Helzberg School MBA Electives

We are continuously developing and adding to our extensive list of elective choices to meet the demand of today's rapidly changing business, industry and nonprofit sectors. You can further focus your degree by selecting a concentration. Most elective courses are offered once per year.

AC 6050 Advanced Accounting (3 credit hours)

Course explores advanced topics in financial accounting and reporting, including business combinations and consolidations, accounting for routine operations of state and local government entities and other non-business entities, partnership and personal financial statements, and foreign currency translation and transactions. Prerequisite: AC 3000.

AC 6600 Corporate and Partnership Taxation (3 credit hours)

Course studies major taxes and taxation issues as they pertain to corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships. Emphasis is given to concepts, practice, research and communication of tax issues. Prerequisite: AC 3000.

AC 6650 Individual Taxation (3 credit hours)

Course analyzes federal and state taxation issues as they pertain to individuals. Emphasis is given to concepts, practice, research and communication of tax issues. Prerequisite: AC 3000.

AC 6750 Auditing (3 credit hours)

Course explores the examination of financial statements by independent public accountants. Topics include auditing standards, planning the audit, evidence gathering, the work paper preparation and review process, and types of audit reports. The graduate-level course requires independent, accelerated additional work appropriate for the graduate level. Prerequisite: AC 3500 or MIS 3100 or equivalent.

AC 6001 Advanced Business Environment Concepts - CPA Review Course (2 credit hours)

This course is designed for accounting undergraduates in preparation for the Business Environment Concepts (BEC) section of the Uniform Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam. BEC tests knowledge and understanding of general topics such as those found in the subjects of economics and information technology, and the day-to-day financial management tasks that newly licensed CPAs perform, such as calculations involving ratios, valuation and budgeting. Content covered includes knowledge and skills in the context of the five broad categories: a) corporate governance, b) economic concepts and analysis, c) financial management, d) information technology, and e) operations management. The graduate-level course requires independent, accelerated or additional work appropriate for the graduate level.

AC 6435 Advanced Auditing - CPA Review Course (2 credit hours)

This course is designed for accounting undergraduates in preparation for the Auditing section of the Uniform Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam. Auditing tests knowledge and understanding of the entire audit process, other services including compilations, reviews and attestation engagements and the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. In addition to demonstrating knowledge and understanding of accounting principles, candidates are required to demonstrate the skills required to apply that knowledge in performing auditing functions and other tasks as certified public accountants. Content covered includes knowledge and skills in the context of the six broad categories: a) engagement acceptance, b) understanding the entity and its environment c) performing audit procedures and evaluating evidence d) evaluating audit findings, communications, and reporting, e) accounting and review services and f) professional responsibilities. The graduate-level course requires independent, accelerated or additional work appropriate for the graduate level. 

BIA 6301 Applied Data Mining (2 credit hours)

The course provides a comprehensive overview of data mining techniques used to realize unseen patterns, including traditional statistical analysis and machine learning techniques. Students will analyze large datasets and develop modeling solutions to support decision making in various domains such as healthcare, finance, security, marketing, and customer relationship management (CRM). Models will include decision trees, clustering, principal component analysis, classification, k-means, ensemble methods and other supervised and unsupervised predictive models primarily for structured data. Students will also learn how to apply these models into production through business rules and SQL. Statistics and exposure to any programming language is required. The primary software tools for this class will be R. Prerequisites: BIA 6300, 6202, and 6201, or equivalent knowledge.

BIA 6302 Data Visualization (2 credit hours)

This course is about the interactive exploration of data, and how it is achieved using state-of-the-art data visualization software. Students will be able to present complex quantitative and qualitative data visually. Participants will learn to explore a range of different data types and structures. They will learn about various interactive techniques for manipulating and examining the data and producing effective visualizations. Participants will be guided through an exploration of quantitative business data to discern meaningful patterns, trends, relationships, and exceptions that reveal business performance, potential problems and opportunities. Data visualization is both an art and a science. It is an art concerned with unleashing creativity and innovation, designing communications that appeal on an aesthetic level and survive in the mind on an emotional one. Statistics and exposure to any programming language is required. The primary software tool for this class will be Tableau. R and Python1 will also be incorporated. Prerequisite: BIA 6300.

BIA 6303 Predictive Models (2 credit hours)

The course will teach advanced statistical techniques to discover information and build predictive models from large sets of data. Emphasis is placed on applications for marketing research and operations. Methods will include expansion of linear models, neural nets, support vector machines, naïve Bayes and Bayesian networks, collaborative filtering, propensity models market basket analysis, longitudinal data analysis and product launch models. Statistics and exposure to any programming language is required. Prerequisites: BIA 6300, 6301 or consent of the Program Director.

