Business Administration (M.B.A.)

Michael P. Lillis, Program Director
128 Huber Hall
(716) 884-3281, ext. 278
fax: (716) 884-0291
e-mail: mlillis@medaille.edu

FACULTY:
Douglas Anderson, Associate Professor, Humanities

Randy C. Brown, Assistant Professor, Business

Faith Burke, Professor, Human Resources

John Donovan II, Assistant Professor, Mathematics/Sciences

Courtney Grim, Assistant Professor, Media/Communications

Patrick Johnson, Associate Professor, Business

Jai Kang, Assistant Professor, Computer Information Systems

Michael P. Lillis (Director), Associate Professor, Business

Nancy G. Lynch, Assistant Professor, Business

Frederick B. Rodgers, Coordinator of Academic Research and Planning

K. Paul Rome, Assistant Professor, Business

DEGREE CONFERRED:
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program provides graduate training in management to adult business professionals. The goal of our program is to produce graduates who are adept at solving strategic problems and trained in multimedia communication technologies. Students can elect to become experts in the relation of human resource management to the long-range planning process, or the management and marketing of new technologies and products. Students will have the use of a laptop computer for the duration of their studies. The Masters of Business Administration degree is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).

CONCENTRATIONS:
Strategic Human Resource Management
Strategic Management

Program of Study	Admissions and Financial Aid
Additional Information	Curriculum
Course Descriptions	Advisory Board

PROGRAM OF STUDY:
The M.B.A. program provides a four-level course of study designed to be responsive to the student's prior academic training and career objectives.

Level I Foundation Courses. Level I consists of four foundation courses (12 credits) in economics, accounting, mathematics, and statistics. Students with sufficient background may be exempted from some or all Level I courses.

Level II Core Courses. Six advanced courses (18 credits) required of all students at Level II cover multimedia applications, human resources management, organizational behavior, managerial aspects of accounting, marketing, and financial management.

Level III Concentration Electives. Level III provides a wide diversity of advanced electives from two distinct concentration areas: 1) Strategic Human Resource Management and 2) Strategic Management. Students must select three courses (9 credits) from one concentration area.

Level IV Capstone Sequence. A two course (6 credit) capstone sequence at Level IV addresses the major strategic alternatives open to enterprises. This sequence requires completion of a team-based project/case study.

Foundation Course Waiver
Generally, the graduate foundation courses will be required of students entering the program. Decision to exempt a student from foundation level courses is made at the discretion of the Graduate Admissions Committee after examination of all appropriate documents, including official transcripts of prior course work.

Admission and Financial Aid

Admission Requirements
Medaille College has a rolling admissions policy and students may be admitted for the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Applicants are encouraged to apply in accordance with the following schedule:

Successful admissions candidates will generally have met the following selection criteria:

• An undergraduate GPA of at least 2.7
  The Graduate Admissions Committee reviews the undergraduate record, noting the total GPA, the area of concentration, and the trend of grades. A 2.7 GPA is recommended, although all applications will be reviewed. Students under 2.7 will require convincing evidence of intellectual ability, communications skills, and initiative.
• Two letters of recommendation
  The committee reviews letters of recommendation as they contribute to an understanding of the applicant's academic ability, leadership skills, and aptitude for graduate study. All applicants are required to have two letters submitted for review.
• Satisfactory GRE or GMAT scores
  A good balance of scores in verbal and quantitative areas is needed. No minimum total GMAT is required, but the average entering student is above the 50th percentile. Students may be accepted provisionally pending receipt of exam scores.
• Demonstrable computer skills
  Applicants must have a basic understanding of computers, including business application software, such as electronic spreadsheets, database management systems, and word processing applications. Appropriate undergraduate course work or work experience will be considered.
• Appropriate work experience
  Job responsibilities of both a full-time or part-time nature are reviewed with regard to the applicant's leadership skills, promotability within the organization, aptitude for a management career, and general knowledge of the business environment. Applicants without significant work experience will also be considered.
  
