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Purdue Online MBA Courses

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Advance into Leadership Roles

Our rigorous curriculum delivers the top-quality instruction and practical learning you need to strengthen your talents and advance into the next level of high-profile management and leadership careers. Courses include case studies, experiential projects, remote collaboration and team-based learning.

Go at your own pace and choose the course load each term that best supports your needs.

Program Credits

Total Program Credits¹: 48

Foundational Course Credits: 9
Core Course Credits: 22
Specializations Option Course Credits: 6-9
Capstone Course Credits: 2
Elective Course Credits: 6

Program Requirements

Courses Credits

Foundational Courses

Develop a solid background in several relevant subject areas. Use the skills and knowledge you gain as building blocks for advanced academic study in the future.

9 Credits

Core Courses

Gain a solid foundation for decision-making in essential areas of management and leadership. The core curriculum of the Purdue Online MBA covers general concepts and traditional management disciplines.

22 Credits

Specializations

Add a specialization to focus your elective choices to gain greater knowledge in high-demand areas of business, such as Business Analytics, Machine Learning and AI, and Digital Marketing & Analytics. Not only does a specialization expand your professional skills, but it also helps increase your career marketability.

You can also look to leverage earning a graduate certificate through your specialization coursework! A graduate certificate is an additional earned credential that can be completed within the Online MBA’s 48 credits if specialization elective credits are planned strategically by working with your academic advisor to plan, apply for and obtain this credential.

6-9 Credits

Capstone Simulation

Work with a team to assume cross-functional roles to broaden your leadership skills and make strategic business decisions under pressure in a simulated real-life scenario. You’ll use data analytics to assess risk management from qualitative and quantitative perspectives.

2 Credits

Electives

Tailor your degree to help you achieve your career goals with a variety of electives. Course offerings are subject to change.

6 Credits
Total Credits 48

Featured Course:
Executive Presence: Leadership with Empathy

Enhance your presentation skills beyond filler words and fidgeting. Students will gain confidence in leading through effective communication. This immersive course experience caters to professionals seeking improved communication across diverse audiences in order to strengthen their credibility and leadership abilities through hands-on practice and attentive listening.

Offered during the Summer months, students will attend virtually for the majority of the semester while completing their coursework over a weekend at the end of the term on-campus in West Lafayette. While on campus, students will also experience peer networking, campus tours, Purdue traditions, and more with Daniels Online Programs.

See the Summer 2024 Weekend Outline here

Program Credits

 I’m a storyteller and love to make cross-cultural communication theory come to life through my business experience. I have managed and been part of global teams that brought together professionals from Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and the U.S. I’m looking forward to sharing my experience and learning from that of the participants as well. 

A. Laura Stef-Praun, PhD
Lecturer — Law, Communication, and Ethics
Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue University

"As an engineer with business experience, I had a desire to gain a more formal knowledge of business, decision-making and leadership. Purdue was one of the first to offer a formal program that fit my criteria."

Brian Birdsall
Division Manager
Purdue University Online MBA Graduate, 2021

Gain an Edge in STEM, Analytics and Data

Get invaluable business analytics experience when you earn an online MBA from one of the top STEM universities in the world.

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Curriculum Differentiators in Technology and STEM

Learn from leading business faculty while also gaining exposure to top professors in engineering and computer science.

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Online MBA Curriculum

View a Sample 2-Year Plan of Study

Foundational Courses — Prepare for Further Study (9 Credits)

Get an introduction to microeconomic theory. Analyze consumer demand, output and input decisions of firms, price determination, economic efficiency, market structures, and market failure.

This course examines how the U.S. economy functions and develops a theoretical framework permitting an analysis of the forces affecting national income, employment, unemployment, interest rates and the rate of inflation.

Emphasis is placed upon the role of government fiscal and monetary policy in promoting economic growth and stable prices. Topics covered include employment and unemployment, the monetary system, business cycles and macroeconomic stabilization techniques.

Total Credits: 2

The strategic design process helps individuals and organizations find new products and business opportunities by analyzing external and internal trends of the existing companies and industries.

It is an effective way to discover and deliver innovative business models by comparing and adopting innovations from cross-industry sectors, bridging the gap in the innovation pipeline.

