7010 General Information

7010.10 Office of the Dean

7th floor, Robinson College of Business Building
35 Broad Street
404-413-7000
robinson.gsu.edu

Rich Phillips, Dean
Nate Bennett, Associate Dean for Program Innovation
Sanjay Srivastava, Associate Dean for Strategy and Special Projects
Todd Maurer, Associate Dean for Sponsored Research
David Forquer, Assistant Dean for Executive Programs
Anne Dries, Assistant Dean for Administration and Finance
Brett Matherne, Assistant Dean for Professional and Flexible MBA Programs and Clinical Associations
Tracy Widman, Assistant Dean for Assessment, Accreditation and Faculty Data Management
Jacobus Boers, Assistant Dean for International Engagement
Bill Bogner, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs

7010.20 Mission

The J. Mack Robinson College of Business of Georgia State University is committed to academic excellence through advancing the creation and dissemination of knowledge in business and management. Moreover, the college seeks to prepare its students for the practice of management with the knowledge and skills needed to remain effective in a global, culturally diverse, and technologically advanced world that is characterized by rapid change and complex interdependencies. As an academic unit of Georgia State University, the Robinson College seeks to add value to private, public, and not-for-profit organizations through excellence in its research, education, and outreach programs. The college enjoys a location that is distinctive among business schools and is committed to taking full advantage of its proximity to multinational corporations; entrepreneurial enterprises; federal, state, and city agencies; and not-for-profit organizations.

7010.30 Accreditation

The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is accredited by AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The accounting programs of the college also hold accounting accreditation granted by the AACSB. The Institute of Health Administration is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. The Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration is accredited by the Commission on Programs in Hospitality Administration.

7010.40 Administration of Master’s Programs

The Graduate Program Council, a committee composed of five faculty members, has overall responsibility for master’s admission criteria and for recommending changes in the degree requirements and academic regulations of the master’s programs for approval of the faculty of the college. The Division of Master’s Admissions and Advisement, (see below), works with the associate dean for academic initiatives and innovation, on behalf of the dean and the faculty, to consider changes to the master’s programs.

7010.50 Units and Centers

The Robinson College of Business has 11 academic units: the schools of Accountancy and Cecil B. Day Hospitality Administration; the departments of Computer Information Systems, Finance, Managerial Sciences, Marketing, Real Estate, and Risk Management and Insurance; and the institutes of Decision Sciences, Health Administration, International Business, and W.T. Beebe Personnel and Employment Relations. The college also has the following centers:

• Center for Business and Industrial Marketing
• Center for the Economic Analysis of Risk
• Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility
• Center for Excellence in Brand and Customer Management
• Center for Health Information Technology
• Center for Health Services Research
• Center for International Business Education and Research
• Center for Mature Consumer Studies
• Center for Process Innovation
• Center for Research in Information Systems
• Center for Risk Management and Insurance Research
• Economic Forecasting Center
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Herman J. Russell, Sr. International Center for Entrepreneurship
• Institute for Insight
• Small Business Development Center

7010.60 RCB Directory of Academic Units

All locations are in the RCB Building, 35 Broad Street, NW, corner of Broad and Marietta streets. All phone numbers begin with 404-413-.

7010.70 Study Abroad Programs

The Institute of International Business promotes international learning experiences through a strong portfolio offering of study abroad programs. The study abroad programs range from two-to-three week intensive experiences to semester- and year-long programs. The programs span disciplines and geographic regions, affording students in all business disciplines the rich rewards of an international study experience. RCB currently offers programs in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, China, Cuba, Dubai, France, Hungary/Czech Republic, Italy, South Africa, Turkey, Morocco, Spain and Switzerland. Other locations are possible through our partner institutions. Students must be in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Additional requirements vary by program. For individual program descriptions and application information, consult the Institute of International Business at iib@gsu.edu.

7010.80 Student Organizations

The Actuarial Students Association (ASA) is an official Georgia State University student organization whose mission is to serve actuarial science students by providing information, coordinating with companies and recruiters, and assisting students with passing actuarial exams and seeking employment. All of the students in the Actuarial Science program at Georgia State University –prospective, current, and past—have access to ASA resources. For more information, contact the Department of Risk Management and Insurance, 404-413-7500.

AIESEC: AIESEC is an international non-profit organization that strives for spreading cultural understanding by means of international exchange. Being the world’s largest student organization, AIESEC serves as an “international platform for young people to discover and develop their potential so as to have a positive impact on society.” Currently, AIESEC occupies over 1,100 universities spanning across more than 100 countries and territories. AIESEC encourages and helps students to discover both their social and professional potential. Through AIESEC, students have access to leadership positions, traineeship abroad opportunities and conferences. For more information, contact aiesec.gsu@gmail.com.

Alpha Kappa Psi: This national professional fraternity aims to foster the study of business in universities, to encourage scholarship, to promote closer affiliation between the business world and students of business, and to further the development of high standards of business ethics. The Pi Chapter was organized at this university in 1917. More information about this general business fraternity can be obtained by visiting their website at www.akpsigu.com.

The American Marketing Association: The AMA, which is the world’s largest marketing organization, aims to serve the professional needs of marketing practitioners, educators, and students. By attending the programs, seminars, and workshops sponsored by the local AMA professional chapter, students can gain valuable firsthand knowledge of the marketing industry and how it works. Practical experience in research, advertising, and other areas can be acquired through participation in the AMA student chapter’s marketing-related projects. For more information about Georgia State University’s AMA chapter, call the Department of Marketing at 404-413-7650 visit www.gsuama.com/.

The Association for Computing Machinery: This foundation was founded in 1947 to advance the sciences and arts of information processing. It promotes the free interchange of information about the sciences and arts of information processing both among specialists and among the public in the best scientific tradition. The student chapter was organized at Georgia State in 1963. For more information, contact the Department of Computer Information Systems, 404-413-7360.

Beta Alpha Psi: This national honorary accounting, finance, and information systems fraternity has as its purpose to encourage the idea of service as the basis of a business profession; to promote the study of accounting, finance, and information systems; and to further the highest ethical standards. Graduate students may qualify for membership in Beta Mu Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi. For more information, contact the School of Accountancy, 404-413-7200.

Beta Gamma Sigma: Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest general scholastic honor a business student can receive at Georgia State University. Nominations for membership in this national honorary business fraternity occur during spring semester. New members are recognized at the college’s Honors Day ceremony. Master’s students who have completed their programs and are in the upper twenty percent of the master’s graduates during the preceding calendar year are eligible for nomination. All doctoral students who graduated during the preceding calendar year are eligible for nomination. For additional information, contact 404-413-7130.

The CIS Society: This organization of Georgia State University students defines and creates new ways for CIS students to excel academically and to succeed professionally while establishing valuable relationships with their peers, faculty, and business leaders within the information technology community. Additional information may be found at www.TheCISsociety.org.

Delta Sigma Pi: This national professional fraternity aims to foster the study of business in universities, to encourage scholarship, to promote closer affiliation between the business world and students of business, and to further the development of high standards of business ethics. The Kappa chapter of Delta Sigma Pi was organized here in 1921. More information about this general business fraternity can be obtained by visiting their website at www.deltasigmapi.org.

The Entrepreneur Network: This organization of faculty, alumni, and students is dedicated to helping those seeking the personal and financial freedom offered by entrepreneurship. The Entrepreneur Network hosts an array of events; grants access to vast networks of advisors, investors, and entrepreneurs; and offers support in launching, growing, and exiting businesses. The organization welcomes all students and alumni with a passion for entrepreneurship. For more information, contact Robert Gemmell at 404-413-7542.

Eta Sigma Delta International Hospitality Management Society: Founded in 1978, this international honor society recognizes hospitality undergraduate and graduate students for outstanding academic achievement, meritorious service and demonstrated professionalism. An annual induction ceremony is held for graduate hospitality students with a minimum 3.50 GPA. Contact the School of Hospitality for additional information.

Finance Society, The: This organization welcomes all undergraduate and graduate business majors who are interested in the field of finance. The organization is dedicated to fostering the student’s knowledge of finance-related issues and job awareness by exposing members to some of the industry’s most prominent speakers, offering interactive workshops and assisting students make career contacts. For more information, contact the Department of Finance at 404-413-7310 or visit finance.robinson.gsu.edu/student-resources/gsu-finance-society/.

Financial Planning Association (FPA) Alliance: This organization is open to students and alumni of the GSU PFP programs, as well as interested visitors. The club serves as a focal point for discussion of leading-edge issues in personal financial planning as well as career trends and opportunities in the industry. The Alliance also provides students with a direct link to the premier professional association in personal financial planning. For additional information, contact the PFP Program at 404-413-7462 or visit rmi.robinson.gsu.edu/.

Future Healthcare Executives: This student organization conducts seminars, projects, and other activities that provide student members with the opportunity for constructive involvement, recognition, and representation in the profession of health services administration. The chapter provides faculty and students in health services administration with a forum for professional dialogue. It also helps students enhance career and academic opportunities through its relationships with local and regional health services executive groups. For more information, contact the Institute of Health Administration, 404-413-7630.

Gamma Iota Sigma: This is a national organization of students interested in the various risk management professions — insurance, company risk management, actuarial science, employee benefits, personal financial planning — and of related faculty. The organization exists to encourage superior moral and academic achievement and facilitate close interaction between risk management professionals and students. The Zeta Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma welcomes all majors. For more information, contact the Department of Risk Management and Insurance at 404-413-7500.

Graduate Business Association (GBA): This organization serves all graduate business students. The GBA’s objective is to provide career education and professional development to its members through contact with the Atlanta business community while creating an enjoyable, social atmosphere. Programs and activities are planned to achieve these goals. All students are invited to become active members of the organization by joining one of the following committees: Membership, Professional Development, and Social. For more information, contact Graduate Recruiting and Student Services 404-413-7167.

GSU Campus Talkers/Toastmasters: This is an officially chartered club of Toastmasters International. The mission of the club is to provide a supportive and positive learning environment in which members develop their communication and leadership skills through more effective thinking, speaking, and listening. For specific meeting and contact information, check the club’s website at www2.gsu.edu/~wwwstm/.

National Association of Black Accountants: This national membership organization has the primary purpose of developing, encouraging, and serving as a resource for greater participation by African-Americans and other minorities in the accounting and finance professions. Student membership in NABA is available to undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in careers in accounting or finance. For more information, contact the School of Accountancy, 404-413-7200.

National Black MBA: This national membership organization has as its primary focus the networking of the MBA students. This organization fosters the development and encouragement of African Americans as well as other minorities in MBA programs and other graduate programs. For more information, please contact the Robinson College of Business at 404-413-7167 for the current leadership.

NET Impact: We are the new generation of leaders who are committed to using the power of business to improve the world. Our Global Network of MBA’s, graduate students and professionals are interested in like-minded individuals to join the cause. For more information, please contact the Robinson College of Business at 404-413-7167 for the current leadership.

Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Club: This organization is open to students and alumni of the GSU PFP programs, as well as interested visitors. The club serves as a focal point for discussion of leading-edge issues in personal financial planning as well as career trends and opportunities in the industry. For additional information, contact the PFP Program at 404-413-7462 or visit rmi.robinson.gsu.edu/.

Phi Chi Theta: A National Business and Economics Fraternity. Become a member NOW or work for us later! Founded in 1924, the Upsilon chapter at GSU was initiated in 1929, and this is the only GSU business and economics fraternity!!! Members share a passion for developing critical business skills, cultivating leadership talent, and enriching professional networks. Our organization prides itself on fostering new business leaders by creating value and professional growth for each member. Please contact Dr. Marta Szabo White in the Department of Managerial Sciences for additional information, 404-413-7555.

Real Estate Alumni Group: This organization is open to alumni as well as graduate and undergraduate students who are interested in all aspects of real estate and land utilization to provide a social and intellectual atmosphere for the study of this professional area. For more information, contact the Department of Real Estate, 404-413-7720.

The Society for Human Resource Management: This society is an organization open to all undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in the field of personnel/human resources. Practitioners address students on career topics at periodic meetings. Applications and additional information may be obtained from the W.T. Beebe Institute of Personnel and Employment Relations, 404-413-7170.

Tau Alpha Chi (T.A.X.) is an honorary professional association. It is intended for students who are seeking a career in tax accounting or for those accounting students who have a general interest in tax issues. The primary objectives of T.A.X. are (1) to provide members a forum for in-depth tax discussions, (2) to promote association with professional tax practitioners, and (3) to encourage scholastic and professional excellence in the field of tax accounting. For more information, contact the School of Accountancy, 404-413-7200.

Other Organizations: Information on other student organizations, fraternities, and sororities in which some graduate students may be interested is available from the Office of the Dean of Students, Suite 300, Student Center, 404-413-1515.

7020 Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services

6th floor, Robinson College of Business Building
35 Broad Street
404-413-7167

Steve VanDuzer, Director of Recruiting
Emily Lakemaker, Director of Student Experiences
Kacy Jackson, Assistant Director of Recruiting
Charlene Watkins, Assistant Director of Integrated Student Services Global Cluster
Winifred Akande, Associate Director of Integrated Student Services Financial Cluster
Gillian Barlow, Assistant Director of Integrated Student Services Financial Cluster
Linda Lee, Associate Director of Integrated Student Services Modeling Cluster
Kumar Swaminathan, Assistant Director of Integrated Student Services Modeling Cluster
Tiffany Ashby, Associate Director of Integrated Student Services Managerial Cluster
Naomi Leader, Director of Shared Services
Shantina Knox, Assistant Director of Admissions
Ian Schonberg, Assistant Director of Advising
Tracy Kuepper, Assistant Director of Student Services

Mission

The Graduate Recruiting and Student Services staff supports the college’s mission of academic excellence by promoting the college to prospective applicants and facilitating the application process to admit qualified students to the master’s program. The Graduate Student Services office helps graduate students become knowledgeable about academic programs, pertinent regulations, and student services available through the college and university.

Services

This office provides admission counseling to prospective applicants and assistance in selecting a degree program that meets their academic and professional goals. This department provides academic counseling, including new student orientation, preparing evaluations of students’ academic programs and academic standing, assisting students with course selection and schedule revisions each semester, explaining catalog regulations, and administering policies of the college and university.

7030 College Admissions

All documents and other materials submitted by or for persons in connection with their consideration for admission become the property of this institution and cannot be returned at any time. It is the responsibility of each applicant to follow the application procedures completely and correctly and to be certain that all materials have been submitted to the Office of Admissions, Graduate Programs by the application deadline.

No guarantee regarding admission can be made before an applicant’s file is complete and has been reviewed by the Master’s Admissions Committee. Applicants must assume responsibility for all costs related to applying for admission regardless of the admission decision.

Admission is for entry in a specific program, major or status, and for a specific semester. A student who is admitted for one program, major, concentration or status may enter a different one only if, and after, formal approval has been given by the Master’s Admissions Committee of the college. An accepted applicant who wishes to defer enrollment to a future semester will be reevaluated according to the admission criteria in effect for the future semester. Deferrals must be requested within 3 weeks of the beginning of the original application semester to be considered.

7030.05 Retention of Records

If an applicant does not complete enrollment for the semester in which admission is sought, the application must be renewed and submission of additional credentials and information as requested by the Master’s Admissions Committee may be required. Accepted but not enrolled application files are retained for a maximum of three years.

If an applicant does not complete the application process for the semester in which admission is sought, a deferral request must be submitted for consideration for subsequent semesters. Incomplete application files are retained for a maximum of one year.

A student who earns master’s-level credit and later becomes inactive may be required to re-establish his or her file. A transcript of graduate credit earned at Georgia State University will be maintained indefinitely by the Office of the Registrar.

7030.10 Application Deadline Dates for Master’s Degree and Certificate Programs and Non-degree Status

Admission to flexible master’s programs in the Robinson College of Business is possible for any term (fall, spring or summer). Admission to the cohort master’s programs in the Robinson College of Business varies each term; please refer to the program’s website for term(s) of admission.
Listed below are the deadlines for submitting applications and all supporting materials. The deadlines are for two categories of applicants:

• All new applicants to submit applications for admission and all related materials including test scores
• Denied applicants to request reconsideration

If the deadline falls on a weekend or university holiday, applications and materials will be accepted until the next workday following the deadline. To be guaranteed a decision for the desired term of entry, applications and all supporting documents must be received by these deadlines.

U.S. and International Deadlines

7030.15 Application Procedures

Refer to the Executive M.B.A. Program and the Professional MBA Program later in this chapter for information on applying to those programs.

International Applicants: Applicants who completed all or part of their education abroad may be required to have their foreign credentials evaluated by Joseph Silny, World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators. Course-by-course evaluations, equivalence to an accredited U.S. degree (or number of years toward completion), and grade-point average equivalents are required.

7030.30 Master’s Application and Narrative Questions

The Application for Admission—Master’s Programs must be submitted online by all applicants.  In addition to asking for basic biographical and educational data, the master’s application also contains narrative questions. Evaluative interviews are part of the application process for all programs.. This is the opportunity for applicants to present themselves to the Master’s Admissions Committee. It provides a way to highlight qualities relevant to success in a graduate business program that may not be evident in test scores and past academic performance. The application also is used to establish the applicant’s record on the university’s computer record system and with the Office of the Registrar. It is important that this information is coded completely and correctly.

7030.40 Residency Information

Residence data will be used by the university’s resident auditor to determine if an applicant is a Georgia resident for fee-payment purposes. It must be completed by all applicants. (See the “Regents’ Requirements for Georgia Resident Status” heading in the Financial Information chapter earlier in this catalog.)

7030.50 Application Fee

You will be assessed a $50 application fee with your application for most programs. The application fee is nonrefundable and does not apply toward registration fees. For each subsequent online application that you submit, you will be assessed another application fee.

7030.55 Transcripts

One official copy of the transcript of all previous college work are required from each institution previously attended. Each set of transcripts must be submitted in a sealed envelope from the institution. If an institution’s policies do not permit it to send official transcripts to applicants the transcripts may be sent directly to Office of Admissions, Graduate Programs.

Transcripts are required from each institution regardless of the length of time the applicant attended the institution or the applicant’s status while at the institution or whether the grades are listed on another institution’s transcript. EXCEPTION: Applicants who have attended Georgia State University must list their dates of attendance on their applications, but they do not have to request their Georgia State transcript. Office of Admissions, Graduate Programs will obtain a record of the Georgia State coursework.

An applicant who may have been granted provisional admission pending completion of the undergraduate degree must file one official copy of a supplementary transcript showing the awarding of the degree as soon as it is available but at the latest a month prior to late registration of the first semester.