  Provisional Admission
  Students may be admitted provisionally to the M.B.A. program pending receipt of credentials such as original transcripts or scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test. Students admitted as provisional students may take no more than twelve (12) semester hours of credit (four courses) prior to formal admission.

Tuition
The tuition for the M.B.A. Program for the 1999-2000 academic year is $1,305 per course or $435 per credit hour. Tuition includes the use of a laptop computer for the duration of the program. Modest changes may be expected for the following academic years; this information will be available at the appropriate time.

Financial Aid
Applicants interested in obtaining financial assistance are encouraged to contact the Medaille College Office of Financial Aid, 18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, New York 14214. Financial Aid Programs include:

• New York Tuition Assistance Program
• Federal College Work Study Program
• Stafford Loans
  
  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Degree Requirements
The program of study leading to a Medaille M.B.A. consists of four Level I foundation courses, six Level II core courses, three Level III concentration electives, and two Level IV capstone courses. Any or all of the foundation courses may be waived if prior study is deemed of sufficient value. Also, credit for any or all of the foundation courses may be established by passing Validation Examinations in each area. Thus, the minimum number of courses required to obtain a Medaille M.B.A. is 11 (6 core, 3 electives, and 2 capstone); the maximum number for those with no previous academic work in business administration is 15 (4 foundation, 6 core, 3 electives, and 2 capstone).

Academic Performance Requirements
Good academic standing means that a student is making acceptable progress towards a graduate degree. Minimum academic requirements for good academic standing established by the Business program are as follows. The average of the grades for all courses taken in fulfillment of degree requirements at Medaille must be at least a B (3.0). It is the student's responsibility to monitor his or her cumulative grade point average, ensuring that any grades falling below B are offset by corresponding grades above B. A student whose grade point average falls below a 3.0 is automatically placed on academic probation.

M.B.A. students must earn a grade of B- or better in each of the six core courses. A student earning less than B- in a core course is required to repeat the course.

Time Limit
Students entering the M.B.A. program normally have five (5) years to complete their graduate studies. Since continuous active participation in the M.B.A. program is essential for proper gradute training, all graduate students must be registered for a minimum of three credit hours during each fall and spring semester. Graduate students in good academic standing who cannot maintain continuous registration should apply for a leave of absence by the beginning of the semester in which the leave is to begin.

Academic Review/Probation/Dismissal
Any gradute student who receives a grade of F in any course required for completion of the M.B.A. degree or who indicates a lack of ability as determined by the program faculty, will receive an immediate academic review by the graduate program faculty. Upon completion of the academic review, the graduate program faculty may place the student on academic probation. Such notice will be made in writing by the Program Director or designee prior to the end of the drop/add period of the next semester and will indicate the terms of the probation and its removal. Any student placed on academic probation is limited to three (3) credits per module while on probation and is required to sign and adhere to a prescribed probationary contract. Any graduate student not meeting the written terms of their academic probation may be academically dismissed from the College.

Transfer Credit
Credit for study deemed equivalent to graduate foundation courses or for graduate work completed at other regionally accredited institutions may be offered in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Medaille M.B.A. when the work is of acceptable quality and appropriate to the program.

Prerequisite Requirements
Students are required to adhere to the following prerequisite conditions: For students who have yet to complete their foundation courses (500, 501, 502, 503), 50% of their course work must be in the foundation element during any particular mod session.

• Students must complete four core courses prior to taking any concentration elective course.
  
• Students must complete all six core courses prior to taking the capstone sequence (630, 631).

Validation Exams
A Validation Examination is one designed to establish credit for study or experience other than in an accredited institution. Validation Examinations may be taken only to establish competency in foundation courses. A fee of $200 will be charged for each Validation Examination.

Convenient Evening Format
Medaille's M.B.A. is offered through the College's well-known evening studies program. The schedule consists of two nine-week modules per semester. Each module consists of classes that meet two evenings per week (either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday).

You mat take up to 12 credits per semester in this format. You'll be considered a full-time student by attending only two classes and evenings at a time. This powerful format enables you to complete your M.B.A. degree in less time than other evening programs.

