Concentrations for MBA and MAcc Students

MACC 662 Auditing Practice & Problems 3 Credits

This course is an advanced course in auditing. The course examines current auditing issues, including professional ethics, internal control, risk assessment, data analytics, cybersecurity, other topics. Topics include basic principles of Generally Accepted Auditing Standards and PCAOB standards, the audit process from the stage of accepting an audit engagement to the stage of completion of the audit, various types of reports that are issued by independent auditors, legal liabilities of independent auditors, ethical responsibilities of auditors and current issues facing the auditing profession (e.g., litigation, auditor independence), role of various entities that influence the public accounting profession (e.g., PCAOB, AICPA, State Societies of CPAs, SEC, IRS) and other types of services (e.g., assurance services) that are provided by CPAs.A wide variety of teaching tools are employed including extensive use of case analysis, online lectures, videos, readings and data analytics software.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 400 or ACC 400P.

MACC 663 Fraud and Forensic Accounting 3 Credits

This course provides a background in all areas of forensic accounting including: fraudulent financial reporting and the detection of fraud, money laundering and transnational flows, courtroom procedures and litigation support, as well as cybercrime. A wide variety of teaching tools are employed including extensive use of the professional literature, case analysis, videos, role playing and text materials.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 310 or ACC 310P, ACC 311 or ACC 311P, and ACC 400 or ACC 400P.

MACC 665 Fraud Detection and Deterrence 3 Credits

This course explores contemporary forensic accounting topics pertaining to fraud examination, detection and deterrence. Topics include audit responsibility and reporting, professional judgment, quality control and developing effective policies in preventing and detecting economic crimes. Students will apply relevant fraud examination techniques to a variety of settings.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 310 or ACC 310P, ACC 311 or ACC 311P, and ACC 400 or ACC 400P.

MACC 667 Business Valuations: Fundamentals, Techniques and Theory 3 Credits

This course examines fundamentals of business valuations including basic, intermediate, and some advanced concepts and methodologies required by accounting and finance professionals in valuing a closely held (privately-owned) business where there is no market price. Prerequisite(s): completion of PMBA 8040 and PMBA 8020 or the Preliminary Accounting Requirements.

Prerequisites: PMBA 8040 or VL12 with a score of WV AND PMBA 8020 or VL10 with a score of WV OR VL25 with a score of WV OR VL26 with a score of WV.

PMBA 8311 Information Security for the Enterprise 3 Credits

This course will teach students how businesses can implement security policies which will protect their significant investment in computer systems. The course topics include but are not limited to security attacks, attack prevention and mediation and security audits. Security devices, firewalls, PC and server security, authentication methods and procedures, and network security will all be discussed. The course will be delivered through a combination of hands-on labs where students will evaluate and implement computer security on computers, and class lectures.

Prerequisite(s): PMBA 8210.

PMBA 8312 Business Intelligence Tech-Data Mining 3 Credits

In this course, students will learn to solve problems/exploit opportunities by processing datasets, interpreting results, and deploying solutions. This course provides hands-on experience with these tasks. Upon this base of experience, students will build a robust data mining methodology that can be applied to real-world investigations. The course of study will include Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), statistical and machine learning techniques, and unstructured text analysis. Students will learn to apply these techniques through the study of payroll, procurement, and expense report fraud. Cell phone and credit card fraud, credit and bankruptcy analysis, and customer relationship management will also be covered.

PMBA 8313 Electronic Commerce 3 Credits

Electronic commerce involves the use of information technology to improve, enhance, simplify or enable business transactions. This course examines such business, social, and technical issues of electronic commerce as the technology of the Internet, effective system strategies to attract and maintain customers, security, and electronic payment systems.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of MBA pre-program courses.

PMBA 8314 Project Management 3 Credits

In our complex world of global economies and pervasive technology, change is constant. It is a persistent challenge to manage this change. It is the body of knowledge that is project management that helps managers address this change. This course will introduce students to project management for a variety of disciplines. The methods and techniques taught will be applicable not only to software development, but to any series of tasks that could constitute a project. The course content will cover the identification, approval, and management of complex projects. Various project management tools, techniques, and approaches will be covered.

PMBA 8315 Globalization and Technology 3 Credits

The emergence and growth of the global economy constitutes an epochal shift in the organization of the world. Technology has been a key component in the production and acceleration of these phenomena. This course introduces students to the latest theoretical and empirical literature on globalization as shaped by technology.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of MBA pre-program courses.

