MBA Program Course Offerings: Spring 2025

Click here for the 2024 – 2025 Academic Calendar

Helpful Dates & Definitions:

Session 1: 1/21/2025 – 3/14/2025
Session 2: 3/17/2025 – 5/9/2025
Full Semester: 1/21/2025 – 5/9/2025

Online: Asynchronous online class
Online-Live: Synchronous online class
Live: Synchronous in-person class

MBA Core Courses

BUA 601 – Strategic Data Analysis

To inform organizational decisions, students will learn to identify business problems, differentiate types of big data, propose a research question, and think critically about which statistical processes and applications will yield insights from the data. 

Offered: Session 1 Online, Session 2 Online

BUA 680 – Foundations of Business Intelligence and Analytics

This course presents the philosophical and technical foundations of business intelligence and analytics.  The philosophical principles of business intelligence and analytics are discussed.  Important fundamental concepts and tools in business intelligence and analytics are introduced using a structured and integrated approach that moves from initial data collection to final decision outcome assessment.  Throughout the course, conditional reasoning and logical thinking in terms of process and systems are emphasized.

Offered: Session 1 Online, Session 2 Online

MBA 609 – Financial Statement Analysis

This course builds on foundational accounting coursework by focusing on the understanding and interpretation of corporate financial statements. Topics typically include analysis of the primary statements via horizontal, vertical, and ratio analysis, DuPont analysis, and financial statement forecasting. 

Offered: Session 1 Online

MBA 626 – Management of Contemporary Organizations

Explores analytical perspectives to understand how individuals organize themselves in accomplishing organizational goals. Topics include organizational structure, culture, teamwork and diversity, the organization and the global environment. 

Offered: Session 1 In-Person (Orono & Portland), Session 2 Online

MBA 637 – Global Supply Chain Networks

An introduction to managing the flow of material, products, services, information, and cash via the processes, technologies, and facilities that link primary suppliers through to ultimate customers. Attention is given to the functions of forecasting, production planning, supply management, production, transportation, inventory, warehousing, packaging, materials handling, and customer service.

Offered: Session 1 Online, Session 2 Online

MBA 651 – Financial Management

Provides a foundation in financial management by integrating topics such as measurement of risk, portfolio theory, interest rate determination, valuation, capital budgeting and cost of capital. 

Offered: Session 1 Online, Session 2 Online

MBA 670 – Managerial Marketing

BUA 670 Managerial Marketing is designed to explore both the theory and application of marketing concepts from a managerial perspective. The course emphasizes marketing decision-making and marketing strategy development through case studies and marketing planning activities. 

Offered: Session 1 Online, Session 2 Online

MBA 649 – Strategic Decision Making 

This capstone course studies administrative practices at the strategic level of business management. Develops administrative competence in the formulation of business policy at the decision-making level through case study or practicums. 

Prerequisites & Notes: MBA students only. Completion of all MBA core courses or permission. Academic Advisor must submit your registration.

Offered: Session 1 Online, Session 2 MaineMBA Academy


General Electives

MBA 695 – Internship

Field experience in business relevant to the student’s educational development and career goals. (Neither past work experience or field experience courses taken at other campuses or universities will be permitted as substitutes.) Only open to MBA students. Course may be repeated, but student may not earn more than 3 internship credits.

Credits: 1-3

Prerequisites & Notes: Permission of Business School Graduate Director or designated appointee.

MBA 698 – Independent Study

Provides an opportunity for well-qualified students to pursue a selected topic in great depth under the supervision of an individual faculty member. The topic is to be determined in consultation with the faculty instructor.

Prerequisites & Notes: Permission of Business School Graduate Director or designated appointee.


Concentration Electives

Accounting

MBA 615 – Accounting Data Analytics

This course will prepare learners to analyze big accounting-related data for the purpose of making strategic business decisions. The analytic mindset will be introduced and potentially reinforced as the conceptual framework to help learners apply the steps required to make strategic data-driven decisions and provide appropriate insights. Hands-on assignments and projects will be provided to help learners apply the concepts to various focus areas, including audit, financial reporting, managerial, and tax. Skillset in using analytics software such as Tableau and/or PowerBi, as well as any relevant new software will be developed in this course.

