MBA Degree Online: Online Master of Business Administration School & Programs

Program Highlights: Earn an Online MBA With a Global Perspective

Today’s employers are looking for MBA graduates with an international mindset; those who can understand global issues, manage relationships across cultures, and grow businesses in emerging world markets. According to a Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC) survey of corporate recruiters, more companies than in the past are likely to require stronger emphasis on international business knowledge.†

The objective of Kaplan University’s online Master of Business Administration program is to help students pursue leadership positions in competitive business environments, wherever they exist.* The curriculum was developed by a select panel of global business professionals and features international business case studies and examples.

As a student, you’ll collaborate on practical résumé–building projects that promote sound business and management decisions. Beyond practical skills, the online MBA program is also designed to foster thought leadership, innovation, and corporate social responsibility on a global scale. Through the inclusion of current news events, instructors ensure that the curriculum stays topical, vibrant, and relevant. You will be taught to:

Create value in production and distribution of goods, services, and information throughout the supply chain
Integrate business knowledge to take well-reasoned action in diverse situations
Innovate to address business issues or establish new procedures within an existing process
Generate a new business or establish new procedures within an existing business
Demonstrate the leadership necessary to accomplish business goals and maximize organizational performance
Evaluate the ethical and social implications of business decisions in a global context

Areas of Specialization | Curriculum | Tuition and Fees

Career Opportunities

This professionally focused program is designed to prepare you for business management and corporate leadership. As a graduate of this MBA program, you could pursue employment opportunities in finance, marketing, operations, management of information systems, and human resources. An MBA may also provide you with knowledge and proficiencies to help you become a more effective leader and a more valued employee in your current career. Click here to review career profiles.

Who Should Take This Program?

A Kaplan University MBA could prepare you to pursue positions in today's competitive job market.* If you are looking for a degree program that could help prepare you for career advancement, a Master of Business Administration might be an ideal choice. The Kaplan University MBA is a dynamic 21st-century-driven program that is designed to offer the right balance of theory and practice to help prepare you for advancement in your business career.*

Focused Specializations

Specialized knowledge and expertise could prepare you to pursue leadership roles in today’s competitive business environment.* The MBA program allows you to complete four or more additional courses in one of the designated areas of specialization. The MBA program could take between one and two years to complete, depending on the number of applicable transfer credits you possess.^‡

Areas of Specialization for the Master of Business Administration

When you choose the focused MBA option at Kaplan University, you will have the opportunity to develop expertise in one of the following areas of specialization.

Study the theories and practices related to the startup, development, and management of a new business, product, or service. Examine the functions of management as they apply to the small business environment and the theory and practices of corporate venturing. Study strategies for creating a workable business plan. Participate in a virtual practicum and apply strategies and practices to a startup business. Review methods for identifying and pursuing venture opportunities. Experience the entrepreneurial group process through strategic development in a team environment.

Analyze strategies for investing in various markets. Develop an understanding of the primary real and financial assets that comprise corporate balance sheets. Explore mergers and acquisitions and financial management issues for international businesses, including foreign exchange risk, hedging strategies, and global positioning of assets. Acquire the knowledge and skills to prepare and interpret financial statements.

Study how to navigate the changing health care field. Health care is experiencing advances in treatment, rigorous patient-privacy regulations, staffing challenges, and issues of cost control. Our program is designed to help you develop the proficiencies to find solutions to real-life business situations.

Explore recruitment and hiring practices, employee training, corporate policies, and executive leadership. Analyze labor laws and topics such as wrongful termination, employment at will, and collective bargaining. Focus on change management and the relationship between pay structures and organizational performance.

Prepare to pursue IT leadership or management-level positions in service organizations or business, health care, military, government, or nonprofit settings. Study methods for finding innovative solutions to an ever-increasing array of business and IT challenges. Courses examine critical concepts and competencies for the IT professional, principles of information technology, systems analysis and design, and the management of technology in a business environment.

