MS in Management Curriculum

This course is designed to help you develop and polish essential career and professional development pieces. The idea is that, whether you are looking for a new job, aiming for a promotion, or happily working in your current position, you need certain items in your career toolkit. Those items include resumes, cover letters, elevator pitches, LinkedIn profiles and behavioral interviewing techniques. We'll use assigned readings, instructional videos, and other guidelines to establish criteria for meeting today's standards. Rubrics establish criteria for meeting expectations of each assignment and provide a framework for instructor feedback. Discussions are optional. Successful completion of the course is based on quality submission of assignments. (1 credit) 

This course teaches students how to maximize spreadsheets as a data management tool using advanced functions and formulas. Students will learn how to efficiently manipulate, format, and automate data, and use spreadsheets to build customized reports, dashboards, amazing charts, pivot tables and macros.  Students will learn the following software and skills: Advanced Excel with Macros, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) in Microsoft Office, and Power Query. This course is applicable to all business disciplines. Prerequisites: basic spreadsheet knowledge. (3 Credits)

This graduate course provides comprehensive coverage of project management, focusing on the methods and competencies needed to effectively manage projects. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to understand different project management techniques, terminology and trends; define project success measures and methods; improve quality, cost and efficiency with the project management process; and gain basic competency using project management software. (3 Credits)

This course provides an executive viewpoint of marketing concepts, such as branding and segmentation, for strategic and organizational decision-making. There is an emphasis on tools available for analysis and control of marketing activities, including the use of new media. Topics also include industrial life cycles, customer experience, and pricing strategy. (3 credits)

Provides an overview of different perspectives and approaches to leadership practice and related organizational behavior topics. Relying on a participative multi-learning approach, the course goes beyond traditional leadership practices to examine empowering leadership approaches for addressing contemporary organizational behavior challenges such as leading teams. The overall objective is to increase students' understanding of and ability to apply contemporary leadership and organizational behavior knowledge in work situations. (3 credits)

In this course students will learn to prepare and interpret the three major components of the corporate annual report: the Balance Sheet, the Income Statement, and the Statement of Cash Flows. The underlying accounting model that produces these statements will be critically reviewed; both its strengths and limitations will be evaluated. Additionally the role of popular ratios in forecasting firm profitability, risk, and liquidity are considered. Student will gain this knowledge through homework assignments, discussion questions, and an integrative case analysis. This course is a prerequisite for Financial and Managerial Accounting SCH-MGMT 633. (1 Credit)

This is a "high elevation" course covering a wide range of issues regarding financial markets.  The short duration of the course will make this coverage summary in nature, but will not prohibit you from learning much about the financial world, and financial markets. (1 Credit)

Organizations—whether businesses or non-profits—are increasingly reliant on information technology (IT) and operations excellence to achieve strategic goals, drive innovation, and maintain competitive advantage. This course provides a broad survey of the strategic and operational roles of Information Systems Management (IS) and Operations Management (OM) in modern organizations. Over the first seven weeks, students explore how information systems support business processes, decision-making, and competitive advantage. Topics include digital transformation, digital strategy, implementation of information systems, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies. The second half of the course focuses on operations management, emphasizing operations strategy, supply chain strategy, process design, capacity planning, and process improvement. Through case studies and discussions, students learn to evaluate and apply IS and OM concepts to improve organizational performance and resilience. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to critically assess how information systems and operations strategies—when aligned with distinctive competencies and competitive priorities—can enhance the positioning and effectiveness of their organizations. (3 Credits)

An overview of the concepts and language of financial and managerial accounting that covers how accounting information can be used as an effective tool for communication, monitoring, and resource allocation. Topics include the principles and methodologies underlying financial statements and the inherent limitations of that information. Additional topics include behavior, cost analysis, and tools used to motivate and coordinate business activities. (3 Credits)

This course examines negotiation fundamentals, including the two core strategies of competitive (win-lose) negotiation and integrative (win-win) negotiation. Course content focuses on negotiation preparation, strategy formulation, determination of goals and objectives, and processes for bringing about a successful settlement. The course will also explore psychological processes, power dynamics, communications at all stages of negotiation, ethical issues and the challenges of cross-cultural negotiations. The format of the course will be organized around a series of bargaining simulations and cases that are supported by readings, videos, and cases. (3 Credits)

The most challenging decisions that business leaders have to make often require particular attention to core values and ethics.  These situations can be triggered by a government investigation, ambiguous clinical trial results or product safety concerns.  Others may involve a potential employee termination.  In each case, the leader must understand the facts, grapple with nuances and consider the deeper dimensions of the required action. Playing the role of CEO, board chair or other decision-maker, students in this seminar will examine dilemmas that test a company's core values and ethics.  Using case studies drawn from today's hyperconnected business environment, students will weigh the interests of corporate stakeholders while taking into account issues of transparency, fairness and trust.  They will assess who to consult, what to disclose and when to act.  And students will look deeper to consider how values-based behavior can be a source of inspiration, excellence and competitive advantage. (3 Credits)

This course integrates foundational micro- and macro-economic concepts with the core principles of corporate finance and financial markets. Students learn how markets, incentives, and policy shape financial decisions inside firms and how financial tools quantify those decisions. We move from the principles of scarcity and equilibrium to capital budgeting, risk, and valuation, always linking economic reasoning to financial outcomes. (3 Credits)

