Mar 28, 2024  
Rensselaer Catalog 2019-2020 
    
Rensselaer Catalog 2019-2020 [Archived Catalog]

Master of Business Administration


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The MBA is the Lally School’s premier program and offers students both depth and breadth in management education with an emphasis on innovation and technology management. The focus on “innovation” is concerned with business model, product, process, organizational, financial, and technological innovation, in new start-ups and within larger organizations. The focus on technology management means the development and/or adoption of new technologies, processes, and methods for solving business problems, making decisions, and creating business opportunities.

The curriculum provides a strong grounding in managerial fundamentals while highlighting the strategic role that technology plays in enhancing business performance and creating sustainable competitive advantage.

In addition, it includes a non-pay consulting experience (Practicum) course in the final semester in which students apply their learning in technology and innovation to help solve a local organization’s problems. Individual faculty supervise teams of students who work with large companies, local agencies, and small business start-ups.

If they choose, students can complete the 45-credit hour MBA in one year from September to August. The MBA includes 11 required courses (33 credits) and four electives (12 credits) for a total of 45 credits.

Throughout the MBA curriculum, students are exposed to the cutting-edge methods and strategies that corporations deploy to create and capture value in today’s global economy. The program also provides a professional development workshop series that focuses on skill building in business communication, negotiation, conflict resolution, team building and self-awareness, following a framework of “leadership, followership, and membership in a professional community”. The Professional Development workshop series culminates in a spring break trip to a region of the United States known as a hotbed of technological innovation.

Outcomes of the Graduate Curriculum

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to:

  • communicate effectively in written form.
  • communicate effectively in presentations.
  • communicate effectively in teams.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the importance of behaving ethically.
  • demonstrate knowledge of how to manage in a global environment.
  • utilize strong analytical skills.
  • manage innovation.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the functional area of Accounting.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the functional management area of Talent Management.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the functional area of Economics.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the functional area of Marketing.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the functional area of Operations.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the functional area of Finance.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the functional area of Strategy.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the functional area of Information Technology.

Summer


  • Elective

Concentrations in the Master of Business Administration Program


A concentration consists of a  12-credit group of  related courses in the specified discipline. Concentrations aid students in developing a depth of expertise and marketing themselves to employers. Students not wishing to pursue a concentration may choose 12 credits from any of the available elective offerings.

Business Analytics


Required course:

Choose three from an evolving list of related electives


As approved by adviser. Some samples include:

  • ISYE 6961 - Projects in Big Data Credit Hours: 3
  • MGMT 6962 - Marketing Analytics Credit Hours: 3

Finance


Students can elect one of two options: Investments or Corporate Finance. All students must take MGMT 6430 and then elect three courses from one of the tracks below. Students may elect instead to draw from both tracks if that suits their academic and career objectives.

Technological Entrepreneurship


Students following the technological entrepreneurship concentration may elect two paths: entrepreneurship for start ups or corporate entrepreneurship. The former focuses on founding a brand new business entity, whereas the latter focuses on creating new growth platforms based on technological innovation within established companies. Both require entrepreneurial behavior. Students may elect instead to draw from both tracks if that suits their academic and career objectives.

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