MBA Direct – Early Career Track, Fall Term Start
Each semester is split into two-seven-week sections. Some courses will continue from Module A to Module B, while others will conclude at the end of Module A and students will switch into a new course at the beginning of Module B.
Each course meeting is live one time per week for 90 minutes over Zoom.
Electives can be taken online or on-campus, depending on preference and availability of courses.
The program is 53 credit hours, which includes one immersion (2 credit hours).
| Term | Module A | Module B |
| Fall Term One (8 hours) |
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| Spring Term Two (8 hours) |
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| Summer Term Three (6 hours) |
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| Fall Term Four (8 hours) |
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| Spring Term Five (6 hours) |
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| Summer Term Six (5 hours) |
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| Fall Term Seven (6 hours) |
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| Spring Term Eight (6 hours) |
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Curriculum Highlight: Immersion Experiences
A key component to the MBA Direct curriculum at SMU Cox is an international immersion. You will participate in one in-person immersion, offered in a pre-selected international location during your final year in the MBA program. This immersion includes six days of engagement with corporate executives, faculty and student peers. You will explore and apply leadership skills and analytical knowledge, and lead real-world consulting projects managed in the local market.
MBA Direct Curriculum and Courses
Term 1
This course has been designed to cater to the vast majority of you who have spent the early part of your career as individual contributors in your respective organizations. You have probably been praised and rewarded for your technical skills and individual performance. However, sooner or later you will be (or have been) promoted to a position where you are in charge of others and your results depend on their performance. Success in managing others requires you to understand the subtle (and not so subtle) dynamics of human behavior that lead to commitment, motivation, performance, and ultimately, results. This course introduces you to some of the concepts and skills you need to master in order to become an effective manager and leader in your organization. By deriving principles and frameworks based on scientific evidence from the field of organizational behavior, this course will expose you to contemporary management thinking with an emphasis on driving results.
Credits: 4
By deriving principles and frameworks based on scientific evidence from the field of organizational behavior, this course exposes students to contemporary management thinking with an emphasis on driving results. Rather than learning about human behavior from the sidelines, students are expected to actively engage throughout the course utilizing exercises, cases, and discussions to share their personal experiences while appropriately challenging their current level of understanding as well as those of their cohort members.
Credits: 2
This course is intended to develop a fundamental understanding of data and its applications to business. The best way to do this is to focus on solving problems. In most cases, solving problems involves (1) recognizing which statistical methodology to use and (2) applying the methodology. There are two objectives for this course: (1) for you to become comfortable with statistical methods for analyzing data; and (2) for you learn how to use statistics to help make better business decisions. These goals will be achieved by discussing/solving problems in class and by having you work similar problems for homework. You will find many of the courses you take during the MBA program use and build on the statistical techniques covered in this class.
Credits: 4
Term 2
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of preparing and understanding financial statements targeted to external users. It provides an in-depth coverage of how individual asset, liability, and equity accounts are measured and recognized in the financial statements.
Credits: 2
Examines the basic principles behind the operating and pricing decisions of firms in a market economy. Methods of marginal analysis and optimization are applied as a guide to the business decision-making process. Topics include supply, demand, and market equilibrium. Also, competition, industrial concentration, government regulation, optimal pricing strategies, and economic efficiency.
Credits: 2
Builds on ACCT 6201 and provides more in-depth coverage of how individual asset, liability, and equity accounts are measured and recognized in the financial statements. Prerequisite: ACCT 6201.
Credits: 2
Macroeconomics is the study of aggregate performance, focusing on things such as real output, inflation rates, employment, and interest rates. The course helps students better understand the macroeconomic environment influencing business. Students learn how to interpret macroeconomic indices and explore models that attempt to formulate a unified framework for understanding the macroeconomy. Special attention is given to international economics and current macroeconomic events.
Credits: 2
Term 3
An analysis of the basic problems in corporate financial management. The course is organized around the theme of asset valuation. Topics covered include stock and bond valuation, capital budgeting, cost of capital, market efficiency, and company valuation.
Credits: 2
Demonstrates techniques for maximizing shareholder value by correctly assessing the financial outcomes of commonly recurring types of operating decisions. Techniques for identifying alternatives, assessing relevant costs, and choosing a course of action are illustrated with case studies involving decisions on pricing (including special order and private label pricing), production alternatives (including make or buy), and allocation of care resources. Topics include cost behavior, cost-volume-profit relations, cost system design and interpretation (including the use of actual costs and standard costs), and identifying the costs and revenues relevant to decisions. The course will probably have a case orientation.