Apply marketing research methods and techniques to analyze and implement strategic advertising. Explore how buyer-behavior and consumer protection issues affect marketing strategies. Develop skills required to manage a sales force, with a focus on training, motivation, compensation, and performance evaluation. Analyze factors that affect purchase decisions in the marketplace.

Examine how to analyze and streamline complex, large-scale endeavors into efficient project plans. You will be taught to strategize, plan, schedule, implement, and determine project deliverables, milestones, and responsibilities, making sure that business needs are being addressed and costs are managed.

Entrepreneurship
Finance
Health Care Management
Human Resources
Information Technology
Marketing
Project Management

Curriculum for the Master of Business Administration Specialization Track

Course #	Course Title	Credits
GB 512	BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS	4 BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS Business Communications focuses on effective communication strategies for various stakeholders using oral and written formats for different purposes, including one-on-one communication and engagement with larger audiences.
GB 500	BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES	4 BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES This course is the cornerstone experience for the MBA student. Students will analyze the fundamental processes that comprise a business system, building a conceptual understanding of how businesses prosper. Students will examine business functions, resources, and processes in order to appreciate their synergy and interrelatedness. Students will apply methodical approaches to evaluate choices in complex business situations. Finally, students will assess and plan to develop their own capability relative to business leadership.
GB 513	BUSINESS ANALYTICS	4 BUSINESS ANALYTICS This course provides an analytical foundation for MBA students. Students will learn to adopt a quantitative approach to problem solving, while becoming familiar with the analytical context in which business decisions are made. Analytics is the extensive use of data, statistical and quantitative analysis, explanatory and predictive models, and fact-based management to drive decisions and actions. Topics covered will include a review of basic algebra, mathematical functions, mean and standard deviation calculations, histograms, pie charts and line plots, distributions, sampling, and the basics of hypothesis testing and regression analysis. Microsoft Excel will be used extensively in the course.
GB 518	FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND ANALYSIS	4 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND ANALYSIS This course covers the basics of how accounting systems are used to assess economic events and produce financial statements for internal and external users. The course also delves into the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of accounting information and how to use accounting information for strategic decision making.
GB 519	MEASUREMENT AND DECISION MAKING	4 MEASUREMENT AND DECISION MAKING This course provides students with the foundations of measurement and decision making in organizations. Students will examine the role of accounting and operating information in directing the activities of organizations. They will assess the importance of various types of information in planning and controlling activities and making effective decisions. They will also analyze and evaluate situations using a wide variety of decision-making approaches and techniques.
GB 520	STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT	4 STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Students will examine human resource management from a strategic perspective. They will analyze theories and practices in terms of organizational effectiveness when competing in a global business environment. They will investigate ongoing operational human resource issues, such as compensation, organizational development, benefits, recruitment, training, and leading employees to high performance. Current issues that challenge human resource practitioners will be explored, such as downsizing, implied contracts between employer and employee, managing knowledge workers, and the issues of the changing legal environment.
GB 530	MARKETING MANAGEMENT	4 MARKETING MANAGEMENT This course provides an analysis and evaluation of the theories and practices for effectively managing the relationships between customers and providers of goods, services, and ideas. Students will, in three segments, analyze and evaluate theories related to an understanding of the marketplace; an understanding of the relationship between the marketplace and marketing functions, such as pricing, promotion, distribution, and products; and strategy formation within the marketing function as it relates to overall business strategies.
GB 540	ECONOMICS FOR GLOBAL DECISION MAKERS	4 ECONOMICS FOR GLOBAL DECISION MAKERS This course covers micro- and macroeconomic principles with an emphasis on decision making and strategic applications. Microeconomic topics include scarcity, supply and demand, elasticity, utility, profit maximization, cost structures, economic systems, labor markets, and entrepreneurship. Macroeconomic topics include international trade, national income accounting, exchange rates, money and banking, economic growth, and fiscal policy.
GB 550	FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT	4 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT This course provides an analysis and evaluation of the roles and functions of corporate financial managers as they relate to the effective managing of a business. Students will apply and evaluate methods and tools for planning, forecasting, managing, and improving an organization's financial performance. Topics include asset valuation, risk and return, capital budgeting, international financial markets, risk analysis, and effective use of capital.
GB 560	DESIGNING, IMPROVING, AND IMPLEMENTING PROCESSES	4 DESIGNING, IMPROVING, AND IMPLEMENTING PROCESSES This course provides students with the skills and theories required to develop, improve, and manage business processes. The focus is on the impact of those activities in the organization that cut across functional and organizational boundaries, with a concentration on performance and impact. Students will apply process management, project management, and change management tools and techniques to create processes and implement continuous process improvement.
GB 570	MANAGING THE VALUE CHAIN	4 MANAGING THE VALUE CHAIN This course provides students with a focus on a globally integrated value chain. Students will investigate sourcing, negotiation, contracting, vendor management, logistics, inventory management, customer relationship management, and the use of decision support systems.
GB 580	STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT	4 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT In this course, students will explore factors that contribute to long-term business success. Students will create a strategic plan for a business by applying strategic management methods, including environmental scanning, competitive analysis, and organization assessment. Students will examine the leadership skills required to formulate, implement, and evaluate business strategy. Strategic decisions will integrate ethical, social, and global considerations.
GB 590	CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY	4 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY In this course, students will examine the role of the corporation in relation to worldwide politics, economics, legislation, regulation, trade policies, and societal concerns, such as social justice and ecological issues. Students also will assess the impact of GCSR (Global Corporate Social Responsibility) issues on the corporation's operations and strategy. Students will identify and analyze GCSR factors in the process of formulating a GCSR strategic plan.
GB 600	LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR A CHANGING WORLD	4 LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR A CHANGING WORLD This course introduces students to the nature and purpose of leadership in organizations. Students evaluate various leadership approaches and methodologies in terms of organizational effectiveness and efficiency in dynamic corporate environments. In addition, students investigate ethics and social responsibility, diversity, and team management. Students will apply emotional intelligence in self-awareness, personal development, and communication
GB 601	MBA CAPSTONE	4 MBA CAPSTONE This course provides the culmination for the MBA program, enabling students to demonstrate leadership competencies and apply their knowledge of business systems. Through individual research, team assignments, and completion of a business simulation, students will apply their problem-solving and analytical skills in dynamic environments to develop a business plan for an international venture. Students will evaluate global business problems integrating ethical considerations for a response that considers multiple stakeholders. They will continue to plan for their post-MBA professional development by incorporating the results of their work into their portfolio.

