Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 Graduate Bulletin 
    
2021-2022 Graduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Michael E. Stephens College of Business


Dr. Amiee Mellon, Interim Dean and Chair
Morgan Hall 
(205) 665-6542
amellon@montevallo.edu
 

Gary Johnson, MBA Director
Morgan Hall 
(205) 665-6524
gjohnson5@montevallo.edu

Mission

The mission of the Stephens College of Business is to provide a personalized, ethically focused, liberal-arts-based business education that gives graduates outstanding communication, critical thinking, and leadership skills and a commitment to improving organizations and society. This mission is accomplished through effective teaching informed by the production of impactful scholarship.

Graduate Programs

The College of Business offers the Master of Business Administration

The College also offers various teaching-field courses in support of the Master of Education in Secondary Education with certification in Business-Marketing education.

Students who have taken courses as an undergraduate may not receive graduate credit for those courses, with the exception of internships, directed reading, and special topics. For information on the M.Ed. programs, refer to the appropriate section under Department of Teaching, Leadership, & Technology.

Undergraduate Accounting Majors Seeking a Dual Degree

Accounting Majors seeking a Dual Degree Path

The Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy prescribes requirements for candidates to 1) sit for the Uniform CPA Examination and 2) to obtain a CPA certificate (license), as follows:

1) to sit for the CPA Examination, candidates must have completed a total of 120 semester hours of postsecondary education, including a baccalaureate degree at a college or university accredited by a regional accreditation board such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities, with a concentration in accounting or the substantial equivalent as determined by the Board.

2) to be issued an Alabama CPA certificate, candidates must have completed a total of 150 semester hours of postsecondary education that must include a total of 33 semester hours in accounting (excluding introductory courses) at the upper division undergraduate and/or graduate level.

A student may obtain an undergraduate accounting degree with 120 credit hours and an M.B.A. degree with 30 graduate credit hours. A student who declares the graduate path towards fulfillment of the Board’s post-secondary education 150-hours requirement may opt to complete two dual-listed courses to fulfill the M.B.A. requirement for AC 522 (Accounting For Decision-Making), and the second may be used to fulfill the M.B.A. requirement for another course as approved by the M.B.A. Director.

Students electing the dual degree path who have a cumulative overall undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher are not required to take the GMAT exam, or GRE.

Department of Business

Programs

Master of Business Administration

Courses

Accounting

  • AC 522 - Accounting for Decision-Making


    3 credit hours
    Study of techniques for utilization of accounting information by managers for business decision-making, in support of entity goals and strategies. Topics include budget development and control, breakeven/target profit analysis, variance analysis, differential analysis, and other management tools for planning and control.  Admission to the M.B.A. program required.
  • AC 525 - Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting


    3 credit hours
    Special feature of budgetary and fund accounting as applied to municipalities, other government units, and institutions, such as hospitals and schools. Acceptance into the BBA/MBA program (Professional Accounting Path) required. Prerequisite(s): AC 222. Slash-listed with AC 425.
  • AC 527 - Income Tax II


    3 credit hours
    Federal income-tax principles and concepts as they apply to partnerships, corporations, estates, trusts, and gifts. Acceptance into the BBA/MBA program (Professional Accounting Path) required. Prerequisite(s): AC 421. Slash-listed with AC 427.
  • AC 528 - Auditing II


    3 credit hours
    Procedural aspects of auditing, including internal control evaluation, audit program design, variable sampling, and EDP auditing. A case study that reinforces these topics is used, and emphasis is placed on auditing with the microcomputer. Includes an introduction to both transaction-cycle and balance-sheet audits. Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into the B.B.A./M.B.A. (Professional Accounting Program) and AC 423. Slash-listed with AC 428.
  • AC 530 - Fraud Examination


    3 credit hours
    An introduction to fraud examination. The course will focus on developing an understanding of how and why occupational fraud is committed; identifying how fraudulent conduct may be deterred; and determining how allegations of fraud should be investigated and resolved. Acceptance into the BBA/MBA program (Professional Accounting Path). Prerequisite(s): AC 222. Slash-listed with AC 430.
  • AC 581 - Professional Accountancy Certification


    3 credit hours
    A preparatory course for professional accountancy certification exam.  Detailed study of topics and procedures related to professional accountancy certification. Senior standing and permission of instructor required. Slash-listed with AC 481.

Economics

  • EC 532 - Managerial Economics


    3 credit hours
    This course examines economic concepts and analysis as used in managerial decision-making with emphasis on demand theory, market structure, government, economic efficiency, and policy. Selected readings will be assigned, reviewed, and discussed to develop conceptual insights. Case studies, exercises, presentations, and team projects are used to develop skills and synthesize course concepts. Admission to the M.B.A. program required.

Finance

  • FI 572 - Financial Management


    3 credit hours
    This course extends the student’s understanding of corporate financial management with an emphasis on investment and financing decisions within the corporation. The course combines lectures with cases to develop a solid understanding of the modern theory and practice of financial management. Admission to the M.B.A. program required.