Unofficial transcripts may be submitted at the time of application. Please find the guidelines for submitting unofficial transcripts online at robinson.gsu.edu/programs/graduate/unofficial-transcripts/.

7030.60 Admission Tests

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) are the primary admission tests for admission at the master’s level in the Robinson College of Business. For admission tests information for Ph.D. Programs, please see section 7360.

GMAT

The GMAT is designed to measure aptitude for graduate study in business and is not a measure of knowledge in specific business subjects. Competitive scores are required for a successful application, and the level of competitiveness is subject to change throughout the year. Scores significantly below current averages are not likely to be competitive. GMAT scores may not be more than five years old at the desired semester of entry. Applicants whose scores do not meet this age limit must retake the GMAT and have the current scores sent to the Office of Admissions, Graduate Programs.

Scores from GMAT will be sent to the Office of Admissions, Graduate Programs two weeks after the test date. The “candidate’s copy” of the score report is not acceptable. However, an unofficial score report provided by GMAT is acceptable for admissions reviewing purposes. Should the candidate be accepted to the program, they will be required to submit official scores after acceptance.

In North America and most other parts of the world, the GMAT is administrated only as a computer-adaptive test (CAT). Prospective applicants who are located in a country that does not currently offer the GMAT CAT and who cannot travel to another country to take the test should contact Customer Service at the Pearson VUE: GMATcandidateservicesamericas@pearson.com

The GMAT is administered worldwide by Pearson VUE instead of Educational Testing Service (ETS). The college’s code number for master’s-level programs is 5251.

The GMAT Information Bulletin and the GMAC Website (www.gmac.com) contain detailed information about the options for registering to take the test, the most up-to-date listing of test centers, and instructions for having scores sent to desired schools.

GRE

The GRE is administered worldwide and year round. The General Test is offered only on the computer in most locations. It is an adaptive test measuring verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing skills. Updated information about the GRE computer-based and paper-based test centers and registration procedures may be found on the GRE Web site shown below.

GRE information may be obtained by contacting the Educational Testing Service in one of these ways:

GRE-ETS
P. O. Box 6000
Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6000, USA
Phone: 1-609-771-7670 (8:00 a.m.—7:45 p.m. EST)
Fax: 1-610-290-8975
E-mail: greinfo@ets.org
www.gre.org

GRE scores may not be more than five years old at the desired semester of entry. Applicants whose scores do not meet this age limit must re-take the GRE or take the Graduate Management Admission Test and have the current scores sent to the Office of Admissions, Graduate Programs.
Applicants taking the GRE must request that their scores be reported to Georgia State University. Those who have previously taken this test must request the Educational Testing Service to report their scores to Georgia State. The university’s code number is R5251. The “candidate’s copy” of the score report is not acceptable. However, an unofficial score report provided by GMAT is acceptable for admissions reviewing purposes. Should the candidate be accepted to the program, they will be required to submit official scores after acceptance

7030.65 Interviews

All applicants to the graduate programs at Robinson College of Business are required to interview prior to acceptance. The interview may be part of the online application or a candidate may be invited by a member of the admissions committee to interview prior to acceptance. Some programs may require a second round of interviews.. Applicants are therefore encouraged to provide complete answers to all questions asked on the applications. Applicants who have questions about the information in this catalog concerning admissions, the programs, or related matters, however, are invited to contact Graduate Recruiting and Student Services at any time during the application process.

7030.70 Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are not part of the admissions process for most programs. Applicants who wish to submit them, however, may do so. Applicants who choose to submit letters can use the online recommendation system or collect the letters from their recommenders in sealed envelopes; recommenders must sign their names across the sealed portion of the back of the envelope. Letters of recommendation must be submitted unopened with the rest of the application packet or submitted by the recommender using the online application system. They may not be reviewed by the applicant at any time. An applicant who does not wish to waive access to a letter of recommendation must arrange for the recommender to provide a copy.

7030.71 Resume

A resume is a required part of the application for all master’s-level programs in the Robinson College of Business.

7030.75 Immunization Certification

Admitted students are not required to submit a general certification of their state of health but are required to submit proof of immunization against measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, tetanus, and diphtheria (see 7030.75 above). Please see the Immunization website for more information. Also, the college reserves the right to investigate the health, character, and personality of each applicant.

7040 General Admission Criteria

(Refer to the Executive M.B.A. Program and the Professional MBA later in this chapter for information about admission criteria for those programs.)

The Master’s Admissions Committee, comprised of faculty representatives and admissions staff, determines the eligibility of each person who applies for master’s-level admission. Admission is competitive. Each applicant is evaluated individually and among the current group of candidates. In this evaluation, primary consideration is given to the applicant’s academic record, educational background, and test scores. Secondary consideration is given to the applicant’s educational objectives, narrative information, experience in business or government, professional activities, and character. The Master’s Admissions Committee prefers that applicants have some meaningful full-time work experience. These elements together must indicate a favorable prospect of success in graduate study for an offer of admission to be made. The college is also aware of the appropriate provisions of its accrediting agency, AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, in making admission decisions.

A bachelor’s degree in any field of study from a regionally accredited college or university is required for admission to all of the degree programs, or to the certificate program, of the Robinson College of Business. Only coursework from institutions with accreditation equivalent to that granted by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is considered in evaluating an applicant for admission.

In reviewing the past academic work of applicants, the Master’s Admissions Committee evaluates both the overall undergraduate GPA and the junior/senior GPA. In evaluating scores on the GMAT, the committee looks for a balance between verbal and quantitative scores in addition to considering the total score, which includes the analytical writing score and the integrated reasoning score, because all of the master’s programs require strong communication skills and quantitative ability. Similar evaluations are made when GRE scores are submitted for applications to eligible programs.

In cases where the applicant has done additional accredited undergraduate work beyond the bachelor’s degree or has done accredited graduate work, a “most recent two-year GPA” will be calculated. This is defined as the most recent ninety quarter hours or sixty semester hours of coursework (to the nearest whole term). If this GPA shows more academic promise than the junior/senior GPA, it will be given more weight in the admission consideration.

Transcripts, test scores, and other materials are received by the Office of Admissions-Graduate Programs and are evaluated by the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services. Admitted students are not required to submit a general certification of their state of health but are required to submit proof of immunization against measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, tetanus, and diphtheria (see 7030.75 above). Please see the Immunization website for more information. Also, the college reserves the right to investigate the health, character, and personality of each applicant.

The Robinson College uses a rounds admissions process. Thereby, all application materials must be submitted by the deadline date. Each deadline will have a corresponding date by which applicants will at the latest receive their admissions decision.  Admission decisions are communicated in writing to applicants as soon as possible after all application materials have been received and evaluated. Admission decisions cannot be given by telephone or email, nor can they be given to any person other than the applicant without a written release from the applicant to do so.

Graduate Admissions – General

Georgia State University welcomes applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, sex, religion, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender, disability, veteran status or national origin. Admission is based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, an applicant’s academic record, test scores, experience, circumstances, good conduct and character. Admission is a competitive, selective process and meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, good disciplinary standing at previously attended colleges and universities is a condition of admission for all applicants. For purposes of admission, good disciplinary standing means that the applicant has no pending disciplinary charges, outstanding disciplinary sanctions or disciplinary issues that would prevent the applicant from re-enrolling at previously attended postsecondary institutions.

Applicants with a criminal and/or disciplinary history who are determined to be otherwise admissible for a respective term based on their academic record and other credentials are required to complete an admissions background review process before an admission decision is made by the university. Instructions for completing that review process are communicated to the applicant after the university has determined that the applicant is otherwise admissible for that term.

Omissions or misrepresentations on an application for admission are grounds for automatically invalidating consideration by, acceptance to and continuation at Georgia State. Applicants have a duty to update their application with Georgia State when information changes after application submission.

Graduate Admissions Appeals

The Chair of the academic department of the graduate program and the Associate Provost for Graduate Programs are the President’s designees for purposes of hearing Graduate Admissions Appeals.

Applicants for graduate admission who are denied for reasons related to disciplinary/criminal history or falsification of application may appeal the denial to the Associate Provost for Graduate Programs within twenty (20) calendar days of the date of the denial letter. The decision of the Associate Provost for Graduate Programs is final.

Applicants for graduate program admissions who are denied admission due to academic ineligibility may appeal the denial to the department chair within twenty (20) calendar days of the date of the denial letter. The decision of the department chair is final.

Notice to Applicant of Background Review Requirement

The University requires applicants who have a criminal or disciplinary history to complete a background review.  Please contact the Background Review Records Coordinator at 404-413-1515 for information regarding completion of the review process as soon as possible to ensure timely processing of your application. *  The Background Review Records Coordinator will let you know what supplemental documentation you will need to provide to complete the process.  You may be required to provide documentation such as:

1. a personal statement explaining the circumstances surrounding criminal or school disciplinary violations, and the current status of any charges and sanctions;
2. copies of criminal or school disciplinary records; and
3. a background check (if you have a criminal history);

All materials submitted as part of an application for admission become and remain the property of the university and will not be returned to the applicant, duplicated, or transferred to another institution.

Please note that a final admission decision cannot be made until you complete all requirements of the background disciplinary review process.  *Applications may be withdrawn from review if the background review process is not initiated within two weeks.

7080 College Academic Regulations

7080.02 Students’ Responsibility

Graduate students must assume full responsibility for knowledge of the rules and regulations of the college and the university and of departmental, school, or institute requirements concerning their individual programs. Enrollment in a graduate program of this college constitutes students’ acknowledgement that they are obligated to comply with all academic and administrative regulations and degree requirements. Students are encouraged to read carefully Section 1300, “Academic Regulations” that applies to all of the university’s programs and the regulations specific to their RCB programs in this chapter. Students are also urged to read all of the requirements of their degree, program, or status that are presented in this chapter.

7080.04 Commitment to Master’s Programs

The Robinson College of Business provides a flexible schedule of courses for some of its master’s programs. The schedule attempts to accommodate the needs of a diverse student body, particularly with respect to students’ employment. However, the faculty of the college expects that students enrolled in a master’s program will bring to that program a commitment to complete their degree requirements in a timely manner. The faculty believes that maximum benefit will be derived from a program if students devote a period of concentrated study to the disciplines that constitute the master’s programs.

Before deciding to enroll in a master’s program of this college, students must examine seriously and realistically their abilities to adjust their personal and professional schedules to accommodate the challenge of graduate study. Students or applicants with questions about the commitment needed to complete the master’s programs should schedule an appointment with a Graduate Recruitment Coordinator in the college’s Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services.

The course load of master’s students may vary with the circumstances of the individual student each semester. Students normally enroll in three to 15 semester hours a term depending on the program. In determining each semester’s course load, students must balance other time constraints (work, family, civic, and other responsibilities) with the need to make reasonable and timely progress toward completion of the program within the five-year time limit.

If a student in good standing needs longer than five years to complete the master’s degree, they may petition for an extension of the time limit up to a maximum of seven years. Courses more than seven years old at the time of graduation expire and must be repeated or replaced with more current courses. Students who need more than five years to complete the degree requirements should schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services.

7080.06 Conduct

Students are expected to observe generally accepted standards of conduct and to assume personal responsibilities appropriate to potential business and professional leaders. The university reserves the right to exclude any student whose conduct is prejudicial or injurious to the university, the faculty, or other students. The formal policy of the university concerning student rights and obligations is under the heading “University Code of Conduct” in the General Information chapter of this catalog.

7080.08 Changing Semester of Entry

Admission to a master’s-level program is for the specific semester stated in the acceptance letter. Anyone who does not enroll for the semester for which acceptance was granted must notify the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services of their interest in being considered for a future term so his or her records may be updated to a future semester and reevaluated according to admission criteria in effect for the future semester. Deadlines for notification to change to each semester are shown below:

If the deadline falls on a weekend or a university holiday, requests to change semester of entry will be accepted until the next workday following the deadline.

7080.10 Catalog Editions

Normally, students will be permitted to graduate under the provisions of the graduate catalog in effect at the time of first enrollment. Student may choose to graduate under the provisions of a subsequent graduate catalog; that is, they may choose to change their “catalog edition.” Students who choose to do this must meet all provisions of the subsequent graduate catalog.

Robinson College students are required to change to the current catalog edition when they change programs/statuses or M.S. majors or after certain absences from the program, as explained in the next two headings below.

7080.12 Changing Majors, Programs or Status (Master’s Level)

An M.B.A. student who wishes to change concentrations within the M.B.A. program may begin the process by notifying the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services in writing, no later than the first week of their graduation term, and consulting the graduate catalog to determine requirements for the new concentration. Written notification of the decision will be provided.

An RCB master’s student who wishes to change majors within the M.S. program or to change programs or status (for example, M.B.A. to M.S., C.R.E. to M.S.R.E.., M.P.A. to .M.S.I.S.A.C, M.S. to M.S.I.S.A.C, M.S.-MGS. to M.S.-H.R.M., non-degree to M.B.A.) must file a new application for admission and application fee. For programs that require faculty review as part of the admissions process, the file of the student will be sent to the appropriate faculty representative for a recommended admission decision. A student who has applied for admission to a new program will be notified in writing of the decision and, if approved, of any foundation courses required by the new program. Changes in M.S. major and changes in program require that students making such changes follow the program requirements of the graduate catalog in effect at the time of the change.

7080.14 Noncontinuous Enrollment and Requests to Re-enter

Absences shorter than one calendar year: Students continue to be eligible to register until they have not registered for one calendar year, except as noted below. Registration is defined as remaining registered until at least the end of the official late registration period. See the heading titled “Re-entry Students” in the Registration and Re-entry chapter earlier in this catalog.

Absence from the program is defined as not registering for graduate or relevant undergraduate courses or registering for such courses but not earning degree credit (minimum grade of C-), that is, earning D, F, W, or WF.

NOTE: Graduate students must register for at least a total of six semester hours of course work during any period of three consecutive terms (fall, spring, summer) until completion of degree. Failure to meet this standard for “continuous enrollment” will require the graduate student to apply for re-entry.

Absences of one calendar year or longer: All students who wish to reenter one of the master’s-level programs or non-degree status after an absence of one calendar year or longer must meet the degree requirements and academic regulations of the graduate catalog current upon return, along with other re-entry provisions as may be in effect.

Reentering students who have earned a minimum of 18 semester hours of appropriate credit at Georgia State University with a minimum GPA of 3.00 will be eligible for reentry without being required to meet current admissions criteria.

“Appropriate credit” means assigned foundation courses and/or courses that are applicable to the students’ current program.

Students who have not earned at least 18 semester hours of appropriate credit at Georgia State University with a minimum GPA of 3.00 must re-apply and meet current admissions criteria. The provision to meet current admissions criteria includes submission of current scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test if the latest score on file will be more than five years old at the time of re-entry.

7080.16 Re-entry Procedures

Re-entry applications must be submitted by the deadlines as shown for each term in Section 1100, “Re-entry” earlier in this catalog. Re-entry applications are available online from the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services website.

Reentry applicants should request that the registrar of each school attended since their last enrollment at Georgia State University send an official transcript to the RCB Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services GRSS.

Transient students should refer to the heading titled “Transient Students” earlier in this chapter.

Graduate students normally reenter the same college and program/status in which they were last enrolled. Students who have attended Georgia State in both undergraduate and graduate categories may apply to re-enter any undergraduate or graduate program/status in which they were enrolled. Exception: Students who have graduated and wish to re-enter in order to take additional graduate level courses but not earn another graduate degree or must file a new application for admission and application fee as post-graduate (PG) students rather than a re-entry form.

RCB master’s students who wish to reenter this college under a new RCB degree or major or who have graduated from one graduate program in RCB and who wish to return to take courses for another graduate degree or certificate must file a new application for admission and application fee rather than a re-entry form. Graduate Student Services will evaluate the request to change degrees or majors in accordance with the relevant regulations of the college.

Re-entry approval is valid for the semester applied for. Students approved for re-entry who do not register for the semester for which they applied, must submit a new reentry application and application fee for future semesters.

7080.18 Enrollment in Approved Courses

Students must not attend courses for which they have not officially registered and paid. Properly completing the registration process by the published deadline for each term is the responsibility of each student.

Students must enroll in courses that are part of the approved curriculum for the program to which they have been accepted. Students who do otherwise are subject to loss of credit and/or loss of eligibility to continue to register. Students in colleges other than the Robinson College of Business who take RCB courses may do so only if the courses are part of the program of study in the other college. For students to follow the program of study for an RCB degree or certificate, they must qualify for admission to the RCB program.

7080.20 Enforcement of Course Prerequisites

The faculty of the Robinson College of Business expects all students, regardless of status (degree seeking, non-degree, transient), to have satisfied the prerequisites for all courses for which they are registered. This expectation includes course prerequisites and computing skills prerequisites.

Satisfaction of prerequisites is enforced in the Robinson College of Business in varying ways. Prerequisites for some courses are monitored by the college or an academic unit once the term begins with violators withdrawn about the third week of the term, resulting in loss of fees and no opportunity to register for a replacement course. Other courses are monitored by the individual professors, who can also require violators to be withdrawn. The registration system will verify completion of prerequisites at the time of registration for selected courses. Students must assume this responsibility.

Prerequisites for each course are found in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog. The current catalog must always be consulted before registration to determine course prerequisites. Questions about prerequisites can be directed to the advisors in the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services.

7080.22 Day/Night Programs

There are no differences in admission requirements and degree requirements for students based on whether classes will be taken during the day or at night. The master’s programs (with the exception of the M.A.S. program) may be completed entirely at night. Students may take only night classes or a combination of day and night classes, whatever is suitable for their particular circumstances each semester.

7080.24 Separate Graduate and Undergraduate Programs

Except for the circumstance described in the regulation below titled “Policy on Allowing Undergraduates to Take Graduate Courses,” the graduate and undergraduate programs of Robinson College are entirely separate and only those persons who have been admitted to a graduate status may enroll in courses numbered 6000 or higher. No undergraduate course credit, including that obtained in required background work for a master’s degree, may be applied toward any of the master’s-level programs.

7080.26 Policy on Allowing Undergraduates to Take Graduate Courses

Undergraduate students with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher who have at least 18 semester hours of degree credit at Georgia State University and who are in their senior year may petition to take up to two graduate courses in the Robinson College of Business in lieu of undergraduate courses. Students interested in petitioning should contact the RCB Office of Undergraduate Academic Assistance for a statement of restrictions and procedures pertaining to this policy.

7080.28 Double Concentrations and Multiple Master’s Degrees

An M.B.A. student who wishes to qualify for an additional concentration may do so successfully by completing 12 semester hours of appropriate coursework (See “Regulations for the M.B.A. Degree” for the list of M.B.A. concentrations and their requirements.) For double concentrations within the M.B.A. program, electives can be counted toward both concentrations to the extent they are acceptable in both. [NOTE: The Graduate Program Council may establish minimum hours requirements for students earning multiple degrees.].
The earning of the second concentration will be confirmed by letter from the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services, upon written request by the student, only if the additional courses are completed before any of the student’s M.B.A. credit will be more than seven years old. The grades in the additional hours must not cause the student’s cumulative GPA to fall below 3.00. All grades must be “C-” or higher.

A student may take a particular master’s degree only once (except as noted below). However, a student who holds a master’s degree of this college may qualify for a different master’s degree of this college. To so qualify, the student must meet all admission requirements in effect for the second degree and thereafter fulfill all requirements for the second master’s degree. Along with all other requirements, the student must complete a minimum of 18 additional semester hours of appropriate credit in residence at Georgia State University for the second and each subsequent degree with appropriate grades and in coursework that has not been applied in satisfaction of the requirements of any other degree. This minimum residence requirement is permitted only when all courses to be applied toward the subsequent degree will be no more than seven years old upon completion of all degree requirements. If the seven-year time frame is not met, the minimum residence requirement for a second (or subsequent) master’s degree is 24 semester hours with appropriate grades and in coursework that has not been applied in satisfaction of the requirements of any other degree. Once the 24-semester-hour residency is met, students may transfer approved course work completed elsewhere in accordance with the college’s standard transfer-of-credit regulations.

Courses taken to earn an additional MBA concentration must be separate from any courses taken to meet the minimum residency for an additional degree. This applies whether the courses for the additional designations are taken before or after the first degree has been awarded. The final decision about the minimum course credit required for additional concentrations, and/or degrees rests with the Robinson College of Business.
A student who holds an M.S. degree from this college and wishes to earn an M.S. in another major must follow the provisions for qualifying for a different master’s degree (described earlier in this section).

7080.30 Standards of Performance

The dean or the associate dean for master’s programs of the college may require that a student withdraw from a particular course or courses, from a master’s program, or from the college because of unsatisfactory academic work or for other adequate reason. To continue in a master’s program, a student must make reasonable and timely progress in terms of grades and courses toward the degree or certificate concerned. The student’s progress may be reviewed each semester.

As a result of this review, any student whose scholastic performance does not indicate appropriate progress may be required to reduce the course load or may be required to withdraw from the program.

7080.32 Scholastic Discipline: Master’s Programs and Status

Each student admitted to a master’s program or status of the college must maintain a grade-point average (GPA) in the program of 3.00 or higher in all attempts at all courses numbered 6000 and higher. (This means that the original grade in a course that is repeated is not dropped from the cumulative GPA for purposes of determining good academic standing.) Also included in this GPA, except as noted below, are all Robinson College of Business courses that the student takes (if any) which are in addition to those in the degree/certificate program. Therefore, a student who wishes to take a course for personal enrichment or for other purposes not related to pursuit of the degree/certificate should audit the course.

Grades earned in other graduate programs of the Robinson College of Business from which the student has graduated or any grades earned at any time in graduate courses of other colleges of the university do not affect the cumulative GPA for the current program, unless they apply toward the current program. Grades in courses in areas where higher-level coursework has already been completed will not affect the cumulative GPA for the current program (example: taking MBA 8025 after MBA 8115). These grades are, however, included in the cumulative GPA which is calculated by the university and recorded on the student’s official transcript. The calculation on the transcript includes all attempts at all courses numbered 5000-level and above taken at the university. All references to “cumulative GPA” in the scholastic discipline policy are to the cumulative GPA in the student’s current program (except as noted in the next paragraph).

Students who change master’s-level programs within the Robinson College of Business (as opposed to completing one program then entering a second program) are responsible for all graduate grades earned in the college. That is, students with less than a 3.00 GPA in one master’s-level program or status cannot automatically return to good academic standing by changing programs or status.

Questions about calculation of the GPA for determining academic standing should be directed to the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services. The interpretation of the college’s scholastic discipline policy as it applies to unusual situations is the responsibility of the dean of the college as represented by Graduate Recruiting and Student Services.

Each student whose GPA for a semester is below 3.00, regardless of course load, will be on “scholastic warning.” Upon completion of the next semester of relevant graduate coursework, the performance of a student on warning will be evaluated in the following way:

1. If the semester GPA is at least 3.00 and the cumulative GPA is at least 3.00, then the student will return to good standing.
2. If the semester GPA is less than 3.00 and the cumulative GPA is less than 3.00, then the student will be suspended from the university for a minimum of one semester.
3. If the semester GPA is less than 3.00 but the cumulative GPA is at least 3.00, then the student may continue to enroll but will continue to be on warning until a semester GPA of at least 3.00 is achieved, at which time he or she will return to good standing, or until subsequent semester GPAs bring the cumulative GPA below 3.00, at which time he or she will be suspended from the university for a minimum of one semester.
4. If the semester GPA is at least 3.00 but the cumulative GPA is less than 3.00, then the student will remain on “scholastic warning.” The student may continue to enroll on warning, provided the semester GPAs are at least 3.00, until the cumulative GPA is brought to at least 3.00; at this time, he or she will return to good standing. If any semester GPA is less than 3.00 before the cumulative GPA has been brought to 3.00, the student will be suspended from the university for a minimum of one semester.

After a suspension of at least one semester and if the time limit for completing the program has not expired, the student may apply for readmission. Application for readmission must be made to the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services not later than six weeks prior to the first day of registration for the semester in which reinstatement is sought.

A student who is readmitted from suspension will be on probation. If any semester GPA is less than 3.00 before the student’s cumulative GPA reaches at least 3.00, the student will be permanently excluded from taking graduate courses in the Robinson College of Business. When the cumulative GPA is at least 3.00, the student will then return to good standing. Another suspension after returning to good standing also will result in permanent exclusion.

See the next section for grade requirements for graduation.

7080.34 Grade Requirements for Graduation

To graduate with a master’s degree or graduate certificate from the Robinson College of Business, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher in all attempts at all courses numbered 6000 and above taken at Georgia State University (See Sections 1330 Cumulative Grade Point Average and 1336.15 Graduation Requirements). In addition, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher in all courses applicable toward the program from which graduation is planned. Also included in this GPA are grades earned in all graduate RCB courses taken at Georgia State, including those taken while in any master’s program(s) or status which the student began but did not complete. Exception: grades in courses which are more than seven years old, while part of the cumulative GSU GPA, will not be factored into the College’s GPA requirement for graduation. No grade below a grade of C- is acceptable. No course in which a grade of B or higher has been earned may be repeated for degree credit.

Questions about calculation of the GPA for graduation should be directed to the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services. The interpretation of the college’s GPA requirement for graduation as it applies to unusual situations is the responsibility of the dean of the college as represented by the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services.

7080.35 Panthers on the Move – Employment Outcomes Survey

Completion of this employment outcomes survey prior to graduation is a requirement for the degree. The valuable data obtained from the survey is used to support our continuous improvement efforts in program development, rankings, recruitment, career advancement, and maintenance of accreditation.

7080.38 Residency Requirements

The Robinson College of Business defines residency in a master’s program as being enrolled in courses that are numbered 8000 or higher, that are appropriate for the program, and that have not been counted toward another graduate degree of this college. The minimum residency requirement for each degree program except the Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) is 24 semester hours. The minimum residency requirement for the certificate program in real estate is nine semester hours; the MSRE minimum is 30 semester hours. The minimum residency for the certificate program in enterprise risk management is 18 semester hours of graduate course work.

In the Master of Business Administration program, at least one half the concentration, as appropriate, must be completed in residence to be designated as having completed the concentration in a specific field; otherwise the general business concentration is awarded. In the Master of Science program, at least one half of the major must be completed in residence.

7080.40 Transfer of Credits

Transfer of credit in master’s programs of this college is defined as receiving graduate degree credit for a course completed at another institution, thereby reducing the number of graduate courses to be taken at Georgia State University. Transfer of credit is distinguished from exemption from MBA-prefixed courses. Transfer of credit will be approved only under the following conditions:

1. The course must have been completed at an institution whose master’s programs were accredited by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business at the time the course was taken.
2. The course must have been restricted to graduate students only.
3. A grade of B or higher must have been received in the course. Exceptions to the minimum grade requirement will be reviewed on a case by case basis for students participating under terms of international dual degree agreements.
4. The content of the course must correspond to that of a Georgia State course required or permitted in the student’s program.
5. Credit completed before enrollment in the current Georgia State program will be considered if it will not be more than seven years old at the time the student graduates.
6. Credit completed elsewhere after enrollment in the current Georgia State program will be considered for transfer credit if it is within the time limit allowed for completion of the current program.

It is also possible to receive transfer credit from another graduate program of Georgia State University, including previously completed Robinson College programs and programs from other colleges/schools in the university. These regulations are written for the usual transfer credit case, which is credit from another institution. The Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services should be consulted about transfer credit from other Georgia State programs.

A written request for consideration of transfer credit completed before admission must be submitted by the student concerned during the first semester of residence here. The request must indicate the specific course(s) for which transfer credit is sought. A copy of the other institution’s catalog must be submitted to verify that condition 2 (listed above) has been met; a course outline for each course must be submitted to verify that condition 4 has been met; if the course(s) were taken after application materials had been filed, an official transcript of the coursework must be sent directly from the other institution to Graduate Recruiting and Student Services to verify that conditions 3 and 5 have been met. Requests for transfer of graduate credit cannot be processed until all necessary information has been received.

Students who have met the residency requirement for their program and who wish to take graduate courses at another institution to complete the coursework for their Georgia State degree should provide the information listed above (except the transcript) to Graduate Recruiting and Student Services before enrolling at the other institution. Advance approval will ensure that the transfer credit can be granted if a grade of B or higher is earned in the course(s) and the coursework is completed within the time limit allowed for the program. Such students should plan to graduate at least one semester after the quarter/semester in which the last course to be transferred has been taken. This will allow adequate time for the necessary transcript to be received and for the transfer credit to be processed. (See the “Graduation Fee” heading in this catalog for details about applying to graduate.) A letter certifying completion of degree requirements and stating the date the degree will be conferred can be furnished to the student by the Graduation Office.

7080.42 Information Technology Access and Skill Requirements

Access Requirements: Because information technology is an integral part of business decision making, courses in the Robinson College of Business frequently incorporate assignments that require computing skills. Consistent with university policy (available at technology.gsu.edu/about/technology-policies/), the Robinson College requires students to be responsible for providing computer and Internet access for all RCB courses and programs.

Hardware and Software Requirements: Georgia State has standardized on the Microsoft Office Suite in the student computer labs. Students may consult the university’s Office of Student Financial Aid for information about possible funding opportunities for computer and Internet access expenses.

Skill Requirements: All RCB graduate students are responsible for establishing and maintaining their proficiency in the basic digital skills current in contemporary business workplaces. Such skills include, but are not limited to, effectiveness in storing, retrieving, calculating, and analyzing data with spreadsheets and offline or online databases; communicating digitally with word processors and computer-based documents, web postings and web documents; searching for information from the web and online resources; and presenting information with effective visualization, graphics, and audience presentation software. Examples of complete suites of such office tools include current versions of Microsoft Office (frequently preferred by instructors and site-licensed at Georgia State), Corel WordPerfect Office, Apache OpenOffice, GoogleDocs, etc.

7090 College Degree Requirements

The MBA program is designed for individuals with work experience who aspire to organizational or entrepreneurial leadership positions. The program enhances general management abilities and provides an opportunity to place emphasis on one or more functional areas of expertise. The primary objectives of the program are for students to develop and integrate: (1) analytical skills for decision-making that incorporate global, ethical, and culturally diverse dimensions; (2) skills in assessing organizational performance and developing approaches for improvement; (3) leadership skills; and (4) interpersonal skills that contribute to teamwork.

7090.10 Orientation

All entering Flexible Master’s students are required to attend the mandatory Master’s Orientation in their first semester of enrollment.  The specific dates for the Master’s Orientation can be found here: Master’s Orientation information. The objectives of the orientation are:

• To develop a sense of community and identification for students.
• To demonstrate how teamwork enhances learning.
• To begin the process of program planning and career planning.
• To introduce Robinson master’s students to the available resources provided by the college and how to use those resources effectively.

7090.20 Regulations for the Degree

The Master of Business Administration degree is awarded upon completion of a prescribed program ranging from 39 to 54 semester hours of credit, depending on the academic background of students and on options selected by the students. The M.B.A. program is developed on the assumption that students enter the program with certain skills:

• Computing skills; Because computers are an integral part of business decision making, courses in the Robinson College of Business frequently incorporate assignments that require computing skills.  Expectations are described in section 7080.42.
• Algebra skills; MATH 1111 (college algebra) or equivalent mathematical knowledge is assumed for all entering M.B.A. students. Students are expected to self select into MATH 1111 or take other appropriate steps if they do not have a working knowledge of college algebra.

7090.30 Degree Requirements

The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the M.B.A. program.

The Master of Business Administration degree is awarded upon completion of the program prescribed in this section below. The time limit for completing the M.B.A. program is five years.

MBA Course Requirements

The course requirements for the M.B.A. program and the sequence of courses follow. Note that Cornerstone Core courses may be taken concurrently. All other courses must be taken after MBA 8000 Managing in the Global Economy and MBA 8025 Financial Statement Analysis.

Cornerstone Core Courses (10.5-16.5 hours):

These courses provide a solid intellectual grounding within an integrative framework that sets the stage for the entire MBA curriculum. MBA 8000 Managing in the Global Economy,  MBA 8040 Data Driven Decision Making and MBA 8045 Analytics Experience cannot be waived. Waiver of Strategic Communication will be granted only under exceptional circumstances which must include a high degree of previous education and proof of significant experience in the communications area. Financial Statement Analysis may be waived if the student has an undergraduate degree in accounting with a 3.0 or better GPA and current experience in the area. Legal Environment: Ethics and Corporate Governance can only be waived by those students already possessing a JD degree. Student may waive no more than 6 hours in this area. Once a course is waived, it may not be taken later for credit.

• MBA 8000 Managing in the Global Economy (3)
• MBA 8015 Strategic Business Communication (3)
• MBA 8025 Financial Statement Analysis (3)
• MBA 8030 Legal Environment: Ethics and Corporate Governance (3)
• MBA 8040 Data Driven Decision Making (3)
• MBA 8045 Analytics Experience (1.5)

Functional Core Courses (10.5-16.5 hours):

The functional core offers curricular breadth. Up to 6 hours (two courses) in this category may be waived (see Section 7090.60 for details), based on an undergraduate business degree from an AACSB or EQUIS accredited institution with a 3.0 or great GPA in the major and current work experience in the area. Once a course is waived, it may not be taken later for credit. MBA 8000 and MBA 8025 are prerequisites for every Functional Core course, and MBA 8015, MBA 8030, MBA 8040, and MBA 8045 are co-requisites.

• MBA 8115 Managerial Accounting and Control Systems (1.5)
• MBA 8125 Digital Innovation (3)
• MBA 8135 Corporate Finance (3)
• MBA 8145 Strategic Marketing Management (3)
• MBA 8155 Operations Management (3)
• MBA 8165 Leadership and Organizational Behavior (3)

Capstone Core Course (3 hours):

This course integrates a broad span of knowledge gained from the required curriculum. This course cannot be waived. Registration will be granted once students have completed all six MBA 8100 level courses.

• MBA 8820 Global Competitive Strategy (3)

8000-Level Elective Courses (18 hours):

Electives include 12 hours in a concentration which permit the student to personalize core competency and customize intellectual development. Electives are to be from the set of RCB 8000-level courses or from the Department of Economics in the Andrew Young School. Students wishing to take electives outside that set must apply for special permission.

7090.40 Concentrations

Concentrations are available in the following areas:

• Accounting
• Actuarial Science
• Business Analysis
• Business Economics
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Health Administration
• Health Informatics
• Hospitality Administration
• Human Resource Management
• Information Systems
• International Business
• Managerial Sciences
• Marketing
• Operations Management
• Organization Management
• Real Estate
• Risk Management and Insurance

Students should contact individual departments regarding requirements for obtaining concentrations not detailed below.

Accounting

Larry Ashmore, Program Director, 404-413-7219, lashmore@gsu.edu

The mission of the accounting concentration in the MBA program is to prepare individuals to become leaders in financial reporting and assurance services in public accounting or industry. While the MBA program enhances general management abilities, the accounting concentration focuses specifically on (1) financial reporting skills in a global economy, (2) assurance service skills in a variety of organizational contexts, and (3) financial analysis skills.

The concentration in accounting requires students to have completed courses equivalent to the following with a C- or better grade:

• ACCT 4111 Intermediate Accounting I
• ACCT 4112 Intermediate Accounting II
• ACCT 4113 Intermediate Accounting III
• ACCT 4210 Cost/Managerial Accounting
• ACCT 4310 Accounting Information Systems
• ACCT 4510 Introduction to Federal Income Taxes
• ACCT 4610 Introduction to Assurance Services

The concentration in accounting requires 12 semester hours as follows:

• ACCT 8130 Advanced Accounting Topics
• ACCT 8420 Special Topics in Financial Accounting
• ACCT 8610 Advanced Topics in Assurance Services
• ACCT 8700 Financial Statement & Business Analysis

NOTE: Generally students who concentrate in accounting want to sit for the CPA exam. To do so in Georgia they must have 20 credit hours in upper level  (above the 2xxx level) accounting classes.  In order to earn the CPA license in Georgia they must (in addition to successfully completing the examination in accordance with Georgia’s requirements, and having one year of  appropriate work experience),  have earned a total of 30 credit hours in upper level accounting classes.

Actuarial Science

Eric Ulm, Coordinator, 404-413-7485, eulm@gsu.edu

The MBA program provides the skills needed by future business leaders and future management consultants, such as creative decision-making, leadership, and the ability to work as a member of a team. The actuarial science concentration focuses on mathematical modeling. Qualified students who wish to acquire both sets of skills should enroll in the MBA program with a concentration in actuarial science. Applicants will be required to meet the admission requirements for both the MBA and the MAS programs.

The concentration in actuarial science requires students to have completed courses equivalent to the following with a minimum grade of C. These courses are described in the Course Descriptions chapter of the Georgia State University Undergraduate Catalog. This catalog is available on the web at catalog.gsu.edu.

• MATH 4751 Mathematical Statistics I
• MATH 4752 Mathematical Statistics II
• AS 4230 Theory of Interest

Students with undergraduate actuarial science courses required who have financial aid should refer to “Courses Eligible to Count Toward Graduate Students’ Financial Aid” in the Financial Information chapter before registering for the first time with graduate status.

