Master of Business Administration — Online MBA

The online MBA curriculum can be completed in as few as 16 months. Online MBA courses sharpen your business skills by offering you a choice to complete your degree with a major, a choice of five concentrations, or a combination of concentrations.

Major/One Concentration: 44 Credits
Dual Concentration: 47 Credits
Triple Concentration: 53 Credits

See the Degree Requirements Checklist to assist in planning your MBA program.

Core Online MBA Courses

The following courses are required for all degree options:

Financial Reporting and Analysis, 3 Credits

Surveys concepts underlying financial accounting and external reporting. Provides an understanding of accounting methods, standards, and terminology so that students can interpret and evaluate financial statements. Students are encouraged to participate in class and group discussions involving contemporary investment issues and decisions.

Fundamentals of Analytics, 3 Credits

Focuses on data analysis for the purpose of measurement, inference, quality and productivity improvement, and improved managerial decision making. Exploratory data analysis, graphical analysis, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and techniques such as regression are covered.

Managing People, Teams and Organizations, 3 Credits

Develops a knowledge base and requisite skills for managing individual, group, and organizational processes through the use of diagnostic models, cases, and/or simulated exercises.

Economic Analysis for Business Policy, 3 Credits

Business-oriented overview of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory. Approximately two-thirds of the course will focus on microeconomics and one-third on macroeconomics.

Operations Management and Management Science, 3 Credits

Topics include decision analysis tools, mathematical programming, operations strategy, process management, and planning and inventory management concepts. Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Analytics

Ethical Issues in Domestic and Global Business Environments, 3 Credits

Topics include ethics in organizations, and problems and challenges dealing with external environment demands including global issues.

Marketing Management, 3 Credits

Management of marketing functions in modern profit and non-profit enterprises. Introduction to the marketing management process. Prerequisites: Financial reporting and Analysis & Economic Analysis for Business Policy

Financial Management, 3 Credits

Provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of the finance function with an emphasis on the decision-making techniques relevant to financial and nonfinancial managers. Topics include valuation, risk and return, capital budgeting, cost of capital, financial analysis and planning, and working capital management. Prerequisite: Financial reporting and Analysis

Corporate Strategy, 3 Credits

Emphasizes total organization function and performance in a global environment. Examines general management responsibilities for determining objectives and future strategies and seeking commitment for their implementation, integrates functional course concepts to enhance decision making and communication skills through individual and group analyses of specific companies. Prerequisites: Financial Management, Operations Management and Management Science, Leadership and Organizational Behavior, and Marketing Management

Professional Development Seminars: Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking, 1 Credit

Centers on decision-making as a critical leadership competency. You will see how decision makers learn to use both the emotional and rational sides of their brains to avoid being overwhelmed by their own emotional and cognitive biases. In this course, we will explore emotional intelligence and critical thinking as techniques for managing these biases to improve our decision-making and performance.

You will identify your default behavioral and decision-making preferences and biases through the use of a powerful self-assessment commonly used in large organizations as part of the recruitment and hiring process. Once you understand your natural preferences, you will examine how they may enable or thwart you in your leadership journey.

Professional Development Seminars: Communicating, Branding and Career Networking, 1 Credit

Learning to communicate, network, and build a personal and leadership brand is useful in any role and in any type of organization, and essential to long-term success. This 1-credit course (12 contact hours total), is part of the required MBA program workshop series, taught in conjunction with BUEC 601 on Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking. There are no pre-requisites, apart from formal admission into the MBA program. This course is designed to be delivered as a series of 4, 3-hour workshops offered throughout a full semester of the MBA program.

Degree Options Courses

Prepare for excellence in your industry with your choice of areas of emphasis.

Business Analytics Concentration

The business analytics concentration consists of any three of the following courses, as well as two courses from other degree options.

Business Analytics Capstone, 3 Credits

Analytics leverages both the proliferation of data and the advancement of computational tools to bring a new level of sophistication to business decision making. As a capstone experience, this course places students in the role of Business Data Analyst. Students will work on large real-world datasets to recommend courses of action to businesses. All phases of the analytics process from data capture to creation of an analytics-driven recommendation or prototype solution will be practiced.

Data Mining for Business Analytics, 3 Credits

Introduces fundamental strategies and methodologies for data mining along with the concepts underlying them, and will provide hands-on experience with a variety of different techniques in a business setting. Students will learn to use data mining tools.

Decision Analytics and Visualization, 3 Credits

Analytics leverages both the proliferation of data and the advancement of computational tools to bring a new level of sophistication to business decision making. As part of developing an analytic mind and skillset, this course teaches students to properly frame decision problems, represent and understand how to manage uncertainty inherent in those problems, manipulate large data sets using modern software to prescribe recommended actions, and to then compel organizational change through data visualizations.

Database Design and Implementation, 3 Credits

Introduces the fundamentals of modern database concepts. Covers relational database design and implementation techniques, as well as the current relational database standard - the structured query language (SQL). Explore advanced topics such as big data analytics.

Finance Concentration

The finance concentration consists of the following three courses, as well as two courses from other degree options.