BIA 6304 Text Mining (2 credit hours)

This course will introduce the essential techniques of text mining, understood as the extension of data mining's standard predictive methods to unstructured text. Students will also learn web scraping techniques and collection of unstructured data from social media sites like Twitter, as well as a company web site. Students will also be introduced to sentiment analysis and natural language processing. Statistics and exposure to any programming language is required. The primary software tool for this class will be Python & R. Tableau will also be incorporated. Applied Data Mining is recommended prior to taking this course. Prerequisites: BIA 6300, 6301 or consent of the Program Director.

BIA 6305 Preparation and Analysis for Big Data (2 credit hours)

This course will emphasize the extraction, transformation and preparation of data from traditional relational databases as well as more complex storage systems (such as Hadoop) for analytical purposes. Students will be introduced to data wrangling, munging and scraping of both structured and unstructured data. Students will also be introduced to parallel process for big data such as map-reduce and query languages like HIVE. Exposure to any programming language is required. The primary software tool for this class will be Python as well as access to a standard rational database (Oracle or Mysql) and a Hadoop system. Prerequisites: BIA 6300, 6301 or consent of the Program Director.

BIA 6306 Web and Social Media Analytics (2 credit hours)

The primary focus of the course is the application of descriptive and predictive techniques to web analytics and other social media platforms including user behavior modeling and e-metrics for business intelligence. Students will also work with Google analytics and other web-based analytical platforms to judge performance and ROI of a company’s web and social media programs. The primary software tool for this class will be Google Analytics and other web-based tools. Prerequisite BIA 6300, 6301, and 6302, or consent of the Program Director.

BIA 6307 Dashboard Creation and Implementation (2 credit hours)

This course provides instruction for creating analyses and dashboards in business intelligence applications. Students will begin by building basic analyses to include in dashboards, with more complexity as the course progresses. Emphasis is placed using the proper metrics and ways to display them for different users. Dashboards will be built for implementation on both desktops as well as tablet devices. Students will also identify KPIs and how they may be used across different levels of the organization. Examples include human resources, recruiting, sales, operations, security, information technology, project management, customer relationship management and many more departmental dashboards. Students will also be introduced to analytical strategy models like the balanced scorecard. Prerequisite BIA 6300, 6301, and 6302, or consent of the Program Director.

BIA 6308 Analytics and Strategy (2 credit hours)

The focus of this class is the implementation of analytics as a competitive advantage across the enterprise. In this course, students will read case studies and hear from guest speakers about challenges and opportunities generated by the advent of “big data.” Students will make group presentations and write critical response papers related to these case studies. Students will consider some of the traditional business frameworks (e.g., SWOT analysis) for evaluating the strategic opportunities available to a company in the “big data” space. Prerequisite BIA 6300, 6301, and 6302, or consent of the Program Director.

FN 6420 Financial Risk Management (2 credit hours)

The course overviews the derivatives markets, the instruments traded in these markets (options, futures, forwards and swaps) and the principles underlying price determination of these instruments. Option valuation models such as the Black-Scholes model are covered. The focus of the course is on financial engineering - the use of derivatives in managing risk. Management of interest rate risk, equity risk, currency risk, commodity price risk and derivatives risk is discussed. Prerequisite: FN 6310.

FN 6460 Personal Financial Planning (2 credit hours)

Overall objective of the course is to master personal financial planning topics specific to graduate-level students who want to use this information in their personal and/or professional lives. The following topics will be covered: overview of the financial planning process; cash management, debt management, and saving; income taxes; home and auto buying decisions; insurance & risk management; investments; retirement planning; and estate planning. Speakers will be brought in to the class on occasion to discuss their areas of expertise. Prerequisites: FN 6310.

FN 6600 Investments (2 credit hours)

Course explores how securities markets work, and how individual investors employ systematic methodologies to accomplish investment objectives. Topics include environmental analysis, evaluation of equities, analysis of fixed income securities, fundamental and technical analysis of the stock market and capital market theory. Prerequisite: FN6310.

HC 6150 Health Systems (2 credit hours)

This course surveys the major components and organizational interrelationships of the United States health care system. Students examine various healthcare organizations (HCOs), personnel issues, delivery systems, policy, and payment mechanisms. This course introduces students to the public policy and business practice issues associated with access, cost and quality. 

HC 6260 Medical Practice Management (2 credit hours)

Course surveys the major components and organizational interrelationships of medical practice management in the United States. Students examine medical practice benchmarking, reimbursement, contract analysis and negotiation, operations management, quality management, budgeting and forecasting in medical practice environments. 

