MBA Curriculum

Pre-requisite information for each course is available in the Graduate Catalog

Accounting Concepts (MBA 5105): This course introduces accounting concepts, principles, and practices needed by business managers. The course focuses on the reporting, analysis, and interpretation of accounting information as well as the role it plays in the decision making process. Students will be able to identify the economic consequences of transactions on the financial statements used by external stakeholders and they will develop the tools necessary to make effective economic decisions.

Managerial Analysis and Decision-Making (MBA 5201) [Fall 2025 and later admits only]: This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of quantitative analysis and its applications in the business world. Students will gain a solid understanding of statistical concepts that are a requirement for modern day managers to analyze and make data-driven decisions. By the end of this course, students will be equipped with essential analytical skills and knowledge to understand, analyze, and interpret the data required to make data-driven decisions in various business scenarios.

Information Systems Strategy and Planning (MBA 5205): This course builds an understanding of information technology from a management perspective. By the end of this course, students will have an understanding of the links between information technology, business strategy, business process management, and organizational management dynamics. Three main themes are emphasized: the current market for IT capabilities and services, ways to gain competitive advantage by using information technology to enable new value-enhancing strategies and business models and products, and understanding how managers should specify, source, deploy, manage and support their information technology assets and infrastructure.

Managerial Economics (MBA 5305): This core course applies the fundamental tools of price theory—consumer and firm behavior, demand and supply, the allocation of resources, competition and monopoly—to management decision making. This course analyzes external interactions of the firm with its customers, competitors, markets, and the government. Interactions within the firm between all stakeholders including issues related to organizational structure and contract design, especially as these issues relate to opportunism, rent-seeking and asymmetric information are discussed.

Corporate Finance (MBA 5405): This foundation finance course puts an emphasis on effective decision making and covers a variety of managerial finance topics, including financial statement analysis, financial planning and forecasting, security valuation, risk and return, and capital budgeting.

Business Law and Ethics (MBA 5505) [Pre-Fall 2025 only]: This course focuses on current issues in business, law, and ethics to analyze the challenges and responsibilities of a business in meeting the interests of all stakeholders. The class emphasizes sustainable development and ethics with a focus on social, environmental, and economic resources and impacts within a legal framework at a state, federal and international level.

Operations and Supply Chain Management (MBA 5510): This course examines the management of operations both within service and manufacturing organizations and in the broader context of the supply chain. Special emphasis is placed on developing analytical skills for the purpose of supporting effective business decision making.

Leading through Complexity (MBA 5580) [Fall 2025 and later admits only]: Students will learn and integrate knowledge and practices for leaders to conceptualize and realize organizational transformation for improved effectiveness, better financial performance, and a vibrant culture. Students will utilize a systems approach to analyze complex, dynamic organizations in order to synthesize a path to greater organizational success through effective leadership.

Marketing Analysis and Planning (MBA 5605): In this course, students will gain a working knowledge of marketing planning and implementation in the context of a firm’s strengths, overall strategy, and competitive environment. Students will use marketing information to conduct internal and external analyses and to support decision making. Emphasis is on building decision-making skills regarding market selection, pricing, promotion, product definition, and distribution channels in order to create and manage long-term, profitable customer relationships. Students will be assessed through a series of assignments and exams, including the creation of a marketing plan.

Global Enterprise Management (MBA 5520) [Pre-Fall 2025 only]: This course focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with organizational management and business strategy in the global environment. Students will gain an overview of the process and effects of internationalization in the current business environment. The course will provide an overview of theories, concepts and skills needed to manage effectively in today’s global environment. Students will integrate knowledge gained from other business courses to understand the conceptual framework of global business issues and apply knowledge and analytical tools to business situations.

Integrative and Strategic Perspectives of Organizations (MBA 6500): (prerequisite: completion of MBA core) – This is the MBA capstone course. This is an integrative experience dealing with organizational strategic issues. Analysis of internal and external factors affecting the development of company objectives and strategies will be discussed. Students will learn the complexities involved in determining long-term strategies, examine the dynamics of the competitive environment, and discuss how an industry may change as a result of the capabilities and competitive interactions of rival firms. The course stresses the interrelationships among major functional areas and the adjustments that may result from changes in strategy. Students are expected to apply the analytical tools obtained from this course.

Strategic Project Navigation (MBA 5502) [Fall 2025 and later admits only]: Students explore the development and execution of projects in organizations. They learn the following subjects from the project management perspective: organizational systems, strategic planning, competitive technology, joint ventures, and human resources.

