- 2009-2010 Graduate Bulletin
- The Dean's Challenge
- Academic Calendar 2009-2010
- University Mission
- MBA Program
- Admissions
- Financial Information
- Academic Information
- MBA Curriculum
- Weekend Accelerated MBA Program
- Combined Degree Program
- Executive MBA Program
- Master of Science in Information Systems
- Career Management
- Student Life
- Centers and Institutes
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Course Descriptions: Accounting
- Course Descriptions: Economics
- Course Descriptions: Finance
- Course Descriptions: Management
- Course Descriptions: Marketing
- Operations and Management Information Systems (OMIS)
- Course Description: Management Information Systems (MSIS)
- Course Descriptions: Interdisciplinary Courses (IDIS)
- Course Descriptions: One-Unit Courses
- Campus Life
- Facilities
- Student Conduct Code
- University Policies
- Accreditations and Memberships
- Officers
- Board of Trustees
- Board of Regents
- Advisory Board
- University Faculty Endowed Academic Chairs
- School of Business Faculty
- Correspondence
MBA CurriculumNote: Refer to designated chapters for curriculum details specific to the Master of Science in Information Systems, Weekend Accelerated MBA, and Executive MBA Programs. The Santa Clara MBA program is designed to develop leaders with a broad business, economic, and social perspective who are capable of managing change in dynamic environments. Students develop breadth of understanding through course work in accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, and operations and management information systems; and depth by concentrating electives in particular functional cross-disciplinary areas. Depending upon their prior academic work, students complete a minimum of 49 graduate units and a maximum of 70 graduate units to receive the MBA degree. PREPROGRAM COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTSBeyond the general requirement that applicants for the MBA program possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, the following areas of preprogram competencies are required: College Algebra Proficiency Math Analysis/Calculus Proficiency Oral Communications OVERVIEW OF THE CURRICULUMThe Santa Clara MBA curriculum consists of 70 units comprised of 7 waivable required courses (21 units), 9 nonwaivable required courses (25 units), and 24 units of electives. Two of the nonwaivable required courses bracket the program: MGMT 501, Managerial Competencies and Team Effectiveness, taken within the first two quarters of residence, and the capstone course MGMT 619, Business Policy in High Technology Firms, taken after all required courses have been completed. During the first year of the program, students complete a required 1-unit course, IDIS 705, Leadership for Justice and Prosperity, containing two modules that integrate course materials with practical issues of today. There is considerable flexibility in the order in which other courses are taken, although all prerequisites must be satisfied before enrolling in a particular course. Math analysis/calculus proficiency, one of the preprogram requirements, must be demonstrated no later than the end of the first quarter of residence. OMIS 353 must be completed by the end of the second quarter of residence to allow smooth progress through the program requirements. SCHEDULESDuring the fall, winter, and spring quarters, classes generally meet twice per week for 75-minute sessions. There are two class times – 5:45 p.m. and 7:20 p.m. Standard class times are: Monday and Wednesday 5:45 p.m. Monday and Wednesday 7:20 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday 5:45 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday 7:20 p.m. Each quarter, a few elective courses are will be offered on a once-a-week basis. One-unit courses are generally offered on Friday evenings and/or Saturdays. Summer quarter classes are 2 hours in length and meet twice per week as the quarter is more condensed. Final exam periods are two hours in length in all quarters. WAIVER PROCEDURESUp to seven of the required courses may be waived. The number of waivers an individual student receives depends on a variety of factors, including the quality of the student’s academic record, the undergraduate field of study, and its timeliness. Undergraduate business majors with a recent degree typically complete the program with fewer courses. Prospective students who have questions about waivers should consult individually with the admissions staff. Students may receive waivers in the following ways: Admissions Committee Review: An initial evaluation of the academic records of all admitted students identifies waivable courses, and students are informed of the results of this evaluation with their acceptance packages. Exams for Preprogram Competencies: Students must submit their deposits before preprogram competency exams can be taken. Test dates will be announced at time of admission. Algebra requirement must be satisfied prior to first quarter of enrollment. The math analysis/calculus requirement must be satisfied by the end of the first quarter in residence. Admission may be rescinded if these requirements are not met. Petition for Course Waiver: If there are additional courses that the student believes should be waived given the waiver rules, he or she may file a written petition and accompany the request with appropriate documentation including catalog descriptions, course syllabi, lists of required texts, etc. Petitions for course waivers