Course #	Course Title	Credits

GB 514	FOUNDATIONS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP-FASTTRAC® NEWVENTURE™	2 FOUNDATIONS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP-FASTTRAC® NEWVENTURE™ In this course, students will learn the process of starting and building a successful business. Using the FastTrac® NewVenture™ framework, students will explore entrepreneurial attributes while discovering the practical knowledge, strategies, and skills needed to create a viable business plan. Students will learn how to create a plan that attracts the financial and leadership support of internal and external stakeholders needed to achieve success.
GB 515	FASTTRAC® NEWVENTURE™ LAB	2 FASTTRAC® NEWVENTURE™ LAB In this course, students will embark on the entrepreneurial process. They will use idea-generating strategies and explore resources for entrepreneurial success for the startup business. Using the FastTrac® NewVenture™ framework, students will develop and refine a business concept, take it through a rigorous planning process, and outline the critical steps for a successful business launch. Students will also learn how to identify and reach their target markets, set realistic financial goals, and build effective organizations. Students will explore the practical knowledge, strategy, and skills needed to plan for the legal issues, marketing, and management involved in a new business, product, or service launch.
GB 562	SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION	4 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION In this course, students will learn about the four functions of management as they apply to the small business environment. They will learn the strategies and processes that small businesses employ to manage for success in today's environment. Nonprofit and for-profit small businesses will be examined. Students will apply strategies and practices through a virtual practicum to a startup business. Decision making and adaptability in the small business environment will be stressed.
GB 564	CORPORATE VENTURING	4 CORPORATE VENTURING This course examines theory and practices that explain how some organizations are effective in creating new businesses and fostering innovation. The course focuses on the concept of corporate venturing, which is the process through which organizations turn a good idea into a viable business. Students will be exposed to concepts of how to encourage entrepreneurship, identify venture opportunities, locate these potential new businesses within the firm, select the right managers, and set up the proper planning processes
GB 565	THE ENTREPRENEURIAL LAB	4 THE ENTREPRENEURIAL LAB In this course, students will simulate the entrepreneurial group process. They will use idea-generating strategies and explore resources for entrepreneurial success for the startup business or a new idea or venture for an existing business. Students will explore the practical knowledge, strategy, and skills needed to plan for the legal issues, marketing, and the four functions of management involved in a new business, product, or service launch. Students will practice, in a team environment, all the initial steps involved in the entrepreneurial process to achieve success.