Offered: Session 1 Online

MBA 610 – Managerial Accounting for Decision Making

This course will introduce you to the analysis and evaluation of accounting information for usage in managerial decision-making. The topics covered include cost behavior and cost estimation, cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis, relevant costs for the decision-maker, mastering the master budget, data analytics concepts, joint costs and decision-making, pricing and revenue optimization, management control systems and transfer pricing, and business strategy, performance measurement, as well as the balance scorecard. These topics will be examined at the graduate level and are relevant to students interested in pursuing the CPA and CMA certifications, as well as to those interested in pursuing entrepreneurship opportunities.

Prerequisites & Notes: This course can be substituted for MBA 609 with permission. Please talk with your advisor for more information.

Offered: Session 2 Online

Blue Economy

SMS 544 – Oceanography & Natural History of the Gulf of Maine

Class examines the basic workings of the Gulf of Maine: its geological history, basic marine biology and oceanography, nutrient dynamics, and various biological processes, from phytoplankton blooms to commercial fisheries and associated management issues. Class will also explore the impacts of human interactions in the Gulf, especially those related to fisheries, pollution, coastal processes and other recent global warming-related changes.

Offered: Full-Semester, Live, W 8:00 – 10:50AM

Business Analytics

BUA 686 – Predictive Analytics & Business Forecasting

This course presents a set of topics in developing analytical methodologies that make prediction and forecasting about future events of interest to business organizations. Students are introduced to managerial techniques and analytical models that reveal valuable information in economic and business data for supporting business planning and decision making. Students will learn how to build the models, how to interpret the predictions and forecasts produced from the models, and how to evaluate the reliability of the model results.

Prerequisites & Notes: BUA 601 or equivalent, or permission from Graduate School of Business.

Offered: Session 1 Online

BUA 683 – Information Visualization

This course presents a variety of data visualization techniques to graphically summarize business data information. Students will learn to create charts, maps, and other visualizations to create effective graphical displays of business data that tell meaningful business stories. Students will also earn to critically evaluate examples from print media and the Internet after learning the foundations of information visualization.

Prerequisites & Notes: BUA 601 or equivalent, or permission from Graduate School of Business.

Offered: Session 2 Online

Engineering Management

ENM 586 – Advanced Project Management

Course covers a wide range of project management topics including project planning, controlling, scheduling, and risk analysis. Through lecture and case studies, students will be prepared to become project management professionals and will learn to bring projects to successful completion. The course also emphasizes the human relations aspects of project management such as team theory and personnel conflict.

Notes: Class will meet synchronously one evening a week to be determined once students are enrolled so that it works for everyone.

Offered: Full-Semester, Online Live, Tu 5:00 – 7:50PM

EET 584 – Engineering Economics

A study of economic theory and applications in engineering and industrial organizations including capitalization, amortization, time value of money, cost comparison analysis, and breakeven value, and the ethics of engineering economic decision making. Also included are personal finance topics as applied to engineering situations and case study.

Offered: Full-Semester, Online

DSE 510 – Data Science & Engineering Practicum

This course provides an introduction of tools and methods used to explore, visualize, and analyze data. It covers practical steps in preparing data for analysis including data cleaning, preprocessing, and data reduction, data structures for supporting efficient data exploration and analysis and visualization methods for gaining insights from data. Students will gain knowledge and experience through applying data science tools and methods to real world data sets. The course will be taught using Python ecosystems of tools that support data science including: NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, and SciPy, among others.

Prerequisites: DSE 502 or SIE 507 or permission of the instructor

Offered: Full-Semester, Online Live, M/W/F 9:00AM – 9:50AM

Finance

MBA 655 – Financial Modeling

Introduces principles and techniques for building financial models in an uncertainty framework. Finance topics are drawn from a variety of areas: personal financial planning, investments, derivatives, and corporate finance. The course will integrate financial, accounting, and statistical concepts and techniques to construct financial models and to perform analyses using MS Excel. Emphasizes the application of financial modeling techniques in identifying and implementing business solutions. The course will be of special interest to students seeking more hands-on experience in constructing financial models.

