Eastern Mennonite University

Course Offerings

Summer and Fall 2008, Spring 2009

Graduate tuition rates are $450 per semester hour (as of July 1, 2008). Applicable university fees, books and supplies are not included in the tuition rate.

Registration for MBA core courses requires admission into the EMU MBA program.

For more information contact the MBA program office:
(540) 432-4150
(866) 574-0023
e-mail mba@emu.edu

MBA 600 Comparative perspectives on business and society (3 SH)

August 21 to December 11, 2008: Thursdays (8:00-10:00 p.m.) (Time tentative)
Instructor: Spencer Cowles, Ph.D.

This course examines the range of perspectives for understanding the relationships between business and society. Anabaptist and other alternative frameworks, as well as classical and mainstream ethical frameworks, will be presented and assessed. Critical issues in business are then evaluated within these frameworks.

MBA 610 Marketing strategy and research (3 SH)

January 8 to April 23, 2009: Thursdays (6:00-10:00 p.m.) (Time tentative)
Instructor: Dr. Gordon DeMeritt

This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of Marketing. Topics include marketing structure, channels of distribution, consumer behavior, pricing, advertising, industrial marketing, telemarketing and marketing research. Aspects of international marketing and service marketing are included. Consumer behavior topics include psychological, sociological and anthropological variables that influence consumer motivation and actions.

MBA 611 Managerial economics (3 SH)

January 8 to April 23, 2009; Thursdays (6:00-8:00 p.m.) (Time tentative)
Instructor: Dr. Chris Gingrich

Analyzes household and business decisions using economic concepts. Microeconomic theory and quantitative methods are applied to managerial decisions regarding consumption, profits and output. Emphasis is placed on computer spreadsheets as a decision tool.

MBA 615 The health care delivery system (3 SH)

August 21-December 11, 2008, Thursdays, time to be announced
Instructor: David Cockley

Gives the health care manager a broad overview of health care delivery within the United States, along with a brief perspective on the history of involvement in health care delivery by the Mennonite Church. The involvement of local, state, and federal agencies in the delivery of care, as well as its financing, will also be examined, along with an overview of the development of health policy. Technology’s impact on the health care environment both currently and in the future will be outlined along with an exploration of healthcare informatics. In addition, comparison to other nations’ health care systems will be made as well as projections for the future of the U.S. system.

MBA 616 Application of legal & ethical principles to health care (3 SH)

January 8-April 23, 2009, time to be announced
Instructor: Don Tyson

Examines the legal and ethical issues health care managers will need to negotiate as they manage the delivery of health care both organizationally and clinically. The use of an organizational ethics committee will be outlined. Care delivery issues that emerge with changing technology will be discussed, including procreational issues such as abortion, in vitro fertilization and the use of stem-cell technologies, end-of-life issues, advance directives and elder care. The influence of faith-based values on ethical decision making will be outlined with students expected to identify and reflect how their own personal values shape their ethical positions. The context of medical errors and resultant malpractice claims also will be examined. Multiple case studies that reflect these issues will be used to engage the students in decision-making regarding an appropriate managerial response.

MBA 620 Systems Approaches to Organizational Behavior (3 SH)

August 23 to December 13, 2008: Thursdays (8:00-10:00 p.m.) (Time tentative)
Instructor: Anthony Smith

This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of management, with an emphasis on organizational structures and processes.  Management is broken down into the major functions of management: planning, leading, organizing and controlling. Topics include group dynamics, motivation, communication, job design, power and politics. Leadership is emphasized from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

MBA 621 Productions, operations and information systems (3 SH)

January 8 to April 23, 2009: Thursdays (6:00-8:00 p.m.) (Time tentative)
Instructor: Geoffrey Egekwu, MBA, Ph.D.

Explores the design, operation, and control of production and operations systems in both manufacturing and service organizations, and explores how information resources support all levels of decision making and business activities in the major functional areas of management. Attention is given as to how the computer can be used to process business data and to provide information on a timely basis.  Topics include how information is distilled from data, capacity planning and design, process design, manpower planning, material requirements planning, scheduling, inventory management, quality planning and control.

MBA 658 Stewardship, innovation, and social entrepreneurship (3 SH)

Summer 2009, dates and time to be announced
Instructor: To be announced

(Under development)

MBA 626 Managing in a complex health care environment (3 SH)

Fall 2009
Instructor: To be announced

Focuses on the dynamics of leading the health care organization in times of rapid change and how that change can be used to leverage effective organizational performance. Continuous improvement and the use of data-driven decision-making and national benchmarking, along with the fostering of a high level of employee involvement will be emphasized, as well as the effective use of organizational accountability for performance. The effective partnering with governing boards will be identified. The use of the planning process as a tool for positioning the organization for effective performance along with a review of that performance using annual performance tools will be analyzed. The use of marketing to enhance the organization’s visibility in the community in which it serves will be outlined. The development of a workforce that is culturally competent and focused on the delivery of care that exceeds the expectations of a culturally diverse client base will be explored. The manager’s role in shaping the organization and self-management and its importance for effective leadership will be woven in as themes throughout the course.

