2005 - 2006 Master of Business Administration in Technology Management (MBATM)

Program Goals | Program Requirements | Course Descriptions

Program Director: Kimberly Dodson
Graduate Coordinator: Shelley Kelson
Graduate Faculty: Gaylen Bunker, Claire Richards, Jerry VanOs, Maria Wrotniak, Michael Mamo, Aric Krause, Vicki Whiting, Kirk Wessel, Georgia White, Alysse Morton, Kimberly Dodson, Shannon Bellamy, Rob Patterson, Frank Shaw

The MBATM program is designed to develop the skills necessary for effective and strategic managers in technology firms. The program focuses on the marketing, financing, management, operations, product development, management, and intellectual property issues facing the technology firm in a global strategic context. The program develops skills and models that can be used for both entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial technology managers. Leaders from national and international technology firms, as well as from technology funding and legal support firms, play an instrumental role in the course development and teaching in the MBATM program.

Program Goals

Today's business leader is challenged with enhancing the firm's competitive position in the face of an increasingly fast global technology cycle. In order to fulfill this mandate, the firm must learn to harness technology, to successfully develop technology products, and to adjust firm processes to support technological change and progress. The program is designed to develop these skills in business leaders.

The program is specifically designed to:

• Familiarize the student with the unique issues facing technology-based firms;
• Build models for evaluating and measuring market opportunities and constraints;
• Develop tools for successful delivery of technology products to the market;
• Foster critical thinking and analytical tools that allow the effective leader to adapt quickly and effectively to operating environments;
• Develop the professional business models and skills necessary to lead in technology sectors.

Program Requirements

The program requires 39 credit hours for completion. There are five program requirements: foundations, three modules, and an elective block. All core courses are delivered in a blended format, meaning that courses use a combination of classroom, online, project-based and experiential components. In the classroom, courses may use a combination of learning methods, such as: lecture, case study, or in-class projects.

Students who have not studied business at the undergraduate level, or who completed their undergraduate studies more than five years ago, may be required to complete foundational literacy exams. Upon meeting with MBATM program advisors, the student's educational and professional backgrounds are reviewed to determine what foundational literacy exams may be required. Students are then given materials for self-study to prepare for the literacy exams. Workshops and seminars may be offered to assist in student preparation. Upon completion of study, a literacy exam is offered. Passing the exam means the requirement is waived. Students who cannot pass the literacy exam after two attempts may be required to take a course in that specific area.

Module 1 contains courses that should be taken at the beginning of the MBATM program; courses in this module introduce the model of the entire program. While taking module 1 courses, students and their advisor work together to complete a program of study, planning out elective courses and/or graduate certificates to meet the student's individual career goals.

Module 2 and elective courses may be taken as early as desired upon completion of prerequisites. Module 3 courses can be taken as early as possible upon completion of module 1. The final courses in module 4 serve as a capstone to the technology courses.

A maximum of 9 approved graduate hours may be transferred toward the MBA Program from other professionally accredited institutions (AACSB or ACBSP) upon the written permission of the program director. Courses eligible for transfer are only those that contribute to, or build upon, the program goals. Courses completed at other graduate institutions must be awarded a minimum of a B grade to be eligible for credit.

A grade of C is the lowest passing grade for all MBATM and graduate certificate courses. Students must take all coursework for letter grades. Please see course descriptions at the end of this catalog for details concerning course requirements and prerequisites.