Full Course Description List:

MBAX Courses

(0 credits)

A background in the basics of business is often a key to making the most of a graduate business or management program. In this foundational course, students can build their business acumen in major functional areas that are essential to business success including business leadership and management, business ethics, the legal environment of business, accounting, finance, economics, quantitative methods and statistics, information systems management, global business, marketing, and strategic management.

(5 credits)

Being an effective leader is essential in business and demands that an individual has a strong set of competencies including the ability to understand one's self, motivate others, understand organizational culture, and manage ambiguity. In this course, students begin their personal and professional transformation by closely examining their current strengths and weaknesses, values, decision-making processes, and approaches to dealing with difficult problems. Students also explore leadership in turbulent times by examining how effective leaders think as well as how various management styles impact situations and relationships within an organization.

(5 credits)

Being an effective leader is essential in business and demands that an individual has a strong set of competencies including the ability to understand one's self, motivate others, understand organizational culture, and manage ambiguity. In this course, students begin their personal and professional transformation by closely examining their current strengths and weaknesses, values, decision-making processes, and approaches to dealing with difficult problems. Students also explore leadership in turbulent times by examining how effective leaders think as well as how various management styles impact situations and relationships within an organization.

(5 credits)

Being an effective leader is essential in business and demands that an individual has a strong set of competencies including the ability to understand one's self, motivate others, understand organizational culture, and manage ambiguity. In this course, students begin their personal and professional transformation by closely examining their current strengths and weaknesses, values, decision-making processes, and approaches to dealing with difficult problems. Students also explore leadership in turbulent times by examining how effective leaders think as well as how various management styles impact situations and relationships within an organization.

(5 credits)

Being an effective leader is essential in business and demands that an individual has a strong set of competencies including the ability to understand one's self, motivate others, understand organizational culture, and manage ambiguity. In this course, students begin their personal and professional transformation by closely examining their current strengths and weaknesses, values, decision-making processes, and approaches to dealing with difficult problems. Students also explore leadership in turbulent times by examining how effective leaders think as well as how various management styles impact situations and relationships within an organization.

(5 credits)

There are many ways of seeing an organization and one’s place in it. The assumptions students make about people, purpose, and profit will influence the way they manage. It is important to develop the skill required to read various situations and to understand what is between the lines to act with insight. Developing and utilizing various divergent perspectives on organizational dynamics enables a manager to devise appropriate actions by critically thinking about the way things can be (based on the way things are). In this way, leaders free themselves from conventions and can consider the knowledge management strategies, structures, and policies to succeed. Students will explore several metaphors of organizations from mechanistic to organic to network, among others. The students will look at organizations through several all-encompassing frames to understand how a leader can leverage these new perspectives to better manage processes, the implications of social change, and innovative strategies. Students will also continue building the skills required to succeed in the program and leverage those skills as they begin working on their dissertation topics. Students are asked to reflect each week on their learnings and how those learnings are shaping their specialization perspective. Students will deepen their understanding of APA, scholarly writing, and the importance of integrity in writing; they will also hone their analysis and evaluation skills.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Students are provided with a foundation for academic and professional success at Walden University and with the requirements for successful participation in the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree program. They begin by exploring the process of becoming doctoral-level students who pursue individual academic research while engaging in the supportive learning community that Walden offers. Topics covered in this course include communities of care; data analytics; hybrid work; social determinants of health; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Students engage in discussion and analyze scholarly literature related to course topics, their personal and professional experiences, and areas of academic interest from a scholar-practitioner approach and from the viewpoint of a global change agent. The focus of the course assignments is on the practical application of APA-compliant scholarly writing and critical-thinking skills and the promotion of professional business practice and academic excellence. Through their assignments, students become familiar with the Walden University landscape where support resources and tools are offered. In addition, they focus on their personal and professional development.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Organizations are increasingly a reflection of the confluence of dynamic influences and pressures to compete in an uncertain environment. Leaders need to stimulate creative and innovative approaches to products, services, and operations. Yet, organizations also need to have predictable control systems to enable the efficient utilization of resources. Students in this course cover some basic to intermediate concepts, models, and theories from general systems theory, systems thinking, network theory, complex adaptive systems theory, complexity leadership theory, and evolutionary systems theory with applications to social organizations. Students use a provided template to model, describe, and apply these concepts to an organization of their choice such as society-at-large or a subset of society; a community, city, county, state, or country; or a corporation, a nonprofit, government agency, an educational institution, or a military organization as this course starts from abstract systems and moves to concrete instances. Throughout this course, students will improve their understanding of systems, organizations, and leadership or management decision-making capabilities.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

In today’s highly complex organizations, rational and behavioral decision-making processes and models impact leadership, ethics, group dynamics, and risk assessment. Students will examine the ethical implications of organizational decisions based on the literature. Students will also explore, evaluate, and debate how judgments and decisions influence team dynamics and an organization’s social responsibility decisions. Students will also develop a deeper appreciation for predictive and adaptive decision systems and the impact of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems on an organization’s decision processes. Students will continue to develop their skills assessment plan and tie what they learn to their specialization and, ultimately, the dissertation process. Students will focus on developing their analysis capabilities of peer-reviewed literature related to their specialization, and decision making and judgment.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Contemporary business environments are increasingly competitive, global, fast paced, and knowledge intensive. In these environments, effective use of human capital is vital to an enterprise's success and survival. In this course, students will explore practical issues related to developing individuals and managing collaboration and will examine the skills and strategies necessary to address them effectively. Students will examine ethical and legal implications of managing a diverse workforce including issues that arise from cross-cultural differences and virtual work settings. The importance of communication as a tool to manage internal and external relationships is emphasized as it relates to the effectiveness of managing people to achieve organizational goals.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000 (may be concurrent)

(5 credits)

In today's complex and uncertain environment, innovation is important to achieving business success. In this course, students will examine how to be an effective creative leader who can readily apply imagination to resolve complex problems. Additionally, students explore methods to establish a work environment conducive to creative thinking. Students will gain a set of proven methods, skills, and strategies that enable innovative breakthroughs to occur in a much more deliberate and predictable manner.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

The need for information and dependence on information systems and enabling technologies are ubiquitous in business. Businesses use information systems to collect, process, store, and manage data, which can be aggregated and disseminated in the form of information to support effective decision making. Students in this course explore how to realize optimum benefit from information systems and technology to support and improve business decisions, processes, and services at all levels of business in alignment with business goals to achieve competitive advantage and sustainable business performance.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

This course introduces students to concepts necessary to promote positive health behavior change by examining the most commonly used theories and models in public health and health education and promotion.  Coursework focuses on the identification and application of theories and models to promote and design effective health behavior programs and interventions.  Individual, interpersonal, and community theories and modules will be explored to determine the most appropriate application.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

One of the most critical challenges in maintaining and improving organizational performance is identifying core strengths and weaknesses within the organization and across the more general value creation landscape. The focus of this course is on the challenges and opportunities for managers to create value and to increase organizational performance through the effective deployment of systems thinking and change management skills. Students in the course explore systems thinking as a process whereby problems are viewed as individual components within a larger system and explore how various operational and systems thinking frameworks can be utilized to optimize organizational performance in both industrial and service settings.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Accounting is the language of business. Managers must understand and be able to effectively use this language to create meaningful measures upon which to make appropriate decisions. They must know what to measure, how to measure, and what the consequences of the measurement might be. This course takes a rigorous stakeholder approach that integrates fundamental managerial accounting topics with strategic business analysis. Students will explore the use of accounting information to make effective business decisions; analysis of the impact of decisions on various stakeholder groups; and the development of sustainable solutions based on the information that is measured, analysis of various types of budgets, strategic planning, and forecasting as well as communicating accounting information effectively to various stakeholders.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Effective managers know that a clear understanding of the role of marketing, as well as a grasp of effective marketing practices, is essential for organizations to succeed in today's fast-paced, competitive environment. In this course, students gain a working knowledge of both marketing theory and the practical application of innovative marketing tools and strategies. Students also explore how product, price, place, promotion, and people contribute to the marketing mix as they explore research-based insights into consumer behavior.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Today's companies are challenged to constantly do more with less. Effective managers know how to deploy scarce financial resources in ways to achieve optimum returns on these resources. Students will discover the latest financial tools and analytic methods to strengthen the capital investment decision-making process. Students will use critical-thinking skills to apply and, at times, challenge traditional financial theory, while balancing various stakeholder interests in the financial decision-making process. Students will examine a range of contemporary issues and techniques relevant to sound and ethical financial decision making.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000
• MBAX 6050