The concentration in actuarial science requires 12 semester hours of courses selected from the following list:

• AS 8340 Life Contingencies I
• AS 8350 Insurance Mathematics (Life Contingencies II)
• [Econ 8740] Applied Statistics and Econometrics
• AS 8430 Loss Distributions and Credibility Theory
• AS 8520 Principles of Property and Casualty Ratemaking
• AS 8810 Actuarial Science Graduate Seminar
• MRM 8320 Introduction to Stochastic Actuarial Models
• MRM 8610 Financial Engineering I
• MRM 8620 Financial Engineering II
• MRM 8630 Stochastic Interest Rate and Credit Models

Business Analysis

Satish Nargundkar, Coordinator, 404-413-7541, snargundkar@gsu.edu

The overall goal of the concentration in business analysis is to provide the student with specialized training in the use of advanced analytical techniques for managerial decision making. These areas span statistical data analysis, management science, business intelligence, and decision support systems. This concentration also prepares students for Six-Sigma certification.

The contextual topics include data warehousing, data mining, online analytical processing, enterprise resource planning, and supply chain management. This concentration prepares the student for careers in business analysis, financial analysis, marketing analysis, operations analysis, strategic analysis and corporate planning. The student will be prepared for the utilization of information technology for corporate decision making.

The required courses for the concentration (nine semester hours) follow:

• MGS 8020 Business Intelligence
• MGS 8040 Data Mining
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling

For electives, select an additional three semester hours (1 course) for a concentration from the following list.

• MGS 8110 Applied Regression Analysis
• MGS 8140 Management Science Modeling
• MGS 8170 Statistical Modeling
• MGS 8710 Operations Planning
• MGS 8760 Quality Management

Electives can be substituted by other relevant courses through prior approval by a faculty adviser.

Business Economics

Jon Mansfield, Coordinator, 404-413-0151, Jon.Mansfield@gsu.edu

5th Floor, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Bldg. room 519

Electives to constitute a concentration (12 semester hours) in business economics are chosen from any of the courses listed below for which prerequisites have been satisfied (all courses are 3 hours unless otherwise noted).

• ECON 8100 Applied Microeconomic Analysis
• ECON 8110 Macroeconomic Analysis
• ECON 8180 Applied Economic Analysis
• ECON 8430 Theory of the Firm and Business Strategy
• ECON 8440 Industrial Organization and Antitrust Economics
• ECON 8710 Introduction to Statistical Foundations for Econometrics
• ECON 8860 Economics of Global Finance
• ECON 8740 Applied Statistics and Econometrics 1
• ECON 8780 Financial Econometrics
• ECON 8840 Applied Statistics and Econometrics 2

Additional courses not listed above may be taken with the approval of the Coordinator.

Entrepreneurship

Richard Welke, Coordinator, 404-413-7920;  55 Park Place, Suite 250

A concentration in entrepreneurship for an MBA student requires completion of 12 semester hours of courses as described below. Some of these courses have prerequisites.

Courses

Take the following three courses:

• ENI 8000 Organizational Entrepreneurship
• ENI 8101 Improving the Customer Experience
• ENI 8102 Innovating Customer Value

Take one of the following courses:

• ENI 8301 Managing for Dynamic Growth
• ENI 8302 Leading for Entrepreneurship
• IB 8100 International Entrepreneurship
• MGS 8420 Enhancing Leadership Skills
• MGS 8425 Coaching for Leadership
• MGS 8430 Negotiation

Finance

Gerald D. Gay, Chair, 404-413-7321

The Department of Finance encourages all students pursuing a finance concentration to take MBA 8135 early in their program since it is a prerequisite for all electives that count toward a finance concentration. Beyond MBA 8135, to complete a concentration, students must take FI 8000 (3 hrs) plus 9 additional semester hours of 8000-level finance courses (FI-prefix).  FI 8070, Leading the Finance Function, may be taken as a free elective but does not count toward a finance concentration.

Dual Concentration Option:

Students who complete the following set of courses as part of their MBA program will qualify for dual concentrations both in the area of finance and in risk management and insurance:

• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets
• FI 8200 Derivative Markets
• RMI 8050 Risk Management Modeling
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management

Study Abroad Elective:

Students taking IB 8410 Financial and Managerial Issues in France and the EU, (3hrs) or FI 8410 Financial and Managerial Issues in Emerging Markets: India (3 hrs) may count either course toward a concentration in finance.

Health Administration

Andrew T. Sumner, Coordinator, 404-413-7634, asumner@gsu.edu

A concentration in health administration consists of 12 hours chosen from this list:

• HA 8160 Introduction to the Health Care System
• HA 8190 Health Policy & Ethics
• HA 8250 Health Economics & Financing
• HA 8440 Executive Leadership in Healthcare
• HA 8550 Healthcare Financial Management and Planning
• HA 8670 Health Information Systems
• HA 8700 Health Services Research and Evaluation Methods (3)
• HA 8750 Predictive Analytics in Healthcare (3)
• HA 8680 Care Management and Delivery Systems

The following additional three courses are equivalent to MBA courses:

• HA 8450 Legal Environment of Healthcare (3) Replaces MBA 8030, Legal Environment: Ethics and Corporate Governance, in the MBA curriculum
• HA 8620 Operations Management and Quality in Health Care (3) Replaces MBA 8155, Operations Management, in the MBA curriculum.
• HA 8990 Strategic Management in Healthcare (3) Replaces MBA 8820, Global Competitive Strategy in the MBA curriculum.

Health Informatics

Abhay Mishra, Coordinator, 404-413-7638, amishra@gsu.edu

The goal of the MBA concentration in Health Informatics is to provide students with specialized skills to improve healthcare services enabled by information technology. Such improvements focus on the information-intensive nature of healthcare institutions and processes to increase the quality and reduce the cost of healthcare services.

Courses required for the concentration (12 semester hours) in Health Informatics are:

• CIS 8070 Pervasive Healthcare Technologies
• CIS 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems
• HA 8160 Introduction to the Health Care System
• HA 8670 Health Information Systems

Suggested electives for Health Informatics are in recommended order:

• CIS 8010 Process Innovation
• CIS 8000 IT Project Management
• HA 8550 Health Planning and Financial Management
• CIS 8090 Enterprise Architecture

Hospitality Administration

Debby Cannon, Coordinator, 404-413-7617, dfcannon@gsu.edu

A concentration in hospitality consists of any 12 hours chosen from this list:

• HADM 8100 Hospitality and Tourism Management
• HADM 8400 Financial Management Applications for Hospitality Enterprises
• HADM 8500 Economic and Cultural Impact of Travel and Tourism
• HADM 8600 Trends in the Food Service Industry
• HADM 8700 Trends in the Hotel Industry
• MGS 8300 Human Resources Management
• MK 8800 Services Marketing

Human Resource Management

Pam Barr, Coordinator, 404-413-7172

Admission to the HRM concentration requires formal approval by the faculty of the Beebe Institute. Other M.B.A. students or students in other master’s programs must file a written request with the Office of Graduate Student Services to transfer to HRM. Students’ records are then sent to the institute for review.

Each HRM student’s courses for the concentration must be selected from the list below in consultation with the HRM faculty adviser and a copy of these course selections filed with Graduate Student Services for review and approval. Progress toward the degree beyond the M.B.A. core and required courses, including clearance for graduation, cannot be confirmed without an approved program of study. This program should be planned before the student takes a non-required course. Any changes in the program must be approved by the faculty adviser and a copy of the changes sent to Graduate Student Services.

A concentration in Human Resources Management consists of 12 hours. Required:

• MGS 8300 Human Resources Management
• MGS 8360 Human Resources Recruitment and Selection
• MGS 8390 Strategic Compensation

Take at least one of the following:

• MGS 8320 Legal and Ethical Environment of Human Resource Management
• MGS 8380 Strategic Human Resource Management

Courses not on the list may be chosen through consultation with a faculty advisor.

Information Systems

Dr. Veda Storey, Coordinator, 404-413-7477, vstorey@gsu.edu

In today’s highly competitive global environment, the effective deployment of information technology has become the key to organizational success. There is a continuing shortage of individuals with the combination of business and technology skills needed to develop and manage information systems that provide competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The mission of the M.B.A. concentration in information systems is to produce graduates able to fill this need. Students will learn how to combine their general business knowledge with the latest software engineering tools and techniques to create information systems needed by today’s organizations. The courses to constitute a concentration (12 semester hours) in information systems are chosen from the 8000-level offerings of the Department of Computer Information Systems, or Acct 8680, IB 8680, IB 8710, provided the relevant course prerequisites have been satisfied.

Students may achieve a managerial emphasis by choosing courses from the following:

• CIS 8000 Information Technology Project Management
• CIS 8010 Business Process Innovation
• CIS 8060/CPI 8060 Supply Chain Management
• CIS 8080/ACCT 8680 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems
• CIS 8100 Management of Information Services
• CIS 8125 IT Management
• CIS 8200 Information Systems Strategy
• CIS 8210 Global Systems Sourcing
• CIS 8220/IB 8710 International Information Technology Issues and Policy
• CIS 8670 Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)

Or they may achieve a technical emphasis by choosing courses from the following:

• CIS 8020 Systems Integration
• CIS 8030 Software Requirements Management
• CIS 8040 Database Management Systems
• CIS 8050 Business Telecommunications and Networks
• CIS 8070 Pervasive Healthcare Technologies
• CIS 8090 Enterprise Architectures
• CIS 8260 Knowledge Management
• CIS 8300 Software Quality Management
• CIS 8310 Systems Development
• CIS 8399 Advanced Topics in Systems Development
•  CIS 8499 Advanced Topics in Telecommunications
•  CIS 8670 Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
• CIS 8850 Web Application Development

Please see www2.cis.gsu.edu/cis/program/mbacis.asp for more information and the most current list of CIS courses.

International Business

Daniel Bello, Coordinator, 404-413-7658, dbello@gsu.edu

Businesses continue to explore international opportunities as globalization expands.  A concentration in international business opens up exciting career opportunities for managers with an MBA.  The MBA-IB (international business) offers an opportunity to build a sound foundation in international business, preparing students for careers in an increasingly interconnected global business environment.  The concentration offers a flexible learning experience that extends functional skills to deal with managerial issues in the international marketplace as well as enhance students’ intercultural awareness and effectiveness.  The MBA-IB requires the capstone course, IB 8990, which replaces MBA 8820 as the MBA capstone requirement.  In addition, the concentration requires 4 courses (12 hours) .  As the prerequisite for IB 8000-level electives, IB 8090 is required; the 4 courses constituting the concentration are selected as follows:

1. a) At least 6 hours from a list of IB 8000-level electives
   b) 3 hours from a list of related international courses or from the list of IB 8000-level electives.
   c) 3-hour IB 8990 Policy & Strategy in the International Marketplace (course replaces MBA 8820).

Required Prerequisite: IB 8090 International Business Environment

IB 8000-level electives: To complete the concentration, at least 6 (six) semester hours chosen from the courses listed below are required.  Consult the current graduate catalog for prerequisites that will affect selections.

• IB 8080 Legal Aspects of International Business
• IB 8092 Analyzing International Business Problems
• IB 8100 International Entrepreneurship
• IB 8180 Doing Business in Emerging Markets
• IB 8190 Doing Business in World Regions
• IB 8400 International Exchange Program Credit (1-6)
• IB 8410 Study Abroad (1-6)
• IB 8550 Special Topics in International Business
• IB 8620 Commercial Diplomacy
• IB 8630 International Business Negotiation
• IB 8680 Technology and Global Competition
• IB 8690 Global Operations Management
• IB 8710 International Information Technology Issues and Policy

IB Related International Courses: To complete the concentration, three semester hours chosen from the courses listed below or from IB 8000-level electives are required.  Consult the current graduate catalog for prerequisites that will affect selections.

See list of IB 8000-level electives above, or

• MGS 8860 Management and Cross-National Environments (Study Abroad)
• MK 8600 International Marketing
• RE 8600 International Real Estate
• RMI 8350 International Risk and Insurance
• TX 8300 International Aspects of Taxation
• ACCT 8090 International Accounting Practices
• CIS 8060 Supply Chain Management
• ECON 8850 International Trade
• ECON 8860 Economics of Global Finance
• FI 8040 Survey of International Finance
• FI 8240 Global Portfolio Management
• FI 8340 Multinational Corporate Finance
• FI 8440 Finance and Banking in the Global Economy

An international study experience is highly encouraged, but not required. Note that IB 8410 may be repeated for offerings in different countries/locations.

Capstone: REQUIRED

IB 8990 Policy & Strategy in the International Marketplace (course replaces MBA 8820).

Note: Knowledge of a foreign language is not required of a MBA-IB student.

Marketing

Bruce K. Pilling, Coordinator, 404-413-7673, bpilling@gsu.edu

Electives to constitute a concentration (12 semester hours) in marketing are chosen from any of the 8000-level marketing courses, including:

• MK 8010 Marketing Metrics
• MK 8100 Consumer Behavior
• MK 8200 Marketing Research
• MK 8300 Marketing Communications and Promotion
• MK 8330 Strategic Selling
• MK 8340 Strategic Sales Leadership
• MK 8400 Channels of Distribution
• MK 8410 Logistics Management
• MK 8510 Business to Business Marketing
• MK 8600 International Marketing
• MK 8620 Product Management
• MK 8700 Digital and Social Media Marketing
• MK 8705 Digital Marketing Analytics
• MK 8710 Customer Relationship Management
• MK 8715 Brand and Customer Analytics
• MK 8720 Data Driven Marketing
• MK 8730 Marketing Engineering

MBA 8145 must be taken or waived. If waived, it cannot be taken later for credit and the number of credit hours waived must be replaced with 8000-level RCB courses within Marketing.

Operations Management

Peter Zhang, Coordinator, 404-413-7557, gpzhang@gsu.edu

Electives to constitute a concentration (12 hours) in Operations Management are chosen from the following list. Some of these courses have prerequisites which must be met. Courses not on the list may be chosen through consultation with a faculty advisor.

• MGS 8710 Logistics and Supply Chains
• MGS 8730 Project Management
• MGS 8740 Operations Strategy
• MGS 8760 Quality Management
• MGS 8770 Service Operations Management
• CIS 8060/CPI 8060 Supply Chain Management
• IB 8690 Global Operations Management

Leadership and Organization Management

Ed Miles, Coordinator, 404-413-7540, emiles@gsu.edu

Electives to constitute a concentration (12 hours) in Leadership and Organization Management are chosen from the following list. Some these courses have prerequisites which must be met. Courses not on the list may be chosen through consultation with the coordinator.

• MGS 8420 Enhancing Leadership Skills
• MGS 8425 Coaching for Leadership
• MGS 8430 Negotiation
• MGS 8435 Power in Organizations
• MGS 8450  Leading Organizational Change
•  MGS 8500 Entrepreneurship and Enterprise
• MGS 8510 Business Plan Development
• MGS 8730 Project Management
• MGS 8860 Management Studies Abroad

Real Estate

Jon Wiley, Coordinator, 404-413-7728, jwiley@gsu.edu

The real estate concentration in the MBA program is designed to prepare individuals to manage the real estate interests of firms in any industry.  While the MBA program provides broad understanding of business operations and enhances general management abilities, the real estate concentration focuses on strategically employing real estate assets to contribute to the financial success of the firm.

A concentration in real estate consists of 12 semester hours of 8000-level real estate courses chosen from any of the courses listed below for which prerequisites have been satisfied.

• RE 8000 Real Estate Concepts and Practices
• RE 8020 Real Estate Equity Investments
• RE 8030 Real Estate Financing
• RE 8035 Real Estate Investments Trusts
• RE 8040 Legal and Regulatory Environment of Real Estate
• RE 8050 Real Estate Development
• RE 8060 Applied Real Estate Market Analysis
• RE 8070 Quantitative Analysis for Real Estate
• RE 8080 Real Estate Project Planning and Development
• RE 8090 Real Estate Case Analysis
• RE 8100 Strategic Management of Real Property in a Corporate Environment
• RE 8400 Advanced Real Estate Investment Analysis
• RE 8450 Taxation of Real Estate Investment

Risk Management and Insurance

Conrad Ciccotello, Coordinator, 404-413-7462, cciccotello@gsu.edu

The concentration (12 hours) in risk management and insurance can be chosen from any of the 8000-level RMI-prefixed courses. Students may select non-RMI prefixed courses as credit toward a concentration with advance permission of the RMI department’s graduate faculty adviser.
In addition to the general concentration described above, the department participates in a hybrid degree program that leads to a specialization in Financial Risk Management. Students completing the Financial Risk Management Specialization will earn a dual concentration in risk management and insurance and in finance. The specialization is designed to prepare students to work in the treasury departments of non-financial firms or as professionals in the financial risk management departments in financial institutions or consultancies.

The four courses required for the Financial Risk Management Specialization are as follows.

• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets
• RMI 8050 Risk Management Modeling
• FI 8200 Derivative Markers I
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management

7110 Master’s Programs

7110.10 Specialized Master’s Foundation Requirements

The requirements in this list are in addition to the hours required for the non-MBA master’s degrees, collectively referred to as specialized master’s degrees. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent course work has been previously completed with grades of C or higher.  Foundation requirements are commonly satisfied by one of the following:

(1)  A bachelor’s degree in business, economics, or accounting; or,

(2)  A bachelor’s degree in the specialization or an area related to the student’s specialized master’s degree; or,

(3)  Certified completion of approved online courses in accounting, quantitative methods, and economics as directed by RCB Graduate Student Services; or,

(4)  Completion of the following courses:

1. Accounting: MBA 8025 or financial and managerial accounting principles (ACCT 2101–ACCT 2102).
2. Economics: Microeconomics principles (ECON 2106) or earning above 85% on the comprehensive Economics online exam
3. Mathematics: College Algebra (MATH 1111).
4. Statistics: MATH 1070 or earning above 75% on the comprehensive Financial Statement Analysis online exam
5. Business Communications: BCOM 8250 or MBA 8015 (completion of either of these will eliminate the need for taking the Business Communication Workshop in item 3 above)

Specific Master’s Programs may have further foundation requirements that are in addition to those listed here. See the specific program description for other specific foundation requirements.

7120 Executive M.B.A. Program

The Robinson 17-month Executive MBA (EMBA) program is designed for professionals who possess significant (approximately seven years or more post-undergraduate degree) professional work experience as well as experience in a management role (managing people, projects, or assets). On average, EMBA students are 40 years old with fifteen years of professional work experience. The purpose of the program is to prepare experienced professionals to better meet the challenges of an ever-changing global business environment.

