CURRICULUM CONTENT AND EVALUATION

Graduate

Consistent with the mission of the College, the three masters programs include an orientation toward the management of technology. The Master of Science in Management program includes specific courses and an integration of management of technology topics throughout the curriculum. This includes topics such as marketing technology products, new product development, managing technical professionals, project management and management of the R&D function, and strategic management with a focus on the defense, aerospace, telecommunications, computer, and other related technology industries. The Master of Accountancy program includes a specialized track in Information Systems Audit and Control, and the Master of Science in Management Information Systems encompasses a range of areas pertaining to information technology. Detailed information on each of these programs is presented in this chapter.

CG.1CURRICULUM CONTENT

CG.1.1.Perspectives: MBA

CG.1.1:Both undergraduate and MBA curricula should provide an understanding of perspectives that form the context for business. Coverage should include:

● ethical and global issues,

● the influence of political, social, legal and regulatory, environmental and technological issues, and

● the impact of demographic diversity on organizations.

In June 1995, the graduate faculty adopted policy statements prescribing the coverage of each of the perspectives (Policy Number CAS 95-06-30). In each case except the global perspective, the approach is to interweave the coverage throughout the required courses in the MSM program. The global issues perspective was to be covered in one of the core area courses at the time, MGT 550 (International Business). In May 1997 the Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC) refined the policy by cross-referencing coverage of the perspective topics with specific courses. The GCC (formerly, Graduate Program Advisory Committee) coordinated the review and the development of the cross-referenced material, with the individual faculty responsible for each course supplying the course content information.

Following a brief program review in 2001, the graduate faculty made the decision to replace the core area course, MGT 550, with ECN 600. With MGT 550 no longer a required element of the curriculum, the graduate faculty decided to cover the global issues perspective with the interweaving approach. Given the very topical nature of the global issues perspective, the policy statement regarding its coverage (CAS 02-01-09)contains a so-called Virtual Master Course Syllabus that prescribes the topics to be covered and the courses in which they will be covered.

In Spring 2002, the GCC coordinated a review of the current policy statements regarding coverage of the perspectives, and updated them to include Matrices of Coverage that better help to illustrate and document coverage of the perspective(Policy Number CAS 02-05-09-B). In each of the Matrices, key issues related to the perspective are listed across the top row of the matrix with each of the required courses listed down the left-hand column. Coverage related to a key issue is noted in the body of the matrix and explanatory notes about the coverage follow the matrix. The documentation is available for review upon request.

CG.1.3MBA and Other General Management Master’s Programs

CG.1.3.a: The curriculum should include instruction in the following core areas:

● financial reporting, analysis and markets,

● domestic and global economic environments of organizations,

● creation and distribution of goods and services, and

● human behavior in organizations.

Normally, these MBA core areas should require a minimum of 18 semester hours if taken at the graduate level. Part or all of this requirement may be completed at the undergraduate level.

The MSM curriculum includes instruction in each of the MBA core areas (Policy Numbers CAS 95-06-30 and CAS 01-01-12-A). The courses used to satisfy the requirement are listed in Table CG.1.3.a – 1.

Table CG.1.3.a – 1

Coverage of MBA Core Areas

MBA Core Area Requirement / Course(s) / Credit Hours
financial reporting, analysis and markets / ACC 600 (Foundations of Accounting for Managers)
FIN 601 (Financial Decisions Under Uncertainty) / 3
3
domestic and global economic environments of organizations / ECN 600 (Foundations of Economics) / 3
creation and distribution of goods and services / MSC 600 (Operations Management)
MKT 600 (Survey of Marketing Management) / 3
3
human behavior in organizations / MGT 600 (Organizational Theory Behavior and
Environment) / 3
TOTAL
/ 18

Complete coverage of the core area requirements is accomplished in the six courses listed, or 18 semester hours. FIN 601 is required of all MSM students. A student may be waived from the other core area courses by having completed approved undergraduate coursework with a minimum grade of “C”. At the time a student is admitted to the MSM program, their transcript is reviewed by the MSM Advisor to determine if any of the core area requirements have been satisfied by appropriate undergraduate coursework. Table CG.1.3.a – 2 lists the undergraduate courses at UAH that can be used to waive the core area courses. To waive 15 graduate hours of core area courses would require 27 semester hours of undergraduate coursework.