(5 credits)

Successful business leaders create a positive organizational culture based on personal ethical behavior, ethical expectations, training, and transparency. Business leaders use a range of leadership styles, including transformational, transactional, and servant leadership, based on the organizational situation. Regardless of leadership style, one thing that business leaders have in common is the ability to identify and develop leadership strategies that lend to the success and sustainability of their businesses. In this course, independent scholars cover a wide range of different business leadership topics. Additionally, they focus on the practical application of APA writing, critical thinking, and the integration of professional leadership practice at the doctoral level as they develop sustainable solutions from the global change-agent perspective. Independent scholars examine the relationship between leadership and management, evaluate the impact and utility of the assessment of leadership styles, and analyze different leadership styles. Additionally, they evaluate and investigate various leadership theories, sources of power, and motivation theories to gain a better understanding of the nature and practice of leadership. Independent scholars evaluate organizational stress, analyze ethical dilemmas, and construct an organizational strategy to shape a successful business culture. They assess current articles, engage in online discussions, and complete application assignments based on organizational culture, ethics, strategy, stress, and leadership theories. 

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000
• MBAX 6006 (may be taken concurrently)

(5 credits)

Students in this DBA strategy course concentrate on the creation and implementation of business strategies that maximize competitive advantage in the marketplace. Students develop an understanding of why and how individuals and business organizations work together creating sustainable businesses in the global marketplace. They apply models for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of business organizations and identify opportunities and threats resulting from forces shaping the marketplace. Students focus on practical business applications of writing, critical thinking, and classroom engagement in a combination of essay discussions, research assignments, and writing papers to analyze, develop, and defend ideas for strategic and innovative business solutions for sustainability.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000
• MBAX 6006 (may be taken concurrently)

(5 credits)

Public administrators work to increase the efficacy of public organizations on a local, regional, national, and international level. In this course, students actively collaborate on a team final project that facilitates their use of real-world tools, technologies, and communication formats needed in the profession of public administration. They engage in hands-on practice to enhance their aptitude in professional skills (e.g., research, critical reasoning, creative and flexible problem-solving, technology, responsible leadership, intercultural awareness, negotiation/conflict resolution, and collaboration). They explore the diverse political, social, and economic contexts within which public administrators carry out their responsibilities. Spring boarding from the American democratic model, students examine emerging topics and trends in global public administration, including governance, fiscal issues, ethics, and positive social change. They also examine the history, foundations, and theories of public administration as well as public policy and organizational environments.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Performance management involves the ongoing activities of employee evaluation and development focused on achieving the organization's short- and long-term goals. Performance management also is required to meet ethical and statuary requirements. Looking at the continuous nature of performance management underscores the importance of identifying and supporting talent development. Students assess performance management systems within the context of the defined system metrics supporting the organization's goals, and they assess the role of performance management in strengthening the organization through diversity and inclusion.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

This course introduces the theories and principles of health policy and systems thinking in the context of public health. Students explore the policy making, legal and healthcare systems of the United States, with comparisons to other countries. Students engage in a variety of practical assignments that develop skills essential to governance, management, collaboration, decision-making, negotiation, mediation, and advocacy.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

This course prepares students with 21st century health communication skills for addressing present and future public health problems and needs. The course provides foundational learning on the components, principles, and theories of health communication and application to health promotion and behavior change. Students analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of health communication messaging delivered through a variety of media and for sensitivity to cultural, socioeconomic, and educational factors that influence a target audience. Students create health communications for different audiences and platforms using written, oral, and visual communication and emerging technologies, with attention to best practices for ensuring health communications are accessible to the general public. Through written assignments and multimedia projects designed to meet key CEPH Competencies for public health professionals, students select communication strategies for specific audiences; explore the importance of cultural competence in health communication; use simulation technology to gather community perspectives to inform health messaging that supports a target population; and create video health presentations that demonstrate how to educate a target audience on health risk and prevention; as well as apply systems thinking to understanding a public health need. Students also consider their public health role in promoting positive social change.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Understanding the value of an organization's human capital is crucial to its continuing success. Human resource (HR) management metrics provide the tools both for measuring value and for managing an organization's human resources. Students in this course explore HR analytics and metrics as tools for organizational and individual performance improvement. These tools establish a foundation for the effective deployment of performance metrics as part of the recruitment, talent development, and retention of human resources. They also facilitate alignment of the HR strategy with the business strategy. Students examine the power of analytics and an HR metrics dashboard. In addition, students investigate the role of human resource information systems (HRIS) and the importance of working with internal business partners from areas such as information technology, finance, and the executive team.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6201 (may be concurrent)