Course #	Course Title	Credits

GF 500	FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND MARKETS	4 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND MARKETS This course focuses on the workings of the U.S. and world financial markets and institutions. It spans interest rate determination, federal policy, and management and policies of commercial banks.
GF 510	RISK ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT	4 RISK ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT This course focuses on the financial instruments used for financial risk management, including forwards, futures, options, and swaps. An emphasis is placed on the identifica¬tion of financial risks and designing an optimal risk management program.
GF 520	CORPORATE FINANCE	4 CORPORATE FINANCE This course is designed to provide a framework for understanding and analyzing the asset, liability, and capital structure of corporations. Students will examine valuation and capital budgeting techniques, risk evaluation, working capital management, and methods of short-term, intermediate, and long-term financing.
GF 530	FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS	4 FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS In this course, students will analyze and utilize financial statements and valuation models to assess the value of a firm. The identification of reliable estimates of fundamental corporate earning power and earning risks and valuation is a focus of the course.

Course #	Course Title	Credits

HA 540	HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS AND QUALITY ASSESSMENT	4 HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS AND QUALITY ASSESSMENT This course provides an interdisciplinary perspective on operations and quality management in health care, taking into account the disciplines of organizational behavior and health management research. Special attention is given to causal tools and approaches that are fundamental to total quality management and continuous quality improvement.
HA 545	HEALTH POLICY	4 HEALTH POLICY This course provides students with an in-depth analysis of health care policy development in the United States of America. Students focus on health care policy formation and evaluation by investigating public policy and politics. Students consider a variety of elements that factor into health policy development such as economics, political science, management, communications, and public health.
HA 575	HEALTH CARE MARKETING	4 HEALTH CARE MARKETING This course provides an analysis and evaluation of the principles and concepts of marketing as they apply to health care organizations. The course covers essential elements of marketing as well as direct applications of marketing tools and strategies in the dynamic health care environment.
PU 660	INTERNATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GLOBAL HEALTH	4 INTERNATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GLOBAL HEALTH This course introduces students to recent trends in global health and current problems of health from an international perspective, and examines the influence of economic, population, and sociopolitical trends on health and living conditions in different countries. Students apply the basics of descriptive and analytical epidemiology to global health and key health indicators used in international epidemiology, and analyze the main transnational factors that influence the transfer of risks to health across the globe.