Depending on individual circumstances, students may complete the program in three to four semesters. Given Medaille's unique approach to scheduling, it may be possible to earn your M.B.A. degree in 14 months.

Mail Files
The M.B.A. program maintains a mail file for each student. The file is located on the second floor of the Campus Center. It is advisable that students check their mail files at least once a week.

Curriculum

Foundation Courses (12 credits)

Core Courses (18 credits)

MBA 600	Multimedia Applications in Business	3
MBA 601	Strategic Human Resource Management	3
MBA 602	Organizational Behavior and Development	3
MBA 603	Managerial Accounting	3
MBA 604	Marketing Through New Media	3
MBA 605	Financial Management	3

Concentration (9 credits) (choose any three in the same concentration)

Capstone Sequence (6 Credits)

MBA 630	Advanced Strategy	3
MBA 631	Integrative Case Studies	3

Team-Based Project/Case Study: A major part of the grade in MBA 631, and a requirement for graduation, is completion of a team-based project/case study, which will be presented in both the written and oral form.

Total Credits: 45

Course Descriptions

MBA 500 Economic Analysis
This course surveys micro- and macroeconomic principles, with an emphasis on strategic applications. Microeconomic topics covered include: demand and supply, elasticities, firm cost structure, market structure, and pricing. Macroeconomic topics covered include national income accounting, national income, employment, and price level determination, money supply determination, and fiscal and monetary policy. Three credit hours.

MBA 501 Accounting Analysis
An introduction to the principles of accounting with emphasis on preparation and analysis of the four general purpose financial statements, the accounting cycle, and the types of business entities. Issues covered include cash, receivables, inventory, long-term assets, liabilities, stocks, and bonds. Three credit hours.

MBA 502 Mathematics for Managers
This course surveys elementary algebra and calculus, emphasizing practical applications in management and economics. Topics covered include: systems of linear equations, matrices, linear programming, techniques of differentiation and integration, nonlinear optimization and applications. Three credit hours.

MBA 503 Business Statistics
This course provides the basis for building decision models reflecting strategic business decision making. Various statistical methods will be analyzed that are crucial to various areas of business behavior. These include: data summarization, probability theory, statistical decision analysis, sampling and hypotheses testing, and simple linear regression. Three credit hours.

MBA 600 Multimedia Applications in Business
This course presents principles of multimedia to the business professional. Several major categories that will be discussed include: the use of video and animation in design, preparation of graphic files, and imaginative use of clip art materials. As part of this course, students will create a multimedia presentation using audio, video, still images, graphics, and text. The majority of class time will be spent in the lab familiarizing oneself with the various software applications available to create multimedia presentations. Three credit hours. Prerequisite: basic understanding of the Macintosh Operating System.

MBA 601 Strategic Human Resource Management
The way we manage the people in our organizations needs to be aligned with our business strategies. The means for this alignment is human resource strategy--a directional plan for managing human resources that addresses important people-related business issues. The purpose of this course is to examine how managers may implement more effectively the people-intensive strategies that are rapidly becoming a primary source of competitive advantage. Only by addressing human resource issues in the context of overall strategic management will managers and human resource staffs together achieve the results needed to sustain and develop a business. Three credit hours.

MBA 602 Organizational Behavior and Development
The objective of this course is to provide a broad survey of the field of organizational behavior on three distinct levels of analysis--individuals, groups, and organizations. Specific topics to be examined from these three perspectives include but are not limited to: motivation, job design, leadership, diversity, organizational design, communication, decision-making, conflict management, power, innovation and the work environment. Special attention will be given to the most common organizational development methods used in solving managerial and organizational problems. The course examines such intervention strategies as team building, team skills training, survey-feedback, sensitivity training, behavior modification, job enrichment, and management by objectives. Three credit hours.

MBA 603 Managerial Accounting
This course is an in-depth study of cost behavior and its implications on cost-volume-profit analysis and variance analysis. Current topics in product costing are reviewed including process costing, job order costing, activity based management and just-in-time inventory. Operational decision making, pricing decisions, strategic planning and strategic cost analysis are examined. Three credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 501.