MBA 627 Financing health care (3 SH)

January 8-April 23, 2009, time to be announced
Instructor: To be announced

The financing of health care delivery across the delivery system will form the focus for this course, as well as the context of the U.S. economy and how it affects the delivery of health care. The operational management of the finances for a health care organization will be discussed, including budgeting and the management of multiple revenue streams. The prospective payment system and health insurance will be discussed, as well as options for financing of health care delivery outside of the prospective payment system. Fundraising as well as planning for capital investments and long-term planning for organizational financial viability will be analyzed. An application project that develops a plan of correction/adjustment/expansion for a financial issue in the student’s own organization will give the student an opportunity to apply course content to actual live organizational issues.

MBA 628 Systems Approach to Organizational Behavior (3 SH)

August 21-December 11, 2008, time to be announced
Instructor: David Brubaker

All organizations are organic, interconnected systems that take on a life of their own regardless of the individuals that occupy various roles in the system. Leaders need to understand their organizational systems and the behavior of those systems if they hope to effectively lead or change them. This course will explore organizational behavior and organizational development from a systems perspective, including concepts of change and conflict. It will rely heavily on case studies and student participation.

MBA 631 Accounting for managers (3 SH)

August 21 to December 11, 2008: (6:00-8:00 p.m.) (Time tentative)
Instructor: Ronald L. Stoltzfus, MBA, CPA, Ph.D.

Provides an overview of the methods of managerial accounting, with emphasis on accounting information contained in reports to managerment. The functions of planning, decision making and control are studied as accounting data are reported through the firm's information system and in special analysis.

MBA 638 Accounting and finance for non-profit entities (3SH)

(under development)

MBA 641 Finance for managers (3 SH)

January 8 to April 23, 2009: Thursdays (8:00-10:00 p.m.) (Time tentative)
Instructor: To be announced

Provides an overview of financial management with an emphasis on understanding financial decisions, analysis and decisions pertinent to management of a business firm. Identifies the responsibilities of financial managers, financial problems facing firms and the various approaches to financial decision making. Topics include: capital management, capital rationing, cost of capital and capital structure.

MBA 648 Project management (2 SH)

Under development

MBA 655 Entrepreneurship & venture creation (2 SH)

June 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28, 30, 2008 (6:00-10:00 p.m.)
Instructor: Allon Lefever

An in-depth examination of the role of entrepreneurship and innovation in U.S. and global economy. Topics include entrepreneurial personality, role of entrepreneurs in economic development, innovation in large organizations, women and minority entrepreneurs, family business and public policy issues. Discussion of the entrepreneurial process from initiating a feasible business plan to financing and staffing the proposed enterprise.

MBA 660 Legal aspects of buisness and human resources (3 SH)

August 21 to December 11, 2008: Thursdays (8:00-10:00 p.m.) (Time tentative)
Instructor: William Culbreth

Provides an overview of the legal aspects of business. Includes topics such as agency relationships, business organizations, contracts, sales and leases, and debtor-creditor relations. Includes special emphasis on Human Resource issues and applicable law.

MBA 682 Business policy and strategy (2 SH)

May 20, 22; June 3, 5 (6:00-10:00 p.m.); June 7 (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.), 2008
Instructor: Tom Frank

Emphasizes strategic planning through analysis of the firm's industry environment, competitive position and internal resources. Topics include defining mission and vision, identifying strategic competencies and maintaining competitive advantage.

MBA 683 Organizational governance and leadership (2 SH)

June 11, 17, 19 (6:00-9:00 p.m.), June 25 (6:00-10:00 p.m.); July 2, 9 (6:00-9:00 p.m.), July 12 (8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.), 2008
Instructor: Marshall Yoder

Covers the free market control and governance process, including the roles of shareholders, corporate officers, and the board of directors, while focusing on the role of the leader and leadership, as provided by the governing mechanism. Topics include leadership development, managerial succession, management and board relations, acquisitions and takeovers, and boardroom conflict.

MBA 690 Business as a calling for the common good (Capstone Course) (4 SH)

August 20 to December 10, 2008 (Mondays), 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Instructor: Roger Ford, Ph.D.

This capstone course will constitute an holistic approach, integrating the management and organization functions with the special role of faith-based leadership in today's world. Business research and consulting techniques will be utilized and practiced by doing an actual project serving an organization with need. Students also will complete a personal "life plan," identifying their personal vision, purpose, and potential life goals to be accomplished during their professional lifetime.