Course #	Course Title	Credits

GB 541	EMPLOYMENT AND LABOR LAW	4 EMPLOYMENT AND LABOR LAW We depend upon the law as well as ethics and common sense to help us make good decisions about issues surrounding employment that are routinely decided in workplaces every day. These issues can have devastating financial and productivity consequences if mishandled by the employer. Yet it seems as if few employers or their managers are equipped to handle them well. Employment law helps to regulate the workplace environment by protecting employees from discrimination and harassment, and providing a safer, fairer workplace where the rules provide for certain rights and responsibilities for both employees and employers alike. Those who choose to work in the business arena must understand basic legal concepts, plus have working knowledge of regulatory and compliance issues in order to effectively manage a business. In this course, students will analyze and evaluate legal concepts and learn to identify potentially troublesome employment-related legal and ethical issues in order to avoid liability as well as to develop an understanding of how to manage employees to maximize productivity.
GB 542	TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT	4 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Students will examine human resources development management processes from a strategic human resources perspective. Students will analyze theories and practices as they relate to human and organizational development. The course will cover the evolution of human resource development (HRD) and the relationship between HRD and human resource management (HRM). Students will look at major internal and external factors that affect employee behavior, define learning and how learning can be maximized, look at needs assessments and their purpose, write training objectives for a specific program, describe broad approaches to training design and delivery, define the evaluation methods used in HRD and their purposes, discuss the process of organizational socialization beginning with employee orientation, identify and describe basic workplace competencies, define coaching and its tie to performance management systems, explain the need for employee counseling processes and their importance to employee wellness programs, and discuss career, management, and leadership development and the "new employment" relationship. The course defines organizational development and how planned-change models create intervention strategies to improve organizational effectiveness; and how changing demographics is creating a new, diverse, global workforce and the challenges in managing these new workers.
GB 545	STRATEGIC REWARD SYSTEMS	4 STRATEGIC REWARD SYSTEMS This course examines how an organization can leverage their reward systems to sustain, motivate, and retain its desired workforce to help achieve business objectives. The course focuses on the complex variety of pay structures within an organization and the relationship of those pay structures to organizational performance. Students will be exposed to major reward issues in the context of current theory, research, and real-business practices.
GB 546	RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION	4 RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION This course provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of attracting, hiring, and assessing talent. It takes a closer look at the "war for talent" in the competitive marketplace today, and provides the impetus for more proactive and timely recruitment practices, effective and legally conscious selection methods, and valid assessment techniques. This course highlights the importance of refining talent-acquisition strategies as organizations and HR practitioners seek to improve the pipeline of new hire and job promotion candidates. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with multiple recruitment, selection, and assessment models and will synthesize these approaches from a talent management perspective.

Course #	Course Title	Credits

IT 500	CRITICAL CONCEPTS AND COMPETENCIES FOR THE IT PROFESSIONAL	4 CRITICAL CONCEPTS AND COMPETENCIES FOR THE IT PROFESSIONAL This course provides students with a foundation in the concepts and paradigms that shape information technology today. Students will distinguish between current competing ideologies to expand their technological knowledge and make informed business decisions. A focus will be placed on Internet technologies, hardware and software components, and networked environments, as well as ethical and social issues in information technology. Students will also be introduced to the Master of Science in Information Technology learning team model, which will be built upon throughout the program.
IT 501	PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY	4 PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY This is an introductory course for students entering the Master of Science in Information Technology program who do not have an undergraduate degree in information technology. Students will learn the foundational principles of information technology as the field relates to business and will examine the changing roles of various information technology specialties. The course also provides an introduction to the relationship of information technology courses to other parts of the Master of Science in Information Technology curriculum. Students will analyze case studies, engage in focused discussions on subjects relevant to information technology, and complete research and written assignments that address information technology support of various business scenarios.
IT 510	SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN	4 SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN This course provides an in-depth overview of system analysis and design methodologies. Students examine techniques to develop systems more efficiently using the system development life cycle (SDLC). Students use object-oriented approaches to develop information systems using the Unified Modeling Language (UML).
IT 560	MANAGING TECHNOLOGY IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT	4 MANAGING TECHNOLOGY IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Businesses are faced with many challenges when managing their information technology. Since information technology is continually evolving, businesses that stick with their current IT systems may be left behind. In this course, students identify innovative solutions to business problems. Specific topics include the analysis of cost and efficiency benefits found in emerging technologies, the legal and regulatory implications of various IT infrastructure strategies, and the complex process enterprises face in integrating new technology with existing infrastructure.