Total Credits: 1

The two-course accounting sequence employs a user’s perspective on the firm’s database. First, the standard accounting model is developed into a working tool, as no prior study of accounting is assumed. Then illustrative business cases are discussed to show how external reports conform to financial contracts and public regulation.

Public reports primarily directed to investors and creditors are analyzed to reconstruct the economic events and managerial decisions underlying generally accepted accounting standards.

Total Credits: 3

This course features an integrated analysis of major marketing decisions, including product pricing, advertising, distribution and sales force policies.

Total Credits: 3

Core Courses (22 Credits)

Investigate the causes of macroeconomic fluctuations in the economy. Examine changes in inflation, unemployment, real output, interest rates and exchange rates, and explore why they occur, what their effects are and what (if any) role government should play in dealing with these problems.

The course includes a mixture of theory and case studies with reference to historical case studies. Current macroeconomic problems will be discussed, with a focus on the international aspects of macroeconomic problems.

Total Credits: 1

The course studies optimal decision-making processes by managers and policymakers within firms and other organizations. Topics covered include optimal price strategies; optimal production and capacity decisions; strategic decision-making of firms; strategic interactions between firms in markets; first- and second-mover advantages; optimal number of products and branches introduced into markets; and entry-deterrence strategies. 

In order to determine the manager’s optimal decisions, the course makes use of modern tools related to Game Theory. We explicitly consider strategic interactions between individual economic decision-makers (consumers, workers, firms and managers) as well as groups of these individuals (firms, households, industries, markets, unions and associations).

The main goal of this course is to provide a good understanding of logical mechanics and to provide a solid foundation in managerial economics and business decision-making processes that facilitate the understanding of daily business problems.

Total Credits: 1

Analyze short-term working capital needs, cash-budgeting procedures, pro forma statements, major types of short-term loan arrangements and short-term asset management.

Total Credits: 3

Study concepts and methods that integrate previous training in functional areas of management. The perspective is that of the general manager charged with directing the total enterprise. Emphasis is given to formulation and implementation of strategy.

Total Credits: 3

As goods and services are produced and distributed, they move through a set of interrelated operations or processes in order to match supply with demand. The design of these operations for strategic advantage, investment in improving their efficiency and effectiveness, and controlling these operations to meet performance objectives is the domain of operations management.

The primary objective of the course is to provide an overview of this important functional area of business.

Total Credits: 3

This is an introduction to quantitative decision procedures in times of uncertainty. You’ll study applications of descriptive statistics, probability models, simulation models, interval estimates and hypothesis testing to management problems. Managerial-oriented cases are used in instruction.

Total Credits: 3

The internet and other information technologies have reshaped the economic, organizational, cultural and personal landscape. Managers, consultants and entrepreneurs are all expected to effectively utilize technology to achieve organizational goals.

Organizations are now expected to not just adapt to technology changes but also innovate, taking advantage of the benefits of technology and thrive using their new capabilities. Accordingly, the objective of the course is from the perspective of information technology executive leadership interested in enhancing the organization’s competitive advantage.

Specifically, in the course, we will study in detail what the different types of technologies are, how they can be taken advantage of and what the critical success factors are for successful implementation of each type. The course material will be delivered using case discussions, lectures and examples.

Total Credits: 2

This course enhances student professionalism in managerial contexts by improving oral communication skills and developing strong oral presentation techniques.

Total Credits: 2

Individual and group behavior are the central components of the study of behavior in organizations. Focus is on the managerial application of knowledge to issues such as motivation, group processes, leadership, organizational design structure and others. The course employs cases, exercises, discussions and lectures.

Total Credits: 2

Specializations (6-9 Credits)

Business Analytics Specialization

This course covers up-to-date and practical spreadsheet modeling and simulation tools that can be applied to a wide variety of business problems in finance, marketing and operations to model and analyze quantitative problems.

The course has four modules: (1) deterministic and stochastic optimization techniques to determine the best managerial actions under internally and/or externally imposed constraints; (2) probability distribution fitting techniques to find the most likely description of the uncertainty in future business; (3) simulation modeling techniques to discover and analyze the risk and uncertainty in business environment and processes; (4) application of spreadsheet modeling and simulation techniques in forecasting asset dynamics (stock price), pricing options and real investment opportunities.