General Business

  • GB 509 - MBA Internship Practicum


    1-3 credit hours
    This course will provide selected students with work-related experience in a private, public, or non-profit organization to enhance student learning of academic concepts and their application in actual organizations. Active oversight by faculty is required, along with dedicated mentoring by an approved preceptor in a suitable organization. Specific learning objectives and related experiences are required, as is submission of work products suitable for faculty evaluation of performance. May repeat for a total of 9 hours with permission of instructor. Admission to the M.B.A. program and permission of the instructor required.
  • GB 510 - MBA Internship Practicum II


    1-3 credit hours
    A continuation of GB 509. This course will provide selected students with work-related experience in a private, public, or non-profit organization to enhance student learning of academic concepts and their application in actual organizations. Active oversight by faculty is required, along with dedicated mentoring by an approved preceptor in a suitable organization. Specific learning objectives and related experiences are required, as is submission of work product suitable for faculty evaluation of performance. May be repeated for a total of 9 hours with permission of instructor. Admission to the M.B.A. program and permission of the instructor required.
  • GB 560 - MBA Special Topics


    1-3 credit hours
    A study of selected topics related to organizations and their management using readings, lectures, and discussion on subject matter so current or unique that it is not generally included in other course offerings. May repeat for a total of 9 hours with permission of instructor. Admission to the M.B.A. program and permission of the instructor required.
  • GB 576 - MBA Directed Study and Research


    1-3 credit hours
    Directed study and research on an approved topic by student under direction of faculty member to allow student to develop in-depth knowledge concerning a particular topic in an area related to organizations and their management. Student will develop the skills and insights necessary to critically review research material, design and implement a research study, and effectively communicate findings and their implications for managerial practice. May repeat for a total of 9 hours with consent of instructor. Admission to the M.B.A. program and permission of the instructor required.

Management

  • MG 500 - Civilization, Society, and Organizations: Issues and Ideas


    3 credit hours
    In this course students will develop an appreciation of the historical, socio-cultural, political, legal, environmental, scientific, and economic evolution of organizations in a global context. Students will acquire a sense of the complexity of business ethical situations, the laws regarding corporate governance, and the role of their personal integrity and values. Admission to the M.B.A. program required.
  • MG 561 - Leadership of Human Resources and Organization Development


    3 credit hours
    This course examines the role of managers as leaders in shaping the behavior of organizational participants in order to simultaneously accomplish the organization’s performance goals and bring about adaptive change and organizational development. Selected topics from organizational behavior, human resources management, and the organization change and development literature are reviewed to develop conceptual insights. Case studies, exercises, presentations, and team projects are used to develop leadership skills and synthesize course concepts. Admission to the M.B.A. program required.
  • MG 565 - Global Organizations and Management


    3 credit hours
    Students will understand globalization and its impacts on business. Students will explore the corporate social performance of business and the impacts upon societies and organizations. The course will explore the corresponding demands on management systems and individuals. Analysis of global issues and application of program concepts and skills to the resolution of these issues is emphasized. Admission to the M.B.A. program required.
  • MG 589 - Strategic Management


    2 credit hours
    Students will understand organizations as an integrated system; the relations between the functional areas; and long-range planning, implementation and control as means for value creation and competitive advantage. A capstone project requiring integration of program concepts and skills in an applied setting is required. Student must complete 12 hours in the M.B.A. program or have permission of instructor before taking MG 589.
  • MG 590 - Strategic Management Capstone


    1 credit hour
    This course assists students in preparing their capstone project for completion of the M.B.A. program. This course must be taken during the final term in the program and deliver a comprehensive project that demonstrates the student’s ability to integrate concepts across program coursework in an exemplary work product. This project must be approved by and completed under supervision of program faculty. Prerequisite(s) with concurrency allowed: MG 589 .

Management Information Systems

  • MIS 567 - Project and Information Systems


    3 credit hours
    Students will investigate how information technologies influence the structure and processes of organizations and economies, and how they influence the roles and techniques of management. Technologically enabled communications will be emphasized. Admission to the M.B.A. program required.

Marketing

  • MK 551 - Marketing Management


    3 credit hours
    Marketing is the organizational function that addresses the design and implementation of programs to create, deliver, and sustain value for customers or clients. In this course, students apply universal concepts of marketing to define marketing problems, analyze the marketing environment, evaluate alternative actions, and implement an integrated set of marketing tactics to carry out the organization’s objectives in its target markets. A key focus is the development of analytical skills necessary to manage marketing plans and strategy in the context of both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Admission to the M.B.A. program required.

Quantitative Methods

  • QM 563 - Decision Science for Operations Management


    3 credit hours
    Students will employ decision science methodologies for problem solving in uncertain situations and utilize qualitative and quantitative information to draw conclusions. Conclusions will rest upon traditional and contemporary decision-making theories in static and dynamic settings. Students will acquire the understanding of the production models, supply chain management, total quality management and their role in the value creation process. Admission to the M.B.A. program required.