MASTER’S in BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)

CORE COURSES: The first entry of each course description is the alphanumeric Galen course code, followed by the course title and its credit value. For an up-to date listing of course offerings for each semester, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

MBA-500  INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

(3 CREDITS) Understanding the complex interactions between natural ecosystems and human societies is essential for ecologically sustainable development.  Sustainable development is a major—maybe even the major—defining environmental concept of our times. This course is an exploration of policy and practice.  Topics will include: definitions; ecological sustainability and economic development, international policies and agreements, and the dynamic between environment and development.  

MBA-501 Leadership and ethics

(3 CREDITS) Organizational leadership is the process of influencing other people to achieve organizational goals. This leadership course explores leadership theories, conflict management techniques, and develops the student's self knowledge of his or her preferred leadership styles. In addition the course examines the ethical standards of conduct and responsibilities attached to leadership.  A variety of ethical issues facing business leaders are explored through the use of case studies. 

MBA-502 Statistical Analysis

(3 CREDITS) As the foundation course in statistics, students receive a basic introduction to decision-making using descriptive statistics. Decision-making is focused on the areas of descriptive statistics, probability, distributions, sampling inference, regression and correlation, multivariate analysis, time series, and index numbers. While emphasis is placed on the derivation of these numbers using computer-based tools, the main focus is on interpretation and use of the results. Given the nature of statistical computation, the course follows two distinct pedagogical paths: 1) Computation is taught via in-class illustration and a large number of assignments. Since calculations are impractical in an exam setting, significant attention is given to assignments, 2) Interpretation of statistical data is conveyed via in-class discussion and exams. Interpretation of presented data suits an exam very well.

(3 CREDITS) Managers are required to possess a basic understanding of the legal principles and ethics governing business and its transactions. This course is designed as an overview of the basics of business law. The essential elements of tort, contract, agency, and partnership law will be covered. The course will also provide an overview of business ethics and make links between legal requirements and ethics situations.

MBA-504 Accounting Analysis

(3 CREDITS) The role of accounting is the accumulation, analysis, and presentation of relevant financial data of an enterprise to serve the needs of decision makers. The objective of this course is to introduce the student to the basic concepts, standards, and practices of financial reporting. The course is devoted to basic financial statements, analysis and recording of transactions, and underlying concepts and procedures.

MBA-505 Economic Analysis

(3 CREDITS) The purpose of MBA 502 is to train the student to think systematically about the current state of the economy and economic policies and to be able to evaluate the economic environment within which business and financial decisions are made. Economic forecasting, business conditions analysis, cost/benefit analysis, managerial issues, international issues, monetary, and fiscal policy are covered.

MBA-506 Financial Management

(3 CREDITS) The course is designed as an introduction to the concepts of financial management. It is intended as the primary prerequisite to the core curriculum. Subjects cover methods of financial valuation such as assessing feasibility and profitability of projects and ventures, evaluating marketable financial instruments as well as firms and corporate shares. Major subjects are the analysis of financial statements and the assessment of financial risks. Emphasis is placed on the specific functions of financial management such as assessing the financial requirements of an enterprise, obtaining funds from financial institutions and markets, and ensuring adequate liquidity by methods of financial controlling. Cases are used throughout the course to provide students with hands-on experience in the use of financial tools. An important focus of the course is the applicability of the concepts covered to the financial management of medium-sized and small enterprise.  

MBA-507 Organizational Management

(3 CREDITS) This skills-based approach to management uses a unique five-step model and is filled with interactive exercises and examples and the latest in technology. The focus is on helping students understand correct practice and to give them numerous opportunities to translate correct practice into common practice. With a focus on the skills aspect of management, each concept uses a 5-step process for assessing, prescribing, acquiring, and fine-tuning students' aptitudes. The course covers personal, interpersonal, and group skills in an interactive way. It includes the latest research which reflects today's organizations, most of which rely on streamlined organizational structures and self-directed teams.

MBA-601 DECISION MAKING METHODS & QUANTITATIVE METHODS

(3 CREDITS) This course addresses the areas of decision making and decision analysis.  It is intended to study the theory and application of management science techniques, statistical methods, data analysis and research methodology for management decision making.

MBA-602 GLOBAL ECONOMICS

(3 CREDITS) This course examines economic and managerial decisions under various macro-economic and market conditions.  The course adopts an international comparative perspective in order to highlight how different economic systems influence macro-economic performance, market structures and thus corporate strategies.

