Academic Programs Catalog

The STEM Master of Business Administration full-time, two-year degree program is designed to prepare students for management and leadership roles in new economy organizations where decision-making is largely data-driven. The program operates in tandem with the MBA program, however the STEM M.B.A. degree limits the number of qualitative electives. 

Full-time STEM M.B.A. students must select a concentration from management science, finance, marketing, or supply chain management. They have flexibility to choose preferred qualitative elective course work to support their career goals. Courses from other colleges may also be used with the approval of the Director of the full-time M.B.A. Program.

Only Plan B (without thesis) is available to students who are enrolled in the STEM M.B.A. degree programs.

Admission

The full-time STEM M.B.A. program normally extends over 21 months and consists of two fall and spring semesters and an enrichment experience during the intervening summer. Applicants are admitted to the program for fall semester only. 

A strong education in any field is good preparation for graduate study in business administration. Prior academic work in business is helpful, but not required. Students with undergraduate degrees in the sciences, engineering, economics, and the liberal arts are encouraged to apply.  Two or more years of work experience after completing a bachelor's degree is strongly recommended.

To be considered for admission to the full-time STEM M.B.A. program, an applicant must:

1. Submit to the Director of the full-time STEM M.B.A. Program a completed full-time M.B.A. application packet that is available at https://broad.msu.edu/masters/mba/.
2. Take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and have the scores submitted to the Broad School. The test must be taken not more than five years prior to the submission of the application for admission to the program. Equivalents may be considered with the approval of the Director of Admissions.
3. Complete the required personal interview with a representative of the full-time STEM M.B.A. Program Office.

Minimum standards for admission are:

1. A bachelor's degree from a recognized educational institution with a clear focus on quantitative preparation, as opposed to evidence of quantitative strength.
2. An academic record equivalent to at least 3.00 (B) in the last two years of undergraduate work.
3. Scores on the GMAT that reflect  a general aptitude for success in graduate study and a clear acumen for future quantitative work.
4. Personal attributes such as demonstrated management potential and maturity.
5. Personal qualifications of sound character, intellectual curiosity, perseverance, and a drive to succeed.
6. Evidence of professional potential in a quantitative field as evidenced by earlier experience, letter of recommendation, or undergraduate preparation.

Admission to the program is competitive, and meeting the minimum standards listed above does not guarantee admission. Although all of the above minimum standards must normally be met, the applicant's overall record is considered.

Each full-time STEM M.B.A. student is required to have a personal laptop computer with a minimum configuration approved by the Director of the full-time STEM M.B.A. Program.

Students who are admitted to the full-time STEM M.B.A. program must participate in a non-credit orientation program designed to prepare students for success in the team-based management education program and curriculum.

Requirements for the STEM Master of Business Administration Degree

A total of 61 credits is required for the degree.
1.	Complete all of the following:
	a.	All of the following core courses:
		MBA	802	Financial Accounting and Reporting Strategy					1.5
		MBA	804	Applied Data Analysis for Managers					1.5
		MBA	806	Social Issues in Management					1.5
		MBA	808	Leadership and Teamwork					1.5
		MBA	812	Accounting for Decision-Making and Control					1.5
		MBA	814	Applied Economics					1.5
		MBA	816	Managerial Communication Strategy and Tactics					1.5
		MBA	817	Designing and Delivering Impactful Business Presentations					1.5
		MBA	820	Marketing Management					3
		MBA	821	Introduction to Supply Chain Management Concepts					3
		MBA	822	Corporate Investment Decisions					3
		MBA	823	Information Technology Strategy					1.5
		MBA	824	Managing the Workforce					1.5
		MBA	843	Career Management					1
		MBA	845	Integrative Action Projects					4
		MBA	846	Executive Lecture Series					1
		MBA	850	Strategic Management					1.5
	b.	A quantitatively-driven concentration in management science, finance, marketing, or supply chain management (12 credits) or other approved concentration approved by the Director of the full-time STEM M.B.A. program. Students may take two concentrations if their schedule permits.
	c.	At least 3 credits of international business selected from courses approved by the Director of the full-time STEM M.B.A. program.
2.	Students may use remaining elective credits to design an academic program to support their professional goals using courses across the business college disciplines. Students may select electives from the following courses:
	ACC	822	Information Systems Project Management						1.5
	ACC	843	Value Chain Accounting and Analytics						1.5
	FI	845	Financial Modeling and Simulation I						1.5
	FI	846	Financial Modeling and Simulation II						1.5
	FI	852	Financial Derivatives I						1.5
	FI	855	Financial Derivatives II						1.5
	FI	857	Security Analysis and Portfolio Management						3
	FI	859	Mergers and Acquisitions						1.5
	FI	862	Corporate Strategy Valuation						3
	FI	863	Corporate Restructuring and Governance						1.5
	FI	865	Corporate Real Options Valuation						1.5
	FI	869	Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital						1.5
	FI	870	Venture Capital and Private Equity						1.5
	FI	872	Financial Data Analytics I						1.5
	FI	873	Financial Data Analytics II						1.5
	FI	875	Behavioral Finance I						1.5
	FI	891	Topics in Finance						4.5
	MGT	856	Corporate Strategy						1.5
	MKT	806	Marketing Research for Decision Making						1.5
	MKT	809	Pricing, Profitability and Marketing Metrics						1.5
	MKT	810	Open Innovation Management						1.5
	MKT	811	Brand Insights						1.5
	MKT	816	Marketing Analysis						1.5
	MKT	819	Predictive Analytics						1.5
	MKT	823	Applications in Predictive Analytics						1.5
	MKT	829	Digital Marketing						1.5
	MKT	861	Marketing Research Strategy and Analysis						1.5
	MKT	864	Data Mining for Marketing						1.5
	MKT	867	Survey Design and Sampling						1.5
	SCM	825	Strategic Sourcing						1.5
	SCM	826	Manufacturing Design and Analysis						1.5
	SCM	827	Competing Through Supply Chain Logistics						1.5
	SCM	833	Decision Support Models						1.5
	SCM	834	Supply Chain Process Modeling and Simulation						1.5
	SCM	852	Supply Management						1.5
	SCM	853	Operations Strategy						1.5
	SCM	854	Integrated Logistics Systems						1.5
	SCM	855	Supply Chain Management Technology and Applications I						1.5
	SCM	856	Supply Chain Management Technology and Applications II						1.5
	SCM	869	Service Supply Chains						1.5
	Topics in Finance must be approved by the Director of the STEM MBA.
3.	Enrichment Experience
	Each student is required to participate in an enrichment experience approved by the Director of the full-time M.B.A. Program. Generally, the student participates in the enrichment experience during the summer between the first and second years of the program.  The enrichment experience may involve a domestic or international internship, intensive foreign language study, an international or domestic study trip, a field or consulting project, or an approved graduate assistantship.  Some of these options may involve additional costs to the student and may be able to accommodate only a limited number of students.

Academic Standards

Students are expected to (1) maintain a minimum grade–point average of 3.00 each semester, (2) maintain a minimum cumulative grade–point average of 3.00, and (3) complete all courses listed on the Candidacy Form. A student's academic progress is monitored by the Director of the full-time STEM M.B.A. Program. A policy statement containing additional information relative to academic standards is available from the Director.

A student who does not maintain a cumulative 3.00 grade–point average will be placed on final probation. Such a student will be given the next semester of enrollment to achieve a cumulative 3.00 grade–point average; otherwise, dismissal from the program will result.