For those interested in earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, Pittsburg State University (Pitt State) offers four fully online program options. Degree candidates can pursue a general MBA or focus on one of three MBA options: International Business, Accounting, and Human Resource Development. Whether a degree candidate is looking to diversify career advancement opportunities or pursue a more specialized role, Pitt State’s four online MBA options can help students achieve their educational and professional goals.
What Core Areas of Study Do All Pitt State’s Online MBA Programs Cover?
All of Pitt State’s online MBA options are designed to provide students with a comprehensive foundation of knowledge and skills relating to modern business administration. Out of the 10 courses required for each program emphasis, seven are core courses, shared among all MBA options. These courses cover the broad array of topics all business executives and managers should know.
In essence, these topics focus on the following:
- Leadership
- Organizational design and behavior
- Business analysis and management strategy
- Policy design and implementation
- Financial management
- Marketing
These core competencies are further developed through case studies, and the study of business topics and strategic decision-making in the context of societal issues and public policy.
An example of a core area of study integral to all roles in business administration is Management Control Systems (MCS). The concept of MCS has recently seen widespread focus, as is reflected in the study of MCS being a foundational course in Pitt State’s online MBA programs.
This concept can be defined differently, yet many point to Robert Anthony’s 1965 description of management control as “… the process by which managers assure the resources are obtained and used effectively and efficiently in the accomplishment of the organization’s objectives.” So, MCS is a designed system, used to apply effective management control to various aspects of business administration, maintaining standards of performance and maximizing the use of resources. MCS is a vast topic on its own, but clearly applies to any professional, managerial role in business administration.
The General Online MBA
In the general MBA option, students will augment their core MBA studies with three courses delving further into topics like consumer behavior, data analytics, international business and quality management tools. This versatile degree program can prepare students to be effective business executives as well as explore different career options, giving them flexibility and widespread competency.
The Online MBA in International Business
The business world has become increasingly globalized and that trend is likely to continue. The production of any single consumer product may include parts and labor from numerous countries. And many of the world’s most successful companies rely on this complex global supply chain as well as many different markets worldwide for profit.
The advanced study of international business is essential for MBA students who wish to pursue a high-level business career on a global scale. MBA students who elect to follow this program emphasis will focus their elective courses on the many nuanced facets of global economics, international trade, and other topics and variables in international business.
The Online MBA in Accounting
Obviously, money is at the heart of a business’s success — or lack thereof. Accountants, financial managers and financial analysts are essential to a company’s financial health — they hold a key role not only in day-to-day operations to MCS development and strategic decision-making at the organizational level. Students who choose the accounting emphasis will explore advanced accounting topics like financial auditing, tax study, and financial analysis. These topics are taught using practical application and decision-making based on analysis.
Completing this degree program will satisfy the 150 hours required to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination for students who hold a BBA in Accounting with 124 hours.
The Online MBA in Human Resource Development
Degree candidates in the MBA in HR Development program will study how effective human resource management can maximize employee performance and productivity as well as organizational development and change. Students examine topics like leadership and strategic intervention at the individual and organizational level in depth.
A solid foundation in the many aspects of effective business management and administration is essential for success as a business executive or professional in any managerial role. Pitt State’s online MBA programs provide this broad base of business management knowledge while allowing students to tailor their education through the four program options. Through both specialized and generalized study, program graduates are well-suited to succeed in their chosen career in the competitive world of modern business.
Learn more about Pitt State’s online MBA programs.
Sources:
ScienceDirect: The Concept of Management Control System and Its Relation to Performance Measurement
American Accounting Association: Robert N. Anthony: A Pioneering Thinker in Management Accounting
Anthony, R. N. 1965. Planning and Control Systems: A Framework for Analysis. Boston, MA: Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University.