MBA-603 BUSINESS ETHICS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

(3 CREDITS) This course exposes the MBA student to issues of business ethics within organizations at the national and international levels.  It includes an introduction to human rights principles and law, the relevance of human rights norms to business enterprises, corporate social responsibility, voluntary corporate codes/standards, UN draft norms on responsibilities of Transnational Corporations, and the rights and roles of indigenous peoples and local communities.  It is intended to help develop ethical practices by determining what the appropriate behavior is bases on law and value structure rooted in a country’s culture and heritage.  The students study various business ethics systems around the world based on specific national laws and culture.  A global perspective is studied through the Multinational Corporation (MCN) to demonstrate the difficulties in recoding consistent and acceptable behavior around the world with home-country standards.

MBA-604 GLOBAL MARKETING

(3 CREDITS) The course enables students to develop a sound understanding of the fundamental discipline of marketing together with its modern extension into global marketing.  The global perspective of the syllabus represents modern trends in business globalization whereby all core business functions, and especially marketing, have become interdependent on global support and competitive pressures.  Finally, market planning is dealt through the process of case study and simulation of company decision-making processes.

MBA-610 ORGANIZATIONS & HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

(3 CREDITS) Using an interdisciplinary approach, this course draws concepts from various areas in order to address critical topics and issues in organizational resources and human resource management as well as technical skills.  Special emphasis is given to performance measurement and reward systems.  Case studies are used extensively.

MBA-611 FINANCIAL & MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING

(3 CREDITS) This course deals with accounting concepts and principles from the user viewpoint.  Financial accounting is presented in terms of a management decision-making approach.  The course explores the principles applied to financial transactions of monetary assets and revenue, cost of sales and inventory, fixed assets, debt and owners equity.  In summary, Cash Flow and Sources & Use of Funds statements are presented and discussed through cases.

MBA-612 FINANCE

(3 CREDITS) This course focuses on the generation and acquisition of financial resources both from internal operations and from external capital markets, their effective utilization, and control within the organization.  Computer applications are used as part of the study process.  The major areas dealt with are: Capital Budgeting, Long Term Investment Decisions, Working Capital Management, Inventory, Cash and Debtors Management, Financial Decision Making, Long Term Financial Structure Decisions, Cost of Capital and Dividend Decisions.

MBA-613 INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONS

(3 CREDITS) This course provides a broad overview of the issues managers face in the selection, use, and management of information technology (IT). Increasingly, IT is being used as a tool to implement business strategies and gain competitive advantage, not merely to support business operations. This course provides an overview of information systems in the business world. It presents an organizational view of how to use information technology to create competitive firms, manage global organizations, and provide useful products and services to customers. Topics include hardware, software, databases, telecommunication systems, the strategic use of information systems, the development of information systems, and social and ethical issues involved with information systems.  The course takes a management rather than a technical approach to the material presented. 

MBA-615 Information Technology Strategy

(3 CREDITS) The purpose of this course is prepare students to be effective exploiters of computer/communications technologies now and in the future. Its focus is on IT resources and alternative approaches to managing them, the opportunities and pitfalls associated with these technologies, and what the user manager and the system professional need to know to make effective use of these technologies. This course views IT in very broad terms, including traditional transaction processing, enterprise resource planning systems, electronic commerce, data warehousing and data mining, managerial support systems, groupware, and artificial intelligence applications.

MBA-620 Quantitative Business Tools

 (3 CREDITS) This course is primarily a computer-based, business modeling course. The course takes an integrated approach. It emphasizes the application of statistical methods via modeling rather than derivation and use of statistical technique. Students will be immersed in computer-based modeling in a cross-disciplinary context. The entire course will be dedicated to the step-by-step construction of computer models which will be used to solve business problems and to make management decisions. Models use Microsoft Excel and a variety of plug-ins. Since the course is all application-based, exam usage is limited and emphasis is placed on assignments.

MBA-660 Operations Strategy

(3 CREDITS) The objectives of this subject are to provide the students with an understanding of the role of operations managers in an organization and to illustrate how an organization can gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace through greater productivity, lower costs, quicker response, predictable deliveries, and better quality.

MBA-670 Marketing Strategy

(3 CREDITS) The focus is on the marketing processes and tools for building strategies which deliver superior levels of customer value and profitability. This course is designed to coincide with the professional certified marketer program of the American Marketing Association and subsequent designation exam.
 