Elective Courses

Courses from the MBA Program:

MBA 691 Practicum in Social Entrepreneurship.  (Under development)

MBA 692 Research in Stewardship and Innovation .  (Under development)

Courses from the Education Department:

EDCC 501 Creating cultures of change: Constructivist Environments.  This course explores the practical implications of constructivist theory in classrooms. The emphasis is on reflective practice, student centered learning and processes for change. (3 SH) Fall 2008, 5 weekends.

EDDN 513 Teaming and Collaboration. Focus is on collaborative strategies for teaming among educators, parents and community agencies. Examines models  of consensus building, tgeam leadership, team planning, collaborative strategies and school-community partnerships. (3SH) Summer 2008 one-week format.

EDDT 582  Language and Culture (online). Explores the intricate ways in which culture and language influence each other. Surveys the basics of sociolinguistics and language policy through case studies. (might have some application for business person's understanding in different cultures). Although there is practical application, the course tends to include solid background work in theory as well. (3SH)  Spring 2009 online

EDCC 533 Social and Ethical Issues in Education.  Examines educational and ethical values through discussion of case studies and current issues in education. Analyzes how public policy in education shaped via the community's social and ethical concerns. (3 SH). Summer 2008 one-week format.

Courses from the Seminary:

CTE 700 Christian Ethics (this is an upper level course but doesn't have prerequisites). This course trains students in the use of Biblical and theological resources for moral discernment, with emphasis on case studies. We focus on the Christian church as a community of moral discourse and decision making, with practices that translate the Biblical witness into clear guidance and formation of Christian character.

BVG 540 Biblical Foundations for Peacemaking. More than a study of a few select texts that deal with peacemaking, this course will explore and examine the various dimensions of peace in the Bible, with special attention to how the Bible as a whole functions as a foundation for peacemaking. The course will explore texts which reflect the everyday dimensions of wholeness, wellbeing, and security, as well as those which describe God’s attempts to make peace with rebellious humanity. A central figure in the biblical story of peace is Jesus, both as foundation of peace and as model for peacemaking. Texts and issues which present peacemakers with serious difficulties, such as the wars of Israel or the image of God as judge and warrior, will also be examined.

CTT 520 Anabaptism Today: Learning with Yoder and Hauerwas (no pre-reqs). John Howard Yoder articulated a compelling vision, attracting many around the globe to “the politics of Jesus.” Yoder demonstrated that the Anabaptist movement was fundamentally a new way of viewing Christian faith and life—including the centrality of Jesus, a re-imagining of church and world and a commitment to love both enemies and neighbors. This course focuses on the contemporary challenges of Anabaptism as mediated through Yoder and his most influential convert— Stanley Hauerwas.

CTT 510 Theology for Ministry (has pre-reqs but could be negotiated). A course in which students develop their own views on three or four major theological themes (such as the person of Jesus Christ, justification by faith, the authority of scripture, church and state). Biblical foundations, important historical and contemporary formulations, and practical implications of these themes are explored. Prerequisite: CTH 500, CTH 510. (Meets requirement for MACL degree only.)

CTT 640 Christian Encounter with the Religious "Other" (no pre-reqs). Amid the rapid changes of religiously pluralist landscapes, Christians need special grace and skills to engage with many others whose religious truth claims, practices and goals for a spiritual life may differ dramatically from our own. We must develop guidance for mapping and evaluating such traditions (new or ancient, small or global) in light of biblical revelation across a wide spectrum that even ordinary members of local congregations may expect to encounter. By engaging in direct dialogue with persons from other world faiths and some new religious movements, students learn skills of confident witness in a framework of gentleness, respect and compassion.

CTE 710 Ethics and Nonviolence. Sermon on the Mount (no pre-reqs). The teachings of Jesus have reached across many centuries with a strong witness against violence: “Love your enemies.” People in many cultures have found the Sermon on the Mount foundational for understanding the core of Jesus’ ethical teaching and practice. The earliest Christians placed this instruction at the forefront of their witness on what it means to be Christian. Are we willing to be instructed in this way of Christ today, as the movement takes form in the third millennium? This course builds on the Old Testament Jewish backgrounds for Jesus’ teaching. Two further horizons are surveyed: the resonance with this core (Matthew 5-7) in other ethical instruction of the New Testament, and the strong echoes down through Christian history where this teaching has been translated into lived practices.

SMCL 770 Leadership and Administration (no pre-reqs). This course involves an exploration of leadership and administration primarily in the context of the congregation. Various frames (personal/experiential, biblical/theological, systems theory, etc.) are used to examine the realities of leadership and administration with the goal of personal reflection and application on the part of the student. Students will engage a number of assignments and exercises which will afford opportunity to clarify and refine one’s understanding of leadership and administration.