If Accounting is your concentration, you will take three courses from the list below [All accounting courses have a prerequisite of MBA 5105]:

Taxation for Decision Makers (ACCM 5070 (previously offered as MBA 5107)): A study of Federal income tax laws with an emphasis on individual taxation and related business aspects as they relate to the managerial decision making process. This course includes such topics as gross income, gains and losses, and deductions. Pre-requisite MBA 5105

Financial Accounting & Reporting (ACCM 5100 (previously offered as MBA 5110)): Students will examine the financial statement reporting requirements for businesses. Analysis and evaluation of transactions and their impact on performance, financial position and cash flows will be the basis of interpreting the inter-relatedness of financial statements. Complex calculations for critical reporting requirements under GAAP will focus on specific asset, liability, equity accounts and revenue recognition. Pre-requisite MBA 5105

Strategic Cost Management (ACCM 5400 (previously offered as MBA 5140)) This course applies managerial and cost accounting concepts and procedures to strategic business decisions. Topics covered include cost management systems, capital budgeting techniques, inventory management, organization performance measurement, transfer pricing and other current topics which support management decision-making. Pre-requisite MBA 5105

Fraud Examination Awareness Seminar (ACCM 5600 (previously offered as MBA 5160)): This course examines various aspects of fraud with a focus on how and why fraud is committed and how fraud can be deterred or prevented. Students address issues related to forensic accounting and ethics within a framework of fraudulent matters. Pre-requisite ACCM 5100

Governance and Risk Assurance (ACCM 5800 (previously offered as MBA 5180)) This course applies contemporary case studies, research methodology, and practical experience to internal audit principles. Topics explored include corporate governance, enterprise risk management, continuous auditing techniques, fraud auditing, and professional development. Pre-requisite ACCM 5100 

Risk Assurance and Advanced Projects (ACCM 5901 (previously offered as MBA 5190)): This course focuses on the practical application of audit theory.  MSU Denver’s internal audit function is student run with student teams completing an internal audit of an important university department or process under close faculty supervision and senior management support.  During this course, students will gain experience in risk identification and prioritization, control evaluation and reporting results.  You will navigate the operational, financial, technological, and/or cultural factors impacting risk and control-related business decisions.  Student teams present governance, risk and compliance improvement recommendations to senior management and the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees. Pre-requisite MBA 5105

If Finance is your concentration, you will take three courses from the list below:

Investment Theory and Analysis (MBA 5460): This course is designed to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the quantitative techniques essential for managing investment portfolios. Through theoretical foundations and practical applications, students will gain the necessary skills to make informed investment decisions. Pre-requisite MBA 5405

Advanced Portfolio Analysis (MBA 5470): This course applies managerial and cost accounting concepts and procedures to strategic business decisions. Topics covered include cost management systems, capital budgeting techniques, inventory management, organization performance measurement, transfer pricing and other current topics which support management decision-making. Pre-requisite MBA 5405

Strategic Finance (MBA 5480): This case study oriented, interactive course aims at applying principles and analytical skills to evaluate the impact of alternative financial strategies and policies on a company. Topics to be addressed include capital budgeting, financing decision, firm valuation, merger and acquisition, and working capital management. To enhance critical thinking and problem solving skills, teamwork and Excel use, on top of routine written and oral presentations, are essential components of the course. Pre-requisite MBA 5405

Completion of the concentration in Business Analytics will give you the skills to organize, model, and analyze data and will provide you hands-on experiences in a variety of software platforms. You will be qualified for data analyst roles or data-literate manager roles. Your duties might range from managing data analysts to managing other data-intensive functional areas such as marketing. This high-demand, growing career is needed in industries including but not limited to high tech, telecommunications, sports, education and healthcare.

If Business Analytics is your concentration, you will take three courses from the list below:

Knowledge Discovery Using Business Analytics (MBA 5210): This course presents students with material from each of the three areas of Business Analytics—Descriptive Analytics, Predictive Analytics, and Prescriptive Analytics. Descriptive Analytics will cover descriptive statistics and the exploration of data. Predictive Analytics will cover regression analysis, model building, time series analysis, forecasting and Analysis of Variance. Prescriptive Analytics will cover decision making under uncertainty and risk, linear optimization, integer optimization, nonlinear optimization, and simulation modeling. A variety of software tools will be used to analyze data and solve decision-making problems.

