Master of Business Administration (MBA)

MBA 610 Operation Management   

The objective of the course is to expose students to the theoretical and practical techniques used to tackle production and operations management issues in any organization. All organizations - private, public or NGOs - are involved in producing a product or service that has to be ‘sold’ or consumed by some customer. Operations Management is concerned with efficient and effective transformation of inputs – raw materials, personnel, machines, technology, capital, information, and other resources – into marketable and competitive outputs. The course will introduce students to the main principles, standards and methodologies of Operations Management. It will explore past and present topics in operations management that have had a significant impact in the management of manufacturing and service operations.

MBA 611 Business Research Methods     

Business Research Methods course provides an introduction to research methods in social sciences in general and business administration in particular. The primary aim of the course is to equip the students with essential research techniques they would use in advanced specialized courses offered in the MBA program. The course will cover a range of topics, including in particular, research design, sampling theory, data collection tools, questionnaire development, and program evaluation methodology. The course will also cover statistical data analysis procedures using SPSS software involving both exploratory and hypotheses testing techniques. Students will be provided with statistical software SPSS (latest edition) to enable them to carry out statistical analyses.

MBA 612 International Business

The course focuses on the problems and opportunities of business in a global context. It examines economic, institutional, cultural, and legal issues faced by companies involved in international business. It further analyzes their effect on business decisions including: product design, production and marketing, human resources strategy, investment analysis, financial strategy and risk management. The aim of the course is to give students an advanced and practical understanding of why, when and how companies develop their international activities. This course is conceived as a continuation of the reflections from different fields of study, including strategy, international economics (i.e., trade theory, trade policy, etc), international finance, human resource management, operations management, and other related areas. The course content is positioned at the intersection of these studies.  The course will use a number of analytical tools and concepts, and provide many real-world examples through various case studies.  

MBA 613 Human Resource Management

The objective of the module is to expose students to theoretical (conceptual) and practical (problem-solving) techniques used to tackle human resources management issues in an organization, with an emphasis on the strategic aspects. The course will deal with different approaches to Human Resource Management in the UAE/GCC context. Many organizations are now beginning to realize and appreciate the importance of having any effective system of acquiring, mobilizing and managing the organization’s human assets. A number of recent developments – including rapid technological change, increased competition associated with globalization, demographic changes in the labor force, tighter labor markets, and introduction of new organizational systems – have raised the strategic role human resources play in international competitiveness. Good HRM policies and practices may be one of the remaining factors of production that provide sustainable competitive advantage, as they are difficult to imitate or replicate. The course will introduce students to the main principles, standards and methodologies of Human Resources Management. It will explore past and contemporary topics related to the management of human resources that have had a significant impact on organizational performance. The overall objective is to encourage students to start thinking systematically about achieving sustained competitive advantage through the effective management of human resources.

MBA 608 Accounting for Decision Making

Accounting for Decision Making is an essential tool that provides all users with the useful information for their relevant decisions. Financial reporting and analysis is one of the main requirements that protects the owners' rights and enhances managers' ability to make the correct decisions. It describes the conceptual framework of accounting, and financial statements, analysis and uses of financial reports.

MBA 609 Managerial Finance

Managerial Finance introduces corporate financial management and covers several topics such as: financial statements analysis, short-term and long-term financial planning, time value of money, valuation of future cash flows, and valuation of bonds and stocks. It also covers capital budgeting techniques and the risk-return relationship. The course focuses on fundamental concepts of financial management and emphasizes both a theoretical and practical perspectives. UAE context is emphasized wherever appropriate. The course supplies students with the basic tools they need to comprehend the fundamental objective of financial management which is the maximization of shareholder’s wealth. It also prepares students for taking higher-level, more specialized courses in finance.

MBA 616 Marketing Management                

The main objective of the course is to expose the students to the concepts and techniques of marketing management. Students will also be exposed to the scope of contemporary marketing including manufacturing, institutional, reseller and government markets. The course will provide opportunities for the students to explore how business firms strategically respond to the opportunities in the marketing arena. It also aims to improve decision-making skills and stimulate strategic thinking using case studies.  The course would also involve fieldwork in the UAE and the analysis of marketing strategies in use by the organizations operating in the country.

Human Resources Management

MBA 631 Managing Organizational Change

The objective of this course is to help students understand the main principles and techniques required to lead effective and lasting organizational change. The course will cover the conceptual and practical aspects of implementing organizational change, including the various facets and challenges associated with the transition period, with emphasis placed on the UAE and GCC region. Classic and emerging readings will be used to examine micro-level managerial actions as well as their strategic aspects.

MBA 632 Training and Development of Human Resources

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with information and insights into the training and development function in organizations. The training and development function will be viewed from a systems approach. Further the entire cycle of Training and Development of human resources will be examined in the context of the UAE/GCC.  The training needs assessment plans will be reviewed to enable learners to appreciate organization’s training functions. The course will further evaluate the contribution of training of human resources to the success of organizations in the UAE/GCC. Specific training methods and techniques will be explored.

MBA 633 Organization Development

Organization Development (OD) is a conscious, planned process of developing organizations’ capabilities to attain and sustain optimum performance levels, measured by efficiency, effectiveness, and health. OD processes bring about successful change efforts in individuals, groups/teams, inter-groups, and organizations.

