MBA Course Schedule & Descriptions

MBA students from the two MBA online streams, Food & Agribusiness Management (FABM) and Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) share nine core courses.  In addition to the nine core courses, MBA students must complete four specialized courses that are specific to their stream.  Near the end of the program, students will decide if they wish to take two additional courses (Pass by Course Option) or conduct a Major Research Project (MRP).

MBA Course Schedule

*Course Schedule is subject to change

MBA Course Descriptions

Nine Core Courses:

Foundations of Management Leadership

This course will enhance students' interpersonal skills, expand their knowledge and understanding of the theory and research behind leadership, and explore the impact of effective team management and collaboration in the organization.  Experiential approaches are used to enhance managerial skills.  Back to top

Sustainable Value Creation

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the relevance of sustainability as a strategic framework for driving value creation and to enhance critical thinking skills that will enable students to more effectively identify and formulate strategic sustainability initiatives for organizations.  Back to top

General Environment of Business

The objective of this course is to assist managers to better understand and develop strategies for dealing with their political and economic environments.  This course has a comprehensive and international perspective that looks at how Canadian industries and businesses are part of a worldwide economic and political system.  This course provides a detailed examination of how specific policies affect business and strategy in different industries for different commodities.  Back to top

Financial and Managerial Accounting

This course emphasizes the gathering and use of financial information to facilitate effective financial and management decisions.  Cases are used to approach the subject from the perspective of the user of accounting information rather than that of the supplier.  Back to top

Foundations of Human Resource Management

This course examines the essential human resource management functions of planning, staffing, employee development, compensation, health and safety, labour relations, and legal compliance, in a variety of organizational settings.  Back to top

Management Communications

Examination of the theory, function and practice of managerial communications with particular emphasis on developing communication strategies and skills.  Back to top

Research Methods for Managers

Students learn to formulate a research problem, undertake a literature review, and to select and use appropriate quantitative and qualitative techniques for the collection and analysis of relevant data.  The course also promotes the use of the World Wide Web as an information resource.  Back to top

Financial Management

The course takes the viewpoint of the senior financial officer of a commercial enterprise.  The focus is on the management of cash, accounts receivable, inventories and capitol assets, as well as on the sourcing of funds through short-term liabilities, long-term and owners' equity.  Back to top

Strategic Management

An integrative course which draws together the conceptual theories and models of the graduate program core.  Utilizes conceptual, analytical, problem identification, and problem solving skills.  Back to top

FABM Specialized Courses:

FABM Marketing Strategy

A study of marketing decision-making in food and agribusiness firms, with emphasis on the formulation of strategic marketing plans.  Back to top

Operations Management

This course applies operations research theory and practices to management problem solving and decision-making.  The focus is on modeling service and product delivery systems and major emphasis is placed on managerial problems in food and agribusiness organizations.  Back to top

FABM Economics and Policy

An analysis of economic and policy issues relevant for food and agribusiness managers in affluent economies, with emphasis on the economic and policy environment that exits within North America.  Back to top

Managing Price Risk

The course deals with the use of futures, options and other instruments for marketing, risk management and investment purposes.  Emphasis is placed on the development and implementation of trading strategies and on the policy and corporate governance framework necessary to support effective management.  Back to top

HTM Specialized Courses:

HTM Marketing Strategy

Analysis and application of marketing foundations through integration of marketing variables with real-world situations and in-depth analysis of strategic marketing issues.  Back to top

Managing Service Quality

A holistic and interdisciplinary approach is used to explore the principles of service management.  The course will enhance participants' understanding of what actually constitutes quality, the nature of service, and strategies for improving it.  Back to top

Revenue Management

This course discusses revenue maximization strategies and tactics that improve the profitability of businesses that work in fixed capacity environments, face time-varied demand, their product is homogeneous and their cost structure reflects a high proportion of fixed and a low proportion of variable cost items.  Back to top

Safety, Security & Risk Assessment in HTM

This course profiles legal and managerial strategies, principles and operational procedures to minimize safety and security risks faced by the hospitality and tourism industries.  Risk analysis and management, crisis management, liability management, and industry specific law provide the foundation for this course.  Back to top

Pass by Course Option:

Organizational Theory and Design

Core concepts in organizational theory and their interrelationships as well as concepts such as group decision making and intragroup and intergroup dynamics are explored.  Back to top

Global Business Today

This course will survey the key issues related to doing business internationally including the cultural context for global business, cross border trade and investment, ethics, the global monetary system, foreign exchange challenges and effectively competing in the global environment.  Back to top

Major Research Project (two semesters):

A detailed critical review of an area of study specific to student's specialization in the MBA program.  The proposal is completed and marked in the first semester and the major research project is completed and graded in the second semester.  Back to top