Offered: Session 1

Prerequisites: Completion of MBA 651

Food Technology Industry Management (courses only open to MBA students in this concentration)

FSN 545 – Utilization of Aquatic Food Resources

Utilization and food quality of wild and farmed aquatic animals including production, chemical/physical properties, nutritional value, post-harvest changes, processing systems, regulatory issues, by-product utilization and food safety. FSN 440 and FSN 545 cannot both be taken for credit.

Offered: Full-Semester, Online

FSN 536 – Food Laws and Regulations

Examination and discussion of federal, international and state laws and regulations applying to the processing, handling, distribution and serving of food products and dietary supplements.

Offered: Full-Semester, Online

Geospatial Technologies

GEO 505 – Remote Sensing

Theory and techniques of image processing and analysis for remotely sensed digital data acquired from airplane and satellite platforms. Topics include image enhancement and classifications, spectral analysis, and landscape change detection techniques. Practical applications of natural and built landscapes are considered using remotely sensed datasets and techniques.

Offered: Full Semester, Online

GEO 508 – Geographic Information Systems I

Students are introduced to vector-based geographical information systems (GIS). Topics include overviews of geospatial technologies, spatial analysis, GIS data, system operation, the interpretation of results, and professional practices. The course comprises a weekly lecture and laboratory. Students are evaluated with tests, laboratory assignments, and on the basis of a substantial project.

Offered: Full Semester, Online

GEO 518 – Geographic Information Systems II

Students explore the use of geographical information systems (GIS) in research and professional environments. Building upon knowledge and skills developed in GEO 308, students design and execute a substantial project. Project design focuses on generating hypotheses, planning time lines and individual work assignments, and identifying technical and data resources. Projected execution is undertaken using a variety of raster, vector, and graphical user interface (GUI) software, as appropriate.

Prerequisites: Completion of Geographic Information Systems I (GEO 308 or GEO 508)

Offered: Full Semester, Online

Global Policy (Orono Only)

SPI 502 – Contemporary Issues in World Economics

This course provides a higher level understanding of how the world economy actually works; its relation to economic growth, the distribution of wealth, sustainable development, culture, and political power.

Offered: Full Semester, Live, Tu/Th 9:30 – 10:45AM

Healthcare Systems

MPH 539 – Topics in Public Health: Tribal Public Health

The course focuses on current topics in public health with an emphasis on special populations, diseases, or events. The course is designed to address public health concerns that are timely and relevant; topics will rotate periodically in response to student demand and/or emerging public health issues. Prior topics have included infectious disease, obesity, global health, child health, and substance use disorders.

Offered: Full Semester, Online

MPH 565 – Social & Behavioral Health

The goal of this course is to encourage students to critically think about the multiple factors that influence population health. The course focuses on social and behavioral determinants and the use of theory and planning frameworks to address public health problems. Students will have the opportunity to apply theory, assess the needs and assets of a community, design a program using a planning framework, and develop a program theory of change, or logic model to conceptualize a public health intervention.

Offered: Full Semester, Online Live (TBD)

MPH 660 – Health Policy

Students gain an understanding of the political dynamics of health policy making and develop practical skills in policy analysis, policy communication, and health care public health advocacy. The course uses analytic models, case studies, guest speakers, readings, group discussion, and mock legislative testimony to promote a practical understanding of how ideas succeed-and fail-to become laws and regulations.

Prerequisites: Completion of American Health Systems (MPH 525)

Offered: Full Semester, Online Live (M 5:00 – 7:30pm)

MPH 670 – Quality Improvement

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the principles and practice of quality improvement as implemented by providers of healthcare, systems of care, community health and public health agencies. Course content focuses on describing, measuring, improving, and evaluating the quality and safety of health services for consumers and populations. Students develop competencies in identifying opportunities for quality improvement, selecting and using quality improvement tools and methods, and presenting their work in a professional context.

Offered: Full Semester, Online

Human Nutrition (courses only open to MBA students in this concentration)

FSN 506 – Nutrition Assessment

Covers methods of evaluating the nutritional status of individuals or groups of people by dietary assessment and nutrition-related health indicators.

