue on for two more years and to earn their BSc degrees. Those who were not eligible to continue were expected to join the labor market as trained paraprofessionals qualified to man technician and supervisory level positions. Those who were not eligible, upon completion of the common core semester, were streamed to the Commercial Studies Diploma (CSD) where they completed 68 credits. By 1983, it had become evident that, for the curriculum portfolio to be completed, an effort had to be made to satisfy the growing demand of various sectors for in-service training programs. A comprehensive survey of training needs was completed and a Continuing Management Education Program (COMEP) was launched in February, 1984. This program was the first of its kind at the University of Bahrain and in the area. In a manner corresponding to corporate decision-making levels, COMEP offered five distinct, but interrelated, certificates and diplomas: Clerical, Basic Supervision, Middle Management, Advanced Management and Executive Management. Two additional specialized diplomas were added, post 1984, to satisfy the growing need for qualified accountants: Diploma in Accounting Studies (DAS) and Professional Accounting Diploma (PAD). COMEP undertakes many significant professional activities such as seminars, conferences, round tables, and customized courses for various business and industries in Bahrain. By the year 1985, work was already underway on the design of a Post-Graduate program comprising a Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). The programs were endorsed officially by the Board of Trustees in 1987. This MBA program graduated its last student in 2006. Admission to the program was temporarily suspended in order to determine its relevance to the local market and to prepare it for review by the AACSB for international accreditation. After a thorough review and benchmarking exercise, the revised MBA program received final approval from the College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 3 UoB Universal Council and was reinstituted in 1st semester, 2008-09 as an MBA program with concentrations in Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing. During the academic year 1988-89, final touches were placed on the new Associate Diploma and BSc programs in Office Management following approval of the University Council and the Board of Trustees. This program was implemented in the 1989-90 academic year and achieved great success as it was designed after a careful study of the needs of the market; it was based on advanced office skills, both technological and informational. In 1992, the Board of Trustees approved the reorganization of the College into new constituent departments. Accordingly, it was reorganized to include the following departments: Business and Management, Accounting, Office Management, Economics and COMEP. It was envisioned that this reorganization would reflect positively on the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the performance of the College. [Note: The Office Management BSc program was discontinued in 2000; and, as of February, 2007, the Office Management diploma program is now a part of the College of Applied Studies.] In 1997, the Evening Program was instituted on the Isa Town Campus to allow employed individuals to upgrade their skills and to work toward diploma and degree programs previously only available to full-time day students. However, this program was discontinued in 2009. Based on a survey of business and industry, the need for a BSc program in Business Information Systems (BIS) was warranted and formalized within the College of Business Administration by a University Council decision on 7th December 1998. This resulted in a combining with the OM program and the formation of the Management Information Systems (MIS) Department. Eventually, the BIS program was transferred to the new College of IT which was inaugurated in 2001. The BSc programs on offer within the College were increased in 1998 when the Banking & Finance program was initiated. As well, 7th December 1998 saw the addition of the Marketing program and the birth of the Management and Marketing Department. The inauguration of the new Law program in the College occurred in 1999. Following the creation of the College of Law in March, 2002, the Law program was moved from the College of Business Administration to the newly formed college. The UoB Board of Trustees made a decision in 2005 to remove all Associate Diplomas from the Colleges of Engineering, Business Administration and IT and offer only BSc degrees as in the other colleges of the University. Following a thorough review of all programs in the College of Business Administration, program changes were made. University Council Decision (472/2005) on 24th April 2005 approved all changes and the new programs of study began admitting students in September, 2005. Consequently, there was a University Council Decision (1006/2006) to transfer all diploma programs to the newly formed College of Applied Studies. The University of Bahrain participated in a pilot study coordinated by the Australian Universities Quality Agency in 2007. The agency reviewed all aspects of the University and made recommendations for further development and improvement. A full institutional review by the Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training (QAAET) took place in November, 2010. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 4 The College of Business Administration, through its specialized programs in accounting, banking and finance, business management and marketing, and through seminars and conferences it offers yearly, aims to contribute to the acceleration of the professionalization of management practice in Bahrain. This was evidenced by the 1st International Conference on Business Globalization in the 21st Century organized by the College in 2008. An organizing committee has been set up to prepare for the 2nd International Conference, the date of which is yet to be determined. The College operates on the basis that the management aspect of the development process constitutes a central link essential to the success of economic and social development. The College also realizes its responsibilities to the development of Bahrain as a commercial and financial center (both regional and international) and accepts the challenge by combining advanced international technology with meeting the needs of the local markets. At present, committees are reviewing the course offerings for all programs in the College of Business Administration. Followng the awarding of ‘Full Confidence’ status to the BSc in Business Management program by the Higher Education Review Unit (HERU) of the QAAET in April, 2009, the College of Business Administration began its journey to attain accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in September, 2009. Vision and Mission of the College of Business Administration NOTE: The College of Business Administration has submitted its Strategic Plan for 20092014 to be approved by the University Council. Within that strategic plan, the Vision and Mission have been updated to reflect the effects of globalization on the College and its programs. As well Core Values were developed. What follows are the Vision and Mission statements under which we are currently operating. Vision: To achieve leading stature in higher academic education in all business fields in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in particular, and in the region in general, governed by ethical values and distinction in education and scientific research, with emphasis on producing quality graduates. Mission: Our mission is to become the major source and impetus in the economic and social development of the Kingdom of Bahrain by producing graduates who are able to succeed as leaders, professionals, and a trained support system. This is accomplished through continuous revision and development of our academic programs to meet the demands of a dynamic business environment and labor market demands in Bahrain. We work continuously to attract and retain distinguished academics from various cultural and scientific backgrounds, while developing promising Bahraini college graduates to join our educational team. The Objectives of the College of Business Administration The College of Business Administration intends to achieve the following: 1 to develop students’ competencies and managerial thinking skills in all functional areas of business administration. 2 to prepare and cultivate students in all fields of business administration to manage the various organizations on a scientific basis and to hold leading managerial positions. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 5 3 to serve the community of the Kingdom of Bahrain through spreading managerial awareness, enriching managerial practice, and offering training programs and consulting services in order to enhance the status of the Kingdom as a regional and international financial centre. 4 to undertake scientific research in the different disciplines of business administration. The following information is presented to give you a clearer understanding of the College of Business Administration and how the MBA program is built into its structure. Units of the College The organizational structure of the College consists of the Dean, the Departmental Chairpersons, Program Directors and the Faculty. The Dean is responsible for the academic, administrative and technical matters of the College. The Dean, in carrying out his/her responsibilities, is assisted by a College Council which looks into academic programs and their development, research and publications, recruitment and other academic, administrative and technical matters as referred to by the Dean. The Departmental Chairpersons are responsible for executing the academic programs. In carrying out their responsibilities, they are assisted by their Departmental Councils, in addition to a number of committees that deal with different aspects of the educational operation. The College consists of the following units: 1 The Department of Accounting The main objective of the department is to train students in the fundamentals of accounting, prepare them to have a career in accounting and to sit for professional examinations, and to encourage research and consultation activities of staff. In February 2004, the BSc in Accounting program was successfully reviewed by the British Quality Assurance Agency. 2 The Department of Economics & Finance The main objective of the department is to provide students with the required knowledge in the field of banking and finance as well as broadening students’ understanding of complex economic issues intertwined with business and management decisions. 3 Department of Management and Marketing The main objective of the Department of Management and Marketing is to promote the fullest professional growth of individual students by building their professional competence in functional areas of business and management. 4 The Continuing Management Education Program (COMEP) COMEP offers seminars, workshops and short training courses to the public and private sectors dealing with a variety of important business-related issues. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 6 5 The Graduate Studies Program The program offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree that seeks to develop graduates able to deal successfully with globalization and the emerging business challenges, and to succeed in taking up significant managerial positions in domestic and global business enterprises. 