HC 6300 Health Care Policy (2 credit hours)

This course examines political issues affecting contemporary health care services by analyzing policy goals, public policy formulation processes, and external environments. Analysis blends the use of managerial epidemiology, biostatistics, political and economic analysis, with an understanding of public health initiatives. Future health care leaders also gain an appreciation for how political structures determine interactions with local and national governments.

HC 6350 Quality Improvement in Health Care (2 credit hours)

This course examines and familiarizes the student with the concept of quality and the process of quality improvement across the health care continuum. Focuses on the history and evolution of quality, its terms, principles, theories, and practices, particularly as it relates to population health management and patient-centered medical homes. The student is introduced to a diverse collection of methods of improving quality, including but not limited to continuous Quality Improvement and Total Quality Management, and to the guidelines for implementing quality programs and processes to improve health care access, quality, and value. Students will be asked to review the changes implemented by health care systems from across America to make quality health care more safe, timely, effective, equitable, efficient and patient-centered.

HC 6400 Health Information Technology (2 credit hours)

This course examines past developments and emerging trends within the general discipline of Management Information Systems (MIS), and within the specific discipline of Health Care Information Technology (HCIT). It explores the business management processes required for successful Information Systems planning, design and implementation within health care organizations of various sizes and types. Field visits and case studies expose students to the practical challenges involved in systems selection, implementation and ongoing utilization, including ethical issues, human responses to change and best practices in project management.

MG 6001 Spirituality and Values in Leadership (2 credit hours)

This course explores how the faith and values of a leader can and should shape their leadership. Students will explore the nature of leadership as expressed in multiple faith traditions, including the Jesuit perspective on leadership, and the idea of a “mensch manager.” Mensch is a Yiddish term for a gentle, proper person of integrity, honor and humility. Students will articulate what their own guiding values are, and explore how to remain true to their own principles while in the pursuit of success. They will also examine the implications of relying on one’s faith when working in a religiously diverse context. Prerequisite: MG 6310.

MG 6094 Business of Beer (1 credit hour)

This course develops a systematic understanding of the beer industry, focusing in particular on the local craft beer market.  After providing an historical overview of how and why the beer market in the US has evolved into its current structure, it applies a series of business management topics to more fully evaluate current brewery and industry performance.  Among the concepts that will be applied to the market for beer are Porter’s 5 forces, Strategic Group Analysis, Value Chain Analysis, and the Resource Based View of the Firm.  Guest expert speakers will discuss various parts of the beer value chain.

MG 6098 Networking for Success (1 credit hour)

This course reveals strategies to connect with people in person, build casual acquaintances into real connections, and leverage social media to increase your sphere of influence.

 MG 6140 Past, Present & Future of the American Workforce (1 credit hour)

MG 6275 Developing Leadership in Organizations (2 credit hours)

This course explores how individuals develop as leaders, and how organizations can support that development. Leadership development programs are reviewed, as are organizational strategies to support individual development. Issues relevant to leadership development are explored, including culture and gender. Using their new understanding, students will develop a leadership development strategy for a specific organization. Prerequisite: MG 6310.

MG 6352 Problem Solving and Root Cause Analysis (1 credit hour)

Today’s graduates are hired to solve problems. Today’s managers are asked more than ever to lead their teams to create effective solutions to problems. However, administrative fixes (re-train, checklists, etc.) only place more pressure on management. Someone with a graduate, management degree is expected to not only systematically and logically solve the problem, but present the solution in a manner that is clearly understood. This course will provide a review of methods that can be used to accomplish this task.

MG 6380 HR and Managing People (2 credit hours)

This course focuses on the best practices of supervision and ways of effectively partnering with HR, including communicating with employees, planning and delegating to individuals, leading the team, building trust and respect, motivating performance, intercultural communication, evaluating performance, coaching to improve performance, developing and maintaining discipline and managing conflict. 

MG 6391 Conflict Management (1 credit hour)

This course explores the nature of conflict, including interpersonal conflict, organizational conflict, conflict styles, intercultural communication, and the function conflict plays in organizations. Particular emphasis is placed on the role leaders can play in addressing conflict to help organizations function more effectively. Students will learn skills to help others resolve conflict and strategies to help them be more effective as negotiators. 

MG 6420 Organizational Development and Consulting (2 credit hours)

This course increases students’ awareness of organizational processes and practices, including leadership, management, motivation, morale, group dynamics, interpersonal communications, conflict, and group problem-solving. The course provides conceptual insights and behavioral skills needed for successful leadership of continuous improvement in individual, team, and organizational performance. Prerequisite: MG 6310.

