501
–Foundations of Business, 3 Cr.
A survey of
functional areas of business including marketing, accounting, finance,
economics, information technology, forms of ownership, and international
business.
512
–Leadership Skills in Organizations, 3 Cr.
This course is
designed to provide a general foundation of leadership theory and skills to
help students better understand themselves, as well as work with others.
Students will be exposed to leadership research literature, as well as have the
opportunity to self-assess their personal leadership behaviors and traits. This
course will focus primarily on the core behaviors and perspectives needed for
successful and ethical leadership.
515
– Self Leadership Development, 3 Cr.
This course develops
the student’s ability to leverage his or her personal leadership style to
become an effective ethical leader. Prominent leadership theories are reviewed,
and leadership inventories and feedback sessions are heavily utilized. Upon completion
of this course, the student will have developed a personal strategy for
overcoming leadership challenges and a plan for continued development.
Restricted to students in the Master of Business Administration program.
522
– Organizational Behavior, 4 Cr.
Examination of
current theory and empirical research regarding the behavior of individuals
within organizations. Organizational practices in this country will be compared
and contrasted with those of other countries and cultures. Topics are divided
into three phases: major behavioral processes, applied models of individual
choice behavior, and communication skills needed within the organization.
Restricted to students in the Master of Business Administration program.
524
– Leading the Organization, 3 Cr.
This course focuses
on developing effective leaders by examining organizational behavior and
strategy. Students will integrate concepts from the body of organizational
behavior theory into the analysis of organizational problems with emphasis on
the formulation of objectives, policies, and organization strategy. Group
culture, motivation, strategy, and alignment will be explored with particular attention
to the global environment. Prerequisite: 512. Restricted to students in the
Master of Business Administration program.
525
– Complex Systems Change Strategies, 3 Cr.
In today’s business
environment, it is important to be able to understand various philosophies
related to system analysis, development, and change. During this course, students
will examine the critical components of successful organizational change
efforts, including critical and creative thinking processes, and change theory.
Students will analyze organizational case studies, evaluate causes of failure
and factors of success in organizational development projects, and design
optimal change interventions.
530
– Business Ethics in Practice, 3 Cr.
Examines the role of
ethics in the business world and ethical dilemmas encountered by managers.
Examination of the formation of individual ethos, and the impact that this has
on individuals, groups, and organizations. Provides learners a means to develop
practical tools to handle moral dilemmas in the workplace and in the world, and
develops policies for just relationships with employees and customers.
Restricted to students in the Master of Business Administration program.
550
– Business Strategies for Sustainable Change, 3 Cr.
This course equips
students to develop and implement business strategies to enhance sustainability
and drive organizational change. Through an interdisciplinary approach and
foundational knowledge of business sustainability, students will build a
comprehensive foundation toward the implementation of sustainability and
organizational change in a variety of organizational settings. Particular
emphasis will be on the achievement of sustainable performance through
effective analysis, design, and execution.
560
– Management Science in Decision Making, 3 Cr.
This course provides
an overview of several quantitative techniques independently useful to
organizational leaders in decision making. Topics include linear programming, univariate
and multivariate analysis, project management, decision trees, simulation, and
probability theory. MGMT 560 takes an application-oriented approach to business
problem solving, using spread sheets and quantitative management software. Restricted
to students in the Master of Business Administration program.
565
– Methods of Inquiry and Analysis, 3 Cr.
This course provides
an overview of several research methodologies useful to organizational leaders
in decision making. This course takes an application-oriented approach focusing
on the systematic analysis of data to inform decision making. Focusing on
qualitative, quantitative, and practical business approaches, learners will be
exposed to a variety of methodologies and approaches for data collection and
analysis. Learners will build analytical skills to draw conclusions and make
inferences based upon sound analysis and interpretation of data to develop
recommendations and inform decision making.
575
– Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship, and Innovation, 3 Cr.
This course examines
the elements of entrepreneurship including: the foundations of
entrepreneurship, sources for funding the business, acquisition practices in
purchasing an existing business, and understanding the essential components of
a business plan. Intrapreneurship foundations will examine how business leaders
capture their follower’s initiative in trying new ideas and developing internal
markets for their business organization. Restricted to students in the Master
of Business Administration program.
578
– Advanced Human Resource Management, 3 Cr.