Overview of human resource management theory and practice in organizations. Legal framework; job design; recruitment, selection, performance appraisal, and separation; compensation; benefits; contemporary issues in HRM. (3 Credits)

This course will develop a student’s mastery of cutting-edge project management techniques in Agile and Scrum methodologies, technologies, and toolkits.  The student will be able to successfully develop and manage Agile teams, apply sound judgement to appropriate method implementation, ensure project outcomes, and influence business stakeholders. The course will include practical experiential learning, in a teams-based setting, to lead and demonstrate various Agile and Scrum tools and techniques. (3 credits) 

This course examines frameworks that may be applied to many projects, programs, and portfolios to scale risk management best practices. Through evaluating real world examples in various case studies, students are introduced to organized and practical approaches to manage project risks, subsequently delivering enhanced value to customers and stakeholders. This course reviews concepts of risk identification, impact analysis, risk response planning, and risk monitoring & control at the portfolio, program, and project levels.  (3 credits) 

This course examines negotiation fundamentals, including the two core strategies of competitive (win-lose) negotiation and integrative (win-win) negotiation.  Course content focuses on negotiation preparation, strategy formulation, determination of goals and objectives, and processes for bringing about a successful settlement.  The course will also explore psychological processes, power dynamics, communications at all stages of negotiation, ethical issues and the challenges of cross-cultural negotiations.  The format of the course will be organized around a series of bargaining simulations and cases that are supported by readings, videos, and cases. (3 credits)

This course explores the objectives, procedures, and problems involved in the establishment and administration of employee and executive compensation plans.  The focus is on how managers can use compensation strategies to attract, retain, and motivate valued employees, while controlling labor costs. (3 credits)

Workforce planning includes strategic assessment of internal and external labor markets, the legal context, and the future labor needs of the organization. Effective recruiting requires identification of labor sources, targeting talent, and training recruiters.  Employee selection topics include measurement, assessment, and hiring of candidates. Post-hire issues including socialization, retention, and separation are also covered. (3 credits)

This course is designed to introduce students to the policy considerations that underlie labor and employment law.  Students will also develop an understanding of how these policies and laws apply to human resource management.  This class will introduce students to the major federal and state statutes, case law, and administrative rules that are essential for effective human resource management.  Topics will include: employment contract issues, anti-discrimination law and unlawful harassment (including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII and Massachusetts Chapter 151B), labor law statutes (including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the National Labor Relations Act), wage and hour regulations, benefits law (including the Family and Medical Leave Act and ERISA), unionization rules, and privacy issues (including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), among others.  Ethical decision-making in the business context and the interplay between law and ethics will be a central focus. The role of sustainable business practices and social responsibility in corporate decision-making will be incorporated into our discussions about law and the legal environment of business. In addition to familiarizing students with the relevant law governing human resource management, the course will also allow students to strengthen their research and writing skills and engage in critical analysis.  Application of the material to current human resource issues will be a core component of the course. (3 credits)

Arts Managers perform the work that is required to bring the arts and cultural programs to audiences, organizing programs such festivals and exhibits, performing arts events and film screenings.  This course will introduce you to the "business of the arts," providing you with an overview of the careers in arts management, the types of work that arts managers do, and the current issues and trends now affecting arts management professionals.  This course is designed for individuals who are new to the field of arts management, are considering an arts management career, or are interested in arts management principles for the purposes of starting one's own nonprofit.  This course is a requirement for all UMass students joining the Arts Management program who have no prior experience in the field. (3 credits)

Recent statistics show that while most nonprofit arts organizations will earn half their income, the remainder must be raised from individual donors and grants. Other than earned income, the largest source of revenue for arts organizations continues to be individual donors at 35.5%. Now, more than ever, it is essential for arts managers to know how to develop and implement an effective fundraising program that draws its strength from a variety of sources, and focuses on building relationships as its foundation. This course will present the principles and methods of raising funds for nonprofit arts organizations from individuals, businesses, government agencies and foundations. Practical assignments will focus on identifying potential sources, positioning the organization for fundraising, and developing effective strategies for acquiring funds. The course will culminate in the development of a fundraising action plan for your own nonprofit or a case study organization of your choosing. (3 credits)

Quality arts programming is at the core of all arts and culture organizations, yet many arts mangers struggle with how to present a program, once they have developed an idea.  In this course, you will learn how to develop an arts programming philosophy and plan programs that connect the arts with audiences.  The course will examine culturally specific and controversial programming, explore exemplary programs, and review technical and logistical support requirements.  The course will conclude with the development of a program plan for your own nonprofit or a case study organization of your choosing. (3 credits)

Grant writing is one of the many tools in fundraising and is a necessary skill of arts managers and artists who seek to support their work with grants.  This course will teach the nuts and bolts of grantsmanship, including introducing the vocabulary and philosophy of grant writing, the hallmarks of a well-written proposal, and the basics of grant searching.  The class will use the Colorado Common Grant application as its organizing principle, selected because it is both comprehensive and reflects a growing trend in grantmaking.  Students will learn the essential skills of grant writing, writing in teams, critiquing a grant, planning a grant budget, and how to describe a cultural program's mission, goals and program to grant makers within space limits.  Students will conclude the course by writing a comprehensive and ready-to-submit grant for their nonprofit or a case study organization. (3 credits)