MG 6430 Organizational Theory & Design (2 credit hours)

The course utilizes theories drawn from psychology, sociology, political science, economics and the complexity/information sciences to explain why a given organization achieves the results that it does in a given organizational context. The student will learn the strengths and weaknesses of these theories as they are applied to understanding, appraising and strengthening an organization's capability to successfully execute its mission. Building on this understanding of organizational dynamics, the student will learn to design or modify an organization's socio-technical systems to optimize performance in a given competitive context. This design optimization will involve analysis of the sensemaking and decision-making performance of the organization, appraisal of the appropriateness of various organizational structures, business process design, and attention to the interactions between people and technical systems. Moving beyond analysis and optimization of a single firm, the course also prepares students to appraise and optimize the performance of multi-organizational systems that depend on high levels of inter-organizational collaboration. Prerequisite: MG 6310.

MG 6460 Innovation (2 credit hours)

Peter Drucker claimed, “the business enterprise has two—and only two—basic functions: marketing and innovation.” This course will take a 360-degree look at the notion of business innovation, ranging from the entrepreneurial to corporate and from the individual (creativity) to the collective (strategic). Students will explore a number of resources that help stake out a definition for innovation specific to business results and explore ways to foster creativity whether it be from an entrepreneurial perspective or an entrepreneurial effort to improve enterprise results. 

MG 6680 Organizational Change (2 credit hours)

Change management within modern organizations, whether public, private or not-for-profit, is a complex process with many moving parts. The larger an organization becomes the greater the complexity. This course focuses on the fundamental assessments, tools, processes and interventions used to identify, agree upon, and enact a successful change initiative. Using an integrated learning model, students will explore and apply these principles to both written and live case studies. Specifically, the following will be addressed: multiple models of the change process (techno-structural, human systems, balanced metrics), tools of organizational analysis, methods for overcoming stakeholder resistance and techniques for ensuring buy-in and support from people at all levels of the organization. Prerequisite: MG 6310.

MK 6420 Selling  (1 credit hour)

A specially designed class to help you learn principles, skills, and insights into selling. The learning objectives include: learn principles of selling; apply principles and skills of selling to organizations and for personal and professional career success; meet, talk, and interact with successful individuals who demonstrate selling skills; recalling Rockhurst and Mensch values use these skills and capabilities ethically.

NP 6010 Nonprofit governance and Executive Leadership (3 credit hours) 

This course provides a comprehensive analysis of the roles and functions of governing boards and executive leaders in the effective, ethical leadership of a nonprofit organization. Specific topics may include: ensuring accountability and performance measurement; the legal framework; developing strategy and building capacity; collaborations, partnerships and mergers; managing staff and volunteers; obtaining and managing resources; marketing and communication; and advocacy and lobbying. The graduate-level course requires independent, accelerated, or additional work appropriate for the graduate level.

NP 6050 Resource Development for Social Impact (3 credit hours)

As a nonprofit leader, a civic-minded business, or as an individual citizen, the ability to leverage contributed investment in support of community activism (in many and varied forms) is a critical skill in today's economy. This course provides a robust and practice- as well as academic-based introduction to fundraising principles, active application of those principles, and management not only of the tasks themselves, but the paid, volunteer, and partner players in the continuum of this important work. Emphasis on the human-centric development of intentional relationships and strategy. The graduate-level course requires independent, accelerated, or additional work appropriate for the graduate level.

NP 6090 Program Planning and Evaluation (3 credit hours)

This course presents methods for the identification of community needs, development and implementation of programs to meet those needs, and evaluation of program outcomes and effectiveness. Program planning tools such as theory of change and logic models will be utilized to inform program goals, objectives, and activities. The course will introduce program evaluation methods including design, data collection, and data analysis and interpretation along with an overview of how evaluation results may be used for organizational purposes. The graduate-level course requires independent, accelerated, or additional work appropriate for the graduate level.

NP 6200 Marketing Communications for Nonprofits in the Digital Age (3 credit hours)

This course offers a study of the role of technology within nonprofit organization communications. Course material focuses on effective application of digital applications such as email, social media, websites, app development and other emerging technologies. Attention is given to case studies, industry trends and integration of multiple communication channels for successful awareness building, constituent and internal communication, community relations, public relations, advocacy and fundraising. The graduate-level course requires independent, accelerated, or additional work appropriate for the graduate level.

NP 6300 Charitable Giving and Relationship Management Seminar (3 credit hours)

This advanced fund development course focuses on donor-centric approaches to develop annual sustainability and secure support for special projects to advance an organization's mission. Course topics include creating a culture of philanthropy, special events, annual giving campaigns, major gifts and capital campaigns, planned giving, prospect research and donor stewardship, effective proposal writing and grants management.  The graduate-level course requires independent, accelerated, or additional work appropriate for the graduate level. Prerequisite: NP 6050.

For more information about the suite of graduate business programs from Helzberg, please click here: School of Management Programs.