Offered: Full-Semester, Online

FSN 542 – Sustainability, Nutrition & Health

This course explores sustainable practices when growing, processing, transporting, distributing, choosing, preparing, and consuming food and how these practices affect the tripod of sustainability, i.e. environment, society (health) and economy in the context of the “Farm to Healthy Body” model. Applications for health professionals are addressed.

Offered: Full-Semester, Online

Outdoor Industry Management

Please check back later for updates.

Public and Non-Profit Management

PPM 515 – Organizational Leadership

This foundational course considers contemporary perspectives, issues and strategies regarding the management of public sector organizations, the importance of public service and provides a basic understanding of public management theory and the application of theory to governmental and other public and nonprofit sector institutions. Topics covered include a wide range of public management concerns, leadership styles, emotional intelligence, persuasive communication, team building, decision making, organizational culture and change. The course prepares students to become managers and leaders of public and not-for-profit institutions who can enhance the capability of these institutions. The course presents a realistic view of effective management and leadership in government and nonprofit organizations and the ways in which these organizations work and interact and focuses on the creation of social and public value, keeping in mind that economic and private value creation is often a part of public and non-profit management.

Offered: Session 1, Online Live (TBD)

PPM 531 – Measuring Performance in Public & Nonprofit Management

This course is an introduction to performance measurement, monitoring, and reporting and related activities such as benchmarking for consumer and citizen use, and service efforts and accomplishments reporting. Students who complete the course will be prepared to develop basic performance indicators for public and nonprofit agencies in a variety of policy and management arenas. Specific attention is given to reviewing a variety of performance indicator systems. An emphasis will be placed on “hands-on” learning so that students gain confidence in using measurement techniques and learn how to apply practical measurement strategies in real world settings.

Offered: Full Semester, Online Live W 7:00 – 9:30PM

PPM 545 – Grant Writing and Development

Concentrates on the process of securing the resources to support effective nonprofit projects. The goal of the course is to prepare students to identify sources of funding, write proposals that will attract grant awards, and develop an understanding of what it takes to build an organization, which foundations, public entities, and individual donors are confident in supporting. The course will begin with an examination of current trends in this post-industrial economy in which money is available to the voluntary and private sector. It will also focus on the importance of understanding the “ways of money” and knowing how to develop and administer a budget that will inspire trust in the organization’s reputation for effectively managing its programs and its fiscal resources.

Offered: Full Semester, Online Live M 4:10 – 6:40PM

PPM 630 – Leading Resiliency in Times of Change

This course offers students a conceptual framework for understanding the role of public and nonprofit organizations in a market economy and democratic society and the challenges in times of change. Public and nonprofit leaders make decisions in increasingly net worked environments that are characterized by uncertainty, resource constraints, competition for human resources, barriers to coordination as well as political, policy and community challenges. Recent world events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, economic and social unrest, and threats from climate change have all brought into focus the need for greater resiliency at many different levels. Students will consider the unique social, economic and policy environment in which public and nonprofit organizations reside in Maine and nationally, and identify innovative strategic, governance, and management approaches in supporting resiliency, preparedness, mitigation measures, response capabilities and recovery mechanisms.

Offered: Full Semester, Online Live, Tu 7:00 – 9:30PM

Sustainability

PPM 512 – Sustainable Communities

The course is to introduce the student to one current approach to community planning, known as sustainable communities, which embraces a holistic approach to community development as a goal to be pursued in the complex interplay among natural, economic, and social systems. The course aims to establish command of the basic concepts, principles, policies, and obstacles associated with sustainable development, sustainable communities, and, as a practical example, smart growth.

Offered: Full Semester, Online

PPM 564 – Planning and Design Studio

This course addresses a range of community design and site design issues at the local level. It requires a student to become familiar with literature on town design, conduct field observations and measurements, perform limited land use ordinance research, and communicate design observations and ideas in writing, through drawing, by using photographs, newspaper research, as well as in class discussions.

Offered: Full Semester, Online Live, M 7:00 – 9:30PM