In each of these cases, even if the student has undergraduate credit for a particular core area, they are advised at the time of admission to act in their own best interest to self-select into courses where their knowledge may be weak, outdated, or if minimal grades were earned.

Table CG.1.3.a – 2

Coverage of MBA Core Areas with Undergraduate Coursework

MBA Core Area Requirement / UAH UndergraduateCourses Used to
Waive Core Area Courses / Credit Hours
financial reporting, analysis and markets / ACC 211 (Financial Accounting)
ACC 212 (Management Accounting) / 3
3
domestic and global economic environments of organizations / 6 hours of economics / 6
creation and distribution of goods and services / MSC 288 (Business Statistics II)
MSC 385 (Production/Operations Management)
MKT 301 (Principles of Marketing) / 3
3
3
human behavior in organizations / MGT 301 (Managing Organizations: Theory,
Behavior, and Communications)
BLS 211 (Legal Environment of Business) / 3
3
TOTAL
/ 27

Students with undergraduate degrees in science or engineering typically require all five of the 600-level foundation courses. Students with undergraduate degrees in liberal arts typically require all five of the 600-level foundation courses and, in many cases, the statistics and calculus courses. Students with undergraduate business majors from AACSB accredited universities typically meet all of the prerequisite/foundation requirements. For 2002-03, the distribution of MSM admissions by undergraduate field was:

FieldNumber AdmittedPercentage

Business23 30%

Engineering26 34%

Science18 24%

Liberal Arts 9 12%

C.1.3.b: The MBA curriculum normally should require a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond the MBA core areas (C.1.3.a). A minimum of 18 hours is required in courses outside the area of specialization, if any.

The MSM curriculum calls for the completion of 30 semester hours beyond the MBA core areas requirement (Policy Numbers CAS 95-06-30 and CAS 01-01-12-B). The required courses are listed in Table CG.1.3.b. It should be noted, however, that since the core area course, FIN 601, is required of every student, completion of the MSM program actually requires 33 hours beyond the 15 hours in the MBA core.

Students can follow one of two plans in completing the MSM degree requirements. Plan 1 allows students the option of writing a thesis. In this case students take the nine courses listed in Table CG.1.3.b and complete six hours of MGT 699, i.e. thesis research. Since 1998 only one student has completed the program under this option.

Table CG.1.3.b

MSM Curriculum

Credit Hours

Beyond the Core
ACC 602 / Managerial Accounting / 3
ECN 626 / Managerial Economics & Technology / 3
MIS 634 / Management of Information Technology / 3
MKT 604 / New Product Development / 3
MKT 606 / Marketing in a High Technology Environment / 3
MGT 601 / Introduction to Technology Development / 3
MGT 622
or
MGT 631 / Management of Technical Professionals
or
Strategic Human Resource Management in a Technological Environment / 3
MGT 698 / Strategy for Management of Technology / 3
Electives1 / 6
TOTAL / 30
Required from the Core
FIN 601 / Financial Decisions Under Uncertainty / 3
TOTAL / 33

1 Students following Plan I select 6 hours of MGT 699 (Master’s Thesis).

Students following Plan II select 6 hours of graduate electives.

Plan 2, a non-thesis option, requires students to take the nine courses listed in Table CG.1.3.b and six hours of elective coursework. Any 500 or 600-level course offered in the College (excluding the core area courses) can be taken as an elective. Graduate courses taken outside the College to be used as electives must have the prior approval of the MSM Advisor. Given the fairly high proportion of practicing engineers and scientists in the MSM program, it is not uncommon for students to take an elective course in the College of Engineering, particularly in the Department of Engineering Management.

Courses at the 600-level are reserved exclusively for graduate students. The MSM curriculum requires eight of the ten courses beyond the MBA core to be taken in 600-level courses. Therefore, at least 80% of the student’s coursework is in courses exclusively for graduate students (Policy Number CAS 95-06-30).