PMBA 8317 Applied Data Management for Business Users 3 Credits

Learn the benefits of data sharing in a business organization , the benefits of the relational database model, how data is structured in a relational database model, and how data can be accessed in a relational database using the structured query language (SQL). The process of formatting, loading, and accessing data for data analytics will be shown as well as the interaction with data warehouse schemas such as the star schema and snowflake scheme.

PMBA 8318 Business Analysis and Design 3 Credits

This course will integrate the skills of business analysis with those of system design. Students will learn a dynamic visioning/planning process which will guide the development of a technology architecture model for the business enterprise. Students will learn requirements elicitation techniques and use cases. Design methods such as object modeling and prototyping and data modeling with enterprise relationship diagrams will also be covered.

Prerequisite(s): PMBA 8210.

PMBA 8343 Investment Instruments and Strategies 3 Credits

Principles of investment analysis and portfolio management. Includes analysis of stocks and fixed income securities, mutual funds, international investing, margin trading and short sales, convertibles, stock options and financial futures. Hedging strategies, market forecasting and tax advantaged investments are also discussed. Makes considerable use of problems to illustrate concepts.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of PMBA 8040.

PMBA 8344 Financial Market Operations 3 Credits

Flow of funds analysis is used to study financial intermediation and interest rate determination in money and capital markets. Includes the flow of funds accounts, funds flow through financial institutions, the demands for and supply of credit by economic sectors, and the impact of public policies on financial market behavior.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of PMBA 8040.

PMBA 8345 International Financial Management 3 Credits

The techniques of multinational financial management are developed for enterprises that do business in more than one country and/or have assets and liabilities denominated in more than one currency. The management of foreign exchange and country risks is applied to working capital, capital budgeting, and capital structure decisions.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of PMBA 8040.

PMBA 8346 Financial Modeling 3 Credits

Spreadsheets are utilized to analyze problems and cases. Students receive instruction in computer use beyond that available in other finance courses. Spreadsheet applications include valuation models, cost of capital, capital budgeting, risk and return, portfolio analysis, stock market analysis, and options and futures.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of PMBA 8040.

PMBA 8347 Portfolio Management 3 Credits

Real-world application of the concepts and techniques of investment analysis and portfolio theory. Students interact with and make recommendations to professional portfolio managers. Topics include stock valuation methods, major forces driving movements in current equity markets, international investment opportunities, industry analysis, technical analysis and investment timing, evaluation of portfolio performance, analysis of business conditions and interest rates, and hedging portfolio risk with stock index options and financial futures.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of PMBA 8040.

PMBA 8348 Fixed Income Securities and Alternative Investments 3 Credits

This is an introductory course in fixed income securities and alternative investments. The first part of the course covers the markets for fixed income securities and their derivatives. Valuation of these securities and determination of the risk inherent in these securities are discussed. Methods for managing that risk, such as hedging and credit derivatives, are also discussed. The second part of the course covers a variety of alternative investments, including real estate funds, venture capital, hedge funds, and commodities. Valuation of these investments and determination of their risk are discussed.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of PMBA 8040 or any MAcc student with PMBA 8020 completed.

PMBA 8349 Personal Financial Planning 3 Credits

This course provides a background and an appreciation of the fundamental concepts and processes associated with Personal Financial Management. Various technical elements that are part of the study for a Certified Financial Planner certification will be covered including risk management, investments, tax planning, retirement planning, employee benefits, and estate planning.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of PMBA 8040 or any MAcc student with PMBA 8020 completed.

PMBA 8351 Business Analytics Fundamentals 3 Credits

This course introduces (i) data analysis tools that are appropriate for generating useful information for decision-making and (ii) a framework for analyzing decisions based on partial information. Examples from financial analysis, marketing, and operations management are used to illustrate applications of the topics covered. Microsoft Excel and associated add-ins are used for the purpose of analysis. Students who have earned credits for CIS 350 or equivalent cannot take PMBA 8351 for credit.

Prerequisite(s): PMBA 8051.

PMBA 8352 Design Thinking and Innovation 3 Credits

This graduate course on Design Thinking and Innovation provides students with a framework for dealing with unstructured problems, and for managing the innovation process. This course introduces students to design thinking as a systematic approach to innovation, but also guide students through the process to identify and translate broadly defined opportunities into actionable innovation possibilities. Students who have earned credits for CIS 388 or equivalent cannot take PMBA 8352 for credit.

Prerequisite(s): PMBA 8210.

