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This course is designed for future managers who want to use accounting information within their organizations to improve decision-making. The class is divided into three units: costs and analysis, costing systems, and decision making. In the first unit, we learn about cost definitions, behavior, estimation, and cost-volume-profit analysis. In the second section, we discuss the pros and cons of costing systems with an emphasis on accounting for manufacturing. Finally, we explore internal planning and decision making topics, such as budgeting, performance measurement, and outsourcing decisions. Instruction is a mixture of lecture and case discussion. Grading is based on three exams, short quizzes, and class contribution.

In today's business landscape, creative problem solving has become a critical tool for leaders to drive innovation and transformation across different industries. Design has rapidly emerged as an innovation driver, adopted by major consulting firms, large corporations, tech start-ups, healthcare providers, and NGOs. In this elective, you'll explore design tools and a creative problem-solving mindset to discover new opportunities for impact and drive relevant innovation. This intensive will prepare you to innovate in your respective healthcare field. You will learn about the principles of Design Thinking with a focus on human-centered design using clear, hands-on frameworks. You will explore innovative solutions to the complex problems posed by the current healthcare ecosystem. Throughout this fast-paced design sprint, you'll collaborate in teams to craft innovative healthcare concepts around a design challenge.

This course is designed to provide foundational insights a tools for students considering developing, joining, investing in, or partnering with massively scalable (ie: potentially venture backable) ventures (startups). The course will introduce students to foundational topics in entrepreneurship, including a framework for developing an entrepreneurial strategy. The assigned work focuses on the key choices of customer, competition, technology and identity that founders should make, as well as whether ventures pursue a control versus execution focus.

Professional communication skills are a foundational element for career success. They allow executives to engage effectively in different contexts because they are the basis for building trusting relationships, convincing tough stakeholders, or showing confidence at senior level. This course will enable students to grow and develop their professional communication skills through evaluation, analysis, practice and feedback.

Leadership and High Performance Teams is a course on the theory and practice of high performance in task-performing groups. The aim of this first course in the program is to provide information and experiences that are useful as you work in your study teams, as well as being directly applicable to the teams you participate in and lead at work. In this short course, we will use cases, experiential exercises, simulations, and Socratic class discussion. You will also be introduced to the Team Coaching component of the program.

In this course each student will work as part of a team to manage a simulated manufacturing company. Each team is responsible for making yearly decisions in four broad areas: sales, marketing, operations, and finance. Depending on class size, there will be one or two different industries, each operating in its own competitive space, and there will be four or five companies in each industry. Your competition, therefore, is limited to the other three or four teams in your industry. You will all start in the same position, competing with one another to gain market share, generate revenue, and increase profitability. Performance is measured by the relative success of each firm in creating shareholder value by paying dividends and increasing share price.

All firms seek to increase their value in the market. This can sometimes be best accomplished by growing organically, though product enhancement or market expansion. Firms often seek the non-organic path, by acquiring another firm. The decision to grow non-organically, the value you place on a target and the premium you pay for that target, and once acquired how to best integrate the newly acquired firm all factor into whether the acquisition will be successful. Successful M&A's are possible but not all acquisitions are successful. This course will discuss the challenges that firms face when executing a successful M&A.

This course uses the case method to introduce the fundamental conceptual models, analytical frameworks, and financial analyses, essential for strategy formulation. Students will decide where to compete, and how to sustain a competitive advantage over rivals, by analyzing cases and applying rigorous financial methods to solve key challenges encountered at each stage of the business lifecycle: entry, funding, organic growth, acquisition, turnaround, and exit. Students will confront critical issues such as: What business should we be in? What products or services should we provide? Which customers should we serve? In which geographic areas? The course will provide students with the conceptual models, analytical tools, and financial methods they need to formulate and implement strategy at each stage of the company lifecycle. The class will enhance performance as general managers and consultants.

Designing and implementing effective product and brand strategies is of vital importance for most firms. As product lifecycles shorten and competitive activity leads to record numbers of product introductions, success in new products becomes indispensable. However, innovation is risky and most new products fail in the marketplace. Very often, ineffective marketing is the primary cause of new product failures. In the first part of this course, we will focus on tools and techniques associated with formulating successful new product strategies. We will cover topics such as business innovation, blue oceans, disruptive technologies, and product line design. The most effective product strategy is never complete, however, without an equally effective branding strategy to supplement it. Building a strong brand infuses the product with meaning and shapes the firm's promise to consumers. That is why a well-established brand is the most valuable asset of many successful firms. In the second part of this course, we will examine the foundations of brand management and will focus on the tools and techniques needed to create a meaningful brand, position a brand, promote a brand, leverage brand equity, and communicate brand meaning via traditional and digital media.