Business Administration

The Penn State Behrend M.B.A. is an AACSB International-accredited general degree emphasizing development of the planning and problem-solving skills crucial in middle and upper management. Course work emphasizes the integration of business functions and the practical application of theory in the business world using cases, simulated problems, and actual situations students are experiencing at work. Many students are fully employed professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom. The program is delivered in a blended format of 25 percent face-to-face instruction on campus or at the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry Township and 75 percent online learning. The great majority of our students complete the program on a part-time basis in under two years.

1. CRITICAL THINKING: Students will be able to apply critical thinking techniques to business situations to construct relevant analyses, arguments, and conclusions.
   1. Students will clearly identify the key issues in the analysis.
   2. Students will present the appropriate analytic framework or warrant.
   3. Students will identify and assess important assumptions and question their validity.
   4. Students will identify and assess the quality of supporting data/evidence & provides additional data/evidence related to the issue.
   5. Students will draw and discusses conclusions, implications, and consequences.
2. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION:  Students will be able to demonstrate effective writing skills.
   1. Students will organize written assignments effectively
   2. Students will develop a clear and well-structured argument
   3. Students will identify and provide evidence sufficient to support the argument
   4. Students will find reliable sources and cite and reference them correctly
   5. Students will demonstrate proper writing mechanics with respect to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
3. ETHICS:  Students will be able to recognize ethical issues and apply ethical theories in business situations at individual and/or organizational levels
   1. Students will identify ethical issues/inter-relationships between business and society
   2. Students will identify stakeholders
   3. Students will identify consequence of decisions/actions to stakeholders
   4. Students will recognize the potential implications of managerial actions on employee ethical conduct
   5. Students will analyze an ethical dilemma using multiple ethical principles
   6. Students will correctly apply ethical principles
   7. Students will recommend a course of action
   8. Supports action plan recommendation with ethical analysis
4. FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE: Students will be able to apply foundational knowledge to analyze and solve problems and interpret written and visual material across various business domains.
   1. Students will be able to apply foundational knowledge to analyze and solve problems and interpret written and visual material in the Marketing domain.
   2. Students will be able to apply foundational knowledge to analyze and solve problems and interpret written and visual material in the Management domain.
   3. Students will be able to apply foundational knowledge to analyze and solve problems and interpret written and visual material in the Finance domain.
   4. Students will be able to apply foundational knowledge to analyze and solve problems and interpret written and visual material in the Accounting domain.
   5. Students will be able to apply foundational knowledge to analyze and solve problems and interpret written and visual material in the Strategic Integration domain.