6 The Quality Assurance Office The Quality Assurance (QA) Office serves as the center for QA issues in the College. Its main focus is to secure accreditation on the local (QAAET) and international (AACSB) levels. The College Programs The College of Business Administration offers the following programs: I Department of Accounting BSc in Accounting II Department of Economics and Finance BSc in Banking and Finance III Department of Management and Marketing BSc in Business Management BSc in Marketing IV Master of Business Administration (MBA) Welcome to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program Congratulations on your admission to the MBA Program. You are about to embark on a journey of self-discovery in which you will develop and/or refine your analytical skills to deal successfully with globalization and the emerging business challenges, and succeed in taking up a significant managerial position in domestic and/or global business enterprises. Vision of the MBA Program The MBA Program strives to be recognized as a leading graduate program in the region, and to meet the highest international quality standards for excellence in business education. Mission of the MBA Program The Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program at the University of Bahrain seeks to develop graduate students able to deal successfully with globalization and the emerging business challenges, and to succeed in taking up significant managerial positions in domestic and global business enterprises. Ethics and Integrity Policy The MBA program is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and expects its faculty and students to exhibit exemplary behavior in this regard. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 7 The Master's Degree Program General Regulations The MBA Program in the College of Business Administration follows the "The UoB Regulations for Postgraduate Diploma and Master's Programs". Full details may be found in the UoB website at: http://www.uob.edu.bh/english/pages.aspx?module=pages&id=1769&SID=394. The following paragraphs contain a simplified explanation of these rules and regulations with the Official Article Number in parentheses ( ) which may be found on the website. The university offers two tracks for obtaining the Master's degree. However, the MBA Program follows the regulations for the Master's Degree Program for Students without a Postgraduate Diploma. This program requires students to complete 36 credit hours, including 6 credit hours for the completion of a master’s project. (Article 10) To obtain a Master's degree, the student's GPA shall not be less than 3.00 on a 4point scale. And he/she shall score at least a B grade in his/her Project. (Article 12) The maximum period for the completion of Master's degree requirements, including the period spent on the Diploma, is eight semesters. (Article 13) MBA Admission Requirements: A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a university or an institution accredited by the University of Bahrain, with a minimum GPA of 2.67 out of 4 (or its equivalent). Proficiency in English language. Must have passed TOFEL with a minimum score of 500 or 6.0 in IELTS or 80 in IBT TOEFL. Pass the written test administered by the program (an aptitude test in logical and numerical reasoning, reading comprehension, and sentence correction). Pass a personal interview At least one year of full-time work experience. The final admission will be based on the merit list of the applicants. Admission Requirements and Registration Procedures To be admitted to the Diploma Program, the student shall fulfill the following requirements: a) The student shall have a bachelor degree from the University of Bahrain or an equivalent degree from a recognized university with a GPA of at least 2.67 on a 4-point scale or an equivalent grade according to other evaluation systems. b) The bachelor degree a student holds should be achieved through a full-time study in a specialization that shall qualify him/her to join the program of his/her interest. c) The student shall pass the written exams administered by the Department to check his/her academic level competence in the language required for his field of specialization. d) The student shall pass a personal interview. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 8 e) The student shall present two recommendation letters from two of his former professors. (Article 14) In order to be admitted to the Master's degree program, a student who already has a Diploma shall fulfill the following requirements: a) The student should have his/her Diploma in the same specialized field required from the University of Bahrain. b) Not more than two years should have elapsed since the student's acquiring of his/her Diploma. (Article 15) The University Council annually determines the number of students to be admitted to the various postgraduate programs, based on the recommendations of the college councils and the approval of the Board. (Article 17) A student shall not be admitted to two academic programs simultaneously at any stage of study. As well, a student shall not be admitted to any of the postgraduate programs if he/she is dismissed from another program at the University or from any other university. (Article 19) Transfer A transfer application of a postgraduate student from another university to a similar program offered by UoB may be admitted if the specific program's admission requirements are met. (Article 20) Any previously completed courses by the transferred student and for which he was awarded a certificate or a degree shall not be counted. (Article 21) Any course(s) completed by the student at UoB or other universities which are presented as equivalent to MBA courses must meet the following conditions: a) The course shall be equivalent to a course included in a proposed study plan. b) The student's earned grade shall not be less than "very good" or "B" or any equivalent grade in each course. c) The equivalent courses shall not exceed two courses, i.e., six credit hours. d) The equivalent courses shall be approved based on a relevant decision by the college council based on recommendations by the committees of the relevant department and college. (Article 22) The grade of the equivalent courses shall not be counted in the cumulative grade point average. (Article 23) Absence and Withdrawal Absence and withdrawal from study shall be treated according to the regulations applicable to the University first degree unless a different regulation is stating otherwise. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 9 Those regulations from the University first degree include the following: Attending classes is a must. However, absence from classes is governed by the following rules: A first warning will be sent to students who reach a 15% level of absence in lectures (7 hrs absent in a 3 contact-hours-a-week course). Following this, a level of absence in excess of 25% (12 hrs absent in a 3 contact-hours-a-week course) will result in an automatic withdrawal of the student from the course, regardless of the causes for his/her absence. A grade of ‘W’ is given to a student who misses 25% or more of the total sessions assigned to the course, if he/she submits a valid excuse for his/her absence. A grade of ‘WF’ will be given to a student who misses 25% or more, but with no valid excuse. A student must submit in writing to the instructor concerned the reasons for the absence. This should be done within a period of three days after the student returns to class. Postponement of the study may not exceed one semester in the postgraduate program and it shall not be counted as part of the maximum period for acquiring the Diploma or the Master’s degree. (Article 24) Progression and Graduation Requirements: The passing grade in all courses of the MBA program shall be a grade of "B". However, a student may pass with a minimum grade of "C+" in two courses only. (Article 25) The minimum cumulative GPA for graduation from the MBA program shall be (3.0) out of (4.0). (Article 26) To raise the cumulative average, a student may retake a maximum of two courses in which he/she scored a grade of "B-" or less during his/her studies in the MBA program, and the last grade is the one that shall be counted. (Article 27) Pass or fail scores of all the courses in the student's study plan shall be included in his/her cumulative average. (Article 28) Subject to the approval of the Board and the University Council, the academic department shall apply clear-cut scientific and educational criteria to assess the students' performance in the courses of the postgraduate program and allocate marks for class activities, various tests, examinations, reports and research projects. (Article 29) A student shall be placed on academic probation if he/she does not achieve the minimum cumulative GPA i.e., (3.0 out of 4.0) at the end of any semester in the MBA program. (Article 30) A student shall be finally dismissed from the University in the following cases: a) If he/she does not achieve the minimum passing grade (C+) in more than College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 10 two courses in one semester or in the total of semesters. b) If he/she does not achieve the minimum passing grade (C+) in a compulsory course more than once. c) If he/she does not achieve the minimum in the cumulative GPA required for the courses at the end of the two semesters following the academic probation warning. d) If he/she exceeds the maximum period set for obtaining the MBA. e) If he/she is caught cheating, attempting to cheat or assisting in cheating. f) If he/she commits an offence and its punishment is dismissal according to the University regulations and rules. g) If he/she is caught in an act of scientific plagiarism relevant to his study. (Article 31) Orientation of New Students MBA students receive acceptance notifications from the Office of the Registration. Following that notification, the Graduate Studies Coordinator contacts the students by email and sends information about registration, UoB rules and regulations, and other related processes and procedures within the CoB. Students are also referred to the MBA pages of the UoB website: http://www.uob.edu.bh/english/pages.aspx?module=pages&id=1325&SID=394 The MBA Student Handbook will allow the program to update information and make it available to students on demand. Academic Advising At the present time, students are able to preregister, check department course offerings and instructors, and check their grades on the University website. However, students are also advised by the Graduate Studies Coordinator either by phone, e-mail or face-to-face on Monday and/or Wednesday evenings to discuss any problems or concerns they may have. The Coordinator is able to locate advisee records (current degree, academic status, GPA, transcript, timetable) online to determine each advisee’s current status (on probation, about to graduate, etc.), check for prerequisite requirements, and do a GPA simulation to determine if students are progressing normally. Handling Student Issues Concerns and/or grievances may be received from students either through the Coordinator of the MBA program, Department Chairpersons, or directly to the Dean of the College. Complaints may be sent electronically, by fax, or by phone. Students may also come in person and present their complaint case verbally. When these types of cases occur, Department Chairpersons are to be consulted to resolve the issue; and in exceptional cases, the Dean of the College and/or the College Council may intervene to resolve the issue. In all cases, students are informed about the decision made relative to their complaints. In an effort to prevent the number of student complaints, the Dean, MBA coordinator and Chairpersons of the Departments may hold a meeting with all MBA students to ascertain the views of the students on the program and to handle any issues dealing with registration, course scheduling, faculty concerns, etc. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 11 MBA Curriculum The program was designed following a review of the aims, structures, and syllabi of 80 internationally and regionally recognized MBA programs. Candidates who hold a non-business bachelor’s degree (e.g., engineering, medicine, chemistry) need to be brought up to a comparable level with business graduates. This will be accomplished through four foundation courses (zero credit hours wherein the student can choose three out of for courses), in addition to six core courses (18 credit hours) and 18 credit hours from concentration are as follows: A. Background Courses (Three courses: zero credit hours) B. Core Courses (Six courses: 18 credit hours) C. Concentration Courses (18 credit hours) a. Optional Courses (Four courses: 12 credit hours) b. MBA Dissertation (6 credit hours), or MBA Project (3 ccredit hours) plus one optional course (3 credit hours) in the concentration area. Candidates who hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (e.g., Marketing, Finance, etc.) or a closely related field must complete 36 credit hours as follows: A. Core Courses (Six courses: 18 credit hours) B. Concentration Courses (18 credit hours) a. Optional Courses (Four courses: 12 credit hours) b. MBA Dissertation (6 credit hours), or MBA Project (3 ccredit hours) plus one optional course (3 credit hours) in the concentration area. The program is delivered on a full-time basis in the evening due to work schedules of students. It is designed to be completed within two academic years if the student passes all courses. Background Courses are offered in the 1st semester of each academic year and in the 2nd as needed. Core Courses are offered every semester. A minimum of three Optional (Concentration) Courses from each concentration are varied over the semesters to allow students to fulfill their course needs. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 12 MBA Program Requirements 1. Background Courses: Three out of four courses to be chosen by the non-business graduate from the following courses (0 credit hours) ACCM 500 Financial Accounting (No credit) ECON 500 Survey of Economics (No credit) FINM 500 Managerial Finance (No credit) QM 500 Quantitative Methods for Business (No credit) 2. Core Courses: Six courses (18 credit hours) ACC 610 Advanced Financial Accounting (3) FIN 620 Corporate Finance (3) MGT 630 Organizational Design and Behavior (3) MKT 660 Marketing Management (3) QM 650 Research Methods and Statistical Analysis (3) MGT 638 Business Strategy (3) 3. Concentration Courses: Six courses (18 credits) in one of the following areas Accounting, Finance, Management, or Marketing 3.1 Accounting (18 credit hours) a. Optional Courses: Four courses (12 credit hours) to be chosen from the following ACC 611 Managerial Accounting (3) ACC 612 Financial Statement Analysis (3) ACC 613 International Accounting (3) ACC 614 Auditing Theory and Practice (3) ACC 615 Accounting Information Systems (3) College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 13 ACC 616 Accounting Theory (3) ACC 617 Cost Accounting (3) ACC 619 Current Issues in Accounting (3) ECON 640 Managerial Economics (3) b. MBA Dissertation or MBA Project with one optional course in the concentration area ACC 699 ACC 698 MBA Dissertation in Accounting (6) MBA Project in Accounting Plus (3) one Accounting optional course (3) 3.2 Finance (18 credit hours) a. Optional Courses: Four courses (12 credit hours) to be chosen from the following FIN 621 Money, Banking, and Financial Markets (3) FIN 622 Portfolio Management and International Investment (3) FIN 623 International Finance (3) FIN 624 Financial Risk Management (3) FIN 625 Islamic Financial Markets and Institutions (3) FIN 626 Mergers and Acquisitions (3) FIN 627 Financial Analysis and Valuation (3) FIN 629 Current Issues in Finance (3) ECON 640 Managerial Economics (3) b. MBA Dissertation or MBA Project with one optional course in the concentration area FIN 699 FIN 698 MBA Dissertation in Finance (6) MBA Project in Finance Plus (3) one Finance optional course (3) 3.3 Management (18 credit hours) College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 14 a. Optional Courses: Four courses (12 credit hours) to be chosen from the following MGT 631 Human Resources Management (3) MGT 632 Innovation and Entrepreneurship (3) MGT 633 International Business (3) MGT 634 Organizational Change and Development (3) MGT 635 Business Ethics (3) MGT 636 Operations Management and Decisions (3) MGT 637 Total Quality Management (3) MGT 639 Current Issues in Management (3) ECON 640 Managerial Economics (3) b. MBA Dissertation or MBA Project with one optional course in the concentration area MGT 699 MBA Dissertation in Management (6) MGT 698 MBA Project in Management Plus (3) one Management optional course (3) 3.4 Marketing (18 credit hours) a. Optional Courses: Four courses (12 credit hours) to be chosen from the following MKT 661 Consumer Behavior (3) MKT 662 Services Marketing (3) MKT 663 International Marketing (3) MKT 664 Strategic Marketing (3) MKT 665 E-Marketing (3) MKT 666 Promotion Management (3) MKT 667 Marketing Channels (3) College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 15 MKT 669 Current Issues in Marketing (3) ECON 640 Managerial Economics (3) b. MBA Dissertation or MBA Project with one optional course in the concentration area MKT 699 MBA Dissertation in Marketing (6) MKT 698 MBA Project in Marketing Plus (3) one Marketing optional course (3) College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 16 Students are encouraged to register according to the following plan (which is a sample of the Management concentration) to complete all program requirements within the two-year (four semesters) period. MBA Suggested Progression Model Year Sem. 1st 1 1st 2 2nd 1 Course Code Course Title Credits ACC 610 FIN 620 MGT 630 MKT 660 QM 650 MGT 638 MGT 63x MGT 63x Advanced Financial Accounting Corporate Finance Organizational Design & Behavior Marketing Management Research Methods & Statistical Analysis Business Strategy Management Elective Management Elective 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 12 credits MGT 630 MGT 630 MGT 63x MGT 63x or ECON 640 Management Elective Management Elective Managerial Economics 3 3 MGT 630 MGT 630 MGT 699 or MGT 698 Master Dissertation in Management Master Project in Management plus one Management optional course 6 6 18 credits 18 credits 2nd 2 ↓ 3rd 1 ↓ 3rd 2 ↓ 4th 1 ↓ 4th 2 ↓ Prerequisites Maximum 8 semesters MBA Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) The MBA degree is offered in four areas of concentration: accounting, finance, management, and marketing. The MBA program seeks to enable students to achieve the following objectives: 1. demonstrate a thorough understanding of concepts, techniques, technologies, skills, and ethics of business disciplines. 2. critically analyze and adopt a creative thinking approach in the decision-making process. 3. develop and demonstrate team-based skills for solving business problems. 4. evaluate business issues and practices from a local and global perspective. 5. integrate the knowledge and skills acquired across business functions. 6. demonstrate the skills necessary to conduct independent research College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 17 The fact that the medium of instruction is English gives the program an important competitive advantage. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) at University, Program and Course Levels University Intended Learning Outcomes (UILOs) were developed and provided to all Colleges. These UILOs are to be achieved by any graduate from the UoB, regardless of college or major. Course coordinators and the MBA College Committee worked together to determine the Program Educational Objectives (PEOs), using the UILOs as a reference, and the Program Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs) which were mapped to the PEOs. The MBA program contains eight (8) PILOs which are listed as ‘a’ through ‘h’. MBA instructors developed Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs) which are mapped to the PILOs. This process of mapping allows a clear path to be seen to achieve all of the ILOs and helps to design the assessment processes. ILOs are broadly compatible with internationally accepted criteria, procedures and benchmarks, such as those developed by the UK Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) benchmark statements and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Program Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs) The program intended learning outcomes are classified according to the domain they belong to: A - Knowledge & Understanding B - Subject-specific Skills C - Thinking Skills D -General and Transferable Skills (other skills relevant to employability and personal development) MBA students will be able to: Program Intended Learning Outcomes a) develop a cross-functional understanding of the key functions of business (accounting, finance, management and marketing) b) apply conceptual business foundations to solve practical decision-making problems, both individually and as part of teams using techniques such as case analysis, projects and assignments. c) develop a systematic understanding of globalization and its impact on people, businesses and the economy. d) operate effectively in a variety of team roles and take leadership roles, where appropriate. e) demonstrate a critical awareness of current issues (e.g., diversity, social responsibility, sustainability, innovation, knowledge management, etc.) in business and management which is informed by leading edge research and practice in the field. f) recognize and address ethical issues and values and apply them in organizational settings. g) use information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organizing data, synthesizing and analyzing in order to abstract meaning from information, and to share knowledge. h) demonstrate the proper use of oral and written communication, research, and analytical skills in preparing and delivering assignments, case studies, presentations and projects. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Outcome Domains A B C D √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ Page 18 The PILOs are then mapped to the PEOs to ensure that all MBA Program Educational Objectives are achieved. Mapping of PILOs to PEOs Program Intended Learning Outcomes a) develop a cross-functional understanding of the key functions of business (accounting, finance, management and marketing) b) apply conceptual business foundations to solve practical decision-making problems, both individually and as part of teams using techniques such as case analysis, projects and assignments. c) develop a systematic understanding of globalization and its impact on people, businesses and the economy. d) operate effectively in a variety of team roles and take leadership roles, where appropriate. e) demonstrate a critical awareness of current issues (e.g., diversity, social responsibility, sustainability, innovation, knowledge management, etc.) in business and management which is informed by leading edge research and practice in the field. f) recognize and address ethical issues and values and apply them in organizational settings. g) use information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organizing data, synthesizing and analyzing in order to abstract meaning from information, and to share knowledge. h) demonstrate the proper use of oral and written communication, research, and analytical skills in preparing and delivering assignments, case studies, presentations and projects. Mapping to PEOs 2 3 4 5 √ 1 √ √ 6 √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ The final mapping is done to complete the cycle which guarantees that the UILOs have been considered and included in the evaluation process. Mapping of PILOs to University Intended Learning Outcomes (UILOs) Mapping to UILOs 1 2 3 4 5 6 Program Intended Learning Outcomes a) develop a cross-functional understanding of the key functions of business √ (accounting, finance, management and marketing) b) apply conceptual business foundations to solve practical decision-making problems, both individually and as part of teams using techniques such as case analysis, projects and assignments. c) develop a systematic understanding of globalization and its impact on people, businesses and the economy. d) operate effectively in a variety of team roles and take leadership roles, where appropriate. e) demonstrate a critical awareness of current issues (e.g., diversity, social responsibility, sustainability, innovation, knowledge management, etc.) in business and management which is informed by leading edge research and practice in the field. f) recognize and address ethical issues and values and apply them in organizational settings. g) use information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organizing data, synthesizing and analyzing in order to abstract meaning from information, and to share knowledge. h) demonstrate the proper use of oral and written communication, research, and analytical skills in preparing and delivering assignments, case studies, presentations and projects. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ Page 19 To complete the process, a university-level, standard format for Course Specifications (Outlines) has been designed for distribution to students to further strengthen their knowledge about what is expected of them in each course in which they are registered. A sample appears in Appendix 1. How Your Outcomes Will Be Assessed The MBA program is designed to enable the student to demonstrate his/her capabilities through various assessment methods. These may include quizzes, mid-term exams, final exams, case studies, projects and presentations and, of course, the MBA project. Presentations, projects, and cases are conducted to demonstrate the student’s ability to communicate with instructors and peers, together with the use of analytical skills. The assessment methods used are also formative, since the instructors usually discuss areas of weaknesses in depth with the student. For example, in written exams and quizzes, the student receives the feedback about the points not gained. For presentations, projects and cases, instructors normally have frequent interactions with students to discuss their progress in their work. Guidance is also given to encourage students in their preparations and revision. The assessment methods, such as written quizzes or written assignments, serve to assess the student's ability to build the knowledge base and to understand the theoretical lectures. Projects are generally given on a teamwork basis that allows the instructor to measure how successful a student is able to work as a team member. For evaluation of projects or case studies, a percentage is usually allocated to individual presentation and the remaining grade is allocated to the project or case study report. In other cases, a grade may be allocated to the project’s report and the same grade may be given to each member in the team. From the start of the semester, the assessment policy, examination dates and procedures for assessment are communicated to students through course outlines [see Appendix 1]. The assessment methods vary in length and in the points they measure, and this variation is intended to provide a wide range of feedback for evaluating the work of the student and measuring the learning outcomes. For example, final exams are given more weight than term exams. Projects and presentations are generally given more weight than class exercises or case analyses. Feedback on Graded Coursework Instructors may provide oral and/or written feedback on your graded work. This feedback will be given to you one to two weeks after the submission date. Generic Assessment Criteria Mark Range of Grade 87+ A and A- 77-86 B+, B and B- 67-76 C+, C and C- 60-66 D+ and D Below 60 F Remark Excellent in every way. Analytical, conceptually sound, widely-researched. Knowledgeable. Reading beyond prescribed reading list Very good, well researched, solid. May have some errors in emphasis, but not in fact. Addresses the question. Sensibly structured. Evidence of analysis and reasoning. Average to good. Reasonable bibliography. May have some errors, but balanced by sound work. Signs of effort, though more descriptive than analytical. May not fully address the question. Pass. Descriptive narrative. May be partly irrelevant. Indiscriminate. Lacks structure. Little evidence of independent research, short bibliography. Poor. Does not answer the question directly. No evidence of independent reading or lecture notes. Major errors. Unstructured. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 20 Contact Information for MBA Faculty Students are provided with contact information for faculty through the MBA notice board outside the Director’s Office and in course outlines provided by their instructors and on the University website. The following table shows the current contact information for all MBA faculty teaching in 1st semester, 2010-2011. E-mail Address Name Office Number Tele Ext Prof Abu Jafar M Sufian Mgt & Mktg Dept {QM} drsufian@yahoo.com 2-92 8805 Prof Jasim Al-Ajmi Economics & Finance Dept jasimalajmi@buss.uob.bh 1-48 8543 Prof Minwir M S Al-Shammari Mgt & Mktg Dept minwir@buss.uob.bh 1-71 8500 Prof M Farid A El-Sahn Mgt & Mktg Dept faridelsahn@hotmail.com 1-62A 8534 Prof Omar Juhmani Accounting Department ojahmani@buss.uob.bh 1-172 8587 Prof Prem Lal Joshi Accounting Dept joshi@buss.uob.bh 2-70 8539 Prof Riyadh Al-Abdullah Accounting Dept ralabdullah@buss.uob.bh 2-82 8838 Dr Azmat Gani Economics & Finance Dept azmatgani2004@yahoo.com 2-100 8685 Dr Batool Assiri Economics & Finance Dept assiribt@buss.uob.bh 1-55 8542 Dr. Hussein Ali Alhussein Khasharmeh Accounting Dept hkhasharmeh@buss.uob.bh 2-81 8648 Dr Majda Bahlous Economics & Finance Dept mbahlous@ix.netcom.com 2-105 8628 Dr Mohammed M A Almossawi Mgt & Mktg Dept mosawimh@buss.uob.bh 1-42 8582 Dr Mohammed Akram Mgt & Mkt Dept {QM} drakramm@hotmail.com 2-62 8586 Dr A Ridha M H Al-Sarraf Mgt & Mktg Dept aalsarref@buss.uob.bh 1-63D 8497 Dr Bassim Shebeb Economics & Finance Dept bshebeb@yahoo.com 1-42C 8579 Dr Abdulla Abdul Rahman Accounting Department mohanand@buss.uob.bh 2-63 8492 Dr Ebtihaj A H Al-A’ali Mgt & Mktg Dept ealaali@buss.uob.bh 1-43 8498 Dr Jameela Al-Mahari Mgt & Mktg Dept jalmahari@buss.uob.bh 1-13 8594 Dr Suhaila Al-Hashemi Mgt & Mkt Dept suhailaebrahim@yahoo.com 1-3 8544 Dr Zahra R Hajee Mgt & Mktg Dept zhaji@buss.uob.bh 1-12 8490 NOTE: Students may access revised faculty contact information and other important and revelant news about the University of Bahrain and all of its Colleges and programs by visiting the UoB website at: http://www.uob.edu.bh College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 21 APPENDIX 1: Course Specification – Sample Course Syllabus Form 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. College: Business Administration Department: Management & Marketing Program: MBA Course code: MGT 634 Course title: Organizational Change and Development Course credits: 3 credit hours Pre-requisites: MGT 630 Course web-page: Course coordinator: Prof Minwir Al-Shammari Academic year: 2009-2010 Semester: First X Second Textbook(s): Summer Cawsey, T. & Deszca, G. (2008), Toolkit for Organizational Change,. Sage Publications, ISBN: 978-141-294106-8 Palmer, I, Dunford, R, and Akin, G. (2009), Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, McGraw-Hill, 2nd edition, ISBN: 978-007-126373-3. 13. References: Peppard, J., and Rowland, P. (1995), The Essence of Business Process Re-Engineering, PrenticeHall, (ISBN: 978-0-13310-707-4). Brown, D. & Harvey, D. (2006), An Experiential Approach to Organization Development, 7th edition, Pearson Prentice Hall (ISBN 0-13-124830-8). Al-Shammari, M. (2009), Customer Knowledge Management: Technology, IGI Global Publishing, (ISBN: 978-1-60566-258-9). People, Processes, and 14. Other resources used (e.g. e-Learning, field visits, periodicals, software, etc.): Additional required materials will be provided throughout this course in a hard or a soft copy. 15. Course description (from the catalo): Introduction to the field of organization change and development as a set of holistic interventional methodologies for systematically bringing about organizational change and improvement in people, processes, and technology; emphasis will be on the exploration of literature, culture, values and skills that will assist a manager, leader, or administration to carry out the organizational development and to manage change successfully. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 22 16. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): The student will be able to: Mapping to PILOs CILOs a 1. demonstrate an understanding of the necessity and nature of change in organizations. 2. demonstrate an understanding of when and why change is important. 3. apply models and frameworks in analyzing change in real-life organizational situations. 4. identify the organizational change targets: people, structure, processes, and technology. 5. demonstrate an ability to deal with resistance to change. 6. explain how to implement organizational change in real-life situations. 7. assess the effectiveness of change in organizations. √ b c √ √ d e f g h √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 17. Course Assessment: Assessment Type Midterm Exam Date: 11th April 2010 Case Studies /Assignments Project Final Exam Date: 20th June 2010 @ 1730-1930 Total Number 1 Weight 25% 1 1 1 20% 25% 30% 4 100% 18. Course Weekly Breakdown: Week Date 1 21-25 February 2 28 Feb4 March 3 4 5 7-11 March 14-18 March 21-25 March Topics covered External and Internal Drivers of Change: Why Change? PILOs a Teaching Method Assessment Lecture/Discussion Case Study Exam Project Case Lecture/Discussion Case Study Exam Project Case Lecture/Discussion Case Study Exam Project Case Lecture/Discussion Case Study Exam Project Case Holiday Organizational Diagnosis Frameworks: How to Change? Organizational Diagnosis Frameworks: What to Change? Understanding and Building the Need for Change: When to Change College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook a a a Page 23 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Changing People, Structure, Processes, 28 March- and Technology b, d, h 1 April Discussion of Term Project Format Continued- Changing People, Structure, 4-8 April a Processes, and Technology Discussion of Term 11-15 Project Proposals b, c, April (Objectives and d, h Methodology) 18-22 Student Semester April Break Managing Resistance to 25-29 Change e April 2-6 May 9-13 May 23-27 May 14 30 May3 June 15 6-8 June 16 Case Studies # 1 & 2: Group Presentations and Discussions of Results Implementing Change and Organizational Learning Case Studies # 3 & 4: Group Presentations and Discussions of Results Term Projects #1-3: Group Presentations and Discussions of Results Term Projects #4-6: Group Presentations and Discussions of Results Measuring Change: Designing Effective Control Systems College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook b, c, d, h Lecture/Discussion Case Study Exam Project Case Lecture/Discussion Case Study Exam Project Case Lecture/Discussion Case Study Lecture/Discussion Case Study Exam Project Case Discussion Case Study Case Discussion Case Study Case b b, c, d, h Discussion Term Project b, c, d, h Lecture/Discussion Case Exam Project b, c, d, h Lecture/Discussion Exam Project d, h Discussion Term Project Final Exam Page 24 APPENDIX 2: MBA Course Descriptions Course Title Cr. Hr. ACCM 500 Financial Accounting (No credit) Course Description Communicating an understanding of what accounting information is, what it means, how it is used, and its limitations; basic financial accounting principles for a business enterprise; the meaning of generally accepted accounting principles and applying several key principles of accounting; accounting cycle, merchandising accounts, asset valuation, income measurement, partnership accounting and corporation accounting. Course Title Cr. Hr. ACC 610 Advanced Financial Accounting (3 credits) Course Description Prereq. Prereq. Accounting and financial reporting for business combinations (including consolidated financial statements); international accounting issues, foreign currency translation, reorganizations and liquidations; study of selected financial accounting topics including SEC regulations, bankruptcy, and reporting for segments and interim financial periods and major issues of technical accounting requirements. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 611 Managerial Accounting (3 credits) ACC 610 Course Description Concepts and tools of managerial accounting, accounting and related controls as part of the management process; management accounting and related analytical methodologies for decision making and control in profit-directed organizations; product costing, relevant information, budgetary control systems and performance evaluation systems for planning, coordinating and monitoring the performance of a business; advanced techniques of measurement and framework for assessing behavioral dimensions of control systems; impact of different managerial styles on motivation and performance in an organization; financial and non-financial measures for evaluating business strategies and business unit success (economic measures of performance, balanced scorecard approaches). College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 25 Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 612 Financial Statement Analysis (3 credits) ACC 610 Course Description A systematic framework for business analysis and equity valuation using financial statement data and how to apply this framework to a variety of investment, lending, and reporting decisions; tools to analyze operating, financing, and investing activities; analyzing the firm’s financial performance, forecasting the firm’s future performance and estimating a firm’s intrinsic value implied by forecasts; integrating recent forecasting and valuation findings from academic research; generating reasonably accurate (or at least logically consistent) forecasts of a firm’s future financial performance, including revenues, earnings and free cash flows; emphasizing case-oriented illustration of the latest techniques and information sources used by professionals. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 613 International Accounting (3 credits) ACC 610 Course Description Insights into the conceptual, managerial, professional and institutional issues of international accounting; focus on current topics in international accounting and on the cultural, managerial and governmental forces that shape both internal and external accounting in specific countries; examination of cultural, social, political, legal, and economic conditions and their influence on accounting concepts and standards; worldwide diversity in financial reporting and the resultant issues affecting harmonization efforts; emphasis on understanding these differences and their implications for analyzing the financial statements of foreign companies. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 614 Auditing Theory and Practice (3 credits) ACC 610 Course Description Advanced topics in auditing, assurance and ethics in professional accounting; an integrative exposure to topics that reflect current professional practices and best practices as identified by regulatory bodies (e.g., Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and Auditing Standards Board), other professional organizations (e.g., American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Committee of Sponsoring Organizations and the Institute of Internal Auditors), as well as academics and practitioners; Emphasis will be on professional and academic readings, exposure to practitioners and other experts, integration of new topics with material learned in other courses, and placing topics in the context of auditing, assurance and ethical professional conduct. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 26 Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 615 Accounting Information Systems (3 credits) ACC 610 Course Description The concept of relational database, database design using the REA data model, implementing an REA model in a relational database and system design, implementation and operation; system development and documentation technique: data flow diagrams and flowcharts; special topics in accounting system technology. The course may be partially taught in a lab setting. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 616 Accounting Theory (3 credits) ACC 610 Course Description Theory and theorization in general and in accounting in particular; the Kuhn-Popper’s debate including the paradigm dimension; deductive and inductive accounting theories; various approaches to, and images of, accounting theories; general structure of financial accounting theory, including a conceptual framework for financial accounting; normative and positive accounting theories; social, ethical and valuation approaches as exemplars of normative accounting theory; income smoothing and earnings management as exemplars of positive accounting theory. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 617 Cost Accounting (3 credits) ACC 610 Course Description Basic accounting concepts, analyses, uses, procedures and practices; introduction to cost concepts, classifications, and behavior; pricing decisions and cost management; cost allocation, customer-profitability analysis, and sales variance analysis; allocation of support-department cost, common costs and revenues; cost allocation: joint products and byproducts; spoilage, rework, and scrap; inventory management, Justin Time, and Back Flush costing; management control systems, transfer pricing and multinational considerations. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 619 Current Issues in Accounting (3 credits) ACC 610 Course Description Recent issues and developments in major areas of accounting; an indepth study of external reporting issues of an advanced technical nature; topics covered may include: interim reporting, pensions, employee compensation plans, price-level accounting, transfer pricing, budgeting and audit pricing and forensic accounting; other topics in social reporting and other new and emerging areas can also be included in the course. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 27 Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 698 MBA Project in Accounting (3 credits) 18 credits Course Description Students work individually to undertake a project in one of the recent Accounting issues. Students should submit a preliminary project title and scope of work to the instructor of the course to ensure that the topic is both appropriate and feasible within the time constraints of the course. The project should be submitted in a written report to the isntructor at the end of the course. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. ACC 699 Master Dissertation in Accounting (6 credits) 18 credits Course Description Any topic, reflecting contemporary relevance and issues, will be chosen by the student, with the assistance of a faculty member from the area of accounting; a project synopsis consisting of problem area, objectives and proposed methodology, will have to be submitted to the MBA Program committee before the start of actual project work. Course Title Cr. Hr. ECON 500 Survey of Economics (No credit) Course Description Survey of both micro and macroeconomic concepts; microeconomics topics include scarcity, positive and normative economics, economic problem, demand and supply mechanism, elasticity and market structure; macroeconomics topics include national accounts, unemployment, business cycles, inflation, money, banking and monetary and fiscal policies. Course Title Cr. Hr. ECON 640 Managerial Economics (3 credits) Course Description Prereq. Prereq. The firm and its goals; mathematics of demand and supply; demand and revenue analysis; demand elasticity; estimation of demand; theory and estimation of production; theory and estimation of costs; pricing and output decision under perfect and imperfect competitions; pricing in practices; case studies and managerial economics in action. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 28 Course Title Cr. Hr. FINM 500 Managerial Finance (No credit) Course Description The role of finance in the business organization, financial analysis, financial forecasting, capital investment decisions, financing decisions, cost of capital decision, convertible, international financial management, business failures and investment banking. Course Title Cr. Hr. FIN 620 Corporate Finance (3 credits) Course Description Prereq. Prereq. Market efficiency; shareholders’ wealth value; cost of capital; capital assets pricing model; capital budgeting; dividend policy; risk management; mergers and bankruptcy. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. FIN 621 Money, Banking, and Financial Markets (3 credits) FIN 620 Course Description Financial systems, financial markets, pricing functions and the process of innovation and regulation in these markets; role of money, monetary policy, interest rate determination and the role of interest rates in financial markets; analysis of sources and uses of funds at each major institution, with particular stress on the interrelationships of asset and liability management of commercial banks; asset securitization, offbalance sheet banking globalization and the ongoing consolidation of the financial institutions sector. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. FIN 622 Portfolio Management and International Investment (3 credits) FIN 620 Course Description Selecting suitable investment policies and strategies, balancing asset classes, integrated risk management, efficient diversification, market efficiency, measuring and attributing performance for an investment portfolio; analyzing international assets and techniques and using them both opportunistically (tactically) and strategically; specific risks of global investing such as country, political, currency, convertibility, liquidity and settlement; analyze key issues in managing emerging market portfolios. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 29 Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. FIN 623 International Finance (3 credits) FIN 620 Course Description Corporate financial management in a global context, international investment and financing techniques, international monetary systems, balance of payments, market for exchange rates, international banking, equity markets, futures and options on foreign exchange, international capital structure, cost of capital and capital budgeting for multinational corporations. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. FIN 624 Financial Risk Management (3 credits) FIN 620 Course Description Futures and stock options are recognized as important tools of investment and risk reduction; theory of futures and option pricing; framework for analyzing hedging and investment decisions using futures and options (attention is paid to practical considerations in the use of these investments); tax and accounting issues and the institutional features of the market in which the various instruments are traded. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. FIN 625 Islamic Financial Markets and Institutions (3 credits) FIN 620 Course Description Principles that govern the Islamic economic system and Sharia rules; concept of Riba and Gharar and Fiqh Al-Muaíamalat modes of Islamic Financing, such as equity financing of Mudharaba and Musharaka and debt financing such as Murabaha, Ijara, Salam, and Istisnaí; Sukook and other Islamic financial engineering concepts, products and services related to investment banking, Takaful, fund management, and project financing. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. FIN 626 Mergers and Acquisitions (3 credits) FIN 620 Course Description Corporate asset management, particularly valuation; financial statement analysis, capital budgeting methods, estimating incremental cash flows, estimating cost of capital, valuation of projects, valuation of companies in takeovers, cross-border valuation, valuation of strategic options and working capital management. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 30 Course Title Cr. Hr. FIN 627 Financial Analysis and Valuation (3 credits) Course Description Prereq. Interpreting and analyzing financial statements for tasks involving credit and security analyses, lending and investment decision, and other decisions that must rely on financial data. Exploring in greater depth financial reporting topics from the perspective of financial statement users. Developing sufficient understanding of the concepts and recording procedures to enable students to interpret various disclosures in an informed manner. Discussion of financial reporting issue in terms of its effect on assessments of a firm’s profitability and risk. Applying analytical tools and concepts in competitor analysis, credit and investment decision, bankruptcy prediction, mergers and acquisitions, and valuation. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. FIN 629 Current Issues in Finance (3 credits) FIN 620 Course Description In-depth review and analysis of the most current and unresolved issues, in the field of financial markets, derivatives, traditional and Islamic banking. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. FIN 698 MBA Project in Finance (3 credits) 18 credits Course Description Students work individually to undertake a project in one of the recent Finance issues. Students should submit a preliminary project title and scope of work to the instructor of the course to ensure that the topic is both appropriate and feasible within the time constraints of the course. The project should be submitted in a written report to the isntructor at the end of the course. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. FIN 699 Master Dissertation in Finance (6 credits) 18 credits Course Description Any topic, reflecting contemporary relevance and issues, will be chosen by the student with the assistance of a faculty member from the area of finance. A project synopsis consisting of problem area, objectives and proposed methodology will have to be submitted to the MBA Program committee before the start of actual project work. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 31 Course Title Cr. Hr. MGT 630 Organizational Design and Behavior (3 credits) Course Description Prereq. Organization and organization theory; organizational effectiveness; organization structure and design; organizations and theory effects; and managing human behavior in organizations. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 631 Human Resources Management (3 credits) MGT 630 Course Description Analytical overview of personnel management theory and practice; elements of modern personnel management with special reference to human resource development (HRD); job evaluation and analysis; recruitment and selection; performance appraisal; compensation management; human resources development and training; behavior science contribution to modern HRD practices. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 632 Innovation and Entrepreneurship (3 credits) MGT 630 Course Description Major economic theories of innovation and entrepreneurship; process, risks, rewards and cost of entrepreneurship; entrepreneur’s options for start-up and growth capital, organization design, sales and marketing approaches; resource allocation and other decisions from the entrepreneur’s perspective; team project involving preparation of feasibility plan. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 633 International Business (3 credits) MGT 630 Course Description Theories of international business; internationalization process; international trade and foreign direct investment; entry strategies and establishing foreign subsidiary; licensing and franchising; joint ventures; strategies and organization of the multinational, parentsubsidiary relations; cross-cultural management of multinational firms; current issues: GATT, NAFTA, EEC, GCC and ASEAN; global exchange of capital business practices in the Kingdom of Bahrain will be compared to business practices around the world. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 32 Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 634 Organizational Change and Development (3 credits) MGT 630 Course Description Introduction to the field of organization change and development as a set of holistic interventional methodologies for systematically bringing about organizational change and improvement in people, processes, and technology; emphasis will be on the exploration of literature, culture, values and skills that will assist a manager, leader, or administration to carry out the organizational development and to manage change successfully. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 635 Business Ethics (3 credits) MGT 630 Course Description Introduction to a stakeholder management framework, emphasizing business, social and ethical responsibilities to both external and internal stakeholder groups. Discussing a twin theme of corporate business ethics and governance that illustrates how ethical considerations are included in the public issues facing organizations and the decision-making process of managers. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 636 Operations Management and Decisions (3 credits) MGT 630 Course Description Operations strategy; operations planning, design, scheduling, and control; product/service design; process design, analysis, improvement, and reengineering; supply chain design, management and technologies; forecasting; capacity planning; inventory management; project management; resource requirements planning; designing and building decision-making tools, such as decision trees, linear programming, Analytical Hierarchy Process and simulation using spreadsheet modeling approach. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 637 Total Quality Management (3 credits) MGT 630 Course Description Concepts, principles, tools, and techniques used to design, implement, and sustain TQM programs to provide continuous improvement of customer services; focus to be on how firms add value and compete with quality and improve productivity and competitiveness; topics include quality management, employee involvement and team building for quality, quality circles and Six Sigma; TQM is approached from the organizational culture and a culture change perspective. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 33 Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 638 Business Strategy (3 credits) 12 credits Course Description Basic concepts of strategic management; corporate governance and social responsibility; environmental scanning and industry analysis; internal scanning: organization analysis; strategy formulation: situation analysis and business strategy, corporate strategy, functional strategy and strategic choices; strategy implementation: organizing for action. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 639 Current Issues in Management (3 credits) MGT 630 Course Description In-depth analysis and critique of contemporary issues and controversies which cover a wide range of business management topics; students search for critical issues in appropriate literature, analyze readings, present and assess arguments and present conclusions in a coherent and persuasive style. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGt 698 MBA Project in Management (3 credits) 18 credits Course Description Students work individually to undertake a project in one of the recent Management issues. Students should submit a preliminary project title and scope of work to the instructor of the course to ensure that the topic is both appropriate and feasible within the time constraints of the course. The project should be submitted in a written report to the isntructor at the end of the course. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MGT 699 Master Dissertation in Management (6 credits) 18 credits Course Description Any topic, reflecting contemporary relevance and issues, will be chosen by the student with the assistance of a faculty member from the area of management. A project synopsis consisting of problem area, objectives and proposed methodology will have to be submitted to the MBA Program committee before the start of actual project work. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 34 Course Title Cr. Hr. MKT 660 Marketing Management (3 credits) Course Description Prereq. The marketing concepts and the role of marketing in modern organizations; framework of analysis, planning and control in marketing; focus to be on developing the marketing mix strategies (product, price, place, and physical distribution) in today’s highly competitive environment. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 661 Consumer Behavior (3 credits) MKT 660 Course Description Consumer research; market segmentation; consumer as an individual: consumer motivation, personality and consumer behavior, consumer perception; learning; attitude formation; communication and consumer behavior; consumers in their social and cultural settings; reference groups and family influences, social class and consumer behavior, the influence of culture on consumer behavior and consumer decision making. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 662 Services Marketing (3 credits) MKT 660 Course Description Introduction to services marketing; purchase process for service; consumer expectation of service; service quality; managing the service outcome (operations, people, environment, pricing, distribution); service strategies (competitive marketing strategies, managing supply, demand and productivity, customer retention and an integrated communication program). Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 663 International Marketing (3 credits) MKT 660 Course Description The concept of global marketing; foreign economies, economic environment, cultural environment, political-legal environment; global marketing strategy, international marketing intelligence; international product policy, distribution: foreign market entry; foreign market channels and global logistics; international promotion: advertising, other factors; pricing in international marketing; planning, organization and control of international marketing. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 35 Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 664 Strategic Marketing (3 credits) MKT 660 Course Description Marketing and the concept of strategic planning; defining the market scope, strategic analysis (analyzing the external and internal marketing environment); setting marketing objectives and goals, identifying strategic marketing alternatives and strategy selection (portfolio analysis and product life cycle strategies) and implementing and auditing the marketing strategy. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 665 E-Marketing (3 credits) MKT 660 Course Description Electronic commerce; business models for interactive marketing; electronic commerce technology; interactive marketing and the marketing process: communications, relationship marketing, new buyer behavior; managing customer through e-commerce: supply chain management, on-line payment, privacy and security issues, and marketing ethics. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 666 Promotion Management (3 credits) MKT 660 Course Description The concepts of integrated marketing communication (IMC) and its application within the organization, marketing communication process, marketing communication situation analysis, developing a marketing communication program for coordinating all of the promotional mix elements: advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations and direct marketing, implementing and evaluating IMC program. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 667 Marketing Channels (3 credits) MKT 660 Course Description Analysis of the various functions and behaviors of marketing channel members with emphasis on those associated with the design, management, and control of the distribution channel system; strong emphasis placed on understanding the behavioral dimensions of the channel relationship after focusing on the economic and structural aspects of retailing wholesaling and physical distribution. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 36 Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 669 Current Issues in Marketing (3 credits) MKT 660 Course Description The changing role of marketing in modern organizations, customer value, chain value and value delivery networks, relationship marketing and customer relationship marketing (CRM), internal marketing, green marketing, social marketing and new types of marketing. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 698 MBA Project in Marketing (3 credits) 18 credits Course Description Students work individually to undertake a project in one of the recent Marketing issues. Students should submit a preliminary project title and scope of work to the instructor of the course to ensure that the topic is both appropriate and feasible within the time constraints of the course. The project should be submitted in a written report to the isntructor at the end of the course. Course Title Cr. Hr. Prereq. MKT 699 Master Dissertation in Marketing (6 credits) 18 credits Course Description Any topic, reflecting contemporary relevance and issues, will be chosen by the student with the assistance of a faculty member from the area of marketing. A project synopsis consisting of the problem area, objectives and proposed methodology will have to be submitted to the MBA Program committee before the start of actual project work. Course Title Cr. Hr. QM 500 Quantitative Methods for Business (3 credits) Course Description Prereq. Fundamentals of function; an introduction to quantitative methods, descriptive measures of statistics, probability concepts, hypoProject testing, correlation and linear regression analysis, probability distributions. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 37 Course Title Cr. Hr. QM 650 Research Methods and Statistical Analysis (3 credits) Course Description Prereq. Introduction to business research, research process, problem definition and the research proposal, design of research strategies, questionnaire design, sampling procedures, sources, collection and presentation of data; hypotheses testing; bivariate and multivariate analyses; nonparametric significance test, and presenting results in written reports College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 38 Appendix 3: Teaching and Project Supervision Guidelines The MBA Program in the College of Business Administration follows the "The UoB Regulations for Postgraduate Diploma and Master's Programs". Full details may be found in the UoB website at: http://www.uob.edu.bh/english/pages.aspx?module=pages&id=1769&SID=394. Teaching and Supervision Article (32) Teaching and supervision shall be undertaken by Professors or Associate Professors. Subject to the Board's recommendation and approval of the College Council, when necessary, teaching and supervision may be undertaken by an Assistant Professor, if needed teaching and research experience. Article (33) Upon the recommendation of the department and the approval of the college, the Board shall issue a decision appointing a supervisor and approving the title of the project and its proposed plan by not later than the end of the fourth semester of the student's joining the University. Article (34) Following the Board’s approval, the maximum number of master's projects an academic faculty member can supervise at one time is as follows: Five projects if he/she is a Professor. Three projects if he/she is an Associate Professor. Two projects if he/she is an Assistant Professor. Article (35) Under extreme circumstances, the supervisor may be changed in the same manner he was appointed. Article (36) Upon the Board’s recommendation and the approval of the department and college councils, the University Council may issue a resolution stipulating that: An academic faculty member who is on a sabbatical leave or unpaid leave may continue supervising the student's project provided that he/she spends his/her leave in Bahrain. Anyone who has previously had a university rank in a recognized university and resides in Bahrain may take part in supervision. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 39 Article (37) The title of the project may be modified if necessary. The modification shall be done in the same way as it was approved. Article (38) Upon finishing the project and completing all the courses specified in the study plan and achieving the required minimum GPA (3 out of 4 points), the supervisor shall present a detailed report to the Department's Committee about the validity of the project for the oral examination attached with three bound copies. Article (39) The Department Committee shall nominate the internal examiner and the external examiner and send its recommendation thereof to the department and college councils, and then to the Board and the University Council for the definitive endorsement of the viva panel. Article (40) The chairman of the Board shall send the project with a copy of the postgraduate studies regulations to both the internal and external examiners to evaluate the project methodologically and academically for its validity for oral examination. Article (41) If one or both examiners request that necessary modifications be made to the project, the supervisor shall guide the student to make them. If one of the examiners rejects the project, the chairman of the Board shall send it to another referee having the same qualifications as the first examiner. If the new examiner rejects the project, then the project shall be considered unacceptable and the student shall get a grade of 'F' 'fail'. If the internal and external examiners reject the project, then the project shall be considered unacceptable and the student shall get a grade of 'F' (Fail). Article (42) If the internal and external examiners' approve the validity of the project, the department shall process and complete the viva procedures. Viva and Verdict Article (43): The Viva and Verdict Committee shall be formed by: a. the supervisor, as chairman College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 40 b. the internal examiner, as a member c. The external examiner, as a member Article (44): The project shall be discussed according to the guidelines set by the procedures pertaining to the preparation of Master projects (theses). Article (45): The Board Chairman shall send an invitation to the examiners, in which he/she specifies the date of the viva. Article (46): Upon the approval of the department and college, the decision of the Viva and Verdict Committee shall be sent to the Board within two weeks from the date of the viva. Article (47): Upon the recommendation of the Board, the University Council shall award the Master's degree. The Thesis (Project) Supervisor Appointment and Proposal Approval Form, a copy of which appears in Appendix 4, must be approved in order for a student to gain topic approval and have a Project Supervisor appointed officially. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 41 University of Bahrain Graduate Studies Council Appendix 4: Thesis Supervisor Appointment and Proposal Approval Form Program: Department: College: Student Information: Student Name: ID: Enrollment Date: Credits Completed: Cumulative GPA: Mobile No: Email: Project Information: Project Title: Supervisor: Academic Rank: Academic Rank: Co-Supervisor (If any) Expected Completion date: (1) Project Plan Proposal (2) Student Transcript must be attached with this form. Additional Remarks:................................................................................................................. Department Approval: Signature: Date: College Approval: Signature: Date: Graduate Studies Council Approval: Signature: Date: The Application should be submitted to the Deanship of Admission & Registration to finalize the procedure Processed by Admission & Registration: Name: College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Signature: Date: Page 42 Appendix 5: Library Resources Available for MBA Students Books College of Business Accounting Economics & Finance Marketing & Management No 10943 924 5276 4743 College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook % 8.44 48.21 43.34 Ebooks No % 1448 133 9.19 626 43.23 689 47.58 Journals (Online+Print) No % 5465 498 9.11 1407 25.75 3560 65.14 Page 43 The role of the University of Bahrain Library is to plan, make available and provide access to the appropriate information resources in various formats, in order to support the teaching, learning and research activities of the University. The University of Bahrain Library, which was established in 1986, is made up of four libraries and a number of special branch libraries: The main Library, at Sakhir campus, accommodates materials and services to support the Colleges of Business Administration, Arts, Education as well as the newly established Bahrain Teachers College. The Isa Town Library accommodates materials and services to support the College of Engineering, the Deanship of Scientific Research and the Evening Program. The Science and Information Technology Library, at Sakhir campus, houses materials and services to support the Colleges of Science and Information Technology as well as the College of Applied Studies. The Law Library provides materials and services to the College of Law. There are also a number of specialized branch libraries. These include libraries at the American Studies Center, the French Studies Center, the Japanese Studies Center, the Center for Transport and Road Studies, the E-learning Center, and the English Language Center. However, and in spite of being hosted in a number of locations, the library is considered as one entity. Thanks to the introduction of the Dynix (Horizon) catalogue, students and faculty can search and locate books in their fields of study, which they can borrow from any location. The system allows for books to be requested, borrowed, and returned to and from any location. The introduction of a digital library makes it also possible for students and researchers to access remotely thousands of journals and e-books. 