Course #	Course Title	Credits

GB 531	ADVERTISING	4 ADVERTISING This course provides an analysis and evaluation of strategic advertising and distribution decisions. Students will examine the linkages between national advertising and intermediary promotion, and evaluate effective creation and implementation strategies for advertising campaigns.
GB 532	MARKETING RESEARCH	4 MARKETING RESEARCH This course provides an analysis and evaluation of theories and practices of marketing research as an aid to marketing decision making. Students will apply marketing research methods and techniques to actual marketing problems through the design, implementation, and evaluation of a marketing research project.
GB 533	SALESFORCE MANAGEMENT	4 SALESFORCE MANAGEMENT This course provides an analysis and evaluation of theories and practices involved in the building and managing of effective sales forces. Students will examine such aspects of sales management as forecasting, human resources, field automation, and data analysis. Topics include training, motivation, compensation, team building, performance evaluation, and interaction with promotions and marketing.
GB 534	MARKETING PSYCHOLOGY	4 MARKETING PSYCHOLOGY This course provides an analysis and evaluation of behavioral and social science concepts and theories as they relate to the marketing function of business. Students will analyze factors that affect purchase decisions in the marketplace. Special attention will be given to research related to buyer-behavior research, the role of models in explaining behavior, the influence of buyer behavior on the development of marketing programs, and issues of consumer protection as they affect marketing strategy.

Course #	Course Title	Credits

GM 591	STRATEGIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT	4 STRATEGIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT This course covers project management from a strategic perspective. The course emphasizes the life cycle project phases and processes advocated by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and defined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). It stresses the planning, executing, and controlling phases of a project life cycle. The course also covers how these phases relate to the initiation and closing phases, and further examines the impact of various project management techniques on schedule, budget, and performance constraints.
GM 592	PROJECT INITIATION, PLANNING, AND EXECUTION	4 PROJECT INITIATION, PLANNING, AND EXECUTION This course provides an analysis and evaluation of the theories and practices for managing projects in effective organizations. The student will analyze and evaluate strategies, tools, software, and management approaches to effectively complete and evaluate the effectiveness of projects. Topics in this course include: setting project goals and objectives; preparing a project plan; conducting feasibility studies; measurement tools, including the most current and best software tools; strategies for effective human resource allocation; and approaches to gauging the worth of the project deliverables and the effectiveness of the project management process.
GM 593	PROJECT COST AND SCHEDULE MONITORING AND CONTROLLING	4 PROJECT COST AND SCHEDULE MONITORING AND CONTROLLING This course provides an analysis of the principles, tools, and techniques for controlling project cost and schedule. The student will use tools, software, and techniques to establish a project baseline and control cost and schedule. Topics in this course include preparing PERT/CPM networks, estimating time and resources, creating the project baseline, controlling the baseline, crashing the network, optimization and heuristics techniques for resource allocation, earned value management, and statistical control tools.
GM 594	PROJECT RISK, QUALITY, AND PROCUREMENT MONITORING AND CONTROLLING	4 PROJECT RISK, QUALITY, AND PROCUREMENT MONITORING AND CONTROLLING This course provides an integrated approach to risk, quality, and procurement. This course demonstrates how to incorporate quality throughout the project. The student explores use of contract types in managing risk and quality. Topics in this course cover all phases of contracting, including procurement planning, solicitation planning, solicitation, source selection, contract administration, and contract close-out. The student will then explore methods of analyzing make-or-buy decisions, as well as legal and ethical considerations in contracting and procurement. Students will construct an element of their Self-Directed Learning Plan from this course, as well as add materials from the course to their Presentation Portfolio.