MBA 635 International Human Resource Management

In this course, students are to examine, from applied and theoretical perspectives, the impact of globalization and the effects of cross-national diversity on the processes and practices associated with managing human resources. Special emphasis will be placed on comparisons between cross-cultural management of organizations in the UAE and those in other countries.

Financial Management

MBA 629 Corporate Valuation and Financial Modelling

This is an advanced corporate finance course aims to develop critical thinking skills about development and application of financial models. The course reviews the theory and empirical evidence related to the investment and financing policies of the firm and attempts to develop decision-making ability under uncertain conditions. The approach is rigorous and analytical.  

The focus of this course is on the valuation of companies. It also aims to develop critical thinking skills for a firm's investment and financing decisions and enhance ability to use capital budgeting techniques under uncertainty, corporate valuation, risk and returns, CAPM, the operation and efficiency of capital markets, dividend policy, and the optimal capital structure of the firm. It also covers long term and short term assets, and liability management with emphasis on multinational corporations. 

MBA 621 Islamic Finance

This course aims at introducing the practice and theory of Islamic Banking and Finance (IBF) industry. The fact that banking and finance industry is a subset of an economic system, Introduction to global IBF industry inevitably begins with introduction to the Islamic economic system first. Hence course starts with introduction of basic principles (and purpose behind) of Islamic economics system, followed by understanding of the basics (and sources) of Islamic legal system (Shariah) together with the purpose of Shariah. Basic Shariah principles/prohibitions (and the philosophy behind) followed by IBF are then discussed at length together with the basic ethics/norms prescribed by Shariah. This is followed by a detailed understanding of Islamic law of contract – the basis on which architecture of various Islamic modes of financing are built. A thorough coverage of various Islamic financing structures include Murabaha (Cost Plus Sale), Salam (Forward Sale), Istisna (Manufacturing Sale), Mudarabah (Partnership in Profit), Musharakah (Partnership in Profit and Loss), Ijarah (Leasing), Diminishing and Running Musharakah. Liquidity, Investment and Risk Management functions of a treasury of an Islamic bank are also explained together with tools used. Specialist topics related to non-banking financial activities include Islamic Capital Markets [Sukuk (Islamic Bonds), Islamic Equity Markets, and Islamic Fund Management] and Islamic Insurance (Takaful). Throughout the course, relevant industry data/statistics and applied examples are referred to ensure that students remain abreast of the current state of affairs while applying an analytical mindset.

MBA 625 Corporate Liquidity and Working Capital

Finance managers spend a significant amount of time on problems related to short-term finance, or working capital management which is only taught as a section in most Financial Management or Corporate Finance courses. This course is entirely focused on corporate liquidity and working capital. In this course, students will study the different components of working capital (cash, receivables, payables, inventory, etc.), and how to manage them so as to provide adequate liquidity. The principles and concepts of financial theory will be applied to problems and decisions associated with working capital. It also focuses on the optimal (or value-maximizing) use of working capital. This course includes theoretical and applied components. Numerical examples will be very important in illustrating the concepts and applications to be covered in this course. The format will be predominantly lecture-oriented, supplemented by a set of cases.

MBA 626 Project Finance Theory and Practice

Project Finance Theory and Practice involves the raising of funds to finance an economically separable capital investment project in which the providers of the funds look primarily to the cash flow from the project as the source of funds to service their loans, and provide the return of and a return on their equity invested in the project. This is a practical course that provides the students with an opportunity to assess the risk-return character of limited resource projects from multiple perspectives. 

Marketing

MBA 640 Services Marketing

The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the managerial issues, theories and techniques involved in the marketing of services. While extending many of the basic marketing concepts and techniques to the services arena, the course will also introduce new concepts and strategies unique to services marketing. It will focus on the heterogeneity that exists between and within the service areas, including financial services, professional services, leisure services, travel and tourism, education, healthcare services, fund raising, public sector services and politics.

The participants in the course will be encouraged to focus on strategic issues in services marketing in their assignments.

MBA 642 Marketing Strategy

The course covers theories and applications in marketing strategy. This endeavors to explain marketing strategy formulation. The formulation includes company, competition, customer, environment, strengths and weaknesses, objectives and goals, strategy development, and strategy implementation. The course emphasis is on the importance of emerging technologies in formulating marketing strategy.

MBA 643 Retail Management 

The course covers the important areas in retailing, retailing management and retail marketing. It focuses on information gathering methods, four step approach to location planning, managing the retail business, merchandise management and communication strategies needed for retailers. There is a special emphasis on the retail image, atmosphere and promotion.

MBA 644 Promotional Management   

The course covers the integrated tools of promotion strategy including advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, direct marketing, e-marketing, and public relations, to build a powerful communications strategy. Including all aspects of the promotional mix and marketing communications, it integrates a practical approach with contemporary theories. This will cover the latest technological approaches of promotion such as social media and interactive marketing. More emphasis will be placed on building brand image.

MBA 617 Strategic Management            

Strategic management course covers strategy analysis, formulation, implementation, management and evaluation. Strategic Management will also provide a broad overview of both strategic management theories and concepts, and their application within a dynamic competitive environment that surround today’s organizations. Students develop critical thinking/reasoning skills through various case studies and class discussions.  This advanced course focuses on all aspects of strategic management process, including the analysis of the external competitive environment, examining the industry structure, value chain dynamics, and assessing how a firm can select the best position within its environment. This course will also give students a thorough understanding of the complexities of strategic formulation and evaluation processes, with special attention to capabilities and competencies of firms.