Elective Courses

One of the great distinctives of the MBA program is that you can customize your own program. Choose from one of four traditional tracks, or you can supplement with any of these courses to create your own emphasis. If you don't find what you are looking for, speak with a professor and you may be able to customize a course specifically for your needs!

Course Descriptions

MBA 626: Creativity & Innovation
This class studies the processes used in creativity and innovation. Students learn and develop personal techniques for idea generation and implementation.
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MBA 632: Economics
This course teaches basic concepts of Economics and the impact on business; focusing on supply and demand and resource allocation. It explores basic forms of economies, how wealth is generated in a capitalistic society, government intervention, and fiscal and monetary policy. Course material is drawn from current events and how they relate to economic principles. (No prerequisite)
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MBA 633: Essential Business Law
This course is taught by a trial attorney with over 26 years of courtroom and litigation experience. Class sessions are devoted to California law related to liability and litigation in the areas of defamation, discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, breach of contract, civil rights, fraud, punitive damages, negligence, invasion of privacy and unfair practices. With a working knowledge of conduct which would subject you and your business to liability, you will better avoid litigation and its significant expense. The knowledge you gain from the employment law section will make you a better manager of people and increase employee productivity.
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MBA 634: Career & Life Planning
This course will teach you how to maximize your career, relationships, physical, economic, and spiritual life. Learn how to be a top 10% career manager. Use the principles of wisdom to lead a great life of abundance and service.
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MBA 637: Business Contracts
Learn the basics of legal analysis that is applicable not only to contracts but to virtually all areas of your life. In addition, learn what you need to know about contracts as a business person.
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MBA 638: Forms of Incorporation
From an LLC, to a partnership, to a Joint Venture, this course will discuss what corporate arrangements best address the needs of today's industries. In addition, discover why certain corporate forms present advantages different than other forms depending upon the type of service or product involved. Students will be given the challenging task of beginning their own corporate entity, engaging in the same experiences and steps corporate founders face when beginning their own companies. As a result, students will receive the requisite knowledge and insight of an entrepreneur and/or business executive.
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MBA 641: The Art & Science of Persuasion
This course will focus on enhancing the student's skill to deliver effective presentations and facilitate efficient meetings. Techniques will be provided, practiced and refined in order to allow students to communicate, motivate and convince individual and group audiences. Student presentations and peer evaluations will be required at each session providing the opportunity to explore applying different techniques to different situations. This course will provide a solid foundation for presentations in future courses as well as in the workplace.
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MBA 664: Real Estate Development
This course will provide an overview of the exciting business of real estate. Students can develop expertise in one or more functions of the real estate development process. Topics to be discussed include; market planning, site selection, financing, design, procurement of entitlements and community relations, construction, and marketing.
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MBA 665: Entrepreneurship
This course will teach you everything you need to know to start, operate or grow your business utilizing best business practices and time- tested business wisdom. You'll begin by discovering the techniques for picking the right opportunity, how to protect your idea and then develop proven marketing techniques to easily build sales. We'll review traditional and non-traditional funding options. You'll learn easy-to-implement employee management procedures and strategies for building the team as well as production and sales distribution options. Finally, you'll write your own business plan that helps you build your business strategically and attract investors and customers. The course is also a Certificate in Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE). It will guide you to create a sustainable business utilizing biblical principles.
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MBA 621 & 622: International Finance 1 & 2
These courses will focus on the globalization of the marketplace and current events taking place in the global-wide financial crisis. We will study the global efforts being made currently to stabilize the marketplace and possible scenarios for the future, learn about regulation in the global economy, foreign financial institutions, global stock markets and emerging markets. We will discuss strategies for multinational companies to: measure and mitigate risk, fulfill strategic needs through the use of a variety of forms that global partner relationships can take, improve contractual terms and conditions in global partnerships and customer models, meet foreign content requirements of country specific business models, make foreign investments and capital budgeting decisions, and manage foreign exchange.
Prerequisites: International Finance 1 requires MBA 604: Accounting; International Finance 2 requires MBA 606: Finance
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MBA 644: Wealth Management Strategies
This class will explore strategies and investment vehicles available to maximize return and minimize risk for both corporations and individuals. Wealth management strategies, such as investor profiles, diversification, risk management, estate planning; and investment vehicles, such as bonds, stocks, mutual funds, structure products, and hedge funds are subjects to be discussed. Class will be comprised of material discussion, on-line research and Q & A sessions and projects.
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MBA 649: New Venture Finance
This course examines identification of opportunity and investment decisions, valuation techniques and their role in entrepreneurial decision making, the life cycle of enterprises and the need for capital, and the changing focus of late stage entrepreneurial firms. Students will be able to evaluate entrepreneurial business opportunities, understand sound investment decisions reinforced by quantitative and analytical skills, and learn how firms are financed throughout their life cycles.
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MBA 663: Personal Finance
The objective of this class is to provide the students with a general overview and insight into how they can plan for and implement strategies towards achieving their financial goals and dreams. In this class we will explore the areas of personal finance and facilitate a discussion on how each of these areas can be applied in your lives and your careers to achieve your financial goals and dreams.
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MBA 658 & 659: Financial Statement Analysis 1 & 2
These classes will provide an analysis of financial statements for business valuation and strategic considerations. Liquidity, debt-paying ability, profitability and investor analysis concepts are used to analyze the financial conditions of a business organization. Students will learn how to read, understand and analyze and interpret financial statements of actual companies. In MBA 659 students will use technological analytic tools to perform an actual company analysis.
Prerequisites: Financial Statement Analysis 1 requires MBA 604: Accounting; Financial Statement Analysis 2 requires Financial Statement Analysis 1
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MBA 623: New Product Innovation
Innovation is a key part of the strategic plans of almost every company, yet successful innovation is a very difficult task to execute effectively. Product innovation touches everyone in the organization. The innovation process has many steps and parts (strategy, marketing inputs, R&D development, applications testing, etc.). Bringing all of the parts to work together in a single operation requires a high level of management support, the right processes for the particular company, and getting the right people to work in a highly multidisciplinary manner. This course will provide an overview of the main elements in the product development process and will cover not only new products but also the concept of innovation in services. Students will also work on a new product development project as part of the class deliverables.
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MBA 684: Project Management
Project Management (PM) course introduces core principles of modern project, program and portfolio management including project planning, analysis, execution, and monitoring and control of projects. The course provides development of PM knowledge areas as defined by the Project Management Institute's (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The course integrates theoretical and practical constructs of project initiation, planning, scope management, project scheduling, resource allocation, cost estimation and budgeting, project risk identification and analysis, tracking project progress, project communications management and developing strategies for the execution and control of successful projects. The class utilizes the latest version of Microsoft Project Professional as the primary software tool for planning, executing and managing real-world projects. The course also prepares students for the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification exam offered by PMI and fulfills partial credit for the academic requirement to sit for the exam.
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MBA 651: International Project Management