(5 credits)

Sound financial practices are crucial to managing scarce funds and making decisions in government and nonprofit organizations. Although the term “public” is synonymous with government, this course also includes nonprofit organizations because they serve a public interest. The course provides students an overview of budgeting and financial management processes in the government and nonprofit sectors from a management perspective. Students examine finance and budgeting concepts, policies, tools, and practices related to public and nonprofit organizations as well as the fiscal climate within which they operate. In addition to reading and analyzing budgets, financial statements, and reports, students also examine issues of equity, transparency, ethics, accountability, and positive social change involved in managing public finances. They develop quantitative and communication skills related to interpreting and presenting information about the financial position and performance of public and nonprofit organizations and contextualize their learning as they examine and apply budgeting tools and skills to real-world scenarios.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

In the public and nonprofit sectors, human resource management and strategic planning are often driven by legislative mandates, delineated by codified requirements, and defined by the challenges of managing a diverse workforce. In this course, students learn about the fundamentals of managing human resources in the public and nonprofit sectors, including how jobs are classified in the public sector and how the volunteer workforce is managed in the nonprofit sector. In addition, students learn how strategic planning in this context is differentiated by the fact that there is no profit motive driving strategic management, vision and mission development, and organizational leadership in the public and nonprofit sectors. This course emphasizes a praxis-based approach to the challenges and opportunities within the field of human resource management and strategic planning within the public and nonprofit sectors.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Negotiation and conflict management are core responsibilities of human resource (HR) professionals and having the HR function as the conflict resolution facilitator is critical to employee/employer relationships. Taking a leadership role in facilitating conflict is critical to assuring employment law and regulatory compliance. In organizations with unionized workforces, the HR role in conflict resolution tactics may be constrained by collective bargaining agreements. Students in this course explore the challenges of conflict and dispute and work toward developing skills to identify different types of conflict solutions. Students engage in hands-on, practical exercises in negotiation and bargaining strategies as well as communication styles.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6201

(5 credits)

Healthcare is increasingly moving to the care and the delivery of services in a value-based care model.  This course will describe and have student experience the impacts of delivery of healthcare in management care, value-based systems.  Will also detail and develop knowledge in a system that is tiered for reimbursement and care bundles, how the US compares to other systems of health globally and include in impact of medical tourism.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

The rapidly evolving health care system presents the health care administrator with complex challenges and risks. Health care administrators must possess the skills needed to assess federal, state, and local health care policies that frame the delivery of health care services. In this course, students assess and discuss key legal and ethical initiatives from diverse perspectives. Course work focuses on required knowledge of health care laws, policies, and regulations enacted by policymakers and regulatory agencies that impact health care. This also includes comprehensive health care reform issues impacting and influencing the role of the health care administrator. To help frame these concepts, students examine and analyze the ethical underpinnings and principles that health care organizations and administrators observe and follow in the delivery of services to patients.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

