M.B.A. Course Descriptions

ACCT 510 - ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING (4)
Interpreting accounting information for purposes of external financing, budgeting, costs analysis and control, and operational decision making.  

CIS 520 - BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND DATA ANALYSIS (4)
Study of data analysis techniques and tools to gain insights and improve business decision making.  
Prerequisite: Proficiency in Microsoft Excel. 

FINA 530 - FINANCIAL PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE (4)
Analysis and interpretation of financial and economic information and reports to improve financial planning, decision-making, and performance with regard to products, processes, assets, and customers. Includes analyzing profitability, managing product portfolios, setting prices, making operational decisions, evaluating investments, and planning improvements. 

GBUS 501 – ORIENTATION (0)
Week-long training that provides information about course registration, program scheduling, policies and standards, learning management systems, graduate-level learning and research, ethical use of technology, support services, team building, and ways to connect with and benefit from the larger School of Business learning community. Required for all new graduate students. Graded S or NC.

GBUS 579 - DIRECTED RESEARCH / PROJECT (1-4)
Individual research or technical project. A proposal is required to define the scope of the work and the method of reporting.  Can be applied as a review program to study for the Uniform CPA Examination.

GBUS 595 – COLLOQUIUM (0)
Consists of lecture events or a reading week that involves active study and discussion of a book on a cutting-edge business topic written by a leading author or leader in that field. Required each quarter for active M.B.A. students. Optional for graduate certificate students. Graded S or NC.

GBUS 596 – CAPSTONE PROJECT (4)
Requires preparation of a full business plan for a new organization or a strategic plan for an existing organization or department. Alternatively, a student seeking a specialization can complete a project on a topic related to their specialization. The capstone project will demonstrate the ability to perform research and synthesize information in an appropriate format. A final presentation is required. Must be completed during the last two quarters.

MGMT 540 - LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (4)
Study of leadership styles and approaches, organizational culture and behavior, and change management.

MGMT 550 - ETHICAL LEADERSHIP SEMINAR (2)
An intensive, three-day seminar during which students will hear from organizational and thought leaders about ethics and integrity in organizational leadership, supplemented by case studies and reflection exercises.

MGMT 560 - MANAGING AND MOTIVATING PEOPLE (4)
Study of human resource planning and strategy, including personnel selection, motivation for effectiveness, assessing performance, employee training and development, and compensation and benefits.

MGMT 565 - MANAGING IN A GLOBAL AND DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT (4)
Study of management practices in a dynamic global marketplace that enhance productivity and inclusiveness.

MGMT 570 - INNOVATION AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT (4)
Study of key skills needed to grow and foster an innovative organizational culture that efficiently deals with organizational change and leads to new product and service offerings.

MGMT 575 - DISRUPTION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (4)
Study of entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, innovation, and design thinking in start-up and corporate settings.

MKTG 580 - STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT (4)
An integrated marketing communication approach to marketing planning, implementation, and measurement that incorporates superior management skills and cutting-edge technology in both traditional and new media.

Starting in the fall of 2025, the following courses will be offered in collaboration with Rize Education, Inc., a company that partners with WWU to provide high-quality M.B.A. courses. These courses are offered on a semester schedule that may not fully coincide with the Walla Walla University quarter schedule. Students taking these courses will earn 4.5 quarter credits per class.

BUAC 534 - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ANALYSIS AND VALUATION (4.5)
Exploration of financial statement analysis, ratio analysis, risk assessment, pro forma statements, and organizational valuation techniques. Cross-listed as BUFI 534. 

BUAI 512 – GENERATIVE AI FOR MANAGERS (4.5)
Study of how to understand, implement, and leverage generative AI in organizational settings. Addresses ethical considerations and how to up-skill the organizational workforce for a competitive edge.

BUAI 514 – BUSINESS USE CASES FOR AI (4.5)
Exploration of various AI models, their business applications, and basic Python for predictive and prescriptive modeling to identify and implement effective AI strategies in organizational settings.

BUAI 516 – AI GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS (4.5)
Insights into AI governance, ethical guidelines, and regulatory compliance to develop and enforce responsible AI policies within organizations.

BUAI/BUAN 518 – MANAGING AI PROJECTS (4.5)
Exploration of how to manage AI projects comprehensively, emphasizing bias mitigation, ethical considerations, model accuracy, and continuous monitoring to ensure responsible and effective business outcomes.

BUAN 522 – STORYTELLING WITH DATA (4.5)
Creation of data visualizations and narratives, effective communication of complex insights to diverse audiences, and business decision-making through data storytelling.

BUAN 524 – SPREADSHEET MODELING FOR DECISION-MAKING (4.5)
Use of spreadsheet modeling to analyze complex datasets, create financial forecasts, effectively communicate insights to support data-driven decision-making in business contexts.

BUAN 526 – PYTHON FOR BUSINESS ANALYTICS (4.5)
Exploration of the transition from Excel to Python for business data analysis and workflow optimization. Provides students with little or no prior programming experience with key foundational analytics operations in Python.

BUAN 528 – DATA ANALYSIS FOR HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT (4.5)
Study of how to manage and communicate healthcare data, focusing on dashboards, patient-level data presentation, EHR systems, data analytics, data visualization tools, and ethical considerations.

BUCS 502 – INFORMATION GOVERNANCE, RISK MANAGEMENT AND COMPLIANCE (4.5)*
Covers essential skills in corporate governance, risk management, and compliance, covering board responsibilities, risk identification, and audit practices through real-world case studies.

BUCS 504 – NETWORK ARCHITECTURES FOR CYBER MANAGERS (4.5)
Offers an understanding of information and operational technology principles, covering network architectures, cloud computing, data management, and the applications and limits of machine learning for predictive maintenance and process optimization.

BUCS 506 – CYBER RISK MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY (4.5)
Covers essential principles and frameworks, teaching students to identify cyber threats, design policies, and develop incident response plans to manage and mitigate cyber risks.

BUCS 508 – ETHICAL HACKING (4.5)
Offers hands-on training in ethical hacking techniques, using open-source tools and practical simulations to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities.

BUEC 592 – STRUCTURE AND ECONOMICS OF THE U.S. HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (4.5)
Comprehensive exploration of the U.S. healthcare system's structure and economics, covering topics such as health economics and insurance markets, hospital and physician payment models, financing of the healthcare system, analysis of health policy changes, and consolidation and integration of the industry.

BUFI 532 – CAPITAL MARKETS AND INVESTING (4.5)
Covers bond valuation, risk measurement, cost of capital, portfolio theory, CAPM (the Capital Asset Pricing Model), interest rates, and basics of futures and options contracts.

BUFI 534 – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ANALYSIS AND VALUATION (4.5)
Hands-on exploration of financial statement analysis, ratio analysis, risk assessment, pro forma statements, and organizational valuation techniques. Cross-listed with ACCT 534.

BUFI 536 – FRONTIERS OF FINANCE (4.5)
Study of disruptors in traditional finance including blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and DeFi (decentralized finance).

BUFI 538 – HEALTHCARE FINANCE (4.5)
Use of financial data for quantitative decision-making in healthcare organizations. Covers cost accounting, financial statement analysis, capital budgeting, pricing and cost analysis, discounted cash flow analysis, Excel modeling, and presenting financial recommendations.

BUMT 542 – MANAGEMENT OF HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS (4.5)
Exploration of quality healthcare management principles and practices. Emphasizes strategic analysis, workforce and IT management, revenue optimization, leadership, recognition of ethical issues and how to deal with them, management of effective teams.