The EMBA program format is team-based and lock-step. Students begin in August and remain together throughout the course of the program. There are no electives, and students receive an MBA in general management. All classes are held at Georgia State’s Buckhead Campus every other Friday (1:00 p.m. to 7:00p.m.) and Saturday (8:30a.m. to 5:30p.m.).

Covering the most critical business topics, the EMBA curriculum touches all aspects of the enterprise as it pertains to today’s global markets. The curriculum is designed to equip students with a broader business perspective, strategic thinking skills, and the executive leadership skills necessary to advance in their career.

An integral part of Robinson’s EMBA program is the International Business Residency, an intensive exposition into the management and business practices of companies around the world. Students will travel to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa at the end of their program. They also have the opportunity to participate in optional residencies to Silicon Valley and/or Colombia.  During the residencies, students meet with company leaders (both indigenous and American-owned companies) and government officials, and tour plants and facilities to better understand global markets.

For more information including admission criteria visit the Executive MBA website at: robinson.gsu.edu/emba/ or call 404-413-7182.

7140 Professional M.B.A. Program

We are not accepting applications at this time.

Brett Matherne, Assistant Dean for Flexible and Professional MBA Programs

The Professional MBA Program is a 24-month lock-step program designed for rising professionals with a minimum of four years of professional experience in a supervisor or mid-level management position with increasing responsibility to assume greater leadership roles. Students receive an MBA degree upon completion of the program.

The purpose of the Professional MBA program is to provide mid-level managers a challenging curriculum relevant to the needs of rising professionals. The curriculum develops and integrates leadership portfolio skills focusing on analytical skills for decision-making and incorporating global, ethical and culturally diverse dimensions; skills in assessing organizational performance and developing approaches for improvement; and interpersonal skills that contribute to teamwork. The lock-step format serves to forge strong networking, a more in-depth learning environment and support among the students as they take the same courses together during the program.

Students may choose from a variety of electives offered in multiple locations or online. International trips are available through the Robinson College’s Institute of International Business.  The PMBA program also offers a dual degree with Master of Health Administration in a lock-step format over seven months.

For more information, visit the Professional MBA website at robinson.gsu.edu/professional-mba/ or call 404-413-7167.

7140.10 Admissions

Class size is limited, so we urge you to complete the application process as soon as possible. To be considered for admission, the following is required:

• Approximately four years of professional, full-time work experience
• Complete GMAT or GRE scores
• A four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited university
• Completed online application
• Up to three letters of recommendation
• An essay
• A resume
• Applicants who are strong candidates for the program will be interviewed by the admissions committee

The admissions committee reviews applications as they are received.

7140.20 Regulations for the Degree

This is a 48 semester hour, 24-month cohort program that includes electives.

7140.30 Curriculum

Cornerstone Core (16.5 hours)

• PMBA 8000 Managing in the Global Economy (3)
• PMBA 8015 Leading through Strategic Communications (3)
• PMBA 8025 Financial Accounting (3)
• PMBA 8030 Legal Environment: Ethics and Corporate Governance (3)
• PMBA 8040   Data Driven Decision Making (3)
• PMBA 8045   Analytics Experience  (1.5)

Functional Core (16.5 hours)

• PMBA 8115 Managerial Accounting  and Control Systems (1.5)
• PMBA 8125 Digital Innovation (3)
• PMBA 8135 Corporate Finance (3)
• PMBA 8145 Marketing Management (3)
• PMBA 8155 Competing on Operational Excellence (3)
• PMBA 8165 Leading People & Organizations   (3)

Capstone Course (3 hours)

PMBA 8820 Global Competitive Strategy (3)

8000-Level Elective Courses (12 hours)                                                 

Electives may be selected from a variety of courses offered at multiple locations or online.

PROGRAM TOTAL:  48 hours

7160 Master of Actuarial Science

Haci Akcin, Director, 404-413-7467, hakcin1@gsu.edu

Actuarial Science is a discipline that employs mathematics and statistics in modeling the financial impacts of risk and uncertainty in various sectors of the economy, and in designing solutions of managing risks. A majority of professional actuaries work in careers that are associated with the insurance industry, though growing numbers work in other fields. The mission of the MAS degree program is to educate students in the theory and practice of actuarial science through a specialized program of study. The program is designed to teach students both the core actuarial theory and the latest development in actuarial practice.

In addition to the MAS program, two dual-degree options are available: one where students will earn both the Master of Actuarial Science degree and the Master of Science in Risk Management and Insurance degree specializing in Mathematical Risk Management; and one where students will earn both the Master of Actuarial Science degree and the Master of Science in Analytics.

The rapid integration of insurance and financial services and the increasing acceptance of enterprise risk management in broad sectors of the economy imply that risk professionals need to master the understanding of risks associated with assets, liabilities and business operations. This requires a set of integrated skills in actuarial risk modeling, financial risk modeling, and enterprise risk management. The dual degree program in MAS/MRM is designed to serve the growing need for graduates who 1) have solid quantitative skills in both actuarial risk modeling and financial risk modeling, and 2) understand the business contexts and possess the necessary communication skills for solving complex risk issues.

Similarly, there is an increasing need for graduates an expertise in data analytics in the insurance field.  The ongoing data revolution associated with the ever-increasing collection of data and use in the business process and decisions makes analytics skills relevant in all areas of business.  The dual degree program MAS/MAS is designed to serve the need for actuarial graduates with analytics skills.

7160.10 Regulations for the Degree

All Master of Actuarial Science students will complete the Business Communication Skills Requirement explained earlier in this chapter. The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the M.A.S. program. A maximum of 9 semester hours of transfer credit is possible in this 30-hour program or in the 50-hour dual degree program.

1. Foundation Requirements:

These courses are in addition to the 30 hours required for the M.A.S. degree or in addition to the 50 hours required for the dual degree programs. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent work has been previously completed with grades of C or higher.

Accounting: financial and managerial accounting principles (MBA 8025, or ACCT 2101 & ACCT 2102)

Finance: corporate finance principles (MBA 8135). This requirement can be waived if FI 3300 and FI 4000, or equivalent course work, have been completed with grades of “C” or higher.

Behavioral Science: Management principles (MGS 3400). Students may satisfy this requirement with either management (MGS 3400), sociology (SOCI 1101), or psychology (PSYC 1101) principles.

Economics: Both macroeconomic principles (ECON 2105) and microeconomic principles (ECON 2106).  Alternatively, both requirements can be satisfied by taking MBA 7035 Economics for Managers or the corresponding placement exam (see http://flex.robinson.gsu.edu/about/curriculum/placement-exam-option-mba-foundation-courses/).

Mathematics: Students must have completed three semesters of advanced calculus (MATH 2211, MATH 2212, and MATH 2215) and must have Compound Interest Theory AS 4230.

Statistics: Students have completed two semesters of undergraduate mathematical statistics (MATH 4751, MATH 4752).  Alternatively, these requirements can be satisfied by taking ECON 8710 or MSA 8190.

2. Course Requirements: The Master of Actuarial Science

This section is applicable to students interested in the Master of Actuarial Science Degree.  Students interested in the dual degree programs should go to Section 3 (MAS/MRM) or Section 4 (MAS/MSA) below.

a.  Required Technical Support Courses 

• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)*
• MSA 8010 Data Programming for Analytics (3)

*Students who have completed an equivalent course with a grade of “C” or higher must substitute an appropriate elective in consultation with the MRM director.

b. Required Courses in the Specialization

• AS 8340 Life Contingencies I (3)*
• AS 8350 Insurance Mathematics (3)*
• AS 8810 Actuarial Science Graduate Seminar (3)
• ECON 8740 Applied Statistics and Econometrics (3)**
• MRM 8600 Theory of Risk Sharing (3)
• MRM 8610 Financial Engineering (3)

*Students who have completed AS 4340 and/or AS 4350 or their equivalents must substitute appropriate 8000-level actuarial science courses for AS 8340 and/or AS 8350. The substitutions must be selected from section B & C below in consultation with the actuarial science faculty adviser.

**Students can use MSA 8200 Econometric Modeling for Analytics (3) (alternatively, ECON 9720 Econometrics II)  as a substitute for ECON 8740. Students in the dual degree Master of Actuarial Science and Master of Science in Risk Management and Insurance Specializing in Mathematical Risk Management must substitute MSA 8200/ECON 9720 for ECON 8740.

Students must complete a minimum of 6 hours of course work from sections B and C combined.

Elective Courses in the Specialization

• AS 8389 Directed Reading in Actuarial Science (1-3)
• AS 8430 Loss Distributions and Credibility Theory (3)
• FI 8460 Introduction to FinTech (3)
• MGS 8040 Data Mining (3)
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling (3)
• MSA 8040 Data Management for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8050 Scalable Data Analytics (3)
• MSA 8100 Operations Research Models and Methods (3)
• MSA 8150 Machine Learning for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8190 Statistical Foundations for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8250 Introduction to Statistical Learning (3)
• MSA 8760 Risk Analytics (3)
• MSA 8770 Unstructured Data Analytics (3)
• MSA 8780 Marketing Analytics (3)
• MRM 8389 Directed Readings in Mathematical Risk Management (1-3)
• MRM 8620 Quantitative Financial Risk Models (3)
• MRM 8630 Stochastic Interest Rate and Credit Models (3)
• MSA 8391 Analytics Field Study (1-3)
• RMI 8050 Risk Management Modeling (3)
• RMI 8300 Predictive Risk Models (3)
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management (3)

Students may select, with the prior approval of both faculty advisers for the dual degree program, electives other than those shown above if they can demonstrate the course(s) will better meet their educational objectives.

3. Course Requirements: Dual Degree Master of Actuarial Science and Master of Science in Risk Management and Insurance Specializing in Mathematical Risk Management

This section is applicable to students interested in the dual degree program Master of Actuarial Science and Master of Science in Risk Management and Insurance Specializing in Mathematical Risk Management. Students interested in the Master of Actuarial Science should go to Section 2 above.  Students interested in the dual degree program Master of Actuarial Science and Master of Science in Analytics should go to Section 4 below.

a. Required Technical Support Courses  

• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)*
• MSA 8010 Data Programming for Analytics (3)

*Students who have completed an equivalent course with a grade of “C” or higher must substitute an appropriate elective in consultation with the Mathematical Risk Management faculty adviser.

b. Required Courses in the Dual Degree Program 

• AS 8340 Life Contingencies I (3)**
• AS 8350 Insurance Mathematics (3)**
• AS 8810 Actuarial Science Graduate Seminar (3)
• MRM 8600 Theory of Risk Sharing (3)
• MRM 8610 Financial Engineering (3)
• MRM 8630 Stochastic Interest Rate and Credit Models (3)
• MRM 8640 Advanced Credit Risk Models (alternatively, students can take MRM 8620 Quantitative Risk Models)
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management (3)
• MSA 8200 Econometric Modeling for Analytics (3) (alternatively, students can take ECON 9720 Econometrics II)
• ECON 8780 Financial Econometrics (3)

** Students who have completed AS 4340 and/or AS 4350 or their equivalents must substitute appropriate 8000-level actuarial science courses for AS 8340 and/or AS 8350. The substitutions must be selected from section C below in consultation with the actuarial science faculty adviser.

c. Elective Courses in the Dual Degree Program 

Students should consult with the faculty advisers for the Master of Actuarial Science and Mathematical Risk Management programs prior to beginning their elective coursework and may select from among the following courses:

• AS 8389 Directed Reading in Actuarial Science (1-3)
• AS 8430 Loss Distributions and Credibility Theory (3)
• FI 8460 Introduction to FinTech (3)
• MGS 8040 Data Mining (3)
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling (3)
• MSA 8040 Data Management for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8050 Scalable Data Analytics (3)
• MSA 8100 Operations Research Models and Methods (3)
• MSA 8150 Machine Learning for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8190 Statistical Foundations for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8250 Introduction to Statistical Learning (3)
• MSA 8760 Risk Analytics (3)
• MSA 8770 Unstructured Data Analytics (3)
• MSA 8780 Marketing Analytics (3)
• MRM 8389 Directed Readings in Mathematical Risk Management (1-3)
• MRM 8620 Quantitative Financial Risk Models (3)
• MRM 8630 Stochastic Interest Rate and Credit Models (3)
• MSA 8391 Analytics Field Study (1-3)
• RMI 8050 Risk Management Modeling (3)
• RMI 8300 Predictive Risk Models (3)
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management (3)

Students may select, with the prior approval of both faculty advisers for the dual degree program, electives other than those shown above if they can demonstrate the course(s) will better meet their educational objectives.

4. Course Requirements: Dual Degree Master of Actuarial Science and Master of Science in Analytics.

This section is applicable to students interested in the dual degree program Degree Master of Actuarial Science and Master of Science in Analytics. Students interested in the Master of Actuarial Science should go to Section 2 above. Students interested in the dual degree program Master of Actuarial Science and Master of Science in Risk Management and Insurance Specializing in Mathematical Risk Management Program should go to Section 3 above.

a. Required Technical Support Courses 

• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)*

* Students who have completed an equivalent course with a grade of “C” or higher must substitute an appropriate elective in consultation with the Mathematical Risk Management program director.
b. Required Courses in the Dual Degree Program 

• AS 8340 Life Contingencies I (3)**
• AS 8350 Insurance Mathematics (3)**
• AS 8810 Actuarial Science Graduate Seminar (3)
• MSA 8010 Data Programming (3)
• MSA 8050 Unstructured Data Management (3)
• MSA 8100 Operations Research Models and Methods (3)
• MSA 8150 Machine Learning for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8200 Econometric Modeling for Analytics (3) (alternatively, students can take ECON 9720 Econometrics II)
• MSA 8300 Value Through Analytics (3)
• MRM 8600 Theory of Risk Sharing (3)
• MRM 8610 Financial Engineering (3)

** Students who have completed AS 4340 and/or AS 4350 or their equivalents must substitute appropriate 8000-level actuarial science courses for AS 8340 and/or AS 8350. The substitutions must be selected from section C below in consultation with the actuarial science faculty adviser.

c. Elective Courses in the Dual Degree Program

Students should consult with the program directors for the Master of Actuarial Science and Analytics programs prior to beginning their elective coursework and may select from among the following courses:

• Any of the 8000 level MSA elective classes
• AS 8430 Loss Distributions and Credibility Theory (3)
• AS 8810 Actuarial Science Graduate Seminar (3)
• ECON 8860 Economics of Global Finance (3)
• FI 8020 Financial Analysis and Loan Structuring (3)
• FI 8240 Global Portfolio Management (3)
• FI 8260 Hedge Funds and Their Strategies (3)
• FI 8300 Advanced Corporate Finance (3)
• FI 8310 Investment Banking (3)
• FI 8320 Corporate Financial Strategy (3)
• FI 8460 Introduction to FinTech (3)
• FI 9100 The Theory of Asset Valuation (3) (Requires consent of instructor.)
• MGS 8040 Data Mining (3)
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling (3)
• MRM 8630 Stochastic Interest Rate and Credit Models (3)
• MRM 8640 Advanced Credit Risk Models
• RMI 8150 Corporate Risk Management (3)
• RMI 8300 Predictive Risk Models (3)
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management (3)

Students may select, with the prior approval of both program directors for the dual degree program, electives other than those shown above if they can demonstrate the course(s) will better meet their educational objectives.

5. Program of Study: Each student’s program must be planned in consultation with a faculty adviser in actuarial science and a copy of the program filed with the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services for review and approval. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, cannot be confirmed without an approved program of study. The program of study should be planned before the student takes a non required course. Any changes in the program must be approved by the faculty adviser and a copy of the changes sent to the GRSS.

6. Time Limit: The time limit for completing the M.A.S. program is five years from the first semester a course in sections 2-4 is taken.

7170 Master of Business Administration/Master of Health Administration

Patricia Ketsche, Coordinator, 404-413-7635, pketsche@gsu.edu

The purpose of the Master of Business Administration/Master of Health Administration joint programs is to prepare future executives to assume responsible managerial positions in health care and business organizations. To accomplish this purpose, the M.B.A./M.H.A. curriculum is structured to provide (1) the basic theoretical knowledge needed to develop as a manager in a variety of health care and business organizations; (2) an understanding of the pragmatic applications of theoretical concepts applied to operational issues through health casework and involvement with health care facilities throughout the program; (3) the technical skills appropriate to successfully function as a health care or business manager; and (4) an understanding of the values, traditions, ethics, and attitudes basic to excellence in health care leadership roles.

The strength of this M.B.A./M.H.A. program lies in the fact that it applies the theoretical concepts of business administration to health administration. The curriculum is designed around a set of competencies that define the set of knowledge, skills and abilities students should possess upon completion of the program.

Business knowledge and skills

• Financial Management
• Operations Management
• Strategic Management
• Human Resource Management
• Analytics

Knowledge of the Healthcare Environment

• Clinical Professions and the Continuum of Care
• Legal and Regulatory Environment
• Healthcare Economics and Financing
• Governance
• Health Policy
• Measurement and Improvement of Organizational Performance and Quality
• Health Information Systems and Technology

Leadership

• Strategic Communication
• Motivation and Empowerment of Others
• Group Participation and Leadership
• Change Management
• Servant Leadership

Professionalism

• Self Regulation, Self Awareness and Self Confidence
• Ethics, Honest and Integrity
• A Commitment to Lifelong Learning

7170.10 Admissions
The application procedures and admission criteria are given in the “Master’s Admissions” section of this chapter. Applicants must be accepted by the Institute of Health Administration in addition to receiving admission to the Flexible MBA program in the Robinson College of Business. A personal interview is required for all applicants but may be waived by the director of the institute in exceptional circumstances.

Admission to the M.B.A./M.H.A. degree programs occurs each semester. Early application is advised, since the number of applicants each year exceeds program capacity. Applicants should note that health administration courses are offered during the evening.

7170.20 Regulations for the Degrees
The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)/Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) dual degrees are comprised of 54-66 semester hours of 8000-level graduate courses; a one-semester administrative residency is included. The residency (three semester hours) must be satisfactorily completed at a site approved by the Director of the Institute. A maximum of twelve semester hours of MBA coursework can be exempted based on previous completion of equivalent coursework.

The time limit for completing the M.B.A./M.H.A. joint degrees is five years.

Applicants may apply to complete only the HA portion of the dual degree and earn only the M.H.A. degree.  The program of study for students approved for this option  is 39 semester hours of health administration courses including those listed in items 4 and 5 below and the three-hour residency requirement described in item 6 below.

7170.30 The M.B.A./M.H.A. Curriculum

The M.B.A./M.H.A. degrees meet all M.B.A. core requirements. In cases where a health-oriented course is available, students will substitute this course for the standard M.B.A. requirement. Health courses are taken to complete M.B.A. elective requirements and M.H.A. core requirements. Following completion of all core requirements, an elective is selected from available health administration courses to meet the student’s interests, career objectives, and academic requirements. The course requirements for the M.B.A./M.H.A. degrees and the format of the program follow.