In this course, students gain contemporary knowledge of financial and economic principles such as efficiency and value as it relates to health care. The principles of health care financial management, including accounting and finance, are vitally important to the viability and ongoing operations of a health care entity. Students have the opportunity to interpret and analyze the financial statements, use and analyze financial ratios, utilize variance analysis, understand and implement operating and capital budgeting, and develop knowledge of the business planning process. Students create portions of a business/financial plan and assess the viability of their plan using accepted financial management tools.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Students in this course are provided a critical "state-of-the-art" breadth-first review of the domain of information technology (IT). Designed to provide students with a wide-ranging introduction to topics such as software engineering, cybersecurity, and big data analytics, students completing the course have a comprehensive global view of the current IT landscape in the context of both commercial and noncommercial enterprises. The class blends both theory and practice to provide a solid foundation for future study. Students study the relationship between technological change, society and the law, and the powerful role that computers and computer professionals play in a technological society.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine the role a systems analyst plays in developing large-scale software systems and explore the phases of the software development life cycle. A systems analyst is responsible for designing the new system, ensuring the new system will meet the organization’s needs, and ensuring that the correct staffing is available to create the new system. A systems analyst must also be able to resolve conflicts of interests. In this course, students focus on the definition of system requirements, both functional and nonfunctional, for an information system (IS). Students also investigate how to model requirements, data, and processes to meet business needs.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Mentoring requires an understanding and integration of many theories, including leadership, interaction, and communication, that support the development of effective leaders. This course helps students understand and apply skills of effective mentoring, such as active listening, learning, empowering, and enabling change. Students engage in practical exercises, such as using feedback to create interactive dialogue and asking questions to acquire a deeper understanding of mentoring and coaching processes. In consideration of modern and virtual environments, students explore the challenges of mentoring or coaching individuals in a virtual or team setting.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Effective communication is frequently cited as one of the most important factors in managerial and organizational success—as well as one of the areas of greatest dissatisfaction. In this course, students take a close look at the components of effective communication and hone strategies for communication success. They explore how self-perception and perception of others affect communication and will develop skills for communicating more effectively with diverse audiences. Topics include the communication process, interpersonal communication, self-awareness in communication, communication channels and mediums, and communicating across and beyond the organization. 

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

As new and emerging technologies transform the landscape of education, the possibilities for learning and discovery grow exponentially. Through this course, education professionals examine the history and evolution of technology in society and its influence on education. Education professionals explore technology as a vehicle for broad access, and they employ a variety of digital-age tools, including social networking, interactive learning tools, and collaboration software, to inspire and motivate today’s learners. They also explore and discuss ethical considerations, responsible use, and cyber safety issues. Through practical applications, such as designing a lesson that incorporates blogs, wikis, or podcasts, they gain hands-on experience integrating technology into the classroom.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

In this course, education professionals develop a new, expanded definition of what it means to be literate in today’s technology-rich world. Education professionals explore the use and application of multimedia and Internet technologies that enhance learning and support collaborative problem-solving in a digital information society. They learn strategies for how to prepare students across the grade levels for the complex challenges related to reading, critical thinking, researching, and communicating in the 21st century. Synthesizing course concepts, they assess curriculum standards in their area and develop an inquiry-based unit plan designed to develop their students’ information and visual literacy skills and meet a specific learning outcome or standard in their subject area.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Through this course, education professionals consider the future of teaching and learning, discover promising trends in technology, and investigate opportunities to become leaders in the field of technology and learning. They consider how to address school-wide challenges, such as limited resources and resistance to change, and they explore skills and strategies, such as grant writing and leading change. Additionally, they complete a capstone project that demonstrates their ability and willingness to become advocates and change agents who use technology to address challenges and create opportunities within the field of education.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

In this course, students place their technical and process work in a human context, focusing on issues and effects in a broader domain. Topics include organizational behavior and change; intellectual property issues; ethics, professionalism, and social impact; and privacy and security.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) can serve to positively affect people¿s lives through social change, but they require leaders who have a fundamental understanding of the nonprofit sector, including related ethical, legal, and global perspectives. Students in this course explore these viewpoints as well as the history, foundations, and types of NPOs. They also examine the diverse political, social, and economic contexts within which NPOs exist. Students explore and apply marketing, public relations, and communication concepts and strategies to case studies and contemporary situations. Gaining practical insight, students also apply theories presented in the course to the development of a concept paper guiding the development of a nonprofit organization.

Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000

(5 credits)

The purpose of the capstone course is to integrate the knowledge and concepts students have gained through the MBA program. Students will practice their skills and employ their knowledge by evaluating business strategies capable of achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Students in this course will be required to identify and address challenges and opportunities found in today's complex and often uncertain business environment. Students complete their transformational journey through the program by reflecting on their learning and will consider the next phase of their career development. The aim of the course is to improve the students’ ability to manage in an environment requiring both strategic and operational knowledge.

MBA Program Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000
• MBAX 6010
• MBAX 6040
• MBAX 6050
• MBAX 6060
• MBAX 6070 (may be concurrent)

Dual Degree - Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) Pre-requisites

• MBAX 6000
• MBAX 6040
• MBAX 6050
• MBAX 6060
• MBAX 6070