This course provides
an in-depth examination of the issues facing the leader and his or her
employees. Through text readings, case studies, experiential exercises, speakers,
and research, students will learn to integrate theory and application in
managing human resources effectively, lawfully, and ethically in their organization.
580
– Art of Ethical Communication, 3 Cr.
Persuasive
communication is an integral skill of every leader. This is an advanced communications
course that will prepare students for oral and written communications
challenges they will face in their careers, with a specific emphasis placed on
ethical negotiation skill development. Restricted to students in the Master of
Business Administration program.
582
– Advanced Interpersonal Skills for the Leader, 3 Cr.
The Dahl School of
Business partners with Dale Carnegie to bring MBA learners this course in
advanced interpersonal skills. Learners will study and apply tested leadership
practices in order to further develop their networking and communication skill
sets, manage stress, and handle fast-changing workplace conditions. Learners
will develop a “take-charge” attitude that enhances their ability to lead
initiatives with confidence and enthusiasm.
584
– Advanced Business Communication, 3 Cr.
The need to communicate well is a critical part of a business leader’s
professional development. This course helps prospective and practicing leaders
assess and develop their communication skills. Students will understand the
importance of effective communication in managerial and leadership roles,
appreciate the value of strategic organizational communication and enhance
their speaking, writing, and other communication skills.
585—Research Methodology in
Business, 3 Cr.
The purpose of this course is to
develop skills necessary for students to conduct original quantitative and
qualitative research. This course teaches students to design a research
question, find literature to motivate and support new research, and develop
testable hypotheses. Furthermore, this course develops students’ quantitative
skills in order to apply appropriate statistical methods to answer research
questions. Topics in statistics include hypothesis testing, nonparametric
methods, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis. By the end of
the course, students will have conducted their own unique research and
described and defended their projects in writing and through a formal oral
presentation. For those moving on to the Master of Business Administration
program, this project will be the starting point for the master’s thesis.
Prerequisite: acceptance into the MBA program.
587
– Internship, 1–6 Cr.
As part of their
academic program, Viterbo University students may choose to participate in a
full-time or part-time business-related internship. The goal is to provide students
the opportunity to blend academic theory with practice and to explore and gain
experience in functional areas they may wish to enter professionally. An
internship plan including a timeline, intended outcomes, and assessment
requirements must be approved by the student’s graduate advisor.
590
– International Business, 3 Cr.
This course focuses
on conducting business on a global level. Students will evaluate the history
and dynamics of global industries, global competition, and global strategies
and examine topics such as international cooperation among nations, national
trade policies, international marketing, technology, as well as the ethical and
social responsibility challenges of global businesses. The roles of various
stakeholders including the international institutions such as World Trade Organization,
will be analyzed. Case studies will be used to analyze the impact of complex
global factors on the management of multinational operations.
In some semesters,
students will have the unique opportunity to experience field research in the
country of focus. This seven-to 14-day trip will expose students to culture,
geography, business practices of an emerging market and to a different academic
environment. Students will gain an appreciation for both formal business
aspects and informal social aspects of conducting business in another country.
600
– Executive Leadership in Practice, 2 Cr.
This course offers
students the opportunity to gain awareness firsthand of the knowledge, skills,
and styles of successful executives. Students will integrate leadership theory
and practice through in-depth discussion with top leaders sharing their
successes and failures in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
Strategies to successfully guide organizations today and in the future will be
explored as students gain insight into the current domestic and global business
environment. Restricted to students in the Master of Business Administration
program.
610
– Strategic Management: Analysis, Design, and Execution, 3 Cr.
This course examines
the theory and practical complexity of the strategic management process in the
firm. The course explores the steps of rigorous strategic planning process,
including the analysis of the internal and external environment. Topics also
include an examination of the trade-off between organic growth and growth
through acquisitions, considerations for global success, and aspects of
strategy implementation.
620 – Ethics in Information Technology,
3 Cr.
Information
technology (IT) has become so invasive that opportunities for abuse are
endless. “IT Ethics” has greater significance as the complexity and amount of
IT issues continue to grow. The purpose of this course is to educate existing
and future business leaders, accountants, and IT professionals on the vital
issues and the tremendous impact ethical issues have on the use of IT in
today’s business environment. Vital issues will include social networking, file
sharing, infringement of intellectual property, security risks, identity theft,
employee surveillance, privacy, compliance, outsourcing, whistle-blowing, green
computing, and more.