This class lays a solid foundation on which a successful international project management career can be built. Student will be introduced not only to the key concepts in Project Management such as; work breakdown structure, critical path, PERT, Gantt, resource planning, and project budgeting but also to the latest software and communications tools that enable outsourcing and off-shoring to become an integral part of a successful international project management strategy.
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MBA 620: Global Leadership
This course is about being an international leader and understanding the cultural, political and social environments an international leader must operate in. The course is designed to be a nontraditional independent study class focusing on learning about personal leadership skills within the context of an organization. It assumes a personal interest in the subject. The purpose in learning about leaders and international leadership is to enable each student to become a better leader within the international realm. The objective of International leadership is to provide a forum for the development of strategies, skills and techniques that promote successful leadership within organizations when companies have strategic base in several global locations.
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MBA 640: Global Management in a Flat World
This course presents an overview of the dynamics of the global marketplace and international sources of economic change. Topics include globalization and the flattening of the world; the role of technology in the flat world; and the mandate of emerging markets, especially China and India. Comparative economic development, control and democratic regimes, international competition and cooperation are investigated. You will apply your knowledge to foreign market analysis and business planning, analyzing the multiple internal and external factors that must be addressed for economic success of the global enterprise.
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MBA 642: Effective Communication
This course is for individuals at all levels in all types of businesses/organizations who desire to polish and/or develop additional communication skills in formal and informal settings. Through interactive discussions, role plays and activities the following areas are covered: verbal and nonverbal communication; defensive/supportive communication; assertiveness, submissiveness and aggressiveness; active listening; receiving and providing criticism; team building; delegation of responsibilities; empowerment; management and sales strategies; leadership; customer service; interviewing/recruiting; conflict resolution.
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MBA 643: Interviewing
This course will examine the various forms of interviews focusing primarily on the employment or recruitment interview, and the performance review. Elements of the interview process will be studied and will include: all forms of correspondence (cover letters, resumes, thank you letters), all phases of the interview process (what occurs prior, during and post interview), and verbal and nonverbal communication strategies for all forms of communication interactions within the interview context.
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MBA 645: Leadership and Development
The objectives of the course are to promote and strengthen one's leadership abilities within the business setting. Leadership skills play a huge role in managing employees. Particularly in this turbulent environment, a strong leader can provide direction and guidance to motivate employees. This course is about being a leader. The course is designed to be a nontraditional independent study class focusing on learning about personal leadership skills within the context of an organization.
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MBA 677: Business History
This course is not a recounting of economic theory and historiography; it is a study of the dynamics of change as they apply to business activity and decision-making, and to the recognition, preservation, and use of the historic resources of a business enterprise. It allows the student to research, study, and analyze the history of an enterprise (or business person) of choice; and possibly to produce a publishable document. This class, which is a combination of readings, lectures, research and writing, will intrigue those who see potential in a looming corporate anniversary, those who have interest in the businesses and business people of their community, and those who, frankly, are just plain curious!
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MBA 679: Integrating Faith and Work
This class is for those interested in learning practical, biblical advice for business success and how to see God's presence and power in the "9 to 5" window of the everyday world of work. This class will help you connect the Sunday morning message at church with the Monday morning realities of the workplace. It will better prepare you to make a difference for the Kingdom of God in your workplace. It is designed to help you experience God in your work life, make Godly decisions at work and hear God's voice during your workday.
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MBA 680 & 681: Transformational Success Coaching 1 & 2 
These courses aim to help you answer the question "How do you define success in work and life?". You will create weekly success plans for your personal and professional development and work/life balance; create a clear vision for your life now and your future; learn skills to develop habits for "fitness" in the work place while living your purpose in life – designing a life in a balanced way, not just making a living; and finish with a presentation that builds confidence, clarity of purpose and fosters dynamic speaking skills.
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MBA 686: Business Process Management
The Business Process Management (BPM) course introduces principles and techniques of business process modeling, diagramming, design, analysis and reengineering of business systems. BPM helps to analyze existing processes of an organization with the goal of capturing and solving problems, and transforming the organizational processes to achieve performance improvement and effectiveness. The purpose of BPM is to identify and capture deficient or inefficient processes, systems and functions, and transform those processes to achieve the desired organizational goals. The course integrates hands-on skills in flowcharting, process modeling and reengineering techniques using latest version of Microsoft Visio and similar software tools. Various popular business process improvement and organizational change models such as Six-Sigma, Balanced Scorecard and the APQC (American Productivity and Quality Center) Process Classification Model are examined in the class to gain knowledge and experience of enterprise BPM frameworks. The course also prepares students for the BPMP (Business Project Management Professional) certification exam offered by the Object Management Group.
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MBA 636: Database Marketing
This course will be taught by the partners of Decision Intelligence Incorporated, a data based marketing consulting firm in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Each instructor will cover a different aspect of Database Marketing.
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MBA 652: Basics of 21st Century Successful Sales
This is a fast-moving, hands-on course for those desiring a practical & profitable handle on selling professionally in today's highly competitive business environment. Students will learn actual selling skills, including how to get appointments, analyze customer needs, craft effective proposals, make persuasive presentations, handle objections and gain ultimate commitment from the customer. Additional sales-related topics such as market assessment, sales forecasting, time management and the success mindset may be covered. Students will role play, interview sales professionals, and learn from guest lecturers who are experts in various aspects of professional sales.
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MBA 653: Advanced Sales Skills for the 21st Century
Building on the foundation of the Basics class, Advanced Sales Skills will take a participant to a whole new level of professional selling, with specific strategies for becoming professionally persuasive, gaining commitment faster and getting customers to agree to top dollar. Additional topics may include: accessing C-suite decision makers, mastering the art of buy-in, consultative selling, advanced communication skills, adding value to the sales process, strategic selling, financial justification, closing multiple decision makers and mastering the multi-call sale. This course is designed for senior sales professionals, sales managers and successful entrepreneurs who wish to upgrade their sales abilities significantly.
Prerequisite: MBA 652: Basics of 21st Century Successful Sales
Prerequisite: MBA 652: Basics of 21st Century Successful Sales
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MBA 654: Customer Relations Marketing
This course will seek to provide an understanding of how multiple marketing disciplines integrate with each other to enhance the impact of the message to the target audience, at multiple touch points. This course will also seek to establish a basic understanding of how key marketing activities affect consumer behavior within the buying cycle.
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MBA 667: Corporate Sustainability
One definition of “Corporate Sustainability” is a process to mainstream sustainability in the business community. By applying objective corporate social and environmental measures that clearly show which companies stand above their peers, the aim is to create a virtuous cycle where the most sustainable companies attract the most capital and earn the best returns; and help preserve earth depleted resources!
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MBA 678: eBay Marketing
Learn How To Sell on eBay The Right Way! Have a professional teach you the right way to sell on eBay. Training delivered by Education Specialists uses the most up-to-date training and student materials – the same ones used by eBay University. So you know you're learning to make the most of eBay to increase your revenue. The training will teach you how to:

• Do research and create Listings that will attract buyers
• Enhance listings with better descriptions and photography.
• Set pricing that will maximize your profits
• Open and use a PayPal account to simplify getting paid
• Monitor sales to know exactly what's working and what's not
• Avoid many of the costly mistakes that new eBaysellers may maker

MBA 687: B2B
This course was designed for students who would like to prepare for vast career choices offered by this area of marketing and who want to understand how the B2B environment differs from that of B2C. This is a fact‐based and hands‐on marketing class. Students will work with real life cases, critically examine testimonials by successful B2B executives, and "test drive" selected strategies and tactics using Excel based business models. Throughout this course students will be encouraged to adopt, fit for the 21st century, socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
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MBA 688: Marketing Communications
The process of effective marketing will be examined from a practical perspective. The focus of this course will be how companies market; from branding to expenditure ROI evaluation. The ethical implications of the marketers will be scrutinized, to insure students are aware of the pitfalls inherent in marketing functions.
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MBA 671: Leadership in a Government Setting
Students utilize a case study approach to evaluate government problem solving, overcoming political obstacles and building public consensus. Students will form a strategy for creating public value and an understanding of the effective characteristics of public sector leadership.
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MBA 672: Public Policy Seminar
This class exposes students to the intergovernmental structure of California government, reviews revenue and taxation strategies, public finance and contemporary labor relations. Students review contemporary problems and issues related to project finance, governance and budgeting.
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