Practical Business Analytics (MBA 5220): This course introduces the role of business analytics in organizations with examples of projects in multiple functional areas, industries and using a variety of analytics methods. This course applies practical methodologies, strategies, and best practices for performing descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. In order to support the overall business analytics framework and methodology, this course also includes the use of enterprise level analytics tools and systems.

Data Mining for Business Intelligence (MBA 5230): This course provides students with a theoretical and practical understanding of data mining concepts and techniques; and hands-on experience in applying these techniques to practical real-world business problems using commercial data mining software. As an applied course, the emphasis is on application and interpretation of various data mining methods using business cases and data.

Analytics & Statistics for Marketing Decisions (MBA 5640): In this course, students will apply basic analytical concepts to analyze information that supports strategic marketing decision making. Students will learn how to create a research plan and utilize quantitative data collection methods including surveys and experiments. An understanding of basic statistics will form a foundation for students to be able to effectively conduct data analysis using statistical software. Pre-requisite MBA 5605

If Human Resources is your concentration, you will take three courses from the list below:

Employee and Labor Relations (MBA 5550) A critical part of managing people is managing conflict. Employees are happier, more productive and more loyal in an organization that handles conflict well. In this course, students learn and use negotiation techniques, conflict resolution techniques, mediation techniques and the skills needed to negotiate with and about labor unions. The class also analyzes the laws that restrict, promote or regulate conflict resolution in the workplace.

Human Resources: Strategic Talent Management (MBA 5560): Talent Management is a strategic endeavor to optimize the use of human capital. Proactive talent management enables an organization to achieve sustainable organizational excellence by building capability and capacity through integrated talent acquisition, development, and deployment processes. The topics for this course will include human resource planning, staffing, performance feedback, compensation, and training and  development programs  and legal issues related to talent management.

Realizing Competitive Advantage through Human Resource Management (MBA 5570): This course will address how organizations can achieve a competitive advantage through Human Resource Management. Topics will include strategic management, workforce planning, employee relations, engagement, cultural stewardship, business ethics, global context, and related laws and legal considerations.

Transforming Organizations through Leadership (MBA 5580) [pre-Fall 2025 only]: This course integrates knowledge and practices for leaders to conceptualize and realize organizational transformation for improved effectiveness, better financial performance, and a vibrant culture. The course utilizes a systems approach to analyze complex, dynamic organizations in order to synthesize a path to greater organizational success through effective leadership.

Completion of the concentration in Strategic Management will give you the skills to analyze company resources, company operations and environmental impacts. You will learn to understand the macro perspective of a company by clearly defining issues facing an organization, analyzing information, determining possible courses of action and implementing an action plan. You will be qualified to lead the strategic planning process, management departments or divisions, and/or serve on executive teams. This concentration is applicable to any company in any industry, government entities, and non-profit organizations.

If Strategic Management is your concentration, you will take three courses from the list below:

Strategic Cost Management (ACCM 5400 (previously offered as MBA 5140)): This course applies managerial and cost accounting concepts and procedures to strategic business decisions. Topics covered include cost management systems, capital budgeting techniques, inventory management, organization performance measurement, transfer pricing and other current topics which support management decision-making. Pre-requisite MBA 5105

Strategic Finance (MBA 5480): This case study oriented, interactive course aims at applying principles and analytical skills to evaluate the impact of alternative financial strategies and policies on a company. Topics to be addressed include capital budgeting, financing decision, firm valuation, merger and acquisition, and working capital management. To enhance critical thinking and problem solving skills, teamwork and Excel use, on top of routine written and oral presentations, are essential components of the course. Pre-requisite MBA 5405

Strategic Project Navigation (MBA 5502): Students explore the development and execution of projects in organizations. They learn the following subjects from the project management perspective: organizational systems, strategic planning, competitive technology, joint ventures, and human resources.

Advanced Strategic Marketing and Analysis (MBA 5680): In this course students will apply analytic tools and methods to evaluate and select customer-centric marketing strategies within specific product-markets to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. These strategic processes include: analyzing competitors and markets, evaluating and selecting customer segments, designing strategies appropriate to the product lifecycle, and organizing the marketing function. This course bridges the disciplines of marketing and strategic management through cases, client projects, and/or simulations. Pre-requisite MBA 5605

Completion of the General Concentration will give you the opportunity to create your own path by selecting any three elective courses from any of the other MBA concentrations.