MBA-675 Corporate Financial Theory

(3 CREDITS) Corporate finance is central to the operation of every organization. The course builds on the concepts covered in the foundation course MBA 504 Financial Management and deepens the student's understanding by exploring the relevant theoretical aspects. The goal is to provide students with the tools to conduct decision oriented financial analysis. Subjects covered include the cost of capital, the value of the firm, capital structure, risk management and others in the context of risk mitigation and value maximization. Case work provides students with the experience of developing financial plans from the strategic foundations and formulating business plans and prospectuses as prerequisites of negotiating the required finance with suppliers of loan and equity funds. The course maintains a focus on the financial management of medium-sized and small enterprise. Basic mathematical skills and the ability to use computer-based tools are required. It is assumed that students have a working knowledge of financial accounting, economics, and statistics.

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3 CREDITS) This course is taken at the end of the Core cycle. It integrates knowledge and methods learned in the previous courses while developing analytical and decision-making skills through the study of comprehensive cases, which are multifunctional and multi-departmental in scope. The student is taught how to develop strategic thinking through the practice of business decision-making in the environment of economic uncertainty. 

MBA-685 Financial Institutions in the Belizean Context

(3 CREDITS) This course provides an understanding of the financial institutions of Belize. Topics include a review of the Central Bank of Belize and monetary policy, interest rate drivers and forecasting, commercial banking and non-bank financial operations such as cooperatives and credit unions. The course will also explore the use of microfinance within the Belizean context.  Microfinance implies the provision of credit and financial services to population groups lacking access to traditional institutional banking typically due to the small size of enterprises and the absence of eligible collateral. This section of the course will examine the role of governments and donors, relevant social and economic policy, the identification of target markets, conducting a client-oriented impact analysis, designing demand specific financial products and services, planning the requisite institutional structure as well as installing effective management information and controlling systems. An important aspect of microfinance is the access to sources of finance which is determined by the relevant institute's rating by quality and performance indicators the principles of which receive particular attention.

MBA-690 Strategic Analysis

(3 CREDITS) This course serves at the capstone course to the MBA.  The principal objective is to enable students to integrate their theoretical business knowledge of the fundamental management disciplines together with practical business experience. Specific objectives include the following: development of strategic thinking through the application of fundamental business principles in resolving strategic issues;  exposure to specific company analysis and decision-making processes with students playing the roles of executives; broaden the scope of student exposure to different industries, a variety of companies, and multiple levels of strategic issues faced by executives; and,  practice the art of business decision-making in an environment of economic uncertainty. This course integrates knowledge and methods learned in previous courses while developing analytical and decision-making skills through the use of business simulations.

MBA-730 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

(4 CREDITS) Understanding the complex interactions between natural ecosystems and human societies is essential for ecologically sustainable development.  Sustainable development is a major-maybe even the major—defining environmental concept of our times. This course is an exploration of policy and practice.  Topics will include: definitions; ecological sustainability and economic development, international policies and agreements, and the dynamic between environment and development.

MBA-790 PROJECT RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

(3 CREDITS) To familiarize students with the key elements of project research methodology as required for the purpose of establishing the required technical foundation in completing the Final Thesis Project of the MBA Program. Questionnaire design and validation, sampling, and data analysis are emphasized along with applications in hypothesis testing and overall research design.

MBA-799 FINAL PROJECT/THESIS

(4 CREDITS) This is a thesis of theoretical or empirical research undertaken on a business topic in any of the areas of study in the MBA Program. This is expected to be an independent study by the MBA Candidates on a topic of their own choice in consultation with the Director of the MBA Program. Subsequent to the approval of such a Thesis Proposal, a Thesis Supervisor is appointed from among the MBA Faculty members of Galen University to work closely with the MBA Candidate. The Thesis may be in a form of an academic or a scientific (publishable) paper at an appropriate graduate level. The ultimate objective of this requirement is to test the ability of the MBA Candidate to select a problem, set up a framework for it and analyze it in an academic perspective so as to end up with meaningful recommendations in the end.  The paper requires significant focus on a business issue viewed through academic thought and research, and presented in the proper writing style. The MBA Thesis is not to be a description of a situation, but an analysis and evaluation of a problem with specific recommendations given based on a combination of research and original thinking. 

SPECIALIZATION ELECTIVES (9 CREDITS): Please use the menu on the right to view courses in each concentration path.