Emphasis Areas
Students who wish to add an emphasis area to their current degree must do so through the Graduate Admissions Office. An email from the student’s CougarMail account must be sent to admissions@ccis.edu in order to change from the general MBA program to an MBA with an emphasis area. Once the request is submitted, the Graduate Admissions office will review the student record to determine if additional prerequisites are needed. Once the change is made, the student will be notified by his/her campus and will receive an updated degree plan.
Assessment
Competent performance as a manager requires both context and judgment. As a result, assessment will rely less on purely knowledge-based experiences and more on the student’s ability to prepare for and master various “roles” and situations that competent professionals encounter in their work. The goal in assessment is to use methods that replicate authentic challenges and conditions rather than isolated drills or tests. Use of the case method and discussion learning is a primary component of courses in the MBA program.
Skilled managers recognize that judgment in adapting knowledge to the situation at hand is, perhaps, more important than the acquisition of knowledge alone. Therefore, students will be challenged to perform or execute tasks or processes using a knowledge base effectively and in a novel or creative way. The process adapts to changing environmental situations - much like those that are dealt with on a day-today basis in the course of managing a formal organization. The assessment process not only provides the opportunity to evaluate the completion of performance tasks but also measures skills and personal characteristics that are essential for managers and to foster further learning.
Projects and assignments other than tests will be emphasized. The process requires the student, under time constraints, to present his or her case clearly, concisely, and persuasively, a skill that is invaluable to effective managers. The principle product of the MBA program will be a graduate who has learned how to think strategically and critically and is able to present his or her thoughts orally or in writing in a competent manner. The relevant measure becomes the student’s capacity to apply critical thinking and analytical skills in whatever occupation is chosen.
The most critical element of the assessment process occurs as part of the student’s culminating experience. Both product and process components that form key outcomes or performance tasks must be completed satisfactorily as part of the culminating experience (BUSI 595 - Strategic Management 3 hours ).
Case work from BUSI 595 affords the opportunity for students to demonstrate competency in each area of study covered in the MBA program. With the approval and guidance of the instructor, the student may also experience a real-world analysis and presentation of material specific to the student’s place of employment. Each component of the case work is measured against standards and these standards are included in the course syllabus for BUSI 595 . Students refer to their study of Strategic Management and case analysis as the process for demonstrating critical thinking, judgment, analytical skill, and the ability to communicate in writing and/or orally.
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