Total Program Requirements	76 Total Program Requirements

Specialization/Core
Specialization/Entrepreneurship
Specialization/Finance
Specialization/Health Care Management
Specialization/Human Resources
Specialization/Information Technology
Specialization/Marketing
Specialization/Project Management
Total Program Requirements

Curriculum for the Master of Business Administration Nonspecialization Track

Course #	Course Title	Credits
GB 500	BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES	4 BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES This course is the cornerstone experience for the MBA student. Students will analyze the fundamental processes that comprise a business system, building a conceptual understanding of how businesses prosper. Students will examine business functions, resources, and processes in order to appreciate their synergy and interrelatedness. Students will apply methodical approaches to evaluate choices in complex business situations. Finally, students will assess and plan to develop their own capability relative to business leadership.
GB 512	BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS	4 BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS Business Communications focuses on effective communication strategies for various stakeholders using oral and written formats for different purposes, including one-on-one communication and engagement with larger audiences.
GB 513	BUSINESS ANALYTICS	4 BUSINESS ANALYTICS This course provides an analytical foundation for MBA students. Students will learn to adopt a quantitative approach to problem solving, while becoming familiar with the analytical context in which business decisions are made. Analytics is the extensive use of data, statistical and quantitative analysis, explanatory and predictive models, and fact-based management to drive decisions and actions. Topics covered will include a review of basic algebra, mathematical functions, mean and standard deviation calculations, histograms, pie charts and line plots, distributions, sampling, and the basics of hypothesis testing and regression analysis. Microsoft Excel will be used extensively in the course.
GB 518	FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND ANALYSIS	4 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND ANALYSIS This course covers the basics of how accounting systems are used to assess economic events and produce financial statements for internal and external users. The course also delves into the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of accounting information and how to use accounting information for strategic decision making.
GB 519	MEASUREMENT AND DECISION MAKING	4 MEASUREMENT AND DECISION MAKING This course provides students with the foundations of measurement and decision making in organizations. Students will examine the role of accounting and operating information in directing the activities of organizations. They will assess the importance of various types of information in planning and controlling activities and making effective decisions. They will also analyze and evaluate situations using a wide variety of decision-making approaches and techniques.
GB 520	STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT	4 STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Students will examine human resource management from a strategic perspective. They will analyze theories and practices in terms of organizational effectiveness when competing in a global business environment. They will investigate ongoing operational human resource issues, such as compensation, organizational development, benefits, recruitment, training, and leading employees to high performance. Current issues that challenge human resource practitioners will be explored, such as downsizing, implied contracts between employer and employee, managing knowledge workers, and the issues of the changing legal environment.
GB 530	MARKETING MANAGEMENT	4 MARKETING MANAGEMENT This course provides an analysis and evaluation of the theories and practices for effectively managing the relationships between customers and providers of goods, services, and ideas. Students will, in three segments, analyze and evaluate theories related to an understanding of the marketplace; an understanding of the relationship between the marketplace and marketing functions, such as pricing, promotion, distribution, and products; and strategy formation within the marketing function as it relates to overall business strategies.
GB 540	ECONOMICS FOR GLOBAL DECISION MAKERS	4 ECONOMICS FOR GLOBAL DECISION MAKERS This course covers micro- and macroeconomic principles with an emphasis on decision making and strategic applications. Microeconomic topics include scarcity, supply and demand, elasticity, utility, profit maximization, cost structures, economic systems, labor markets, and entrepreneurship. Macroeconomic topics include international trade, national income accounting, exchange rates, money and banking, economic growth, and fiscal policy.
GB 550	FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT	4 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT This course provides an analysis and evaluation of the roles and functions of corporate financial managers as they relate to the effective managing of a business. Students will apply and evaluate methods and tools for planning, forecasting, managing, and improving an organization's financial performance. Topics include asset valuation, risk and return, capital budgeting, international financial markets, risk analysis, and effective use of capital.
GB 560	DESIGNING, IMPROVING, AND IMPLEMENTING PROCESSES	4 DESIGNING, IMPROVING, AND IMPLEMENTING PROCESSES This course provides students with the skills and theories required to develop, improve, and manage business processes. The focus is on the impact of those activities in the organization that cut across functional and organizational boundaries, with a concentration on performance and impact. Students will apply process management, project management, and change management tools and techniques to create processes and implement continuous process improvement.
GB 570	MANAGING THE VALUE CHAIN	4 MANAGING THE VALUE CHAIN This course provides students with a focus on a globally integrated value chain. Students will investigate sourcing, negotiation, contracting, vendor management, logistics, inventory management, customer relationship management, and the use of decision support systems.
GB 580	STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT	4 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT In this course, students will explore factors that contribute to long-term business success. Students will create a strategic plan for a business by applying strategic management methods, including environmental scanning, competitive analysis, and organization assessment. Students will examine the leadership skills required to formulate, implement, and evaluate business strategy. Strategic decisions will integrate ethical, social, and global considerations.
GB 590	CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY	4 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY In this course, students will examine the role of the corporation in relation to worldwide politics, economics, legislation, regulation, trade policies, and societal concerns, such as social justice and ecological issues. Students also will assess the impact of GCSR (Global Corporate Social Responsibility) issues on the corporation's operations and strategy. Students will identify and analyze GCSR factors in the process of formulating a GCSR strategic plan.
GB 600	LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR A CHANGING WORLD	4 LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR A CHANGING WORLD This course introduces students to the nature and purpose of leadership in organizations. Students evaluate various leadership approaches and methodologies in terms of organizational effectiveness and efficiency in dynamic corporate environments. In addition, students investigate ethics and social responsibility, diversity, and team management. Students will apply emotional intelligence in self-awareness, personal development, and communication
GB 601	MBA CAPSTONE	4 MBA CAPSTONE This course provides the culmination for the MBA program, enabling students to demonstrate leadership competencies and apply their knowledge of business systems. Through individual research, team assignments, and completion of a business simulation, students will apply their problem-solving and analytical skills in dynamic environments to develop a business plan for an international venture. Students will evaluate global business problems integrating ethical considerations for a response that considers multiple stakeholders. They will continue to plan for their post-MBA professional development by incorporating the results of their work into their portfolio.