Total Credits: 2

Simon (1977) stated that managerial decision-making is synonymous with the entire process of management. In order to make intelligent decisions, one must have access to data and information. Today’s electronically networked world provides a nearly infinite number of opportunities for data collection. The issue thus becomes: How does one approach these large quantities of data with the purpose of intelligent decision-making?

The purpose of this course is to introduce the concepts, techniques, tools and applications of data mining. The material is approached from the perspective of a business analyst, with an emphasis on supporting tactical and strategic decisions.

Total Credits: 2

The course outlines the art and science of visually and persuasively illustrating data for users to interpret, understand and make decisions. You’ll use data to think critically and analyze business opportunities, inform decision-making, and communicate the story behind complex information. 

Total Credits: 2

This course provides students pursuing management careers an opportunity to apply the knowledge learned from their studies in an applicable area. The course is designed to polish and integrate the knowledge, skills and abilities students have developed from their coursework by successfully developing a solution with an industry partner in a structured fashion.

Course time will be predominately spent with project teammates to provide the answers and deliverables specified by an industry partner over the semester.

Total Credits: 3

Digital Marketing & Analytics Specialization

This course covers essential statistical models and strategic metrics that form the cornerstone of marketing analytics.

Total Credits: 2

This course presents a set of useful concepts, strategic frameworks and knowledge on techniques and tools to aid students in better understanding the new marketing thoughts and media.

Total Credits: 2

The course outlines the art and science of visually and persuasively illustrating data for users to interpret, understand and make decisions. You’ll use data to think critically and analyze business opportunities, inform decision-making and communicate the story behind complex information.

Total Credits: 2

Finance Specialization

The course will be devoted to the two basic problems that all companies face: (1) On what should funds be spent? and (2) How and at what cost should funds be obtained?

Total Credits: 2

The course is designed to be the fundamental course in investments and finance in general, and it will provide the essential background for more advanced investments and corporate finance topics.

Total Credits: 2

Long-term capital structure planning, capital budgeting, treatment of uncertainty in investment decisions, security underwriting, dividend policies and mergers.

Total Credits: 2

Financial Economics Specialization

Students in this class will review and practice the mathematical methods required to solve micro- and macroeconomic theoretical models, especially constrained optimization problems.

Total Credits: 2

This course explores the operations of government in society and the economy. Using real-world policy examples, motivations for intervention and policy alternatives are explored. A strong emphasis is placed on how individuals respond to government action.

Total Credits: 2

This course offers an overview of the federal budget and the budget process. Students will discuss some of its history, examine both the theory and practice of the process, identify the main players involved and principal sources of information, discuss some of the important methodological issues, identify sources of failure and discuss some of proposals for fixing them.

Total Credits: 2

Human Resources Specialization

This course will survey theory and techniques used in human resource management within organizations.

Total Credits: 2

This course focuses on the employer-employee relationship and how managers work with employees to improve their performance.

Total Credits: 2

This course examines the tangible and intangible aspects of compensation, through the lens of a total reward philosophy of an organization in order to attract, motivate and retain their human capital.

Total Credits: 2

Innovation and Technology Commercialization Specialization

Innovative management of the process from idea to impact requires the collaboration of multiple players. All participants in the innovation process have their own unique goals and priorities so achieving alignment around a common purpose is a complex task. Also, corporate innovation requires collaboration, not only within the organization, but with multiple external contributors and stakeholders.

The course content is based on Strategic Doing, a proven discipline incubated at Purdue’s Agile Strategy Lab. The same tools and insights have been taught to industry, government, nonprofit and higher education leaders in over 46 states and eight different countries.

Total Credits: 2

This course covers the funding options available to technology entrepreneurs at all stages of the venture's lifecycle from startup to exit, and delves into issues such as deal structures, incentives, business models and valuation.

As part of the course, you will perform due diligence on a real startup and provide a recommendation to the investment committee of a seed fund.

Total Credits: 2

This course takes an in-depth look at how technological innovation affects the competitive dynamics of markets, how firms can strategically manage these dynamics, and how firms and entrepreneurs can create and implement strategies that maximize their likelihood of success.