In response to students requesting a concentration of coursework in a specific discipline, the MSM curriculum allows students to specialize in three areas – Management Information Systems, Human Resource Management, and Marketing. Each specialization limits the number of courses in the concentrated area to four (12 hours). Therefore, beyond the MBA core, 18 hours is taken in courses outside the area of specialization. The specializations consist of the following:

Management Information Systems:

MIS 634 and three of the following: MIS 500, 512, 520, 540, 560, 565, 580, 640, 655, 660, 670.

Human Resource Management:

MGT 622, MGT 631, and two of the following: MGT 560, 561, 562.

Marketing:

MKT 604, MKT 606, and two of the following: MKT 515, 570, 580, 602, 611, 650.

CG.1.3.c: Basic skills in written and oral communication, quantitative analysis, and computer usage, should be achieved either by prior experience and education, or as part of the MBA curriculum.

Basic skills in written communication, quantitative analysis, and computer usage are essentially viewed as prerequisites to the MSM program. Even though courses within the MSM curriculum provide further development of these skills, there are no courses specifically designed to provide training in these areas. The policy regarding coverage of the basic skills (CAS 95-06-30)stipulates that achievement of the basic skills can be evidenced by equivalent coursework, placement exam, and/or experience. At the time a student is admitted to the MSM program, their transcript is reviewed by the MSM Advisor to determine if the student possesses these skills through equivalent coursework. Table CG.1.3.c lists the type of undergraduate coursework, and equivalent UAH courses, which would provide evidence that the student has the particular skill. If coursework is not present, the MSM Advisor consults with the student to determine if the student’s work experience can serve to satisfy the requirement(s). The MSM Advisor uses a certain measure of judgment in making the determination. While we are diligent in monitoring the level of preparation of incoming students, we also do not want to set up unnecessary requirements for individuals who have developed these basic skills in the workplace.

Basic skills in written communication can be satisfied with a number of different courses, including technical writing. For some students, substantial work experience that has required extensive report-writing and other types of business correspondence can be used in lieu of coursework that may be lacking or supplement coursework that is old.

The first element of the quantitative analysis skill requirement – calculus – must always be satisfied with coursework. This provides some assurance that there is a least common denominator among the students in the program in terms of their quantitative skill. Any calculus course will satisfy the requirement. In most cases, the second element – basic statistics – must also be satisfied with coursework. Students who have not had a specific course in statistics, but believe that they have mastered the basic elements of statistics in other courses, may take a validation exam to verify their knowledge of basic statistics. If they pass the validation exam, they will not be required to take a course.

Oral communication skills are obtained through a number of oral communication activities and assignments required in many of the required courses. Table CG.1.3.c lists the required courses having oral communication activities as well as the type of activity.

In each of these cases, even if the student has credit for a particular skill, they are advised at the time of admission to act in their own best interest to self-select into courses where their knowledge may be weak, outdated, or if minimal grades were earned.

In cases where English is the second language, additional coursework may be required. In addition to a minimum TOEFL score of 550 required for admission, students are required to take an English Language Placement Test (ELPT), given by the English Department. Based upon the results, up to five additional three hour courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) may be required for those non-native speakers of English who need to improve their language skills. The ESL courses include the following:

ESL 100ESL Spoken English I

ESL 101ESL Listening/Speaking II

ESL 102ESL Listening/Speaking III

ESL 103ESL Composition I

ESL 104ESL Composition II

ESL 100, 101 and 102 are designed primarily to assist students in improving their oral communication, comprehension, and vocabulary skills. ESL 103 and 104 are designed to assist students in improving their reading comprehension and writing skills.