Credits: 2
This course examines the tools and concepts that form the core of modern finance theory, with an emphasis on practical applications. Topics include risk measurement and the investor's portfolio optimization problem, asset pricing models, risk-adjusted discount rates, investment under uncertainty, capital structure theory, firm valuation, and an introduction to options pricing. This course must be taken before all other finance electives. Prerequisite: FINA 6201 or currently enrolled in M.S.F. program.
Credits: 2
Term 4
Introduces common marketing problems encountered by marketing managers and general managers. Emphasizes the analysis and development of the organization's marketing policy, strategy, and tactics, with a global perspective of business. Students develop a disciplined process for addressing marketing issues and challenges.
Credits: 2
An introduction to some of the decision-modeling techniques available for analyzing business problems. Discusses various modeling techniques, including nonlinear programming (optimization), linear programming, integer programming, and simulation. Involves building models for some of the following: monitoring mutual fund managers, managing portfolios, benchmarking organizations, redesigning distribution networks, scoring credit, purchasing subassemblies, stocking retail inventory, and processing checks.
Credits: 2
Introduces common marketing problems encountered by marketing managers and general managers. Emphasizes the analysis and development of the organization's marketing policy, strategy, and tactics, with a global perspective of business. Students develop a disciplined process for addressing marketing issues and challenges.
Credits: 2
The fields of operations management and information technology and the fundamental concepts and techniques necessary for obtaining world-class performance in these areas. Reviews operations management topics and introduces the way information technology is being used to re-engineer and dramatically improve business processes. Also, analyzes the strategic use of information technology, reviewing such related topics as electronic commerce and knowledge.
Credits: 2
Term 5
Practical, applied overview of corporate finance that builds upon and reinforces the theoretical and institutional framework covered in introductory business and finance courses. Uses the case approach to apply concepts to real or simulated business situations. Focuses on the valuation of the enterprise. May include financial analysis and financial planning, corporate strategy, capital expenditure analysis, capital structure, or cost of capital determination.
Credits: 2
This course examines the fundamental concepts of strategy of the firm as they are applied in domestic and global markets. Topics include business strategy, industry analysis, vertical integration, strategy execution, and diversification.
Credits: 2
Addresses topics in corporate financial management that are more advanced, primarily using the case method of analysis but may be supplemented by mini-lectures. May include corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, risk management, project finance, dividend policy, financial distress, real options, or recent advances in theoretical and empirical finance literature.
Credits: 2
Term 6
Credits: 1
This course has been designed to cater to the vast majority of you who have spent the early part of your career as individual contributors in your respective organizations. You have probably been praised and rewarded for your technical skills and individual performance. However, sooner or later you will be (or have been) promoted to a position where you are in charge of others and your results depend on their performance. Success in managing others requires you to understand the subtle (and not so subtle) dynamics of human behavior that lead to commitment, motivation, performance, and ultimately, results. This course introduces you to some of the concepts and skills you need to master in order to become an effective manager and leader in your organization. By deriving principles and frameworks based on scientific evidence from the field of organizational behavior, this course will expose you to contemporary management thinking with an emphasis on driving results.
Credits: 2
Electives can be taken on campus or online (no hybrid formats available). For in-person electives, students have access to the same electives our residential MBA students have access to.
Examples of the online electives you can choose are:
- ACCT 6211: Financial Statement Analysis
- BUSE 6208: Special Topics in Energy Economics
- CISB 6226: Evaluating the Entrepreneurial Opportunity
- FINA 6233: Private Equity Finance
- ITOM 6267: Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning
- MKTG 6237: Digital Marketing Applied
- MNGT 6101: Managing Your Career
- STRA 6202: Advanced Strategic Management
- STRA 6230: Technology Strategy
- BL 6274: Legal Environment of Business
- FINA 6275: Global Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Governance
- FINA 6377: Applied Corporate Finance
- MKTG 6235: Digital Marketing Foundations
- MNGT 6270: Global Business Strategy
- MNO 6215: Master Negotiation
- STRA 6248: War Games
Credits: 2
Term 7
No matter which Cox online program you choose, you will have an opportunity to experience global and domestic immersion trips with peers and professors. Our 4-day immersion trips are located in cities chosen for their strategic relevance to the business community, including locations such as London, Dallas, Dubai, Singapore, Seattle or Madrid. Over the course of an immersion, you'll gain hands-on experience working in teams on a real-time project that will challenge you to overcome complex corporate obstacles in a fluid global market. You'll explore leadership and analytics topics and hear from top corporate executives on their experiences. In an era of business ambiguity and flux, immersions teach MBA candidates the skills to pivot and meet today's evolving changes and challenges.