CM 700 The Social Context of Theology (no pre-reqs). This course examines cultural frameworks that shape and define our capacity to articulate truths about God and the world. We use tools from social sciences to understand how a pluralistic society and multicultural world affect our discipleship today. We examine contemporary media and emerging paradigms of non-Western theological reflection. Diversity in postmodern perspective invites us to new creativity as we reflect and respond with God's Spirit. With keen interest we attend to best current practices in Christian encounters with other (non-Christian) religious expressions.

CM 730 Churches and Social Transformation (no pre-reqs). This course focuses a vision for congregations of the faithful at work with God in the world on the urgent moral and social crises of our times. While churches are widely seen as frequent defenders of establishment injustices, their potential for effective, focused moral witness against the major ills of human society is often overlooked . Their proven track record of work to reduce human misery, to minister to the poorest and persons most at risk is an important history to be retrieved and critically evaluated. Responses to slavery, colonialism, warfare, poverty, oppression, and gross injustice provide examples and inspiration to continue that witness today.

BVG 710 Biblical Theology (has pre-req). This course assists the student in building a theological framework for an understanding of Scripture as a unified revelation of God’s purpose and will. The unity of Scripture is sought within the diversity of literary form and development of history. Ways in which Christians have viewed and articulated the central and unitary character of the Bible are reviewed. Special attention is given to the relation of the two testaments and to the Christian use of the Old Testament. Prerequisite: BVG 620.

Courses from Center for Justice and Peacebuilding:

Specialized Practice Courses (2-3 credits)

PAX 580 Conflict Sensitive Development & Peacebuilding. This course will explore the impact of community, national, and global conflicts on humanitarian assistance and development projects and the corresponding impacts, including negative effects, that humanitarian assistance and development programs can have on the conflict context. The class will develop a framework for durable peace and will explore available frameworks in the field of study. Approaches and appropriate tools will be surveyed that can contribute toward integrating peacebuilding with development through the project cycle, including context assessment, project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Participants will gain a working knowledge of the various approaches, as well as specific skills and tools they can take back to their own contexts.

PAX 585 International Development. This course will examine the history, intellectual traditions, debates and contemporary issues within the field of international development. The course will develop a framework for making sense of the variety of perspectives and programs found in the development field which can be used to locate one's own personal assumptions concerning the fields of development and social change. There are four threads that run throughout the course. The first thread covers the history and evolution of “Development” as a concept and provides an overview of the “players” on the development scene. The second thread draws on a variety of theorists from different intellectual traditions to develop a set of theoretical frameworks for locating personal and programmatic assumptions concerning 1) the cause of the problem (and implied solutions), 2) the role of the change agent (and implied strategies) and 3) the focus of the program (and implied priorities). The third thread examines the Non-Governmental Organization world in more detail through a series of case studies from actual experiences of practitioners in the field. The fourth thread looks at the role of Religion in shaping our understanding of development and the structure of the development field. The course will be conducted in a seminar format. Class discussions will focus on reflection and analysis of assigned readings. Active participation in discussions will help the student to more fully internalize the materials.

PAX 590 Strategic Peacebuilding. This course will explore the challenges and dilemmas of peacebuilding in contemporary protracted and violent conflict. It will focus on the development of a strategic framework for peacebuilding, primarily from the perspective of nongovernmental practitioners, but with careful attention to coordinating NGO work with Track I official actors, funding agencies, and others working to promote peace. Participants will interact with current approaches and theories. They will work in teams to apply their frameworks to complex cases, and they will practice important professional skills such as: preparing and presenting a briefing; developing monitoring and evaluation protocols for a project; negotiating the creation of a network of organizations in order to prepare a response to a request for proposals.

PAX 564 Developing Healthy Organizations. Organizations committed to peacebuilding, development and other social change goals often devote far more energy to pursuing their external missions than to internal issues. As a result, such organizations often cope with underdeveloped organizational structures and undernourished personnel. This course will focus on the importance of understanding organizational structure, culture, and conflict, as well as the role of leadership in initiating and managing organizational change through strategic planning processes. Additional topics relevant to organizational life will be included depending on the interests of participants.

PAX 565 Leading Health Organizations. Organizations are dynamic systems with unique structures and cultures, operating in specific environments. Every organization is also shaped by its leaders. Leaders have more leverage than others in the organization--both to determine strategic direction and to nurture people and systems. This course focuses on the role of leaders in "setting the tone" for healthy organizational functioning, with special attention to a leader's own functioning. The course will include specific attention to developing management skills, including with personnel, project and conflict management.

PAX 614 Systems Approach to Organizational Conflict. This course is designed to demonstrate how conflicts in organizations are often the product of emotional patterns within a group. Participants will first examine their own family of origin through the lens of family systems theory, then adapt that theoretical framework to assess an organization and its conflict dynamics. This will be a highly interactive course, utilizing case study and role-play methodology.