The Second Year
Professional field work. Internships. Consulting projects. Intensive course work.

 

Marshall's commitment to experiential education dominates the second year of the MBA program. You can spend the summer months following the end of the first year with an internship that brings business concepts to life or travel overseas for additional study. Many students take advantage of Marshall's network of exchange partners and arrange to spend a semester abroad as part of the MBA International Exchange Program. By taking advantage of opportunities to study or work abroad, you can learn other languages, work for companies in other countries and prepare for the realities of a career in an international setting. The result is an indelible encounter that shapes your perspective and professional abilities with a distinct global sensibility.

Whether the second year begins in another country or at Marshall, it offers you the opportunity to pursue elective courses in your chosen area of concentration. You have the flexibility to design a program that best suits your interests and career goals.

Your options during the second year are virtually limitless. You may choose to take elective coursework in one or two areas of concentration, design an individualized program of study that cuts across several concentrations or select courses from other schools within the university.

Concentrations

Elective Kourse Guide (EKG)

Accounting
Marshall's renowned Leventhal School of Accounting offers a broad range of coursework to prepare MBA students for careers in accounting and related fields. Areas of concentration include corporate financial reporting and designing and re-engineering management accounting and control systems.

 

Bill West MBA '79,
Vice President/Controller
Mays Chemical

"I visit the campus two to three times a year and it's always a highlight to meet with current students. For the last 25 years, USC's international approach has been a special area of strength. The Pacific Rim has experienced a lot of growth and has made an impact on the world economy. By recruiting students from that area and developing corporate support, USC has taken an excellent approach to cultivating a dynamic relationship with the region."

Bill West specialized in accounting with a concentration in management advisory services. After graduating, he became a Certified Public Accountant in 1980 and credits his MBA degree with subtracting a year from his experience requirements for certification. Today, as Vice President/Controller of Mays Chemical, an Indianapolis-based wholesale distributor of industrial raw materials to major manufacturers in the Fortune 1000, West maintains a deep commitment to Marshall.

Business of Entertainment
Offered for those interested in working in the entertainment industry, this course of study combines both the essential analytical skills and industry knowledge needed to succeed in the fast moving worlds of film, television and other entertainment-related areas. Training in functional disciplines such as marketing, finance and accounting are combined with courses at the prestigious USC School of Cinema/Television to complete this concentration. Economics and Finance of the Entertainment Industry.

 

John Reith MBA '77,
Vice President, Corporate Audit,
SONY

"I thrived in the MBA Program. I had the most wonderful experience. I was willing and ready to accept the intellectual challenge and really responded to that environment."

As the Vice President of Audit for SONY Corporation of America, John Reith oversees a staff of 60 and has direct responsibility for SONY Pictures Entertainment, SONY Music Entertainment, SONY Computer Entertainment and SONY Electronics in the United States

Business of Entrepreneurship
Dedicated to developing the abilities needed to start or manage a rapidly growing business, Marshall's Entrepreneur Program provides an exceptionally balanced range of business skills. Courses covering financial, managerial, legal and operational aspects of managing new independent and corporate ventures are team-taught by faculty and working professionals from a range of industries. The program emphasizes experiential learning to help students assess feasibility and business plan development.

 

Tom O'Malia
Director,
Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Study,

"Entrepreneurship is about creating value for yourself and your firm, based on open thinking, accepting personal responsibility and pursuing a venture with tireless passion. The opposite of specialization and bureaucracy, it is the future of business in the 21st century. When you leave the Entrepreneur Program, you will control your own destiny."

A self-professed "recovering entrepreneur" who has spent his entire professional life turning troubled companies and start ups into successful ventures, Tom O'Malia brings a unique perspective to the classroom.

Finance and Business Economics
This department seeks to examine the decision-making process and the role of markets in the allocation of both real and financial resources. Balanced emphasis is placed on both primary theory and its application to business problems. Areas of concentration include corporate finance, finance-marketing, financial analysis, investments and real estate.

