Your Nexford MBA will start with foundation courses if you don't have an undergraduate in a business-related field, and core courses if you do. After your core courses, which are the backbone of your MBA, you have two choices. Either opt to take specialization courses with your degree or select two elective courses.
I don't have an undergraduate degree in a business related field
The curriculum, designed for experienced learners, emphasizes leading people, processes, strategies, and sustainability in developed and emerging economies – relevant skills for career progression.
If you don't have an undergraduate degree in a business-related field, your academic journey starts with foundation courses. Build knowledge in essential business concepts with courses that also act as a bridge to help you understand the level expected from a graduate degree.
In the Culture in a Global Business Environment course, learners examine the unique differences among global cultures and apply business principles across economic borders. As the speed of globalization continues to intensify, organizations need leaders who can adapt and apply practices across a wide spectrum of strategic options. Learners apply the different types of cultural dimensions (e.g. Hofstede’s Five Dimensions of Culture) for firms operating in the international markets. Additionally, learners analyze the differences between nationalism, globalization, and glocalization.
BUS 5010
In the global environment, it is important for organizations to have a well-executed marketing strategy that includes consideration for the global consumer. It is also important for organizations to consider new channels for marketing across cultural boundaries. In Global Marketing Practices, learners examine the ways organizations can apply marketing practices to identify and execute on consumer, industry, and organizational needs. In this course, learners examine the global marketplace to include the current marketing strategies and practices. Learners apply the skills needed to create and execute a marketing plan based on the global strategy of the organization. Learners implement leadership and strategic, cultural, and operational strategies as part of an operational marketing plan.
BUS 5020
As the vast amount of data available to organizations increases, there is a growing need to be able to analyze and evaluate patterns of behavior, trends, and strategic options. In increasingly complex business markets, the effective evaluation of economic performance makes the difference in maintaining or increasing the overall competitive position of the firm. Applied Economics and Statistics extends statistical and economic principles from the undergraduate level to the graduate level. This course helps learners build a solid background in quantitative, analytical and problem-solving skills necessary to move through the MBA program.
BUS 5030
In the global environment, it is of critical importance that organizations understand and follow the legal requirements for business. International Legal Environment of Business provides an in-depth analysis of various legal issues encountered while conducting business in an international arena. Learners examine the impact an ever-changing global economy has on effectuating sound business decisions. A key concept is national sovereignty and how domestically applicable laws of developing and developed countries, international conventions, and treaties affect international business. Other topics include the effects of culture on business style, international trade considerations, and management of multinational corporations. Learners examine the importance of balancing cultural, political and ethical issues with legal/regulatory constraints as they pertain to doing business in the global economy. Concepts are delivered through authentic case studies and legal analyses of international scenarios.
BUS 5040
Relevant and applicable courses empowering you with the competencies you need to build a successful business career. Organizations have entered an unprecedented era of transformation: our core courses are a rigorous response to the emerging needs of a highly skilled, future-focused workforce.
Accounting and Financial Reporting engages learners in applying the principles of corporate finance and accounting to business decision making. Course topics include financial statements and other reports, the basics of financial forecasting and budgeting, accounting analytics, and communications and vocabulary related to financial statements. Learners reconcile financial transactions and accounting records, and examine the implications of international differences in accounting frameworks and financial reporting requirements.
ACC 6050
Financial Decision Making prepares learners to apply financial data to make financing, investment, and business decisions that create value for the firm and align with internal financial priorities. Learners evaluate the firm’s capital needs by applying their corporate finance and decision-making skills to financial statement analysis, capital budgeting, operational and investment options, and the use of fintech and emerging financial services. Learners build advanced financial models and apply them to corporate finance situations and financial risk management. This course prepares learners to apply key technologies to inform financial decision making.
FIN 6060
Leadership and Organizational Development examines individual and group interaction and helps learners gain a deeper understanding of how human behavior drives organizational behavior and development. Drawing from neuroscience and cognitive science perspectives, learners transition from manager to leader through the lens of managing self, others, teams, and relationships. Learners examine the principles of motivation, communication, leadership, organizational development and change relevant to contemporary issues.
BUS 6070
Marketing Strategy focuses on advanced marketing and leadership skills required in today’s fast-paced technology-driven global economy. Learners prepare for roles within the field of marketing, and gain a solid understanding of the role of marketing, both in traditional and digital platforms, in defining and maintaining a brand and in meeting business objectives. Learners examine how technology and transformational approaches are critical to developing future-forward marketing strategies. Topics include leadership, strategic partnerships, and negotiating skills that are key contributors to successful business growth and company culture.
MKT 6080
Technology and Operations Management provides a comprehensive overview of technology utilization to drive a competitive advantage for company operations. Learners explore various technology solutions for business process automation, including value proposition analysis across organization functions. Learners also analyze how technology can be leveraged to improve product development during the four lifecycle phases. The course provides a detailed overview of the impact of technology on various operating models such as manufacturing, supply chain management, customer facing, product development, and support functions (e.g.HR and finance).
OPM 6090
Global Business provides learners with an expansive understanding of international markets and how to manage cross-border transactions in order to effectively operate and compete in global, local, and emerging markets. The course focuses on the complexities, strategies, risk, and rewards that arise due to liquid borders, technology, cross-cultural and political issues, international organizations (WTO, IMF, World Bank), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), trade agreements, foreign direct investment (FDI) in emerging markets, currency risk, challenges and sustainability. Learners develop a market entry strategy analysis for a business operating in the global, glocal, or local environment.
BUS 6100
Strategy examines how the success of any organization is based in part on how effectively strategy is incorporated into the overall mission and vision of the organization. In Organizational Strategy, learners develop an understanding of how adaptability and flexibility are two key aspects of a successful strategy. In many cases, the organization creates, adapts, and remains flexible with its strategy based on the environment in which the organization operates. Learners examine applied principles and frameworks of a successful strategy along with the tools needed to understand how to formulate the appropriate strategy. Learners apply these principles and tools across various industries and markets with the goal of creating a strategy which sustains and/or increases the competitive position of the firm. Strategy places importance on scanning the environment and keeping the strategy flexible and adaptable. This course focuses on the domestic and international strategic approaches needed to solve business challenges, integrating all of the tools related to strategy formulation. Learners perform an external scanning and risk analysis as part of strategy formulation.
BUS 6110
Introduction to Intrapreneurship and Innovation provides a framework for how employees with an entrepreneurial mindset can navigate the complex and challenging environments within existing organizations to bring about a meaningful, practical, and effective change. This course focuses on the need for an innovative mindset and explores the concept of intrapreneurship and how it can take place from within an organization. Learners identify and navigate radical and incremental innovation. This course provides a roadmap for how individuals can plan, present, and execute innovative and entrepreneurial approaches. Learners explore how supporting this kind of entrepreneurial culture within the workplace environment can help attract and retain employees who are entrepreneurial-minded but not yet ready or able to start or join a new venture, or who desire to drive innovation within existing firms or institutions.
BUS 6120
Before the year 2000, environmental management for a business was typically driven by the need to respond to restrictions imposed by environmental regulation; however, at the dawn of the new millennium, leading businesses began to change their concept of environmental management to look beyond simply meeting governmental dictates. These organizations began to evolve and utilize environmental strategy to create new ways of growing their business by bringing sustainability to the core of their business strategy. This seismic shift in perspective was accompanied by a bottom line emphasis that, in some cases, turned sustainability efforts into profit centers.
Sustainability increasingly is not hidden within the silo of environmental, health, and safety departments, but has become much more seamlessly integrated into the operations of corporate functional disciplines. Today, to effectively work in senior management, executives need to be knowledgeable not only about their specific business functions, but also, how their business will be impacted by governmental regulations & policies, corporate sustainability initiatives, green marketing regulations, industry guidelines or ‘best practices’, new sustainable technologies, energy planning, environmental performance metrics, and required reporting on the environmental impact of their business unit.