1. Cornerstone Core Courses (7.5-13.5 hours): These courses provide a solid intellectual grounding within an integrative framework that sets the stage for the entire program. Managing in the Global Economy cannot be waived. Waiver of Strategic Business Communications and Financial Statement Analysis may be waived based on education or work experience. Once a course is waived, it may not be taken later for credit. Foundation courses and Cornerstone Core courses may be taken concurrently.

• MBA 8000 Managing in the Global Economy (3)
• MBA 8015 Strategic Business Communication (3)
• MBA 8025 Financial Statement Analysis (3)
• MBA 8040 Data Driven Decision Making (3)
• MBA 8045 Analytics Experience (1.5)

2. Functional Core Courses (4.5-10.5 hours): The functional core offers curricular breadth. Up to 6 hours (two courses) in this category may be waived based on a student’s undergraduate degree. Once a course is waived, it may not be taken later for credit. MBA 8000 and MBA 8025 are prerequisites for every Functional Core course, and MBA 8015 and MBA 8040 are co-requisites.

• MBA 8115 Managerial Accounting and Control Systems (1.5)
• MBA 8135 Corporate Finance (3)
• MBA 8145 Marketing Management (3)
• MBA 8165 Leadership and Organization Behavior (3)

3. Business Elective Course (3 hours): At least one business elective chosen from this list are required of all students:

• MBA 8125 Digital Innovation (3)
• CIS 8000 IT Project Management (3)
• MGS 8730 Project Management (3)

4. Required Courses in Health Administration (27 hours):

• HA 8160 Introduction to the Healthcare System (3)
• HA 8190 Health Policy and Ethics (3)
• HA 8250 Health Economics and Financing (3)
• HA 8440 Executive Leadership in Healthcare (3)
• HA 8450 Legal Environment of Healthcare (3) Replaces MBA 8030, Legal Environment: Ethics and Corporate Governance, in the MBA curriculum.
• HA 8550 Healthcare Financial Management and Planning (3)
• HA 8620 Operations Management and Quality in Health Care (3) Replaces MBA 8155, Operations Management, in the MBA curriculum.
• HA 8670 Health Information Systems (3)
• HA 8990 Strategic Management in Healthcare (3) Replaces MBA 8820, Global Competitive Strategy in the MBA curriculum.

5. Electives in Health Administration (9 hours). At least three 8000-level health administration electives chosen from this list are required of all students:

• HA 8680 Care Management and Delivery Systems (3)
• HA 8700 Health Services Research and Evaluation Methods (3)
• HA 8750 Predictive Analytics in Healthcare (3)

6. Residency Requirement (3 hours).

One academic semester of  experiential learning is required to provide an opportunity for synthesizing and applying the curriculum. The Institute of Health Administration assists students who are responsible to identify the appropriate setting for their experiential learning., works with the preceptor to develop student protocols, and evaluates the residency.  The 3 credit hour residency is subject to matriculation/tuition fees and may not start until all or most academic work has been completed with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students must meet all report/evaluation assignments. Note: If changes to the MBA curriculum are implemented, students are advised to contact the Institute of Health Administration for impact on degree requirements.

7180 Master of International Business

7180 Master of International Business

Penelope B. Prime, MIB Program Director

The Master of International Business program (MIB) in the Institute of International Business is offered in a ten-course, one-year format.  Every course prepares current and aspiring managers to branch out into the international aspects of business, including navigating the legal landscape of global business, understanding business in emerging markets, developing cross-cultural skills, strategizing and negotiating in worldwide markets and analyzing global business problems in management, marketing and global supply chain.

The MIB provides concrete experience for students including simulations, case studies, research and analysis, and cross-cultural virtual teaming.  In the Field Study team-based project, students work with executives of a company on one of their global challenges.  Projects have included market assessments, export channel identification, entry mode selection, and expansion of born global firms from Europe to the U.S.  Students also interact with executives who are guest speakers in class, and during company visits around Atlanta and the state of Georgia.

 7180.10 Regulations for the Degree

1. Applicants must hold a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. Candidates will be evaluated based on interviews, grade point average, GMAT or GRE and TOEFL or IELTS scores if needed. Ability to handle demanding coursework and contribute to the cohort will also be considered. Professional experience and foreign language proficiency are not required.
2. Foundation coursework. Students accepted into the program with non-business undergraduate degrees are required to take online preparatory classes that cover essential concepts in economics, accounting, finance, and statistics prior to starting the program.
3. Course Requirements: The rigorous 10 course, 30-credit curriculum provides graduates with an in-depth knowledge of international business fundamentals. Students also benefit from extensive contact with corporate executives, guest speakers, and professional and social events.

Required curriculum for the MIB is as follows (30 hours):

• IB 8080 Legal Aspects of International Business (3)
• IB 8090 International Business Environment (3)
• IB 8180 Doing Business in Emerging Markets (3)
• IB 8550 Special Topics in International Business (3)
• IB 8092 Analyzing International Business Problems (3)
• IB 8630 International Business Negotiation (3)
• IB 8990 Policy & Strategy in the International Marketplace (3)

and one of the following:

• IB 8100  International Entrepreneurship (3)
• IB 8085  International Business Analysis (3)

and one of the following:

• IB 8190 Doing Business in World Regions (3)
• FI 8040 Survey of International Finance (3)

and one of the following:

• IB 8510 International Business Field Study (3)
• IB 8500 International Business Internship (3)

For additional information, please visit the following website: iib.robinson.gsu.edu/academic-programs/mib-one-year/

7190 Flexible Master of Professional Accountancy

Winifred Akande, wakande1@gsu.edu

The Flexible Master of Professional Accountancy (Flex MPA) program is flexible in that students may take up to five years to complete the program and may choose which courses to take each semester. The objective of the Flexible MPA  program is to prepare students for professional careers in accounting. More specifically, the objective of the Flexible MPA programs is to develop skills needed to excel in a professional path toward a leadership position in the practice of accountancy. The Flexible MPA program uses the student’s previously acquired undergraduate skills to focus on developing advanced technical and analytical skills in accounting. The primary objectives are for students to develop and integrate: (1) skills for analyzing organizational performance systems that incorporate global and ethical dimensions; (2) skills in financial reporting; (3) assurance skills; (4) skills for collaborative work in teams; and (5) communication and technology skills. Typically, graduates of this program will find professional accounting positions in public accounting firms and in business and governmental organizations that have a need for graduates with greater depth and breadth in the discipline of accounting than is generally available in graduates with a B.B.A. or M.B.A. in accounting.

7190.10 Admissions

The application procedures and admission criteria are given in the “Master’s Admissions” section of this chapter. It is assumed that a person entering the fifth (graduate) year of the professional accounting program will have or will acquire the equivalent of the preparation offered in the four years of Georgia State’s B.B.A. program in accounting.

An accepted applicant, who at the time of admission to the Flexible MPA program, has not completed the foundation and prerequisite courses must complete these requirements in a manner approved by the faculty adviser and the director of master’s admissions.

7190.20 Regulations for the Degree 

1. The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the Flexible MPA program. A maximum of six semester hours of transfer credit is permitted in this 30-hour program. The course requirements for the Flexible MPA degree and the format of the program follow.
2. Course Requirements: Foundation and Prerequisite Courses Consult the Course Descriptions chapter of the Georgia State University Undergraduate Catalog for prerequisites to the undergraduate courses listed below. This catalog is available on the web at catalog.gsu.edu. The courses in this section are in addition to the 30 hours required for the degree. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent coursework has been previously completed with minimum grades of C-.

Accounting: ACCT 2101 and ACCT 2102, or MBA 8025 and MBA 8115; ACCT 4111, ACCT 4112, ACCT 4113, ACCT 4210, ACCT 4310, ACCT 4510, and ACCT 4610.

Behavioral Science: MBA 8165 Leadership and Organizational Behavior or management principles (MGS 3400).

Programming: Visual BASIC or C/C++ (CIS 3260): required if ACCT 8630 (Information Technology Auditing) is taken as an elective.

Economics: Both macroeconomic principles (ECON 2105) and microeconomic principles (ECON 2106).

Mathematics: College algebra (MATH 1111) and either calculus (Math 1220) or discrete math (Math 2420). Math 2420 has precalculus as the minimum prerequisite.

Statistics: MATH 1070 Elementary Statistics.

Management Science: MGS 3100

Finance: Corporate finance principles (FI 3300).

Graduate students who receive a grade lower than a grade of C- in any undergraduate accounting course may repeat that course but may not enroll in any other accounting course until a grade of C- or higher is earned in that course Flexible MPA students who have undergraduate accounting courses required and who have financial aid should refer to “Courses Eligible to Count Toward Graduate Students’ Financial Aid” before registering for the first time with graduate status.

3. Course Requirements:

a. Required Courses (18 hours)

• ACCT 8120 Advanced Federal Taxation (3)
• ACCT 8130 Advanced Accounting Topics (3)
• ACCT 8310 Seminar in Management Accounting Systems (3)
• ACCT 8610 Advanced Topics in Assurance Services (3)
• ACCT 8700 Financial Statement and Business Analysis (3)
• ACCT 8740 Seminar on Internal Auditing (3)

b. Electives in the Specialization (12 hours).

Select up to two 8000-level ACCT  classes.

c. Subject to approval, select two to four electives outside of accounting among the following:

• CIS 8085 Information and information Systems Security Risk Management (3)
• CIS 8630 Business Computer Forensics and Incident Response (3)
• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)
• FI 8320 Corporate Financial Strategy (3)
• HA 8160 Introduction to the Health Care System (3)
• HA 8190 Health Policy and Ethics (3)
• HA 8550 Healthcare Planning and Financial Management (3)
• MBA 8000 Managing in The Global Economy (3)
• MBA 8015 Strategic Business Communication (3)
• MBA 8030 Legal Environment: Ethics and Corporate Governance (3)
• MBA 8040 Data Driven Decision Making (3)
• MBA 8135 Corporate Finance (3)
• MGS 8040 Data Mining (3)
• MSA 8040 Data Management for Analytics (3)
• RMI 8050 Risk Management Modeling (3)

Other RCB elective coursework as approved by faculty director

4. Advisement/Course Selection: The Flexible MPA program coordinator is available to students for consultation and guidance as needed. Students are encouraged to contact the coordinator and schedule an appointment for advisement as needed. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, will be determined by the Office of Graduate Student Services by comparing courses taken by the student with the foundation courses assigned at admission and the degree requirements stated above. It is the responsibility of the students to monitor their progress toward the degree and to determine if they have met all the requirements of the degree.

5. The School of Accountancy requires strict adherence to the prerequisites listed for each of its courses (see the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog). Students enrolled in accounting or taxation courses without having completed the stated prerequisites with minimum grades of C will be required to withdraw from the course. Please contact the School of Accountancy before registration if you have questions about course prerequisites.

6. Time Limit: The time limit for completing the Flexible MPA program is five years from the first semester a course in the program.

7195 Cohort Master of Professional Accountancy

Winifred Akande, wakande1@gsu.edu

The objective of the Cohort Master of Professional Accountancy (Cohort MPA) degree program is to prepare non-accounting students for professional careers in accounting. More specifically, the Cohort MPA program develops skills needed for non-accounting professionals to excel in a professional path in accountancy. The Cohort MPA provides students with the knowledge, skills and upper level credit hours required to become eligible to sit for the Certified Public Accountant exam or Certified Management Accountant exam within one year — a process that usually takes more than two years to complete. The program starts all students with intermediate accounting building on their knowledge of Principles of Accounting I and II. Typically, graduates of this program will find professional accounting positions in public accounting firms and in business and governmental organizations.

7195.10 Admissions

The application procedures and admission criteria are given in the “Master’s Admissions” section of this chapter. All applicants must take the GMAT/GRE and each finalist may be interviewed before an admission decision is made.

An accepted applicant, who at the time of admission to the MPA program, has not completed the foundation and prerequisite courses must complete these requirements in a manner approved by the faculty adviser and the director of master’s admissions.

7195.20 Regulations for the Degree

The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the MPA program.

Course Requirements: Foundation and Prerequisite Courses Consult the Course Descriptions chapter of the Georgia State University Undergraduate Catalog for prerequisites to the undergraduate courses listed below. This catalog is available on the web at catalog.gsu.edu. The courses in this section are in addition to the 30 hours required for the degree. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent coursework has been previously completed with minimum grades of C-.

Accounting: ACCT 2101 and ACCT 2102, or MBA 8025 and MBA 8115; .

Economics: Both macroeconomic principles (Econ 2105) and microeconomic principles (ECON 2106).

Mathematics:  College algebra (MATH 1111) and either calculus (Math 1220) or discrete math (Math 2420). Math 2420 has precalculus as the minimum prerequisite.

Graduate students who receive a grade lower than a grade of C- in any undergraduate accounting course may repeat that course but may not enroll in any other accounting course until a grade of C- or higher is earned in that course Flex MPA students who have undergraduate accounting courses required and who have financial aid should refer to “Courses Eligible to Count Toward Graduate Students’ Financial Aid” before registering for the first time with graduate status.

Course Requirements: The rigorous 10-course curriculum provides graduates with broad and deep functional knowledge as well as the upper-level credit hours required for CPA/CMA eligibility.

• ACCT 8010 Financial Accounting I (3)
• ACCT 8020 Financial Accounting II (3)
• ACCT 8030 Managerial Accounting and Systems (3)
• ACCT 8040 Topics in Federal Taxation (3)
• ACCT 8050 Assurance and Information Systems Control (3)
• ACCT 8120 Advanced Federal Taxation (3)
• ACCT 8130 Advanced Accounting Topics (3)
• ACCT 8310 Seminar in Management Accounting Systems (3)
• ACCT 8700 Financial Statement and Business Analysis (3)
• ACCT 8740 Seminar on Internal Auditing (3)

Advisement/Course Selection: The MPA program coordinator and graduate academic advisor are available to students for consultation and guidance as needed. Students are encouraged to contact the coordinator and/or advisor and schedule an appointment for advisement as needed. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, will be determined by the Office of Graduate Student Services by comparing courses taken by the student with the foundation courses assigned at admission and the degree requirements stated above. It is the responsibility of the students to monitor their progress toward the degree and to determine if they have met all the requirements of the degree.

The School of Accountancy requires strict adherence to the prerequisites listed for each of its courses (see the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog). Students enrolled in accounting or taxation courses without having completed the stated prerequisites with minimum grades of C will be required to withdraw from the course. Please contact the School of Accountancy before registration if you have questions about course prerequisites.

7200 Master of Science

The Master of Science program allows students to concentrate their studies in one of the six majors listed below:

• Business Economics
• Finance
• Managerial Sciences
• Marketing
• Mathematical Risk Management

The Master of Science program is designed particularly for students who already have an undergraduate degree in business administration and wish to study one of the disciplines in which a major is offered in greater depth. Students who do not have an undergraduate background in business but have already established a career in a field related to one of the M.S. majors may find that the specialized degree can be tailored to fit career needs.

The requirements for each of these major fields of study are given in the following sections.

7200.05 Major in Business Economics

Jon Mansfield, Program Director, 404-413-0151, jmansfield@gsu.edu

The mission of the business economics major in the Master of Science program is to prepare students to function successfully as professional economists in the corporate and business environment. More specifically, the program endeavors to:

• build a solid background in micro and macroeconomic theory;
• equip students with an extensive knowledge of analytical and statistical techniques;
• provide expertise and practice in applying theory and quantitative tools to actual business problems; and
• ensure that students are able to communicate this information both in a technical way to peers and in a more general way for decision-making by upper management.

Regulations for the Degree

1. All Master of Science students will complete the Business Communication Skills Requirement explained earlier in this chapter. The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the M.S./Bu.E. program. A maximum of six hours of transfer credit is permitted in this 30-hour program.

2. Course Requirements: The course requirements for the degree of Master of Science with a major in business economics and the format of the program follow. If prerequisites for the courses listed in each section have not been previously completed, they must be taken as additional hours. Consult the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog for a listing of the prerequisites for each graduate course. Undergraduate foundation course descriptions and prerequisites are shown in the Georgia State University Undergraduate Catalog. This catalog is available on the web at catalog.gsu.edu.

a. Foundation Courses. The courses in this list are in addition to the 30 hours required for the degree. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent course work has been previously completed with grades of C or higher.

Accounting: Financial accounting principles (ACCT 2101).

Behavioral Science: Management principles (MGS 3400).

Economics: Intermediate macroeconomics (ECON 3900) and microeconomics (ECON 3910). Prerequisites are ECON 2105 and ECON 2106, respectively.

Mathematics: Calculus (ECON 6030 or MATH 1220).

Statistics: MATH 1070.

b. Required Courses (15 hours)

Fifteen hours is the minimum amount of course work in this portion of the program. Any prerequisites for these courses that have not been previously satisfied must be taken as additional hours. Consult the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog for a listing of the prerequisites for each of these required courses.

• ECON 8100 Applied Microeconomic Analysis (3)
• ECON 8110 Macroeconomic Analysis (3)
• ECON 8430 Theory of the Firm and Business Strategy (3)

Select two of the following four:

• MGS 8110 Applied Regression Analysis (3)
• ECON 8710 introduction to Statistical Foundations for Econometrics (3)
• ECON 8740 Applied Statistics and Econometrics (3)
• ECON 8780 Financial Econometrics (3)

c. Economics Electives (15 hours): Electives will be selected consistent with the student’s planned program. They must be approved in advance by the M.S./Bu.E. Program director, Dr. Jon Mansfield. The suggested electives are listed below (all courses are 3 credit hours):

• ECON 8180 Applied Economic Analysis
• ECON 8440 Industrial Organization & Antitrust Economics
• ECON 8740 Applied Statistics & Econometrics
• ECON 8840 Applied Statistics & Econometrics 2
• ECON 8860 Economics Of Global Finance
• FI 8000 Valuation Of Financial Assets
• FI 8020 Financial Analysis & Loan Structure
• FI 8040 Survey of International Finance
• FI 8060 Current Issues In Finance
• FI 8240 Global Portfolio Management
• FI 8420 The Financial System
• BCOM 8250 Effective Executive Communication
• BCOM 8260 Corporate Communication
• MBA 8015 Strategic Business Communication
• MBA 8025 Financial Statement Analysis
• MBA 8135 Corporate Finance
• IB 8090 International Business Environment
• IB 8180 Business Systems in Advanced Economies & Emerging Markets
• IB 8190 Doing Bus/World Regions
• MGS 8110 Applied Regression Analysis
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling
• MK 8200 Marketing Research

3. Program of Study. Each student’s program must be planned in consultation with the M.S./Bu.E. program director before a non-required course is taken. Students may contact the department (404-413-0141) or Dr. Mansfield (jmansfield@gsu.edu) to schedule an appointment. A copy of the program will be filed with the Office of Graduate Student Services for review and approval. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, cannot be confirmed without an approved program of study. Any changes in the program must be approved by the program director and a copy of the changes sent to the Office of Graduate Student Services. Students always must consult the Course Descriptions chapter of the current graduate catalog to determine if they have met the prerequisites for any course to be taken.