The course introduces tools, concepts and analytical frameworks that will enhance your ability to define and analyze strategic problems that stem from innovation and technological change, and to identify sources of competitive advantage from both an industry and firm-level perspective.

Upon completing the course, you will be able to understand the foundations and implications of the dynamics of innovation, interpret the technological environment within which a firm operates and identify meaningful patterns, analyze and design strategies for high technology environments, and craft collaboration strategies and strategies for protecting innovation.

Total Credits: 2

This course provides students pursuing management careers an opportunity to apply the knowledge learned from their studies in an applicable area. The course is designed to polish and integrate the knowledge, skills and abilities students have developed from their coursework by successfully developing a solution with an industry partner in a structured fashion.

Course time will be predominately spent with project teammates to provide the answers and deliverables specified by an industry partner over the semester.

Total Credits: 3

Global Supply Chain Management Specialization

The management of operations involves ensuring that the product or service is of high quality, choosing the appropriate design and technology for the production or service process, planning and controlling the flow of parts or customers so that lead times are reduced to minimal levels, and distributing the finished goods or services in a timely manner.

Operations management requires decisions that include identifying which products and services to offer, determining how much capacity is needed, providing a good level of service, and evaluating which technology will best meet a company's needs.

Total Credits: 3

Continues the examination of the linkage between a firm’s product-market strategy and the role of the operations (i.e., production) function initiated in MGMT 66000. Topics include material requirements planning, production activity control and just-in-time systems.

Total Credits: 2

This course will emphasize both planning and control of dynamic supply chain systems. This requires the simulation of plans and required changes over time. Therefore, the course will revolve around active learning computer simulations in SAP. 

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to execute end-to-end business scenarios, choose among several planning methods and develop initial parameters based on supply chain and production capabilities and market intelligence, modify system parameters as necessary, access and analyze operational data from the ERP system, and design a manufacturing planning and control strategy to maximize company value.

Total Credits: 2

This course introduces different phases of managing projects from conception to termination, with particular emphasis on quantitative tools for planning, scheduling, resource allocation, monitoring and control. 

In addition, topics such as risk management, communication and conflict management will be covered. The course will use qualitative frameworks, analytical tools and real-world cases to achieve the learning goals.

Total Credits: 2

With the relentless trend of globalization, procurement has moved from fighting for organizational significance to playing pivotal roles in the success of global firms. In global firms’ profit and loss accounts, the share of material cost and the share of purchased services are growing continuously, underscoring the increasing strategic importance of sourcing and procurement management.

This course will address the process of procurement including terminology, metrics, and decision-making. We will also explore the sourcing decision and the strategic ramifications of producing/providing goods and services internally or purchasing them from external organizations.

Total Credits: 2

This course seeks to both improve your understanding of global supply chain strategies and enhance your analytical skills. The course will present several analytical techniques that aid in making decisions in the real world. In addition, the course will introduce you to various aspects, issues and initiatives in current business operations. 

By the end of this course, you should be able to: apply established frameworks to explain the importance and challenges of globalization in designing supply chain strategies, analyze problems and improvement opportunities in supply chain management and recommend improvements consistent with an organization’s mission and strategy, and develop solutions to real-world cases depicting major strategic issues and trade-offs in global supply chain management.

Total Credits: 2

Supply chain analytics (SCA) focuses on data-driven and rigorous decision-making in supply chain management. It is a complete problem-solving and decision-making process. Furthermore, it integrates a broad set of analytical methodologies that enable the creation of business value.

This course will cover all three SCA categories (descriptive analytics, predictive analytics and prescriptive analytics) and you will gain understanding of the entire analytics process.

Total Credits: 2

Leadership, Negotiation and Change Management Specialization

This course focuses on leadership in organizations and invites you on a journey of personal exploration, understanding and development. Leadership develops over time through repetition, feedback and self-reflection.

The overall goal of this course is to provide information and tools that will guide you toward becoming a more effective leader by increasing your conceptual understanding of key leadership principles and strategies utilized within formal organizations, deepening your knowledge of important interpersonal relationship skills and abilities, and helping discover important insights into oneself and others as a leader (including strengths and weaknesses/opportunities for personal growth).