Credits: 2
Electives can be taken on campus or online (no hybrid formats available). For in-person electives, students have access to the same electives our residential MBA students have access to.
Examples of the online electives you can choose are:
- ACCT 6211: Financial Statement Analysis
- BUSE 6208: Special Topics in Energy Economics
- CISB 6226: Evaluating the Entrepreneurial Opportunity
- FINA 6233: Private Equity Finance
- ITOM 6267: Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning
- MKTG 6237: Digital Marketing Applied
- MNGT 6101: Managing Your Career
- STRA 6202: Advanced Strategic Management
- STRA 6230: Technology Strategy
- BL 6274: Legal Environment of Business
- FINA 6275: Global Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Governance
- FINA 6377: Applied Corporate Finance
- MKTG 6235: Digital Marketing Foundations
- MNGT 6270: Global Business Strategy
- MNO 6215: Master Negotiation
- STRA 6248: War Games
Credits: 2
Electives can be taken on campus or online (no hybrid formats available). For in-person electives, students have access to the same electives our residential MBA students have access to.
Examples of the online electives you can choose are:
- ACCT 6211: Financial Statement Analysis
- BUSE 6208: Special Topics in Energy Economics
- CISB 6226: Evaluating the Entrepreneurial Opportunity
- FINA 6233: Private Equity Finance
- ITOM 6267: Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning
- MKTG 6237: Digital Marketing Applied
- MNGT 6101: Managing Your Career
- STRA 6202: Advanced Strategic Management
- STRA 6230: Technology Strategy
- BL 6274: Legal Environment of Business
- FINA 6275: Global Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Governance
- FINA 6377: Applied Corporate Finance
- MKTG 6235: Digital Marketing Foundations
- MNGT 6270: Global Business Strategy
- MNO 6215: Master Negotiation
- STRA 6248: War Games
Credits: 2
Term 8
Electives can be taken on campus or online (no hybrid formats available). For in-person electives, students have access to the same electives our residential MBA students have access to, which can be found in our catalog.
Examples of the online electives you can choose are:
- ACCT 6211: Financial Statement Analysis
- BUSE 6208: Special Topics in Energy Economics
- CISB 6226: Evaluating the Entrepreneurial Opportunity
- FINA 6233: Private Equity Finance
- ITOM 6267: Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning
- MKTG 6237: Digital Marketing Applied
- MNGT 6101: Managing Your Career
- STRA 6202: Advanced Strategic Management
- STRA 6230: Technology Strategy
- BL 6274: Legal Environment of Business
- FINA 6275: Global Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Governance
- FINA 6377: Applied Corporate Finance
- MKTG 6235: Digital Marketing Foundations
- MNGT 6270: Global Business Strategy
- MNO 6215: Master Negotiation
- STRA 6248: War Games
Credits: 4
Electives can be taken on campus or online (no hybrid formats available). For in-person electives, students have access to the same electives our residential MBA students have access to, which can be found in our catalog.
Examples of the online electives you can choose are:
- ACCT 6211: Financial Statement Analysis
- BUSE 6208: Special Topics in Energy Economics
- CISB 6226: Evaluating the Entrepreneurial Opportunity
- FINA 6233: Private Equity Finance
- ITOM 6267: Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning
- MKTG 6237: Digital Marketing Applied
- MNGT 6101: Managing Your Career
- STRA 6202: Advanced Strategic Management
- STRA 6230: Technology Strategy
- BL 6274: Legal Environment of Business
- FINA 6275: Global Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Governance
- FINA 6377: Applied Corporate Finance
- MKTG 6235: Digital Marketing Foundations
- MNGT 6270: Global Business Strategy
- MNO 6215: Master Negotiation
- STRA 6248: War Games
Credits: 2