BUS 6130
Business Capstone — Entrepreneurial Focus concentrates on the many dimensions of the entrepreneurial spirit in alignment with new venture creation and growth on the international stage. The principles and concepts apply to entrepreneurship in corporate for-profit and nonprofit settings. This course focuses on content and process questions as well as formulation and implementation issues related to conceptualizing, developing, and managing successful new ventures both nationally and internationally. Learners will apply and synthesize concepts and techniques from functional areas of strategic management, finance, accounting, managerial economics, marketing, operations management, and organizational behavior in the context of new venture development.
BUS 6140
Business Capstone — Intrapreneurial Focus examines ways in which innovative corporations cultivate entrepreneurial-minded individuals to become actively engaged in creating new business opportunities within the firm. Learners explore the principles and concepts applied by intrapreneurial individuals in for-profit and non-profit entities. Learners investigate content and process questions as well as formulation and implementation issues related to conceptualizing, developing, and managing successful new ventures, both nationally and internationally. Learners will apply and synthesize concepts and techniques from functional areas of strategic management, finance, accounting, managerial economics, marketing, operations management, and organizational behavior in the context of creating an entrepreneurial venture within an organization.
BUS 6141
Food and Agribusiness explores how the next wave of innovation in the food and agribusiness industry represents the biggest transformation since the industrial revolution. Through case analyses and practical agribusiness scenarios, learners examine global challenges faced within the food and agriculture industries and develop a sound understanding of what it takes to manage an agricultural business. Learners investigate how insurance and financing, supply chain management, global food trade, and innovative technologies such as machine learning, sensing, and customer behavioral understanding can improve the efficiencies and cost-effectiveness of food and agribusiness industries (FAEs). Catalyzing the growth of food and agribusiness enterprises (FAEs) can enhance the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 UN SDG Goals 2030. FAEs will have a positive role in accelerating growth, alleviating poverty, and creating jobs and wealth. The food and agribusiness value chain is one of the largest and most important industry sectors in the world. This course explores emerging issues (geo-political, technological, economic factors) with emphasis on their potential impact on FAEs. Learners broaden their knowledge and understanding of the global challenges being faced within the food and agriculture industries and develop and apply solutions to address current industry challenges.
SUS 6160
The Renewable Energy course provides learners with a foundational understanding of the applications of renewable energy practices. This course focuses on key business skills and competencies needed to determine successful economic, technical, and societal applications of renewable energy practices. Learners examine basic energy principles, terminologies, policies, and applications for domestic and international markets. Learners apply industry wide and/or industry sector renewable energy practices, and execute relevant management practices, principles, and perspectives related to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. These practices include corporate and executive management, operations management, entrepreneurship, venture capital and finance activities, infrastructure investment, management consulting, and other business related, technical specializations. This course links to two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals UN SDG Goal # 7, UN SDG Goal #13 and the Renewable Energy Competency Model (United States Department of Labor, 2017).
SUS 6170
Managing Healthcare is designed to help learners develop competencies for identifying and evaluating emerging markets within the healthcare industry. In this introduction to organizations in healthcare, learners will examine the wide-ranging complexities encountered by management and critique current thinking in management and leadership. Through case analyses and practical healthcare scenarios, learners analyze the global challenges faced within the healthcare industry and develop a sound understanding of what it takes to manage a global health business. Learners gain a solid foundation in understanding and aligning the national health agenda with personal and organizational pledges to population-based wellness. Relationship management with physicians, other providers (i.e. physician assistants, APN, RNP), nurses, senior leadership, and other stakeholders is key in building effective networks for achieving common goals. In this course, learners examine applied principles and assessments for developing best practices that enhance individual and team development, self-awareness, innovation, and ethics and professionalism in healthcare settings. Learners will examine the healthcare industry from the perspective of UN SDG Goal #3. Learners will draw upon practices and applications to consider the principles underpinning health services. Learners will gain an overview of global health systems in order to compare and contrast contemporary thinking and practice (including the role of leapfrogging in emerging markets).
SUS 6180
Enabling E-Commerce and Digital Strategy explores e-commerce business classifications in Business to Business (B2B), Business to Consumer (B2C), Business to Government (B2G), and Consumer to Consumer (C2C) analyzing their value proposition to businesses. Learners analyze the primary e-commerce components and applications of the B2B, B2G, and B2C e-commerce infrastructure and markets including business and product models.
ECM 6400
Policy and Regulatory Enablement of E-Commerce serves as a foundation for understanding the various policy and regulatory initiatives that are required to be executed to enable e-commerce. Learners explore barriers that need to be overcome by promoting collaboration among various organizations across the business, civil societies, and government to improve the accessibility of the Internet. The course provides a comprehensive overview of best practices to enable e-commerce. Learners examine the importance of E-commerce reliable data as an essential component of policy development and technological investments. Learners also examine the utilization of various trade agreements to support the penetration of e-commerce in emerging markets. The course highlights various global initiatives by governments to integrate regional e-commerce.
ECM 6450
Operations Digital Transformation provides a holistic overview of the capabilities required to adopt digital transformation depending on the industry vertical. Learners explore the operating model of various industry verticals with core functions specific to each industry vertical and with non-core functions such as service and product management, marketing, sales, customer care, finance and accounting, human resources, and strategy. Learners examine required capabilities: people capability, process capability, and tools capability. Digital transformation people capability includes digital talent acquisition and analytics, agile methodology and collaboration models endorsement, cultural transformation, and employee digital journey. Digital transformation process capability includes five core technologies of intelligent process automation (IPA). Digital transformation tool capability includes horizontal technology enablers such as big data analytics, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and blockchain.
ECM 6500
Doing Business in India provides learners with an overview of the current and emerging business landscape within the region, including the largest and fastest growing industries, workforce, regulation, and public and private investment. Learners develop skills for analyzing business opportunities within India and design strategies for starting, sustaining, or growing a business within the region. Learners become fluent in concepts of business, modern history, and culture within the region in order to navigate complex interactions for a variety of business opportunities.
DBW 6300
Doing Business in China provides learners with an overview of the current and emerging business landscape within the region, including the largest and fastest growing industries, workforce, regulation, and public and private investment. Learners develop skills for analyzing business opportunities within China and design strategies for starting, sustaining, or growing a business within the region. Learners become fluent in concepts of business, modern history, and culture within the region in order to navigate complex interactions for a variety of business opportunities.
DBW 6350
Doing Business in Sub-Saharan Africa provides learners with an overview of the current and emerging business landscape within the region including the largest and fastest growing industries, workforce, regulation, and public and private investment. Learners develop skills for analyzing business opportunities within Sub-Saharan Africa and design strategies for starting, sustaining, or growing a business within the region. Learners become fluent in concepts of business, modern history, and culture within the region in order to navigate complex interactions for a variety of business opportunities.
DBW 6450
What is the number one job skill American and global employees are lacking, according to LinkedIn CEO, Jeff Weiner? Communications. The Art of Communication is designed to strengthen and promote a leadership-driven communications model that extends from an audience-centered communications approach. How do leaders persuade shareholders? How do leaders negotiate with clients and business partners across cultures? How are the psychology and cognitive principles of negotiation influenced by audience awareness? This course introduces learners to a foundation in rhetorical awareness that will transfer through a variety of contexts, including corporate communications, public speaking, negotiation, and a range of executive leadership scenarios. Coursework includes genre analysis, professional writing, presentation design and delivery, and negotiation workshops. Learners interested in developing leadership communications skills in both public and private sectors should attend.
GBL 6850
Data Sciences for Decision Making provides a foundation for learners to apply advanced analytics skills to complex data analysis and modes. Learners build an understanding of design, data analytics tools, and advanced analytics translators to communicate complex data-related requirements between data engineers, business, and IT stakeholders. Learners examine four major areas. First, there are momentum gains in the data and analytics revolution. Advances in data collection, machine learning, and computational power have fueled progress due to an exponential growth in the volume of data, continual advances in algorithms, and greater computational power and storage. Second, there are five elements of successful data analytics transformation: cases/sources of value, data ecosystems, modeling insights, workflow integration, and adoption. Third, the mapping value in data ecosystems includes data generation and collection, data aggregation, and data analysis. Fourth, models of distribution are fueled by big data analytics as business models are enabled by orthogonal data, hyper-scale, real-time matching, radical personalization, massive data integration capabilities, data-driven discovery, and enhanced decision making.