652
– Methods of Inquiry, 3 Cr.
It is important that
organizational leaders are able to conduct scientific inquiry to inform
decision making. This course focuses on research design and methodology. Students
will identify an area of inquiry and work toward designing a research project
to address their area of inquiry. Students will be exposed to a variety of
methodological approaches to inform their research design and will review and
summarize relevant literature to build a conceptual framework for their
research. Restricted to students in the Master of Business Administration
program.
662
– Applied Statistical and Qualitative Analysis, 2 Cr.
This course focuses on
data collection and analysis used to inform sound decision making. Focusing on
both qualitative and quantitative approaches, learners will be exposed to a
variety of approaches for data collection and analysis. Learners will develop,
implement, and perform sound data collection and analysis related to their
identified area of inquiry. Restricted to students in the Master of Business
Administration program.
663
– Research Analysis, 1 Cr.
Building upon the
research skills developed in 485, this course emphasizes data analysis and
interpretation. Learners will practice identifying and applying appropriate
statistical tests and interpreting the results of analysis. Course activities
focus primarily on hands-on exercises utilizing SPSS for statistical analysis.
Prerequisite: 485. Restricted to students in the Master of Business
Administration program.
672
– Data-Drive Decision Making: Survey of Integrative Research Projects, 2 Cr.
This course focuses on
the systematic analysis of data-driven results to inform decision making.
Learners will draw conclusions and make inferences based upon sound analysis
and interpretation of data to derive recommendations and inform decision
making. The course culminates with formal research presentations. Restricted to
students in the Master of Business Administration program.
673
– Research Discussion and Defense, 1 Cr.
This course is the
culmination of the student research project. The first phase of the course emphasizes
critical thinking to draw conclusions and make recommendations from findings.
The second phase of the course focuses on the finalization of the written
thesis. Each learner will be required to make a formal presentation
demonstrating the importance of the research and its theoretical foundation,
describing the chosen methodology, and explaining the results and the
implications of the findings. During the presentation, the learner will be
asked questions by his or her peers and attending faculty to give the learner
an opportunity to demonstrate that he or she can defend the research and
findings. Prerequisite: 663. Restricted to students in the Master of Business
Administration program.
675
– Sustainable Monitoring and Measurement, 3 Cr.
The largest current
challenge of implementing sustainability in business is identifying and
developing reliable and relevant measurements that allow for meaningful and
useful monitoring of sustainability efforts. In this course, students are
introduced to a variety of sustainability metrics, along with tools and
processes to measure, analyze, and monitor sustainability efforts. Students are
also exposed to common mechanisms for the continuous improvement and goal
attainment necessary to drive sustainability efforts. Prerequisite: 485.
Restricted to students in the Master of Business Administration program.
680— Strategic Planning for Sustainable
Enterprise, 3 Cr.
This course provides a theoretical and practical foundation
of sustainability and explores the integration of sustainability into corporate
strategy. Analyses of social, ecological, technical, legal, and political
environments are used to inform organizational strategic decision making.
Students will learn to employ strategic management principles, including
planning, implementation, and evaluation, toward resource-based and value chain
competitive advantage.
681— Field Study, 4 Cr.
The MBA field study requires
students to apply their business knowledge and organizational skills on a
project of importance to a real-world organization. Acting as consultants to an
organization, small teams of students investigate an issue (or issues) and make
recommendations supported by findings and a review of literature.
683— Integrative Case Study, 4 Cr.
In this course students will start with a real-life
organizational case study, and assess, analyze and address the issues the
business is facing. In a team setting, students will identify and solve the
case’s key concerns through use of prior MBA course work, material, and
theories. Students will be asked to work collectively, with a team business
report and presentation focused on evaluation and action steps as the culminating
product. Students will be rated not only on their ability to appropriately
apply their MBA knowledge, but also on their aptitude for working with others.
685— Individual Research Project, 4 Cr.
This course is for students who are considering additional
graduate work, or have an interest in expanding their research knowledge and
experience. Students will work one-on-one with a research advisor to develop a
research question, collect and analyze data, present on the findings, and write
an academic research paper.