4. Time Limit: The time limit for completing the M.S./Bu.E. program is five years from the first semester a course in section B or C (above) is taken.

7200.15 Major in Finance

This program is currently only available in the cohort format. Program enrolls in fall semester only.

Chip Ryan, Program Director, 404-413-7337, cryan@gsu.edu

Cohort MS in Finance format

The Cohort Master of Science in Finance is offered in a 16-months format over four semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer, second Fall). The program is ideally suited for accounting, finance, banking, asset management, and wealth management professionals seeking to augment their professional expertise or students with an analytical background who wish to build expertise in finance. The program is focused on developing the decision-making, personal, analytical and technical skills required to compete in today’s ever-changing financial environment.

Students proceed as a flexible cohort – a structure that fosters peer learning, collaboration and the building of lifelong business networks while allowing students to customize their program of study. The courses are taught at Robinson’s Executive Education Center in Buckhead and meet one evening per week from 5:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., and one evening every other week from 5:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. during the Spring and Fall semesters. Two classes are offered during the Summer semester with a month-long break in between.  An immersive course, Financial Leadership – Leading the Finance Function, designed to promote interaction with senior level finance executives, takes place during the last semester of the program.

In addition, students build leadership skills and networks by interacting with senior executives in our guest speaker series, financial leadership symposia, internships, and professional and social gatherings. Furthermore, there is an opportunity for students to be part of a formal mentoring program.

Applicants must hold a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. Work experience is preferred but not required.

The 30-hour curriculum comprises of an integrated first semester, in which all students take the same three classes. After the first semester students choose a combination of required courses and electives, which allow for a specialized focus on certain areas such as Corporate Finance, Financial Services and Capital Markets, Asset Management, and Wealth Management.  Students who meet prerequisite requirements can also specialize in Financial Analytics. In addition to the 30-hour curriculum, students may need to complete the specialized master’s foundation courses referenced in section 7110.10.

Cohort MS Finance Curriculum

Fall Semester (all students, 9 credit hours)

• MBA 8135 Corporate Finance
• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets
• FI 8450 Financial Analysis

Spring/Summer/Second Fall Semesters

Required courses for all students (9 credit hours)

• FI 8090 (Financial Data Analytics), Spring semester
• FI 8020 (Financial Analysis and Loan Structuring), Summer semester
• FI 8070 (Financial Leadership), second Fall semester
• Experiential Practicum: FI 8387 (Data Analytics Experience), or FI 8388 (Fintech PraExperience), Summer or second Fall semester*

*The experiential practicum course requirement may be completed in the summer or second fall semester.

Electives (students should choose four of the following electives for a total of 12 credit hours)

• FI 8200 Derivative Markets
• FI 8240 Global Portfolio Management
• FI 8260 Hedge Funds and Their Trading Strategies
• FI 8310 Investment Banking
• FI 8320 Corporate Financial Strategy
• FI 8360 Special Topics in Finance
• FI 8040 Survey of International Finance
• FI 8460 Introduction to FinTech
• FI 8462 Blockchain and Business Disruption
• FI 8464 Financing Innovation

Two of the electives should be taken in the Spring semester; one elective should be taken in the Summer semester, and the fourth elective can be taken either in the Summer or second Fall semester.

Students may also take courses from related areas, for instance accounting, subject to approval by the program director.

Specialization in Financial Analytics

Students who wish to specialize in Financial Analytics will take 18 hours of Finance courses and 12 hours of analytics courses. Their program of study must be approved by the MS Finance program director. Students who wish to pursue this specialization must be approved by the admissions committees for both the MS in Finance and the MS in Analytics Programs.

Flex MS in Finance format

* This program is currently not offered in a Flex format, and is only available in the cohort format.*

The MS-Finance curriculum is designed to provide graduates with advanced knowledge of master’s-level finance, including particular expertise in their area of specialization (chosen from Corporation Finance, Investments, or Financial Institutions and Markets). The primary emphasis of the program is to provide students with the theoretical, analytical and technical skills necessary to examine particular financial situations, formulate alternative plans for action and develop policy initiatives. The program prepares graduates to understand the context for issues encountered in the rapidly evolving domestic and international financial environment. Quantitative and analytical course requirements in the areas of optimization techniques, computer modeling and statistical methodology complement the finance course requirements.

Regulations for the Degree

All Master of Science students will complete the Business Communication Skills Requirement explained earlier in this chapter. The regulations, policies and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the M.S.-Finance program. A maximum of six hours of transfer credit is permitted in this program only if 12 hours are taken in section B below; otherwise a maximum of three hours of transfer credit is permitted.

Course Requirements. The course requirements for the degree of Master of Science with a major in finance and the format of the program follow.

a. Foundation Courses. The courses in this list are in addition to the 30 semester hours  required for the degree. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a  review of each  student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent course work has been previously completed with grades of C or higher.

Accounting: MBA 8025 or financial and managerial accounting principles and corporate finance principles (ACCT 2101, ACCT 2102 and FI 3300).

Behavioral Science: MBA 8165 Leadership and Organizational Behavior or Management principles (MGS 3400) or marketing principles (MK 3010).

Economics: Both macroeconomic principles (ECON 2105) and microeconomic principles (ECON 2106).

Mathematics: College algebra (MATH 1111) and calculus (MATH 1220).

Statistics: MATH 1070 or equivalent.

b.  Required Major/Technical Support Courses (9-12 hours). These courses must be completed during the first 18 hours of 8000-level course work in the M.S.-Fi program.

• MGS 8020 Business Intelligence (3) (or MBA 8025 Financial Statement Analysis (3) subject to approval by the MS faculty advisor)
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling (3)
• MGS 8110 Applied Regression Analysis (3)
• MBA 8135 Corporate Finance (3)

Note: MBA 8135 may be exempted (with replacement) if FI 3300, FI 4300, and FI 4320 or their equivalents have been completed with grades of C or higher at the time of admission.

c.  Specializations (18-21 hours). Students not exempting MBA 8135 are required to take 18 hours of Fi-prefixed courses; 21 hours if exempting MBA 8135. These courses consist of the following:

(i) All M.S.-Finance students are required to take the following course:

• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)

(ii) All students are also required to take a minimum of nine (9) semester hours within a chosen finance specialization. Three areas of specialization are shown below along with various courses considered appropriate for each area that students may select from.

(iii) In addition to FI 8000 (3 hours) and the 3 courses (9 hours) comprising the chosen finance specialization, students must select an additional six to nine semester hours of any other Fi-prefixed courses (6 hours if MBA 8135 is not exempted; 9 hours otherwise).

Fi-prefixed courses comprising Specializations:

Corporate Finance

• FI 8040 Survey of International Finance (3)
• FI 8200 Derivative Markets I (3)
• FI 8300 Advanced Corporate Finance (3)
• FI 8320 Cases and Readings in Corporate Finance (3)
• FI 8350 Corporate Restructuring and Workouts (3)
• FI 8360 Special Topics in Corporate Finance (3) *

* May be taken multiple times for different topics.

Investments

• FI 8020 Financial Analysis and Loan Structuring (3)
• FI 8200 Derivative Markets I (3)
• FI 8240 Global Portfolio Management (3)
• FI 8260Hedge Funds and Their Trading Strategies (3)
• FI 8310 Investment Banking (3)

Financial Institutions and Capital Markets

• FI 8020 Financial Analysis and Loan Structuring (3)
• FI 8040 Survey of International Finance (3)
• FI 8260 Hedge Funds and Their Trading Strategies (3)
• FI 8400 Financial Institutions (3)
• FI 8420 The Financial System (3)
• FI 8440 Finance and Banking in the Global Economy (3)

The Department encourages all students pursuing the M.S.-Finance degree to take FI 8000 early in their program as it is a prerequisite for all electives except FI 8020 and FI 8040. FI 8000 is designed so that it may be taken concurrently with MBA 8135 to provide students greater scheduling flexibility.

Program of Study. Each student’s program of study must be planned in consultation with the M.S.-Finance program director prior to the completion of the first semester of enrollment. A copy of the program will be filed with the Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services (GRSS) for review and approval. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, cannot be confirmed without an approved program of study. Any changes in the program must be approved by the program director and a copy of the changes sent to GASS. Students always must consult the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog to determine if they have met the prerequisites for any course to be taken.

Time Limit. The time limit for completing the M.S.-Finance program is five years from the first semester a course in section b or c (above) is taken.

7200.20 Major in Managerial Sciences

Thomas Conklin, Program Director, tconklin@gsu.edu

The Master of Science with a major in managerial sciences prepares professionals to assume leadership roles in organizations.  Students learn critical management skills that allow them to communicate successfully, think creatively and adapt quickly to business fluctuations and transformations.  There are two concentrations available for managerial sciences majors:

1. Talent Management: The talent management concentration prepares students to effectively recruit, retain and develop employees by focusing on best practices in selection, compensation and employment law.
2. Supply Chain and Analytics Management: The supply chain and analytics management concentration is designed to provide students with the knowledge necessary to assess the operations function of both goods-producing and service-rendering organizations, to diagnose current operating systems, and to prescribe and implement improvements. It also provides expertise for analytically oriented careers in business with an emphasis on applications of information technology

While this program is structured in both cohorted and non-cohorted formats, it is anticipated that all admissions in the coming year will be in the cohorted format only.

Regulations for the Degree

The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the Master of Science in Managerial Sciences.

Course Requirements. The course requirements for the degree Master of Science with a major in Managerial Sciences and the format of the program follow:

a. Foundation and Prerequisite Courses. See section 7110.10 for the foundation requirements for this degree.

b. Required Courses in the Major.  21 hours:

• MGS 8200 Introduction to the Management of People, Processes and Projects
• MGS 8155 Operations Management
• MGS 8165 Leadership and Organizational Behavior
• MGS 8730 Project Management
• MGS 8020 Business Intelligence
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling
• MGS 8320 Legal and Ethical Environment of Talent Management

c. Elective Courses. 9 hours. 2 concentrations are offered and students are encouraged to choose one as means of academic focus. However, students may also select any 3 courses from the 6 below.

Concentration 1: Talent Management
Gabriella Lewis, Faculty Coordinator

• MGS 8450 Organizational Development and Change
• MGS 8360 Designing Talent Acquisition and Development Systems
• MGS 8390 Designing Total Rewards Systems

Concentration 2: Supply Chain and Analytics Management
Peter Zhang, Faculty Coordinator

• MGS 8710 Managing Logistics and Supply Chains
• MGS 8770 Service Operations Management
• MGS 8040 Data Mining

Program of Study/Course Prerequisites. With the exception of cohort-enrolled students, each student’s program must be planned in consultation with the faculty coordinator for his or her concentration before a non-required course is taken. Students may contact the department to schedule an appointment. A copy of the program of study will be filed with the Office of Graduate Student Services for review and approval. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, cannot be confirmed without an approved program of study. Any changes in the program must be approved by the faculty coordinator and a copy of the changes sent to the Office of Graduate Student Services. Students must always consult the Course Descriptions chapter of the current graduate catalog to determine if they have met the prerequisites for any course to be taken.

Time Limit. The time limit for completing the M.S./Managerial Science program is five years from the first semester a course in section B or C (above) is taken. 

One Year MS in Managerial Sciences Format

The One Year Master of Science in Managerial Sciences is a cohorted program. In addition to the required courses in the two tracks listed above, the 18 credit hours of electives will be pre-selected for the entire cohort.

7200.25 Major in Marketing

Bruce K. Pilling,  Program Director, 404-413-7673, bpilling@gsu.edu

The MS in marketing is designed primarily for persons with an undergraduate business degree who want to distinguish themselves as marketing specialists. The major is designed to provide the in-depth theoretical and applied training needed to excel in a leadership position in marketing. The program extends the students’ previously acquired basic business and marketing skills by developing advanced technical and analytical competency in a selected area. It therefore allows graduates to make more informed decisions in an increasingly complex marketing environment.

* This program is currently only available in the one year format.

Regulations for the Degree

The Masters of Science in Marketing is now available in a one year fast-track format.  For additional information on this format, please visit the following website: http://marketing.robinson.gsu.edu/academic-programs/ms/.

All Master of Science students will complete the Business Communication Skills Requirement explained earlier in this chapter. The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the M.S./Marketing program. A maximum of six hours of transfer credit is permitted in this 30-hour program.

Course Requirements. The course requirements for the degree Master of Science with a major in marketing and the format of the program follow:

a. Foundation Courses. The courses in this list are in addition to the 33 hours required for the degree. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent course work has been previously completed with grades of C or higher. For descriptions and prerequisites of the undergraduate foundation courses, see the Course Descriptions chapter of the Georgia State University Undergraduate Catalog. This catalog is available at catalog.gsu.edu.

Accounting/Finance: MBA 8025, or financial and managerial accounting principles and corporate finance principles (ACCT 2101, ACCT 2102 and FI 3300).

Behavioral Science: Management principles (MGS 3400), managerial decision making (MGS 4000), marketing principles (MK 3010), psychology (PSYC 1101), sociology (SOCI 1101) or anthropology (ANTH 1102).

Economics: Microeconomic principles (ECON 2106).

Mathematics: College algebra (MATH 1111).

Statistics: MATH 1070.

b. Required Courses in the Major (9 hours)

• MBA 8145 Marketing Management (3)
• MK 8100 Buyer Behavior (3)
• MK 8200 Marketing Research (3)

c. Marketing Electives (18 hours). These electives may be chosen from among the 8000-level marketing courses that are not required as core or capstone courses. A maximum of nine hours of appropriate 8000-level courses from other departments in the Robinson College of Business or from elsewhere in the university may be substituted for these courses with departmental approval.

d. Capstone Course (3 hours).

• MK 8900 Strategic Market Planning (3)

Program of Study. Each student’s program must be planned in consultation with the M.S./marketing faculty adviser before a non-required course is taken. Contact the department to schedule an appointment. A copy of the program will be filed with the Office of Graduate Student Services for review and approval. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, cannot be confirmed without an approved program of study. Any changes in the program must be approved by the faculty advisor and a copy of the changes sent to the Office of Graduate Student Services. Students always must consult the Course Descriptions chapter of the current graduate catalog to determine if they have met the prerequisites for any course to be taken.

Time Limit. The time limit for completing the M.S./marketing is five years from the first semester a course in sections B, C, or D (above) is taken.

One Year MS in Marketing format

One Year Master of Science (MS) in Marketing is a year-long cohort program for marketing professionals who want to update/expand their knowledge, managers who oversee marketing activities but lack formal training, and career changers. Students proceed as a group through a sequenced curriculum of five session modules.

In addition to the required courses outlined in the general curriculum above, candidates must take 21 credit hours of pre-selected electives for this one year format. Students must fulfill the specialized master’s foundation requirement (section 7110.10). Courses meet at Georgia State University’s Buckhead Center on Monday and Wednesday evenings. New cohorts begin in January of each year. Program enrolls in the spring semester only.

The internationally renowned faculty of Robinson’s Department of Marketing and its Center for Excellence in Brand and Customer Management developed the program, drawing on their expertise as researchers and theorists, strategists and practitioners. Concurrent to earning a Master of Science in Marketing, students also will earn Robinson’s Certificate in Brand and Customer Management.

The program is open to full-time working professionals, full-time students and international students.

7200.35 Major in Mathematical Risk Management (MRM)

Haci Akcin, Director, 404-413-7467,  hakcin1@gsu.edu

The mission of the Master of Science Mathematical Risk Management (MRM) program is to provide students with a solid understanding of the application of mathematics in economics and finance to address contemporary risk management issues. Emphasis is placed on the diagnosis, analysis, pricing and customization of solutions to risk management problems, broadly defined to include both financial and operational risk exposures. The program is designed to prepare students for analytical and technical positions within financial institutions, risk management advisory organizations, and the treasury departments of non-financial corporations. Quantitative in focus, the program is well suited for students with undergraduate and graduate degrees in mathematics, statistics or similar technical disciplines. Students with an MBA or undergraduate degree in economics, finance or actuarial science, who can demonstrate the necessary skills in mathematics, also make excellent candidates.

The MS in Mathematical Risk Management can be completed in 16 months over three semesters. Since the core courses are designed in a lockstep format, students should be prepared to begin their core sequence during the fall semester. Students who have not completed the foundational requirements for the degree should apply for admission during either the spring or summer semester so they can complete the prerequisites before the core sequence begins in the fall. Please contact the MRM program director for advice about the appropriate time when you should apply to enter the program.

Two dual-degree options are available: one in which students will earn both the Master of Actuarial Science degree and the Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management (MAS/MRM); and one in which students will earn both the Master of Science in Analytics degree and the Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management (MSA/MRM). The programs provide students with increased career opportunities in the financial services industries specializing in the application of quantitative methods to solve complex business problems in an era of financial services and capital markets convergence.

Regulations for the Degree

All Master of Science students will complete the Business Communication Skills Requirement explained earlier in this section. The Summary of Regulations-Master Programs, also found earlier in this section, applies to the M.S. program with a major in mathematical risk management as do the regulations, policies and procedures given in Section 7 (Master enrollment). A maximum of 6 hours of transfer credit is permitted in this Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management program. A maximum of 9 hours of transfer credit is permitted in the 48-hour dual degree programs.

1. Foundation Requirements: Foundation and Prerequisite Courses Consult Section 10 (Course descriptions) and the heading “Undergraduate Foundation Courses” later in this bulletin for prerequisites to the courses listed below. The courses in this section are in addition to the 30 semester hours required for the Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management degree or the 48 semester hours required for the dual degree programs. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent coursework has been previously completed with minimum grades of “C.”

Accounting/Finance: MBA 8025, or financial and managerial accounting and corporate finance principles (ACCT 2101, ACCT 2102 and FI 3300). Students must have completed Corporate Finance (MBA 8135). This requirement can be waived if FI 3300 and FI 4000, or equivalent coursework, have been completed with grades of “C” or higher.

Behavioral Science: Students may satisfy this requirement with either principles of management (MGS 3400), sociology (SOCI 1101) or psychology (PSYC 1101).