1. The buildings: The library in Sakhir covers a total area of 5520m2 including a newly built extension (836m2). Isa Town library has an area of 5500m2. The newly established library for the Colleges of Science and IT has a total area of 1250m2 and the Law Library 400 m2. The total space is 12670 m2. Seats: The total number of seats across all libraries is 1525 study seats including 225 IT seats (where a computer is available to the user). College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 44 Study rooms: In all, 22 group study rooms are available to students (9 in Sakhir and 13 in Isa Town). Special needs groups: The library has one room in each of its locations reserved for the visually impaired. Students, who need special coaching from other students, can also be accommodated by prior booking. 1 computer in each PC lab is reserved for students using wheel chairs. 2. Library staff: The total library staff is 64 - 14 of whom are professional librarians. 3. Library collections: The total library stock to-date numbers: 189,000 copies. Books: Faculty members are active in the process of library collection development and are encouraged to coordinate with the Subject Librarians in order to select the appropriate resources for their department. The library provides publishers’ catalogues and lists of new titles from its database Nielson BookData. Journals: (English) College of business: 21 current titles that the library subscribes to for 2009 (list enclosed). E-journals: 2709 titles in the various fields of interest from a number of full text databases including: EBSCO Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, Business Monitor, Business Insights, Islamic Finance News, International Financial Statistics, Emerald, ScienceDirect, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and JSTOR. (list enclosed). 3. Public Computers: 213 computers are available to students to use for the purpose of accessing the library catalogue, the digital resources, the Internet, or to use MS programs (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint). 4. Book loans: Books: Students can borrow up to 5 books for 4 weeks. Faculty can borrow up to 12 books for a semester. Short loan: Students can borrow short loan materials for 2 hours. Reference and journals: These categories are for use in the library. Electronic collection: By direct remote access to the digital library 5. Inter library loan: The library can obtain documents that it does not stock and that are needed for study and research from a number of agencies abroad including the British Library, and other libraries in the Gulf. This service is free of charge for students and faculty and documents from the British Library can reach the requester within 24 hours. 6. Photocopy services: The University libraries now have newly equipped Copy Centers where users can have access to a number of services like photocopying, binding, laminating, and scanning. The photocopiers are card-operated. The Copy Centre also takes care of the printing services for the PC Lab for the students. They have dedicated high resolution printers at each campus which are run on a prepaid mode directly from each computer at the PC Lab. The College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 45 Centre also provides free photocopying to faculty. Users are made aware that copyright laws apply to this service. 1. Opening times: Central Library, Sakhir: o Sunday – Wednesday: 7.30 am to 7.00 pm o Thursday: 7.30 am to 5.00 pm Engineering Library, Isa Town: o Science & IT Library, Sakhir: o Sunday to Thursday: 7.30 am to 5.00 pm Sunday to Thursday: 7.30 am to 4.30 pm Law Library, Sakhir: o Sunday to Thursday: 7.30 am to 5.00 pm Any variations to the above hours will be posted on the Library notice boards 8. Subject Librarian and Information Literacy: The library offers a host of programs that are intended to educate users on the resources available in the library. New students and faculty would benefit from a library orientation program, which can be arranged with two days notice. Sessions are short and can be tailored to the needs of the group. Faculty members with classes requiring student research can arrange sessions that provide students with instruction on the resources available in their field. The library has assigned Mrs. Juliet Conlon to act as Subject Librarian for the College of Business Administration. Her role is to: Identify the teaching, learning, and research needs of the academic staff and the students in the relevant college Provide information support for these needs Identify and develop appropriate training in the use of paper and electronic resources, and the library catalogue. Design and present course-related library instructional sessions as requested by faculty, Develop online guides and bibliographies, Offer one-on-one research consultations for students and work with faculty to provide additional services. Provide teachers with information material to embed into their e-courses. The Subject librarian organizes tours and training workshops for new students and faculty. The sessions cover the use of the Public Access Catalogue, the reference sources, and the electronic databases. The library also has a special room in each of its locations, which can be booked by faculty, to train groups of students on research methods. A total of 149 students from the college of business attended 10 library information literacy sessions in 2008. 9. Library electronic access 9.1. Library Automated Catalogue (Horizon) College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 46 Dynix is considered to be one of the world’s leading automated systems in the field of library automation. This system provides the following services: To locate books, periodicals and other resources via an automated catalogue. To search by subject, author or title. To borrow books. To read electronic journals. The catalogue can be accessed within the library or remotely from anywhere in the world: http://libwebserver.uob.edu.bh/en/ 9.2. Digital Library The Digital Library contains links to the full-text electronic copy of many English periodicals and books, Arabic books online "Turath", Arabic periodicals index, Kingdom of Bahrain database and databases in which the library subscribes. These databases cover the fields of science, engineering, social sciences and humanities. These electronic sources can be accessed via the University of Bahrain library website: http://libwebserver.uob.edu.bh/en/ http://www.uob.edu.bh/ The following databases are of specific interest to the college of Business Administration: Academic Search Premier Material covered includes social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences and ethnic studies. ASKZAD Arabic database that includes a number of full-text journals and books in Arabic. Bentham Open Access The database includes more than 200 peer-reviewed open access journals, which cover all major disciplines and are exclusively open access publications. Blackwell Synergy Blackwell Synergy is the online journals service from Blackwell Publishing. It holds the fulltext articles of over 850 journals, the majority of which are published by Blackwell on behalf of international scholarly and professional societies. The subjects covered range across Medicine, Science, Social Science and the Humanities. Business Insights Recent reports on industries including consumer goods, energy, finance, healthcare and technology. Business Monitor Business Monitor supplies, quarterly surveys and forecasts for key industries; comparative country data; multinational subsidiary profiles; and the latest business news and analysis. Business Source ™ Premier Material in this database covers management, economics, finance, accounting, international business and more. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 47 Cambridge Journals Online This resource contains over 220 peer-reviewed academic journals from Cambridge University Press. The journals, in electronic format, contain the latest research from a broad sweep of subject areas. Ebrary This database includes more than 37,000 electronic books in various subjects. Emerald Material covered includes marketing, management, science and education. ERIC Educational Resources Information Center ERIC contains more than 1 million abstracts of journal articles and documents on education research and practice. International Financial Statistics Online Produced by the International Monetary Fund, the IFS database contains time series data from 1948. International Financial Statistics is a standard source of international statistics on all aspects of international and domestic finance. It reports, for most countries of the world, current data needed in the analysis of problems of international payments and of inflation and deflation, i.e., data on exchange rates, international liquidity, international banking, money and banking, interest rates, prices, production, international transactions, government accounts, and national accounts. Islamic Finance News Published every Friday, Islamic Finance news is capital markets focused e-newsletter providing editorial coverage of the global Islamic financing market. JSTOR It includes archives of over one thousand leading academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as select monographs and other materials valuable for academic work. Journals are always included from volume 1, issue 1 and include previous and related titles. Mylibrary This database includes a number of electronic books in various subjects. Oxford Journals As a major international publisher of academic and research journals, Oxford Journals publish over 180 titles, many in partnership with the world’s leading prestigious learned societies. Oxford Journals’ collections cover Life Sciences, Mathematics & Physical Sciences, Medicine, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Law. Regional Business News Regional Business News incorporates 75 business journals, newspapers and newswires covering all metropolitan and rural areas within the United States. Included in this database are Arizona Business, Business North Carolina, Crain's New York Business (and other Crain Communications editions), Des Moines Business Record, Enterprise Salt Lake City, Fort Worth Business Press, Orange County Business Journal, Westchester County Business Journal, etc. ScienceDirect ScienceDirect provides coverage of scientific, technical and medical literature including the subject fields of agriculture and biological sciences, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology, business, management and accounting, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, decision sciences, earth and planetary sciences, College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 48 economics, econometrics and finance, energy and power, engineering and technology, environmental science, immunology and microbiology, materials science, mathematics, medicine, neuroscience, pharmacology, toxicology and pharmaceutics, physics and astronomy, psychology, and social science. Please note that copyright rules apply, as all electronic resources are to be used for teaching and research purposes only. College of Business Administration MBA Student Handbook Page 49