Total Program Requirements	60 Total Program Requirements

Nonspecialization / Core
Total Program Requirements

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Tuition and Fees

Cost per credit hour	$441.00
Total program requirements Master of Business Administration Specialization Track	76
Total cost of tuition	$33,516.00
Cost per credit hour	$441.00
Total program requirements Master of Business Administration Nonspecialization Track	60
Total cost of tuition	$26,460.00
This program requires a prorated technology fee of $50 per term. Students enrolled in the Master of Business Administration are required to pay one-time fees of $84.50 as part of GB 500: Business Perspectives ($64.50 for Insights Discovery Profile and $20.00 for Marketplace Business Simulation) and $40.00 as part of GB 601: MBA Capstone (Marketplace Business Simulation). These fees may be paid using financial aid funds and can be incorporated into the student’s monthly payment plan. A nonrefundable application fee, depending on your program and as described in the Tuition and Fees Supplement, may be required at the time of enrollment. We encourage you to explore the availability of financial aid and scholarships. For more information, contact an Admissions Advisor.

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*Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for job advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required.
In addition, some leadership positions may require prior or additional experience or training.
^†Source: Graduate Management Admission Council. Corporate Recruiters Survey: 2010 Survey Report, on the Internet at www.gmac.com/NR/rdonlyres/57F459C7-48E1-4C77-8A15-B003E04FF8D8/0/CorporateRecruiters2010SR.pdf.
^‡Kaplan University does not guarantee the transferability of credit from any of these sources. See the University Catalog for Transfer of Credit and Prior Learning Assessment policy.

Master of Business Administration

School of Business and Management