may be filed upon matriculation (deposit) and must be filed by the end of the student’s first quarter in residence. Petitions for additional course waivers will not be accepted after a student’s first quarter. The senior director of Graduate Business Programs Academic Records and Student Life, in consultation with faculty, rules on these petitions. Unless new information is presented, the ruling is final. Note: A grade of B or better is required in all courses considered for waiver and the relevant course work must have been completed within six years prior to acceptance into the MBA Program. A grade of C or better is required in all courses considered to satisfy algebra and math analysis/calculus preprogram competencies and the course work must have been completed within 10 years prior to acceptance into the MBA Program. Waivers are not granted until the official transcript has been received. Equivalency Exams: Students may waive a course by passing an equivalency exam. Equivalency exams are administered at the start of each quarter. Equivalency exam registration and required payment must be filed with the Graduate Business Programs Office no later than one week prior to the day of the exam. Students are eligible to sit for equivalency exams only during their first two quarters in the program. Students are ineligible to take an exam if they have attended any session of the class that they are attempting to waive. Each exam may be taken only once. If a student fails an exam, he/she is required to take the class. WAIVABLE REQUIRED COURSES AND WAIVER RULESCourse titles of the seven waivable required courses and their associated waiver rules are listed below. For more detailed catalog descriptions, see Chapter 15 of this bulletin.
GRADUATE TRANSFER CREDITIn addition to waiving any of the above courses, a maximum of two courses (6 quarter units) of graduate credit from another AACSB-accredited MBA program may be transferred for either nonwaivable required or elective courses if the course:
Graduate transfer credit is granted on a course-for-course basis only. No credit will be given for coursework done elsewhere while in the MBA program without prior approval. This restriction does not apply to students participating in the Jesuit Transfer Agreement. NONWAIVABLE REQUIRED COURSESThe nine nonwaivable required courses in the program are listed below. For more detailed descriptions, see Chapter 15 of this bulletin.
CAPSTONE PETITION PROCESSCapstone (MGMT 619) is one of the final steps in completing the MBA degree. Since MGMT 619 has unique prerequisites, students must submit an online capstone petition in order to enroll. Capstone eligibility will be verified by the Graduate Business Programs Office prior to registration. In order to enroll in MGMT 619, students must meet all of the following requirements:
Capstone petition deadlines are:
Note: MGMT 619 and IDIS 705 are not offered in Summer Quarter. ELECTIVES AND INDEPENDENT STUDYIn addition to the seven waivable required courses and the nine nonwaivable required courses discussed above, students select 24 units of elective credit to complete the MBA program. Any course offered in conjunction with the MBA program, with the exception of those otherwise required or waived, is considered an elective. In addition, up to two courses in the School of Law may be taken as MBA electives if approved in advance by both the law school and the business school. Contact the Graduate Business Programs Office for more information. Santa Clara typically offers a choice of more than 40 electives within an academic year. Recently these have included such offerings as Small Business Entrepreneurship, Economics of Decision-making Under Uncertainty and Managing Innovation and Technology. For catalog descriptions of elective courses, see Chapter 15 of this bulletin. New courses are continually being developed. Please contact the Graduate Business Programs Office for information on new electives scheduled after this bulletin was finalized. All elective courses that are not experimental are offered no less frequently than once every two years. In order to ensure breadth of coverage within a general management degree, no more than 17 elective units may be taken in any one discipline. The MBA program offers experimental courses in each of the six functional areas. These courses are numbered 696 (e.g., ACTG 696, ECON 696). The MBA program also offers 1-unit modular courses for graduate credit. These offerings allow for greater choice of electives and more timely and contemporary elective topics. Recent examples of 1-unit courses include The Mortgage Crisis; Internet Finance; Seminar in Leading Dynamic Organizations; and Investment and Entrepreneurship in the Boomer Market. No more than two experimental courses (696) may be taken in any one discipline, and a maximum of four experimental courses are allowed within the student’s elective choices. There is no limit on the number of 1-unit courses that may be taken towards degree requirements. A student may elect to register for independent study to fulfill an elective requirement. Independent study courses are numbered 698 (e.g., AGRI 698, MGMT 698). Only one independent study course may be taken in the program. A student who chooses to complete an independent study is not eligible to complete a master’s thesis. To obtain permission to register for independent study, students should prepare a complete proposal well in advance of the quarter in which they wish to undertake