AIA 6550
In Cybersecurity Leadership, learners explore how our hyperconnected world, comprised of a myriad of networks – both machine and human – has brought us to the precipice of a fundamental revolution and redefinition of the human experience and our socio-political and military world order. Crime, news, and even warfare is digital today. All organizations are digital organizations, and all workers are digital workers. In this course, learners examine cyber security goals (confidentiality, integrity, and availability), cybersecurity tools (people, policy, and technology), cybersecurity strategies, and how cybersecurity leadership underpins every aspect of cybersecurity strategy. Learners explore how modern executive leadership and cybersecurity leadership have become synonymous.
MHY 6750
Artificial Intelligence (AI) considers the business applications of machine learning (ML), and how AI supports the discovery of meaningful patterns in data and adds insights into predicting performance as well as increasing productivity. Learners explore advanced concepts in machine learning, including details of decision tree algorithms, the QUEST algorithm and how it handles nominal variables, ordinal and continuous variables, and missing data. They also explore the C5.0 algorithm and review some of its key features, such as global pruning and winnowing, and dive into advanced topics that apply to all decision trees, such as boosting and bagging. The course covers four major topics: first, machine learning and neural networks; second, value creation across the value chain phases (project, produce, promote, and provide) and various industry verticals (retail, electric utilities, manufacturing, healthcare, and education); third, elements of successful artificial intelligence transformation (use cases/sources of value, data ecosystem, techniques and tools, workflow integration, and open culture and organization); and fourth, artificial intelligence cases across retail, electric utilities, manufacturing, healthcare, and education.
AIA 6600
Robotics and Automation engages learners in examining the Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) five core technologies. First, robotic process automation (RPA) is a software automation tool that automates routine tasks such as data extraction and cleaning through existing user interfaces. Second, smart workflow is a process-management software tool that integrates tasks performed by groups of humans and machines. Third, machine learning/advanced analytics includes algorithms that identify patterns in structured data, such as daily performance data, through supervised and unsupervised learning. Fourth, natural-language generation (NLG) is a software engine that creates seamless interactions between humans and technology by following rules to translate observations from data into prose. Fifth, cognitive agents are technologies that combine machine learning and natural-language generation to build a completely virtual workforce (or agent) that is capable of executing tasks, communicating, learning from data sets, and even making decisions based on emotion detection.
AIA 6650
Internet of Things engages learners in examining IoT operating systems architectures, standards, and ecosystems. Learners delve into industrial automation value proposition for IoT, device management, cybersecurity analysis, best-practices in IoT ecosystem design, and monetizing IoT under different commercial models and across the value chain.
MHY 6700
Product Management with Agile and Lean explores the techniques that product managers apply to minimize execution risk for a team. Learners examine two main types of execution risk: technical risk, which is the risk that the product fails because the team utilizes bad software management practices, and product risk, which is the risk that the product fails because it is not what the customers or market want. Learners apply the Agile framework to minimize technical execution risk and the Lean framework to minimize product risk.
MHY 6800
“My courses have helped me better understand the global scene. They have helped me understand how my own business can thrive internationally.”
With a Nexford MBA, you have the choice to earn your degree with a specialization. Opt to study courses that concentrate your knowledge in a particular area; walk away with the skills to thrive in your chosen career.
Crops, food production and water supply are under strain as human populations increase. Design a practical approach to addressing future wellness programs by recognizing cultural differences, the challenges of technology initiatives, and occupational healthcare shortages.
You have a great idea: does it translate across cultures? Unpack the cultural complexities and get to grips with doing business in high-growth hotzones.
It’s not only the Amazons of this world that have to think about bricks and clicks. B2B, B2G, and B2C across the world need a strategic handle on the future of e-commerce.
The robots aren’t coming; they’re already here. AI and automation promises considerable economic benefits. How can you ensure each link of the value chain is marching to the same beat?
From cyber war rooms to hackers, cybersecurity is top of every business agenda. Discover IoT ecosystems to minimize technical and product risk using Agile and Lean frameworks.
Our faculty members bring expertise, academic rigor – and the human factor.
Business Professor & Director of Course Production
Director of Academic Innovation
Business Program Director