PMBA 8353 Digital Futures 3 Credits

This course is a holistic course drawing on all areas of Information Technology. It leverages the in-depth understanding of Technology that MSIS students possess and transforms such knowledge into a new skill set of strategic leadership development at the level of the firm, economy and society. It will enable the student to assess and respond to challenges in their current work environment as well as develop strategic leadership capacity going into the future. Case studies and readings will familiarize students with literature on rapid technology-led transformations such as Schumpeterian theories of ‘creative destruction’ and derivative theories of technological restructuring at the scale of an industry such as disruptive technology/innovation. Students will be engaged in a discussion of multi-firm cases of strategic innovation and will examine policy decisions by the firm and various ethical dilemmas engendered by technological changes of the last four decades.

Prerequisites: PMBA 8210.

PMBA 8355 Visual Analytics 3 Credits

This graduate course will equip the students with the fundamental skills to perform visual analytics with Tableau. Specifically, students will learn how to prepare a dataset for visual analysis, and how to “tell a good story” using basic and advanced visualizations. At the completion of this course, students will be able to apply best visualization practices and create effective visualizations to convey analytical insights to a business audience. Students who have earned credits for BDA 205 or equivalent cannot take PMBA 8355 for credit.

Prerequisite(s): PMBA 8351.

PMBA 8358 Data-Driven Strategies for Business 3 Credits

In this course, several real-world business problems will be presented as case studies for the application of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. Relevant business areas for these problems include online recommendations, healthcare, sports management, marketing, and revenue management. Through these business case studies, students will (1) define a real-world problem in the context of business analytics (2) develop hands-on experience on implementing analytics methodologies (3) learn to derive and communicate insights from analytics results and (4) practice the formulation of data-driven strategies.

Prerequisite(s): PMBA 8051, PMBA 8351.

PMBA 8402 The Business of Sports 3 Credits

This course examines diverse managerial issues involving the sports industry. The course covers topics at the league level, the team level, the athlete-agent level, and the college level. The constituencies with interests in sports issues such as athletes, fans, media, companies, advertisers, and legislators are discussed along with global aspects of sports enterprises. Valuation issues related to sports teams are also covered. The course is designed to integrate all aspects of businesses as they apply to sports with an emphasis on strategy, management, marketing, and finance.

PMBA 8403 Sport Analytics 3 Credits

This course will address the theory, development, and application of analytics in sports. Analytics refers to the use of data and quantitative methods to measure performance and make decisions. Students will learn about the application of analytics in sports for purposes of strategy, player performance, team management, sports operations, and fantasy competitions. The class will consist of hands-on labs, a data project, a research project, quizzes, and online discussions. Students will work on projects related to the use of analytics in the various professional sports leagues and college sports. This course assumes a basic level of skill working with Microsoft Excel.

Prerequisite(s): PMBA 8051 or waiver.

PMBA 8404 Sports Marketing 3 Credits

This course explores the complex and diverse nature of sports marketing. It applies fundamental marketing concepts to the sports industry, including the marketing mix, consumer behavior, marketing research, segmentation analysis, and assessment of marketing programs specific to sports. Guidelines for the formulation of marketing plans and strategies will be included. Trends, issues, and problems influencing the industry will also be examined. Discussions cover professional, collegiate, non-profit, and other areas of the sport industry.

PMBA 8405 Legal and Ethical Issues in Sports 3 Credits

The purpose of the course is to familiarize the students with the business of sports and various issues related to sports management. Legal, ethical, economic, social and managerial issues related to sports will be addressed. Sports law issues which will be covered include tort law, contract law, employment discrimination, antitrust law and constitutional law. Also covered will be the structures and authority of the organizations involved in amateur and professional athletics.

PMBA 8905 Internship 1-3 Credits

In order to supplement in-class learning with practical training, an internship may be taken for up to three elective credits. The internship may not be performed at a student’s current employer. An internship may only be taken if the student has been enrolled for at least one full academic year and, during the semester they receive credit for the internship, the student is taking at least three graduate-level classes (including the internship course). The course will be supervised by a full-time faculty member and will follow a structure similar to that of an independent study. Course grades will be determined by evaluations from the student's on-site supervisor, as well as the sponsoring faculty member.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of MBA pre-program courses and permission of the Dean.

PMBA 8902 Independent Studies in Business Administration 3 Credits

Involves a program determined by the individual faculty member and approved by the program director. Written assignments are required as part of this rigorous academic experience. Students are eligible for a maximum of one independent elective and should have completed at least three breadth courses prior to the start of the independent study.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of MBA pre-program courses and permission of the Dean.