Financial Modeling and Valuation, 3 Credits

Financial modeling techniques to value IPOs, mergers, private equity transactions, and leveraged buyouts. Explore the economic principles supporting these techniques and apply them to various transaction types using real financial data. Focus is on bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Corporate Financial Analysis, 3 Credits

Examines major policy-making areas in corporate finance and the impact of alternative policies on the value of the firm. Emphasis is placed on strengthening financial decision-making skills. Advanced topics include capital investment policy, financing and capital structure policies, dividend policy, and corporate control. Prerequisite: Financial Management.

Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management, 3 Credits

Examines the role and functioning of securities markets, valuation techniques, and the theory and practice of portfolio management. Topics include portfolio construction and evaluation metrics, relative valuation techniques and an introduction to derivative security pricing. Prerequisite: Financial Management.

Healthcare Management Concentration or Major

The healthcare concentration consists of the first three courses below. The healthcare major consists of all five courses listed below.

Population Health Informatics, 3 Credits

Integrates knowledge of healthcare information technology and public health data to support and facilitate individual and population health management and improvement. Focuses on the analysis and application of information technologies that support the provision of care including social context, availability of technology, and structure of information along with legal, regulatory, and ethical concerns. Emerging technologies and contemporary issues are highlighted.

E-Service Management in Healthcare, 3 Credits

The rapid pace of technological change as it relates to connectivity and communications is having a significant impact on healthcare service delivery. Due to enhanced mobility and the proliferation of faster service solutions in nearly all sectors of industry, customer expectations have arguably increased at a fundamental level. How can the healthcare industry adapt to this paradigmatic shift and yet provide high level of assurance expected of it in terms of the quality service? By taking this course, students will be able to evaluate, design and articulate e-service solutions in the healthcare industry. Concepts related to technology and e-services will be applied to a healthcare context using academic articles, industry reports and case studies.

Patient Experience and Engagement, 3 Credits

This course engages the healthcare community in critical issues facing the healthcare industry today. Due to CMS (Center for Medicare & Medical Services), HCAHPS and CGCAHPS requirements; as well as intense industry competition, the effectiveness of healthcare delivery is being measured by the quality of related direct and indirect services, including quality of accommodations, communication, and other auxiliary services. Many of these services are not medical in nature, rather they relate directly to patient experience and creating a culture of patient engagement. The goal is to make hospitals and medical practices truly hospitable and prepare current and future healthcare providers, doctors, NPs, nurses, healthcare scientists, students and allied healthcare professionals to deeply connect to the emotional side of patient care and experience. These emotional experiences, especially sensory landscape, effective communicating, and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, are critical to patient engagement, patient confidence, and healing. Current hospital staff and future hospital managers need to be better prepared to face the changing healthcare environment and the increased focus on a total patient experience and engagement.

Leadership and Innovation in Population Health, 3 Credits (for Major only)

Examines theories of leadership and models of change and innovation in healthcare. Gain a systems perspective useful in analyzing the leadership and management needs of healthcare organizations. Examine the key drivers affecting contemporary healthcare delivery. Special emphasis will be placed on developing leaders capable of leading innovation and change in healthcare.

Policy and Finance for Healthcare Delivery, 3 Credits (for Major only)

Examines nursing leadership required for population health evaluation and service delivery with a specific focus on policy development and healthcare financing. Gain knowledge needed to position doctor ally-prepared nurses to develop, implement and evaluate policies, programs and financing structures to support innovative methods of decreasing rates of disease and increasing wellness to improve population health.

Strategic Leadership Concentration or Major

The strategic leadership concentration consists of the first course below as well as two courses from remaining four listed. The strategic leadership major consists of all five courses listed below.

Advanced Topics in Leadership and Teams (required), 3 Credits

Offers an in-depth perspective of leadership and an analysis of teams and teamwork. Emphasizes the practical application of theoretical concepts. Prerequisite: Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Positive Leadership Theory and Practice, 3 Credits

Using the framework of positive leadership, we will see how by leveraging the evolutionary advantage provided by positive emotion we can help our employees both broaden their thinking to be better problem solvers, who are more creative and innovative, while also building important psychological resources for the future including improving resilience in times of difficulty, creating stronger connections and a sense of purpose at work.

Negotiation & Conflict Resolution, 3 Credits

Explores the strategy and psychology of negotiation and conflict resolution, including topics such as effective preparation and understanding the role of communication, emotions, and relationships. Simulated negotiations provide the opportunity to put knowledge into practice and acquire feedback on negotiation and conflict resolution skills throughout the semester.

Leadership in International Business Cultures, 3 Credits

Leaders in organizations increasingly are called upon to be effective across multiple boundaries, such as different societies and language groups, national cultures, regional subcultures, and levels of economic development. Examines the understanding and develops the ability to create connections and promote collaboration across boundaries.

Managing the Global Enterprise, 3 Credits

Focuses on the development of business strategies and management practices for managing the multinational business organization.

Strategic Leadership & Change, 3 Credits

Examines the organizational processes that influence the ability of organizations to successfully manage change and innovation. Designed to impart theoretical understanding as well as practical tools and frameworks for the management of change and innovation. Prerequisite: BUAD 670

International Business Concentration

The international business concentration consists of three of the following courses, as well as two courses from other degree options.