Total Credits: 2

This course focuses on developing your negotiating skills and making you a more confident negotiator. By the conclusion of this course, you will have improved your ability to diagnose negotiation situations, strategize and plan upcoming negotiations, and engage in more fruitful negotiations, even in situations where you are dealing with difficult negotiation counterparts.

Because negotiating agreements is as much art as science, learning in this course will take place mainly by doing experiential exercises and will draw on negotiations research to supplement this learning.

Total Credits: 2

The purpose of this course is to provide you with essential tools and concepts you need to help create and sustain needed change in your personal and/or professional life, your work teams and your organizations.

The course is taught in an executive-style format intended for working future managers. Emphasis is placed on knowledge application and experiential learning.

Total Credits: 2

This course provides students pursuing management careers an opportunity to apply the knowledge learned from their studies in an applicable area. The course is designed to polish and integrate the knowledge, skills and abilities students have developed from their coursework by successfully developing a solution with an industry partner in a structured fashion.

Course time will be predominately spent with project teammates to provide the answers and deliverables specified by an industry partner over the semester.

Total Credits: 3

Machine Learning and AI Specialization

This course will familiarize students with key information technologies and their underlying methods and techniques that are used to store, manipulate, analyze and exploit large volumes of data.

Total Credits: 2

You will learn how to write computer programs in Python language to solve real-world problems.

Total Credits: 2

This self-paced course will walk you through a high-level overview of the technologies that are considered AI and what is state of the art today.

Total Credits: 1

This industry-agnostic course is focused on training leaders to be able to talk to and manage the people who are collecting data and making inferences from the data, and then making data-driven decisions.

Total Credits: 2

Strategic Change and Transformation Specialization

Innovative management of the process from idea to impact requires the collaboration of multiple players. All participants in the innovation process have their own unique goals and priorities so achieving alignment around a common purpose is a complex task. Also, corporate innovation requires collaboration, not only within the organization, but with multiple external contributors and stakeholders.

The course content is based on Strategic Doing, a proven discipline incubated at Purdue’s Agile Strategy Lab. The same tools and insights have been taught to industry, government, nonprofit and higher education leaders in over 46 states and eight different countries.

Total Credits: 2

This course focuses on leadership in organizations and invites you on a journey of personal exploration, understanding and development. Leadership develops over time through repetition, feedback and self-reflection.

The overall goal of this course is to provide information and tools that will guide you toward becoming a more effective leader by increasing your conceptual understanding of key leadership principles and strategies utilized within formal organizations, deepening your knowledge of important interpersonal relationship skills and abilities, and helping discover important insights into oneself and others as a leader (including strengths and weaknesses/opportunities for personal growth).

Total Credits: 2

The purpose of this course is to provide you with essential tools and concepts you need to help create and sustain needed change in your personal and/or professional life, your work teams and your organizations.

The course is taught in an executive-style format intended for working future managers. Emphasis is placed on knowledge application and experiential learning.

Total Credits: 2

This course is designed to make you familiar with the ins and outs of corporate mergers & acquisitions. To that end, we will cover a wide array of topics related to M&A activities including relevant research evidence and connect the dots with theoretical principles and real-world examples.

Total Credits: 2

Capstone Course — Business Simulation (2 Credits)

Make strategic business decisions under pressure in a simulated real-life scenario. Working with a team, you’ll assume cross-functional roles to broaden your leadership skills. You’ll use data analytics to assess risk management from qualitative and quantitative perspectives.

Total Credits: 2

Electives (6 Credits)

MGMT 57000 — Spreadsheet Modeling and Simulation

MGMT 57100 — Data Mining

MGMT 59000 — Financing New Ventures

MGMT 59000 — Frontiers in C-Suite

MGMT 59000 — Science and Practice of Complex Collaboration

MGMT 59000 — Technology Strategy

MGMT 65420 — Leadership

MGMT 65430 — Negotiations in Organizations

MGMT 69000 — Change Management

MGMT 69000 — Tech Commercialization


This is a sampling of electives and not an exhaustive list; electives are subject to change.

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Make your career goals a reality with Purdue University's Online Master of Business Administration. Call 877-491-0224 to speak with an Enrollment Specialist or request more information.