MBA Special Topics Course Descriptions
Fall 2014
AC-510
Fraud Examination
This course will examine the three major areas of occupational fraud: asset misappropriation, corruption
and fraudulent financial statements to develop an understanding of how and why fraud is committed. The
focus of the class will be: a study of areas prone to fraud; how to detect and prevent fraud; human factors
associated with increased risk of occupational fraud. This class will also focus on management’s
responsibility for establishing and maintaining an environment promoting ethical behavior, compliance to
laws, and adequate internal control. Actual fraud cases will be presented to demonstrate how allegations of
fraud are investigated and resolved by fraud investigation professionals. This class can count as a
concentration class for all concentrations except Project Management.
MK-520
Services Marketing
Services are derived from many sectors of the economy including: government, private, nonprofit,
commercial and institutional organizations. This course will provide students with an understanding of the
nature and variety of services and how they differ from product marketing, as well as how their major
characteristics affect their marketing plans. The course will examine the service marketing environment,
positioning strategies, customer mix and demand, service pricing, communication and promotion policies,
and channels of distribution. Other topics to be covered include how firms can develop growth
opportunities, increase quality and productivity, and manage customer support services effectively in a
highly competitive market.
Winter 2015
AC-507
Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting
An introduction to the theory and practice of accounting as applied to governmental entities and not-forprofit organizations. The objective is to evaluate transactions, prepare and analyze financial statements,
write financial briefings, and apply accounting rules and procedures. Topics include the evaluation and
preparation of reports required for governmental and not-for-profit entities.
MK-510
Sales and Sales Management
This course examines the basic concepts of personal selling and sales management. It emphasizes the link
between the determinants of sales performance and the activities involved in planning, organizing, leading,
and controlling a successful global sales force. A practical, hands on approach for understanding (and
dealing with) key sales problems in strategy management, talent management, and customer/opportunity
management will be discussed. The course will also examine a series of customer partnering principles
aimed at creating and sustaining value to global customers and their businesses.
MK-520
Social Media and Business
The course surveys the use and trends in social media from a strategic business perspective. The
management component may cover online workplace privacy, training, collaboration, firm reputation, and
company strategy. The marketing component may discuss strategic marketing objectives, tool selection,
brand development, selling, and ROI using social media. Topic selection is at the discretion of the
instructor.
Spring 2015
AC-506
Advanced Tax and Law
A course which covers advanced topics in taxation and law. Study of advanced federal income taxation
topics including international taxation, multistate taxation, exempt organizations and tax ethics. Advanced
legal topics include the law of commerical transactions as it applies to secured transactions, bankruptcy,
and securities regulations.
EL-550
International Business – Lima, Peru (incl. required trip to Lima, Peru – May 1-8, 2015)
This special topics course offers the MBA student the opportunity to investigate several aspects of doing
business internationally. It utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach (Management, Marketing, Accounting,
Finance) with a focus on South America and specifically, Peru. It is designed so that it can benefit students
in any MBA concentration. The course involves a trip to Lima and neighboring Cusco, where students
interact with faculty and students from a large Peruvian University – Universidad Peruana de Ciensias
Aplicadas (UPC). While in Peru, students will also meet with select companies from a variety of Peruvian
industries and visit historical and archeological sites such as Machu Picchu.
The course has the same number of contact hours as a regular MBA class. It will meet once a week (four
times) prior to the 8 day Peru trip, and will then meet four more times more upon returning to the U.S.
Two Management/Marketing modules will be scheduled before the trip and the remaining two will be
scheduled after the trip. The same will apply to the Accounting and Finance modules. The course will be
co-taught by an Accounting and Finance instructor and a Management and Marketing instructor.
The Accounting and Finance portion will address the following topics:
 International Finance including equities, debt and currency issues.
 International Accounting including financial and tax reporting.
 International Law including international trade and contract issues.
A combination of guest lecturers and class discussions focused on current industry issues and reports will
be used in the Accounting and Finance modules.
The Management and Marketing portion will address the following topics (among others):
 International Management and Marketing basics
 Global Competency
 Global Business Ethics
 Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
 South America (PELT analysis; doing business in S.A.) – implications for Management
 Peru (PELT analysis; cultural and business etiquette in Peru) – implications for Marketing
 Industry/Company analyses
A combination of lecture, class discussion, case studies, and class presentations will be used in the
Management and Market modules.
MG-520
Leadership and the Executive Mind
This course is an introduction to the inner resources of the mind and personality for vision, leadership and
performance, and the systematic methods of developing these resources into practical skills. The course
will include a study of the structure and functions of the mind, the innate skills of the mind (concentration,
physical and mental balance, imagination, will, intuition, reasoning, instinct) relative to personal
productivity and the development of the personal skills of leadership. Emphasis will be given to the
application of inner resources to creative problem solving, enhanced clarity of thought, and effective
communication. Emphasis will also be placed on actual skills development in self-management and
students will be expected to develop a degree of competency in these skills.
MK-510
Knowledge Management/Data Mining
This course introduces basic concepts, tasks, methods, and techniques in knowledge management and data
mining. Students will develop an understanding of the data mining process and issues and learn various
techniques for data mining. Students will understand how data plays a critical role in strategic planning and
will explore the theory and concepts associated with applying data to enhance managerial decision making
and build strong customer relationships. This course will enable students to explore data mining relative to
Knowledge Management (KM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM), addressing both the
important theoretical aspects of data mining, KM and CRM, as well as illustrating best practices. Finally,
ethical issues will also be addressed in terms of data security and privacy.