Managing the Global Enterprise, 3 Credits

Focuses on the development of business strategies and management practices for managing the multinational business organization.

Globalization and Business, 3 Credits

Assesses environmental, institutional, industrial, strategic, and organizational features of globalization and business. Considers frameworks that guide managers' understanding of globalization and business, how managers interpret the challenges and opportunities of globalization and the implications of globalization to professional development.

The Future of Globalization, 3 Credits

BUAD 848 assesses the professional, economic, political, cultural, and institutional opportunities and challenges that individuals face in the global business environment. Analytics center on explaining the causes and consequences of the expanding integration of nations. Course materials tap varied resources, including contemporary analyses, multimedia profiles, and decision simulations. Class design taps various pedagogies, including research reports, position papers, discussion boards, and objective assessment. Class delivery leverages online technologies that support the “testing effect” and asynchronous assignments, activities, and assessments.

Leadership in International Business Cultures, 3 Credits

Focuses on cultural similarities and differences worldwide and how they affect managers' effectiveness. Attention is given to general cultural dimensions as well as specific cultural practices with a special emphasis on cross-cultural communications.

International Marketing Management, 3 credits

BUAD 882 introduces students to the international marketing management process. The course exposes students to theoretical concepts and analytical tools related to the design and implementation of international marketing strategy. Topics include (1) context of international marketing strategy, such as major trends in the political, legal, economic, technological, environmental, demographic and sociocultural segments, (2) the tools of international marketing research, such as consumer research, market segmentation, positioning and competitor analysis, (3) the decision-making process that drives international market entry and marketing strategy implementation.

UD also offers an online Master of Science in International Business.

General Electives

Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Technology Commercialization, 3 Credits

This course introduces students to a repeatable methodology for the development of viable business models and provides an overview of the technology commercialization process. Entrepreneurial thinking, unique characteristics of technology markets and business concepts germane to entrepreneurial contexts are emphasized.

Customer Experience Management, 3 Credits

This course examines services as experiences and provides students with a hands-on understanding of services marketing theory and application. Nearly all businesses, including those that are dominantly manufacturing-driven, have some element of service incorporated into their offerings. The concepts and frameworks in the course are applicable across a wide range of industries and workplace settings.

Multiple Concentrations

If you want to pursue one or more of the concentrations listed above, the UD online MBA allows you to take any combination of concentrations. This will deepen your level of customized knowledge and prepare you for your chosen career path.

Customized Degree Option

If you’re interested in a particular selection of electives to match your career goals, the online MBA allows you to select any 5 electives of your choice from the finance, healthcare, strategic leadership, or international business areas.

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Admissions Requirements:

The admissions requirements for this program are:

1. A bachelor's degree in any academic background from a regionally accredited institution
2. GPA of at least 2.8
3. 2 years of work experience
4. GRE/GMAT scores. An exam waiver is available based on GPA, work, and math education history. An exam waiver may also be available to bachelor's graduates of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at UD. Speak to an admissions counselor to see if you qualify for an exam waiver.

Tuition

The tuition for this program is $950 per credit hour. If you choose the general or one concentration degree option (44 credit-hours), total tuition is $41,800. Total tuition increases if you select a double or triple concentration degree option. The double concentration degree option is 47 credits; a total of $44,650.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long does it take to complete this program?
   The online MBA can take as few as 16 months to complete, however, you can complete it at a pace that’s best for you.
2. When can I begin the program?
   The program has six starts throughout the year. Contact an admissions counselor for specific term application deadline and class start dates.
3. Does this program require any on-site residencies?
   No, you will not be required to visit the campus at any time for this program, however, online students are always welcome to visit the campus.
4. Is this program accredited?
   Yes. The online MBA at the University of Delaware is delivered through the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, which has been accredited by AACSB International (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) for more than 50 years. AACSB accreditation is the highest standard of accreditation for business schools in the world, and a distinction fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide have earned.
5. How do I apply for financial aid?
   Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://fafsa.ed.gov/. The University of Delaware’s school code is 001431. Federal financial aid for graduate programs is not determined based on need (as it is at the undergraduate level). Federal Unsubsidized loans are a very common source of funding for our grad students. Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per year.
6. Are there opportunities for career networking and career coaching?
   Yes. Online students have full access to Lerner’s Career Services, which focuses only on Lerner students. The goal of the UD MBA is to help students and graduates explore and expand their career opportunities with a variety of opportunities such as personal career assessments, networking events, business leader speaker series, virtual workshops, career fairs, and more. Learn more about Lerner’s career resources here.
7. Is tutoring available in the program?
   Yes. Online students may schedule tutoring sessions as needed for the following two courses: BUAD820 – Fundamentals of Analytics, and ECON503 – Economic Analysis for Business Policy. There is no additional cost for this service.
8. Will I have the opportunity to collaborate with peers online?
   Yes. Coursework in the online MBA program frequently requires collaboration among classmates for case studies, seminars, and other program experiences. Weekly virtual office hours are also available in many classes to speak with the faculty. You can also schedule time for one on one conferences with your faculty as needed.

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