Table CG.1.3.c

Coursework Coverage of Basic Skills

Evidence of Possession
Basic Skill / Typical Coursework / Equivalent UAH Course(s)
Written Communication / Composition I, II
Business Writing
Technical Writing / EH 101, 1023 (Freshman Composition)
EH 3003 (Strategies for Business Writing)
EH 301 (Technical Writing)
Quantitative Analysis / Calculus1
Basic Statistics2 / MA 1453 (Math with Applications II)
MSC 2873 (Business Statistics I)
Computer Usage / Computer Applications / MIS 1463 (Computer Applications inBusiness)
Required Course / Activity
Oral Communication / MGT 601
ACC 602
MGT 622
MGT 631
MKT 604
MKT 606
MGT 698 / Student teams present their research results in a 20-minute briefing with a 5-minute Q&A. Briefing is supported by visual material.
Students can volunteer to do short presentations of homework problems for extra credit.
None
Student teams either work through a negotiation exercise or make a presentation as a culmination of a semester-long team project.
Student teams are required to make a major case presentation during the term as well as a 25-minute professional PowerPoint presentation of their Marketing Opportunity Analysis.
Students are required to make several 5-10 minute progress reports on their class project as well as a 10-minute final report.
Students make a 5-10 minute midterm presentation on the progress of their term project. At the end of the course, it is a 20-30 minute formal business presentation to outside guests. Both utilize PowerPoint.

1 Required. Cannot be satisfied with experience.

2 Required. If not satisfied with coursework, must be satisfied with a validation exam.

3 Required of UAH undergraduate business students.

CG.1.3.d: Each school’s curriculum planning process should set additional requirements consistent with its mission and goals. The program also should allow adequate elective material for reasonable breadth.

MOT Emphasis

Consistent with the College’s mission, the MSM program is designed as a graduate degree program in business administration offering a unique education in the management of technology (MOT). The educational emphasis of the program builds upon knowledge and skills in all of the business disciplines to prepare students to apply this knowledge to the requirements of the technology-based and technology-impacted organizations in the Huntsville region and beyond. The program was designed to be an interdisciplinary program in business for practicing managers primarily in the early to mid career stages. The typical student has an educational background in business, engineering or science, but aspires to mid level and upper level management positions in either government R&D organizations or technology firms.

In light of the MOT focus, the College’s curriculum planning process has a policy regarding the coverage of topics and issues related to the MOT emphasis. The policy(CAS 02-05-09-A) was revised in Spring 2002 and contains a Matrix of Coverage that better helps to prescribe, illustrate, and document coverage of the MOT emphasis. Within the Matrix, key issues related to MOT are listed across the top row of the matrix with each of the required courses listed down the left-hand column. Coverage related to a key issue is noted in the body of the matrix and explanatory notes about the coverage follow the matrix.

Breadth Requirement

The faculty have structured the MSM curriculum to include a number of required courses in ACC, ECN, FIN, MGT, MKT, and MIS beyond the MBA core. This isdone for two reasons. First, it insures that students are exposed to a reasonable breadth of subject matter in all the business disciplines. (Note that MGT 601 is not a general management course, but performs a special function with regard to our emphasis in the management of technology. See section CG.1.3.e.) Second,since the size of our faculty does not allow us to offer large numbers of graduate elective courses,it allows us to better manage the demand on our graduate faculty.

CG.1.3.e: The curriculum should integrate the core areas and apply cross-functional approaches to organizational issues.

Formally, the curriculum includes two courses, Introduction to Technology Development (MGT 601) and Strategic Management (MGT 698) as the primary means of integrating the core areas and applying cross-functional approaches. Segments of New Product Development (MKT 604) also deal with integrating across functional areas. Informally, the Graduate Curriculum Committee expects, and encourages, individual faculty members to work together to investigate opportunities to integrate their courses with others in the curriculum.

MGT 601 is the first course in the curriculum and sets the stage for the integration of the functional core areas courses that follow. MGT 601’s integration goals include introducing the students to holistic management of technology issues, assisting students in acquiring an integrative systems approach to thinking about and managing the organizational impacts of technologies, especially emerging technologies, and introducing students to key management processes and process thinking. These goals are achieved by using an introductory strategic management perspective and by using faculty from each department to introduce the remainder of the MOT curriculum. The course also utilizes managers of technology in the local area to discuss cross-functional issues in their organizations.