MBA 604 Marketing Through New Media
This course looks at the graphical user interfaces of multimedia presentations and the effectiveness within the business marketplace. Various authoring software packages will be analyzed for their effective use of QuickTime movies, animation, graphics, and still images. Interactive design elements will be a main focus. For example, the layout, choice of interface design elements (e.g., buttons, menus, popups, sliders, etc.), use of color, choice of background textures, and typography, within the multimedia presentation will all be studied. Discussions of the copyright laws that are in effect and not yet in effect regarding fair use and distribution will be debated. Throughout the course an emphasis will be planned on any new media tools to serve businesses. Three credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 600.

MBA 605 Financial Management
This course develops the theoretical and practical uses of financial management principles, including the concepts of risk, return, and value. Areas of concentration include working capital management, capital budgeting, the cost of capital, and capital structure. Three credit hours. Prerequisites: MBA 500, 501, 502, and 503.

MBA 610 Labor and Employment Law
This course provides a comprehensive approach to labor and employment law, legislative foundations of labor laws, and the legal processes and institutions that add to their effectiveness. The course will address a variety of topics including the National Labor Relations Act, contract negotiations, strikes, unfair labor practices, federal and state employment law, and equal employment opportunity legislation. A wide range of contemporary issues will also be addressed, including contractual interpretation, discipline and discharge matters, and conduct off the job. Current industrial relations policies and practices are highlighted with case problems and leading court decisions that offer additional insights into employee-management relations. Three credit hours.

MBA 611 Strategic Planning and Staffing
This course deals with the processes, concepts and techniques relevant to the manpower planning, recruitment, and selection functions of personnel management. It is designed to expose students, practitioners, and professionals to the entire range of activities associated with staffing work organizations. Specific attention will be given to major areas of interest in personnel psychology, including job analysis and job evaluation, personnel recruitment, screening, and selection, training and development, and performance appraisal. The course is intended to provide valuable insights to human resource professionals, operating managers, students, and others seeking practical guidance on staffing procedures, policies, techniques, and problems. Three credit hours.

MBA 612 Compensation, Organizational Strategy, and Firm Performance
This course focuses on pertinent theoretical and applied issues in compensation. Relevant topics include job analysis and job evaluation, pricing and job structure, performance appraisal systems, making wage decisions, compensation systems, performance standards, incentive methods, salary administration, and analytical and empirical evaluation of payment techniques and procedures. The focus is multidisciplinary with economic, psychological, sociological, and legal perspectives interjected where appropriate. Three credit hours.

MBA 613 Strategic Training and Human Resource Development
Training and development is viewed by experts in the field as a process that increases the capacity of the human resource through development. As a consequence of this process, value is added to individuals, teams, and the entire organization as a human system. The purpose of this course is to equip students with the skills necessary to assess individual and organizational needs, to design training sessions, to utilize effective training methods, to transfer learning to the work environment, and to evaluate training.Three credit hours.

MBA 614 Theory and Practice of Negotiations
Negotiation and bargaining skills are essential characteristics of effective management. Whether a manager has formal responsibility for negotiating inter-firm agreements or not, he or she must contend with fellow managers for a share of organizational resources. In simply resolving disputes among subordinates, a manager will regularly be involved in negotiations and bargaining. While these negotiations may yield what appear to be satisfactory outcomes, this course provides a substantive grounding in the analytics of negotiations, which can ultimately improve the chances that satisfactory agreement is achieved in the first place. Three credit hours.

MBA 620 Economics of Strategy
This course applies economic reasoning to develop a coherent analytical basis for the formulation and evaluation of the external and internal strategies of the firm. The course emphasizes practical managerial applications of topics from industrial economics and strategy: economies of scale and scope, industry analysis, market structure, commitment, dynamic competition, entry/exit, and the economics of competitive advantage. Three credit hours. Prerequisites: MBA 500, 501, 502, and 503.