  • Economics of Pricing, Compensation and Control
  • The Financial System
  • Financial Institutions
  • Macroeconomic Analysis for Business
  • Financial Analysis and Valuation
  • Corporate Financial Policy and Corporate Control
  • Corporate Financial Strategy
  • Applied Finance in Fixed Income Securities
  • Microeconomic Forecasting
  • Economics and Finance of the Entertainment Industry
  • Trading and Exchanges
  • Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management
  • Seminar in Applied Portfolio Management
  • The Legal Environment of Finance
  • Management of Financial Risk
  • Current Issues in International Finance
  • Theory of International Trade
  • International Financial Management
  • Economics of Urban Land Use:
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Practicum in Real Estate
  • Advanced Real Estate Law Real Estate Analysis
  • Advanced Real Estate Analysis
  • Advanced Real Estate Valuation: Theory and Case Studies None
  • Financial Management for Developing Firms

     

Health Care Advisory Services
Offered in association with the USC School of Public Administration, this course of study has been developed to meet the rapidly expanding needs of the health care industry. The curriculum has been designed to provide the background necessary for careers in both an analytical or advisory capacity within hospitals, health maintenance organizations, government agencies and consulting firms.

  • Problems and Issues in the Health Care Field
  • Management Service Operations
  • Design of High Performing Organizations
  • Management of Managed Care Organizations
  • Management of Long-Term Care Organizations
  • Financial Management of Health Services
  • Legal Issues in Health Care Delivery
  • Seminar in Hospital Administration
  • Administration of Mental Health Services
  • Wellness in the Workplace
  • Advanced Seminar in Health Service Administration

Information and Operations Management
This department focuses on an understanding of the processes through which businesses produce goods and services to meet consumers' expectations of service, quality, delivery, performance and cost. Coursework prepares students for careers in areas such as materials planning, quality management, information systems analysis, information technology, data analysis and analytical modeling.

  • Logistics and Distribution Systems
  • Information Graphics
  • Applied Time Series Analysis for Forecasting
  • Research Methods for Business
  • Quality Improvement Methods
  • Quantitative Methods for Management Consulting
  • Managerial Decision Analysis
  • Information Systems Management
  • End-User Computing in Business
  • Business Modeling and Simulation
  • Information Systems Analysis
  • Database Management
  • Decision Support Systems
  • Information Systems Management for Global Operations
  • Information Systems Strategy
  • Fast Response Management Systems
  • Managing Electronic Commerce
  • Business Process Re-engineering Methodologies
  • Manufacturing Strategy
  • Management of Service Operations

Management and Organization
Created to balance the theory and practice of the management role in modern business, this department provides a foundation for careers in fields as diverse as management consulting, strategic human resources management and the management of technology and innovation. Coursework emphasizes the latest developments in areas such as corporate culture, leadership and the use of power, organizational reward and incentive systems, strategic planning and policy analysis, information technology, management control systems and business-government relations.

  • Political and Social Issues in Business
  • Management in a Global Economy
  • Leadership Seminar on Social Justice
  • Crisis Management and Environmentalism
  • Human Resource Management
  • Cross-Cultural and Comparative International Management
  • Employee Involvement, Motivation and Performance
  • Organization Development and Change
  • Design of High Performing Organizations
  • Management Consulting
  • Strategic Management of Industrial Technology
  • Business Re-engineering and Transformation
  • Executive Decision-Making
  • Managing Technology and Innovation
  • Strategy and Organization Managing in Japan
  • Strategic Model Building
  • Future Business Environment
  • Negotiation and Persuasion
  • Perspectives on Leadership

Marketing
Dedicated to the disciplines of managing clients and products, this concentration focuses on the processes by which needs for products and services are anticipated and satisfied through the conception, promotion, exchange and distribution of these products and services. The comprehensive curriculum prepares you for exciting careers in brand management, industrial marketing, product planning, market research, market forecasting and modeling, international marketing and sales management.

  • Marketing and Consumer Research
  • Consumer Behavior
  • Advertising and Promotion Strategy
  • Account Management
  • Product Planning
  • Services Marketing
  • Business Marketing Management
  • Marketing Models
  • Market Demand and Sales Forecasting
  • Marketing Channels
  • Marketing Strategy and Policy
  • Seminar in Marketing Theory
  • Global Marketing
  • Contemporary Marketing Problems
  • Business Field Project in Marketing

 

Tania Modic MBA Í74
Founder and Principal,
Western Investments, Inc.

"The Marshall MBA gives you the ability to convert obstacles to stepping stones."

After serving as the youngest vice president in the history of Bank of America, Tania Modic became the Chief Operating Officer for Millers Outpost. Today, she runs her own company, Western Investments, and specializes in analyzing both public and private proposals to match investors with opportunities.