the study. The proposal must be reviewed and signed by a tenured faculty member who thereby agrees to supervise and evaluate the study. The proposal will then be reviewed by the department chair who, if in agreement, will sign the proposal. The proposal must then be submitted to the Graduate Business Programs Office for final review. A signed copy of the proposal must be on file in the Graduate Business Programs Office before registration. An independent study is graded in the same manner as all other courses. INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVEThe Santa Clara MBA program recognizes the increasing importance of obtaining an international perspective on business and society. Students are exposed to multinational business issues and multicultural perspectives in many of the required courses. Most departments offer electives focusing on international issues from a disciplinary or functional perspective. Students are strongly encouraged to include at least one of these courses among their 24 electives units. Students also may select a concentration in international business, which explores functional issues within a global perspective and examines cross-disciplinary international topics. MBA students have the option to participate in study abroad opportunities during the MBA program. Recent study abroad locations have included Brazil, China, France, England, Vietnam, Germany, New Zealand, and India. All trips are led by Leavey School of Business faculty. The Global Business Perspectives courses are considered elective courses and may count towards concentrations depending on topics covered. A maximum of two global initiative courses may be taken toward a student’s elective requirements. CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAININGIn accordance with Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) regulations, practical training for international students is available exclusively for students with F-1 visas. The 1-unit practical training internship (IDIS 697) offers MBA/MSIS students the opportunity to apply techniques and methods learned at Santa Clara University as they acquire work experience. To be eligible to participate in this program, students must have been enrolled full-time (9 units per quarter) for one complete year with F-1 status, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in their MBA/MSIS course work. Students must complete and submit the Curricular Practical Training Request form to the Graduate Business Programs Office with the offer letter. The offer letter needs to specify the number or hours of work to be completed each week or designate part-time employment status and must be at least three months in duration. Once the appropriate documents have been submitted, the student will be registered for IDIS 697. The student is responsible for the tuition associated with IDIS 697. At the end of the internship, students must submit a written evaluation from the supervising manager. Practical training units are not graded and do not count toward degree requirements. According to government regulations, practical training internships are limited to no more than 20 hours per week. Students must also meet all SEVIS requirements to be eligible for curricular practical training. Students must apply each quarter. For more information on practical training, contact the Graduate Business Programs Office. CONCENTRATIONSAlthough Santa Clara University’s MBA program has a general management perspective, students may use their choice of electives to select a concentrated emphasis. Students do not, however, have to select a concentration or, once chosen and begun, do not have to finish the concentration in order to graduate. A concentration will be reflected on a student’s official transcript if the concentration is declared when the student petitions to graduate and all completed courses required for the concentration are documented. Although the awarded concentration will appear on the student’s official degree transcript, the concentration does not appear on the student’s diploma. Santa Clara’s MBA program currently offers nine concentrations, the requirements for which are detailed below. Some courses may count toward more than one concentration. Such “double counting” permits increased flexibility in elective choice but does not reduce the number of courses required for graduation. Appropriate experimental courses (696) and 1-unit courses may count toward a concentration if approved; consult the Graduate Business Programs Office for the petition procedure. Coursework completed outside of Santa Clara University will not satisfy a concentration requirement. As a result of the dynamic nature of concentrations and course offerings, changes to concentration requirements are made throughout the academic year. Consult with the Graduate Business Office for the most recent concentration requirements. Note: In order to ensure breadth of coverage within a general management degree, no more than 17 elective units may be taken in any one discipline. A minimum of 12 units is required to earn a concentration. Each concentration has a faculty advisor. These advisors are available to assist students in making decisions about their concentrations and for approving new and experimental courses that may count toward the concentration. (Please contact the GBP office for updates and appropriate petition procedures.) Accounting (ACTG) Students taking this concentration must complete a minimum of 12 units and a maximum of 15 units of Accounting elective courses. Note: For students entering the program in Fall 2009 and after, ACTG 302 cannot be counted toward the Accounting concentration requirements. Entrepreneurship (EN) Students taking this concentration must complete:
In addition, students must complete three of the following courses:
Finance (FNCE) Students taking this concentration must complete a minimum of 12 units and a maximum of 15 units of Finance elective courses. FNCE 696 courses are acceptable. Note: FNCE 455 cannot be counted toward the Finance concentration requirements. Food and Agribusiness Students taking this concentration must complete:
In addition, students must complete two of the following courses:
International Business (IB) Students taking this concentration must complete a minimum of four of the followingcourses:
Leading People and Organizations (LP) Students taking this concentration must complete:
In addition, students must complete 9 units from the following courses:
Managing Technology and Innovation (MT) Students taking this concentration must complete:
In addition, students must complete two of the following courses:
If interested in this concentration, please subscribe via RSS to http://www.scu.edu/business/graduates/academics/managing-tech-innovation.cfm. Marketing Management (MM) Students taking this concentration must complete a minimum of four and a maximum of five of the following courses:
Supply Chain Management (SM) Students taking this concentration must complete:
In addition, students must complete three of the following courses:
Some OMIS 696 courses may apply with the approval of the faculty coordinator. PREREQUISITESStudents are responsible for ensuring that they have all the prerequisites for a course before registering. Prerequisites for each course are listed in the course descriptions in Chapter 15 of this bulletin. Although not explicitly stated in the description of individual courses, when a course is named as a prerequisite, then its prerequisites are also included by reference, and all prerequisites must be satisfied before a student can enroll. eCampus, the Web-based registration system, does not allow enrollment in any class or onto any waitlist if the prerequisites for that course have not been completed successfully. The system does recognize current enrollment in prerequisite classes at the time of registration. Course instructors cannot waive prerequisites. Note: Graduation will not be approved until all prerequisites, required courses, and other requirements of the program, have been fulfilled. GRADUATION PETITION PROCESSIn order to graduate, all students must submit a completed online “petition to graduate.” The information provided in the petition will be used to order and mail the diploma and list all graduates names in the SCU commencement book. To be eligible to graduate, MBA/MSIS students must:
Graduation petition deadlines are:
MASTER’S THESIS OPTIONA Master’s Thesis may be completed in place of taking the capstone course. Students who opt to do an independent study project are not eligible for a Master’s Thesis. To begin a Master’s Thesis, students must identify a tenured professor in the Business School and work with him/her to propose a project. Once the project is approved by the faculty advisor, the proposal must be submitted to the Graduate Business Programs Office. The Academic Support and Records staff will register the student for the Master’s Thesis course. Tuition will be billed through eCampus. Upon completion of the project, a student will need to follow the Master’s Thesis guidelines detailed by the Library. The process can be found at http://www.scu.edu/library/info/policies/thesis.cfm. Grades for the Master’s Thesis will be submitted by the faculty advisor through eCampus. Because of the lengthy approval and registration process, students pursuing the thesis option should begin the process well in advance of the quarter when the majority of the work will be done. Global Business PerspectivesIntroduced in 2003, the Global Business Perspectives are one- to two- week intensive courses examining the contemporary, dynamic global business environment. These courses provide intensive first hand experience of global markets and products, while students observe the challenges of overcoming cultural and local factors working against globalization. The Global Business Perspectives courses are considered elective courses and may count towards concentrations, depending on topics covered. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTSGlobal Business Perspectives enrollment is through an application process only. Students who want to participate in the Global Business Perspectives must complete an application and submit all supporting documents prior to being considered for participation in a course. MBA students who want to participate in the Global Business Perspectives program must complete and submit the following items before a decision can be made on participation:
*Students will be charged the registration deposit only if the application for participation is accepted. PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTSAll students are expected to meet the following requirements at the time of application, as well as throughout the time period leading up to and including the designated Global Business Perspectives course.
Participation Limitation Payment Withdrawal from Program Course Cancellation |
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