MBA 621 Operations Management
In this course, techniques of managerial decision making are applied to problems in the management of production and operations in both manufacturing and service organizations. Quality management is emphasized throughout the course. The course emphasis is on people operating in teams for improved delivery of goods and services to customers. Topics covered include: quality assurance and control, forecasting, aggregate planning, scheduling, inventory planning and control, facility location, and process and job design. Three credit hours. Prerequisites: MBA 500, 501, 502, and 503.

MBA 622 Multinational Business
This course is about how firms become and remain international in scope. It deals with the experiences of firms of all sizes, from many countries, as they come to grips with an increasingly competitive global environment. It is about the practice of management when a home market perspective is no longer enough. Through carefully selected comprehensive case studies and integrated text material, this course bridges both the internationalization process and multinational management. Three credit hours. Prerequisites: MBA 500, 501, 502, and 503.

MBA 623 Strategic Marketing
This course presents the importance of the marketing function in the strategic management of the organization. Within the framework of the marketing discipline, students will learn how to ascertain customer needs and to strategically plan to fill those needs while serving an increasingly diverse population. Also considered in this course are issues such as environmentalism, consumerism, consumer life style and government regulation. As part of this course, students will identify actual consumer needs and devise a comprehensive strategic marketing plan to fill them. Three credit hours.

MBA 624 Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation
A text- and cases-based course on the strategic management of change. Emphasis is on decision making as a learning activity in a context of transformational uncertainty. Topics include: the role of innovation in competitive advantage, designing and implementing a technology strategy, forecasting the advent of novel technologies, appropriating the benefits of new technologies without undue risk exposure, and managerial styles and corporate cultures that enhance technological leadership and innovation. Three credit hours. Prerequisites: MBA 500, 501, 502, and 503.

MBA 630 Advanced Strategy
The first of a two course integrative capstone experience, this course will teach managers to think and act strategically. Emphasis will be placed on the creation of competitive advantage within a dynamic environment. A variety of analytical techniques will be discussed that will enable managers to thoroughly analyze the organization's environment in order to clearly identify its competitive advantage and how the organization will seek to utilize this advantage. Topics to be covered include various strategic management decision models, industry analysis, competitive position analysis and the analysis, choice and implementation of strategic options. Case studies will be utilized as the primary method of familiarizing students with the strategic analysis process. Three credit hours. Prerequisite: completion of all M.B.A. Core Courses and at least 6 credits of the Concentration.

MBA 631 Integrative Case Studies
A final capstone experience, this course is intended to provide a complete integration and application of previous course work. The course consists of three parts: a series of case analysis discussions, a business simulation game in which student teams will compete with each other in a computer simulated business, and a final presentation. The final presentation is to be a significant portion of the grade in this course. For purposes of this presentation, student teams will do an extensive analysis of an existing business and report on their findings in both a written report to management and a full period oral presentation. Three credit hours. Prerequisite: MBA 630.

1999 Business Advisory Board Members

Robert Anderson
Manager of Compensation
Comuputer Task Group, Inc.

John Anthon
President
GATCO

Lee Burns
Chief Financial Office
Servotronics, Inc.

Rosanne Dee
Human Resources Manager, HRD
Graphic Controls Corporation

Larry Drake
Managing Partner
Strategic Consulting Solutions

Kim Evans
Employee Relations Manager
Ivoclar North America, Inc.

James A. Horbowicz
Vice President
M & T Bank

Karen M. Macris
Employment Manager, Human Resources
Rich Products Corporation

Peter Martinez
Human Resources Manager
American Pharmaceutical Partners

Robynn A. McPartland
Manager, Training & Development
Fisher-Price

William P. Montague
President & CEO
Mark IV Industries, Inc.

Bob Olejnik
Training & Development Leader
MSX International
Ford Motor Company/Buffalo Stamping Plant

*Francine Z. Schaefer
Manager, Employee Relations
Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceutical, Inc.

Tom Schranz
Education & Training Coordinator
Ford Motor Company/Buffalo Stamping Plant

George A. Strzelczyk
Quality Network Manager
General Motors Powertrain-Tonawanda Engine

Marsha Young
Human Resources Manager
Outokumpu American Brass Company

*Alumna