MBA Academics & Curriculum

The accounting area of emphasis prepares students for accounting positions available in various industries and institutions. Students may either seek employment in the corporate or governmental arena or opt to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam if they have an interest in public accounting. Students who intend to earn the CPA certificate should refer to the State of Colorado Board of Accountancy website for detailed information and exam requirements.

The Accounting emphasis in the MBA program requires students to complete four specialized courses (12 credits) in accounting. Students who do not have an undergraduate accounting degree take an additional five undergraduate courses in accounting.

For students with an undergraduate degree in accounting:

The Cybersecurity Management emphasis provides professionals with foundations in the fundamental business disciplines along with a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity concepts and technologies. Data breaches and cyber threats create significant risks for organizations dependent on sensitive information. This area of emphasis will enhance students’ understanding of the complexities involved with the adoption of security technologies, achieving regulatory compliance, and implementing cybersecurity programs to mitigate risks and secure information assets. Overall, the program will enable professionals to effectively govern cybersecurity in an organization.

The Cybersecurity Management emphasis in the MBA program requires students to complete the three courses from the list below plus one approved elective:

All organizations, large and small, must effectively invest and manage their capital. The finance function is critical in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Job opportunities exist for finance graduates in almost all industries including the financial services industry and positions within the finance area of corporations. Finance graduates manage capital for large organizations and their independent business units as well as small organizations.

The Finance emphasis in the MBA program requires students to complete three courses from the list below plus one additional MBA elective:

The General MBA provides you with a comprehensive education that allows you to tailor your degree toward your interests in various areas of business.  Students may choose two MBA electives from any area including topics in Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship and New Ventures, Human Resources, and more.  Online or in the classroom, the General MBA provides personalization that can meet your career goals.   

To pursue the General MBA, select the general emphasis on the application.

The General MBA requires students to complete two elective courses offered by the Graduate School of Business Administration from any of the emphasis areas.

The many changes in government laws and regulations, technology, societal needs, and insurance plans have created a large need for administrative and business education for health care professionals.

MBA students pursuing the Health Care Administration Emphasis will take the four courses from the list below:

Innovation has become a critical driver of business success in today’s economy.  Innovation can be defined as successfully implementing a new idea in an organization. Innovation can be based on new technology, but it can also simply be a new way of doing something. Innovation can take place anywhere - in new startup firms, established corporations, or nonprofit organizations. Students completing the Innovation Management emphasis will learn how to manage the process of innovation to create value in their organizations through new products, new processes, or new business models.

The MBA Innovation Management Emphasis requires students to complete three courses from the list below plus one additional elective:

In today’s highly competitive global environment, a premium is placed on skilled managers who know how to motivate and lead people. This area of emphasis addresses these issues and other contemporary issues in management. Additionally, the changing roles of managers and leaders at management levels within the organization are explored. The Management emphasis also focuses on the development and maintenance of effective relationships between employers and employees.

The MBA Management Emphasis requires students to complete three courses from the list below plus one additional MBA elective:

An effective marketing program is necessary for the success of any business organization. Through the marketing efforts of a firm, products and services are designed and delivered that maximize customer satisfaction. Students choosing the marketing area of emphasis may find exciting careers in such diverse fields as product management, professional selling, customer support, advertising, and marketing research. The marketing curriculum is designed to give the student hands-on marketing experience through applied classes and projects.

The MBA Marketing emphasis requires students to complete three courses from the list below plus one additional MBA elective:

The Project Management emphasis area prepares students to manage organizations that rely on projects for the achievement of goals.  The courses focus on approaches that improve project performance from the perspective of project team members, project managers, or functional managers who rely on projects for implementing new practices and addressing organizational change.    Graduates of the Project Management emphasis can pursue opportunities as project managers, project support managers, or traditional management careers as projects touch many aspects of organizational initiatives.

The MBA Project Management emphasis requires students to complete three courses from the list below plus one additional MBA elective: 

The Sport Management emphasis provides professionals with a strong business core focusing on leadership, strategic management, finance, and accounting together with a critical emphasis core addressing sport governance, sport development, sport marketing, revenue generation in sport, innovative organization behavior, sport law, and the ethical challenges in sport. The emphasis classes have been designed intentionally so that they are directly relevant to professionals who currently work in or have aspirations to work in Olympic and International Sport, professional sport, interscholastic and collegiate athletics, and youth sport and recreation. Ultimately, the program aims to equip professionals with the key managerial tools that will enhance their ability to seek entry into or promotion within the sport industry.

MBA students pursuing the Sport Management Emphasis will take the four courses from the list below: