Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

Program Objectives:

The primary objectives of the MBA degree program are: (1) to provide a knowledge base of interdisciplinary business theories and techniques to the students, (2) to train and to develop students’ practical skills for career development, and (3) to develop the students’ decision-making and leadership capabilities to face the challenges of a dynamic business world staged with diverse, multicultural, and global business settings. The emphases are in the fields of modern global business management and digital enterprise system management. Specific studies cover the fields of accounting, financial management, project management, modern information management systems, and business marketing.

MBA Program Learning Outcomes:

Students graduating with an MBA degree are expected to demostrate the following program learning outcomes -

• Written Communication - In a contextually appropriate manner, write strategic business plans and tactical implementation plans.
• Oral Communication - In a business setting, craft and deliver compelling messages, based on logic and variety of supporting materials.
• Quantitative Reasoning - Convert relevant information into insightful mathematical portrayals and apply across a wide range of business situations.
• Information Literacy - Determine, acquire, and analyze data needed from multiple sources in order to create recommendations for complex business situations.
• Critical Thinking - Methodically solve multi-criteria business and managerial problems.
• Speacialized Knowledge - Synthesize concepts in management, finance, accounting, and marketing to resolve complex business challenges.

Background Preparation

Students admitted into the MBA degree program are required to have proper business background preparation for taking the graduate level coursework. A student with any background deficiency is required to take the specifically designed business preparatory model course to clear it. The student must clear prerequisites before taking the degree required courses. In addition, English proficiency is also required. Refer to the section on “English Proficiency Requirement” in the chapter “Admission Policies” for details.

The following are the business preparatory module courses covering the required background subjects:

Upon clearing background preparation work, the student starts to take courses to meet the degree requirements.

Mezzanine Courses: A number of mezzanine courses are also required for background preparation. These mezzanine courses are designed for the MBA students to receive hands-on training using popular business tools as well as gain understanding of US corporate culture and professionalism. Credits earned from these mezzanine courses taken at NPU meet the Electives requirement in the MBA program. Students who have earned a business degree from an accredited US university/college may request for a waiver of subjects having been taken at the other university/college. The mezzanine courses are:

MBA Curriculum

A minimum of 36 trimester units of graduate study are required for the MBA program. The MBA curriculum includes coursework in the following categories: Foundation Requirements, Core Requirements, Electives, and a Capstone Course. A number of concentration areas are shown in the section of Core Requirements; each is listed with a cluster of courses. Students taking courses in a concentration area will gain in-depth knowledge and skills in the corresponding business professional field. Additionally, taking courses in a concentration area can be beneficial to the student for career planning. The student must meet prerequisite requirements when taking any course.

I. Foundation Requirements (9 units)

The following required courses provide a knowledge base of interdisciplinary business theories and techniques.

II. Core Requirements (12 units)

Beyond Foundation Requirements, the student is required to take at least 12 units of business administration coursework. Although not required, the student has the opportunity to select a concentration area and take courses in the chosen area to meet the core requirements. Taking sufficient number of courses in a concentration area is beneficial to the student for entering the corresponding business profession.

Examples of cluster courses in each area of interest are listed below:

Accounting:

Finance:

Information Management:

Project Management:

Marketing

Notices:

• Prerequisites for the Accounting concentration are: ACC202, ACC202L, ACC451G.
• Prerequisite for the Information Management concentration is IT450G, IT453G.
• Prerequisite for the Marketing concentration is MKT450G.

III. Electives (12 units)

The student may elect any graduate-level courses (courses numbered 4xxG, 5xx, and higher level courses) to meet the Electives requirement. Required mezzanine courses taken at NPU satisfy the Electives requirement in this program. Credits earned from taking courses ACC451G, ACC452G, IT450G, IT453G, or MKT450G at NPU to meet the prerequisite requirements for core courses listed above also meet the Electives requirement.

Curricular Practicum: When applicable, the student may take curricular practicum courses and engage in practical training to work on company projects that are directly related to the student’s course of study. The student must observe the rules required for taking the practicum courses. No more than 6 units of practicum coursework may be counted towards graduation.

IV. Capstone Course (3 units)

(A required subject)

Upon completing all or most coursework for this program, the student is required to take the capstone course and, under the guidance of the course instructor, integrate the knowledge and skills learned from all of the courses taken during the program.

• MBA595 Business Administration Capstone Course