Economics: Both macroeconomic principles (ECON 2105) and microeconomic principles (ECON 2106).  Alternatively, both requirements can be satisfied by taking MBA 7035 Economics for Managers or the corresponding placement exam (see flex.robinson.gsu.edu/about/curriculum/placement-exam-option-mba-foundation-courses/).

Mathematics: Students must have completed three semesters of advanced calculus (MATH 2211, MATH 2212 and MATH 2215). Students entering the joint Master of Actuarial Science/Mathematical Risk Management program must have compound interest theory (AS 4230).

Statistics: Students must have completed two semesters of undergraduate mathematical statistics (MATH 4751, MATH 4752).  Alternatively, these requirements can be satisfied by taking ECON 8710 or MSA 8190.

2. Course Requirements: Master of Science Mathematical Risk Management

This section is applicable to students interested in the MS in Mathematical Risk Management. Students interested in the dual degree programs should go to Section 4 (MAS/MRM) or Section 5 (MSA/MRM) below.

a.  Required Technical Support Courses 

The following courses must be completed within the first 18 hours of 8000-level course work.

• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)
• MSA 8010 Data Programming for Analytics (3)

Students who have completed equivalent coursework with a grade of “C” or higher must substitute an appropriate elective in consultation with the Mathematical Risk Management program director.

b. Required Courses in the Specialization 

• MRM 8600 Theory of Risk Sharing (3)
• MRM 8610 Financial Engineering (3)
• MRM 8630 Interest Rate Models (3)
• MRM 8640 Advanced Credit Risk Models (alternatively, students can take MRM 8620 Quantitative Risk Models)
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management (3)
• MSA 8200 Econometric Modeling for Analytics (3) (alternatively, students can take ECON 9720 Econometrics II)
• ECON 8780 Financial Econometrics (3)

c. Elective Courses in the Specialization

Students should consult with the program director prior to beginning their elective coursework and may select from among the following courses.

• AS 8340 Life Contingencies (3)
• AS 8350 Insurance Mathematics (3)
• AS 8430 Loss Distributions and Credibility Theory (3)
• AS 8810 Actuarial Science Graduate Seminar (3)
• ECON 8860 Economics of Global Finance (3)
• FI 8020 Financial Analysis and Loan Structuring (3)
• FI 8240 Global Portfolio Management (3)
• FI 8260 Hedge Funds and Their Strategies (3)
• FI 8300 Advanced Corporate Finance (3)
• FI 8310 Investment Banking (3)
• FI 8320 Corporate Financial Strategy (3)
• FI 8460 Introduction to FinTech (3)
• FI 9100 The Theory of Asset Valuation (3) (Requires consent of instructor.)
• MGS 8040 Data Mining (3)
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling (3)
• MSA 8040 Data Management for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8050 Scalable Data Analytics (3)
• MSA 8100 Operations Research Models and Methods (3)
• MSA 8150 Machine Learning for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8190 Structural Foundations for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8250 Introduction to Statistical Learning (3)
• MSA 8760 Risk Analytics (3)
• MSA 8770 Unstructured Data Analytics (3)
• MSA 8780 Marketing Analytics (3)
• RMI 8150 Corporate Risk Management (3)
• RMI 8300 Predictive Risk Models (3)

Students may select, with the prior approval of the faculty advisor, electives other than those shown above if they can demonstrate the course(s) will better meet their educational objectives.

3. Course Requirements: Dual Degree Master of Actuarial Science and Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management Program.

This section is applicable to students interested in the dual degree program Master of Actuarial Science and Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management. Students interested in the MS in Mathematical Risk Management should go to Section 3 above.  Students interested in the dual degree program between the Master of Science in Analytics and the Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management Program should go to Section 5 below.

a.  Required Technical Support Courses

The following courses must be completed within the first 18 hours of 8000-level course work.

• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)*
• MSA 8010 Data Programming for Analytics (3)

* Students who have completed an equivalent course with a grade of “C” or higher must substitute an appropriate elective in consultation with the Mathematical Risk Management program director.

b. Required Courses in the Dual Degree Program

• AS 8340 Life Contingencies (3)**
• AS 8350 Insurance Mathematics (3)**
• AS 8810 Actuarial Science Graduate Seminar (3)
• MRM 8600 Theory of Risk Sharing (3)
• MRM 8610 Financial Engineering (3)
• MRM 8630 Interest Rate Models (3)
• MRM 8640 Advanced Credit Risk Models (alternatively, students can take MRM 8620 Quantitative Risk Models)
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management (3)
• MSA 8200 Econometric Modeling for Analytics (3) (alternatively, students can take ECON 9720 Econometrics II)
• ECON 8780 Financial Econometrics (3)

c. Elective Courses in the Dual Degree Program

Students should consult with the program directors for the Master of Actuarial Science and Mathematical Risk Management programs prior to beginning their elective coursework and may select from among the following courses:

• AS 8430 Loss Distributions and Credibility Theory (3)
• ECON 8860 Economics of Global Finance (3)
• FI 8260 Hedge Funds and Their Strategies (3)
• FI 8300 Advanced Corporate Finance (3)
• FI 8310 Investment Banking (3)
• FI 8320 Corporate Financial Strategy (3)
• FI 8400 Financial Management of Depository Institutions (3)
• FI 8460 Introduction to FinTech (3)
• FI 9100 The Theory of Asset Valuation (3) (Requires consent of instructor.)
• MGS 8040 Data Mining (3)
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling (3)
• RMI 8150 Corporate Risk Management (3)
• RMI 8300 Predictive Risk Models (3)

Students may select, with the prior approval of both program directors for the dual degree program, electives other than those shown above if they can demonstrate the course(s) will better meet their educational objectives.

4. Course Requirements: Dual Degree Master of Science in Analytics and Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management Program.

This section is applicable to students interested in the dual degree program Master of Science in Analytics and Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management Program. Students interested in the MS in Mathematical Risk Management should go to Section 3 above. Students interested in the dual degree program between the Master of Actuarial Science and the Master of Science in Mathematical Risk Management Program should go to Section 4 above.

a.  Required Technical Support Courses

The following courses must be completed within the first 18 hours of 8000-level course work.

• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)*
• MSA 8010 Data Programming for Analytics (3)

* Students who have completed an equivalent course with a grade of “C” or higher must substitute an appropriate elective in consultation with the MRM program director.

b.  Required Courses in the Dual Degree Program

• MSA 8010 Data Programming for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8040 Data Management and Analytics (3)
• MSA 8050 Unstructured Data Management (3)
• MSA 8100 Operations Research Models and Methods (3)
• MSA 8150 Machine Learning for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8200 Econometric Modeling for Analytics (3) (alternatively, students can take ECON 9720 Econometrics II)
• MRM 8600 Theory of Risk Sharing (3)
• MRM 8610 Financial Engineering (3)
• MRM 8630 Stochastic Interest Rate and Credit Models (3)
• MRM 8640 Advanced Credit Risk Models (alternatively, students can take MRM 8620 Quantitative Risk Models)
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management (3)
• ECON 8780 Financial Econometrics (3)

** Students who have completed AS 4340 and/or AS 4350 or their equivalents must substitute appropriate 8000-level actuarial science courses for AS 8340 and/or AS 8350. The substitutions must be selected from section C below in consultation with the actuarial science program director.

c.  Elective Courses in the Dual Degree Program

Students should consult with the program directors for the Master of Actuarial Science and Mathematical Risk Management programs prior to beginning their elective coursework and may select from among the following courses:

• AS 8430 Loss Distributions and Credibility Theory (3)
• ECON 8860 Economics of Global Finance (3)
• FI 8020 Financial Analysis and Loan Structuring (3)
• FI 8240 Global Portfolio Management (3)
• FI 8260 Hedge Funds and Their Strategies (3)
• FI 8300 Advanced Corporate Finance (3)
• FI 8310 Investment Banking (3)
• FI 8320 Corporate Financial Strategy (3)
• FI 8400 Financial Management of Depository Institutions (3)
• FI 8460 Introduction to FinTech (3)
• FI 9100 The Theory of Asset Valuation (3)
• MGS 8040 Data Mining (3)
• MGS 8150 Business Modeling (3)
• MSA 8050 Scalable Data Analytics (3)
• MSA 8100 Operations Research Models and Methods (3)
• MSA 8150 Machine Learning for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8190 Statistical Foundations for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8250 Introduction to Statistical Learning (3)
• MSA 8760 Risk Analytics (3)
• MSA 8770 Unstructured Data Analytics (3)
• MSA 8780 Marketing Analytics (3)
• RMI 8150 Corporate Risk Management (3)
• RMI 8200 Life Insurance (3)
• RMI 8300 Predictive Risk Models (3)

Students may select, with the prior approval of both program directors for the dual degree program, electives other than those shown above if they can demonstrate the course(s) will better meet their educational objectives.

5. Program of Study: Each student’s program must be planned in consultation with the program director for the M.S. in Mathematical Risk Management and a copy of the program filed with the Office of Graduate Student Services for review and approval. The program of study should be planned before the student takes a non-required course. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, can be confirmed only with an approved program of study. Any changes in the program must be approved by the program director and a copy of the changes sent to Office of Graduate Student Services. Students always must consult the Course Descriptions chapter of the current graduate catalog to determine if they have met the prerequisites for any course to be taken.

6. Time Limit: The time limit for completing the MRM program is five calendar years from the first semester a course in section 3-6 (above) is taken.

7205 Master of Science in Analytics

Dr. Yusen Xia, Program Director

The mission of the Master of Science in Analytics is to educate students how to acquire, organize and model data sets in order to formulate the questions that guide decision-making in corporate and non-corporate settings. Graduates are ideal candidates for the range of technical data-driven positions in a variety of industries/businesses currently emerging such as data scientist, quantitative marketing analyst, credit risk analyst, predictive modeler, health informatics, web analytics. Please see program website for more details.

Regulations for the Degree

All M.S. in Analytics students will complete the Business Communication Skills Requirement explained earlier in this chapter. The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to M.S. in Analytics program. A maximum of 6 semester hours of transfer credit is possible in this 30-hour program.

Foundation Requirements

These courses are in addition to the 30 hours required for the M.S. in Analytics. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent work has been previously completed with grades of C or higher, or as deemed suitable by the MSA Admission Committee.

Accounting: financial and managerial accounting principles (MBA 8025, or ACCT 2101 & ACCT 2102)

Behavioral Science: Management principles (MBA 8165, or MGS 3400). Students may satisfy this requirement with either management (MGS 3400), sociology (SOCI 1101), or psychology (PSYC 1101) principles.

Economics: Both macroeconomic principles (ECON 2105) and microeconomic principles (ECON 2106).

Mathematics: Students must have completed three semesters of advanced calculus (MATH 2211, MATH 2212, and MATH 2215).  Students who have only completed one semester of calculus could be conditionally admitted and get full admission after taking MSA 8005 Mathematical Foundations for Analytics.

Statistics: Students must have ECON 8710 or completed two semesters of undergraduate mathematical statistics (MATH 4751, MATH 4752).

Course Requirements: The Master of Science in Analytics

a. Required Courses (21 hours):

• MSA 8040 Data Management for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8050 Scalable Data Analytics (3)
• MSA 8100 Operations Research Models and Methods (3)
• MSA 8010 Data Programming for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8150 Machine Learning for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8190 Statistical Foundations for Analytics (3)
• MSA 8200 Econometric Modeling for Analytics (3)

b. Elective Courses (9 hours):

Students will select at least two elective courses. These courses will either be in an application area of interest or the student can deepen their technical skill development. The faculty adviser for M.S. in Analytics must individually approve electives. Examples of possible electives include the following:

• CIS 8020 Systems Integration (3)
• CIS 8100 Management of Information Systems (3)
• CIS 8200 Information Systems Strategy (3)
• CIS 8401 Mobile Applications Development (3)
• ECON 8780 Financial Econometrics (3)
• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)
• FI 8200 Financial Derivatives (3)
• FI 8260 Hedge Fund Strategies (3)
• FI 8320 Corporate Financial Strategy (3)
• FI 8460 Introduction to Fin Tech (3)
• HA 8160 Health Care System (3)
• HA 8550 Health Planning and Financial Management (3)
• HA 8620 Operations Management and Quality in Health Care (3)
• HA 8670 Health Information Systems (3)
• HA 8750 Health Analytics (3)
• MK 8010 Marketing Metrics (3)
• MK 8705 Digital Marketing Analytics (3)
• MK 8715 Brand and Consumer Analytics (3)
• MK 8730 Marketing Engineering (3)
• MRM 8610 Financial Engineering (3)
• MRM 8620 Quantitative Financial Risk Models (3)
• MSA 8500 Image Analytics for Operations (3)
• MSA 8770 Text Analytics (3)
• MGS 8110 Applied Regression Analysis (3)
• MGS 8730 Project Management (3)
• MGS 8740 Operations Strategy (3)
• RCB 8040 Competing on Analytics and Organizational Knowledge (3)
• RMI 8050 Risk Management Modeling (3)
• RMI 8300 Predictive Risk Models (3)

Program of Study

Any changes in the program must be approved by the faculty adviser and  a copy of the changes sent to the GRSS.

Time Limit

The time limit for completing the M.S. in Analytics program is five years from the first semester a course in section a, or b (above) is taken.

7220 Master of Science in Information Systems

Balasubramaniam Ramesh, Program Director

The Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) is designed to meet the needs of students who want to build a strong background in information systems and the application of information and communications technology in business.

In today’s highly competitive global environment, the effective deployment of information technology has become critical to business success. New applications of information technology strike at the heart of what management does and how organizations are structured and compete. In many respects these applications are redefining the nature of work and its organization.

There is a continuing shortage of specialists and managers with the combination of business and technology skills needed to bring about this reshaping of international industries. The purpose of the Master of Science in Information Systems program is to produce graduates who are able to combine their general business knowledge with the latest information systems tools and techniques to enable organizations to compete strongly in the global marketplace. Graduates, through the use of optional concentrations in their programs of study, will be prepared for careers in specific areas such as information systems management; health informatics; or information technology consulting, project management, database management, and systems development.

The MSIS program is usually offered only as a cohort program.

Regulations for the Degree

1. The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the Master of Science in Information Systems students. A maximum of 12 hours of transfer credit is permitted in this 36-hour program.

     2. Course Requirements. The course requirements for the Master of Science in Information Systems  and the format of the program follow. Consult the Course Descriptions chapter for                          prerequisites to the graduate courses listed below.

1. Foundation Courses. In addition to the Foundation Requirements in section 7110.10, the MSIS degree program foundation includes successful completion of the programming courses CIS 3260 Introduction to Programming and CIS 3270 Application Programming. The requirements for CIS 3260 and CIS 3270 may be waived upon approved evidence of equivalent accredited undergraduate coursework with a grade of at least C or successful completion of approved online courses and exams in programming as directed by the CIS Graduate Program Coordinator.
2. Required Courses in Computer Information Systems (12 hours). These comprise the “MSIS Core”:
   • CIS 8000 or MIT 8000 Information Technology Project Management (3)
   • CIS 8010 or MIT 8010 Process Innovation (3)
   • CIS 8080 or MIT 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems (3)
   • CIS 8090 or MIT 8090 Enterprise Architecture (3)
3. Elective Courses in Computer Information Systems and Related Fields:  Any 8000 level CIS or MIT or MSA or HA graduate courses may be used to satisfy the electives requirements subject to approval by the MSIS faculty advisor.
4.  Capstone Requirement (3-6 hours), selected from:
   • CIS 8391 Field Study in Computer Information Systems (0-6)
   • MIT 8990 IT Management Capstone Project (0-6)
   • CIS 8990 M.S. C.I.S. Thesis Research (0-6)
5. Optional Concentrations available within the MSIS

Subject to availability, MSIS students are expected to do full-time or part-time field study in the last two semesters in the program. MSIS students are required to begin their field study in the semester preceding the one in which they will graduate.

Students may complete the MSIS by meeting the requirements (2.a.) through (2.d.) above.  Subject to course availability, students may additionally qualify for the following concentrations by substituting the below required courses in the concentration in place of Elective Courses detailed in (2.c.) above.

MSIS with a Concentration in Information Technology: The MSIS with a concentration in Information Technology is usually offered as a year-long cohort program. The purpose of the Master of Science in Information Systems program is to produce graduates who are able to combine business knowledge with the latest information systems tools and techniques. Graduates will be prepared for careers in a variety of areas such as systems development, information systems managements, consulting, project management, software quality management, database management, security and privacy, and business process design. Required courses for this concentration:

The MSIS Core (12 hours):

• CIS 8000 Information Technology Project Management (3)
• CIS 8010 Process Innovation (3)
• CIS 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems (3)
• CIS 8090 Enterprise Architecture (3)

The MSIS IT Concentration Core (12 hours)

• CIS 8040 Fundamentals of Database Management Systems (3)
• CIS 8025 Mobile Application Development (3)
• CIS 8630 Business Computer Forensics and Incident Response (3)
• CIS 8670 Enterprise Resource Planning Systems: Implementation and Management (3)
• CIS 8391 Field Study in Computer Information Systems (3)
• Elective Courses in Computer Information Systems and Related Fields as detailed in (2.c.) above (9).

MSIS with a Concentration in Cybersecurity: The MSIS with a concentration in Cybersecurity is usually offered as a cohort program intended to prepare students for executive careers in the areas of privacy and security of information and information systems. Required courses for this concentration:

The MSIS Core (12 hours):

• CIS 8000 Information Technology Project Management (3)
• CIS 8010 Process Innovation (3)
• CIS 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems (3)
• CIS 8090 Enterprise Architecture (3)

The MSIS Cybersecurity Concentration Core (18 hours):

• CIS 8040 Fundamentals of Database Management Systems (3)
• CIS 8085 Information and Information Systems Risk Management (3)
• CIS 8086 Protecting Information Assets (3)
• CIS 8087 Cloud Computing and Security (3)
• CIS 8088 Network Security and Hacking (3)
• CIS 8394 Advanced Topics in Cybersecurity (3)

• CIS 8391 Field Study in Computer Information Systems (3)
• Elective Courses in Computer Information Systems and Related Fields as detailed in (2.c.) above (3).

MSIS with a Concentration in Big Data Management and Analytics: The MSIS with a concentration in Big Data Management and Analytics is usually offered as a cohort program intended to prepare students for executive careers in the management and use of both structured and unstructured data. Required courses for this concentration:

The MSIS Core (12 hours):

• CIS 8000 Information Technology Project Management (3)
• CIS 8010 Process Innovation (3)
• CIS 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems (3)
• CIS 8090 Enterprise Architecture (3)

The MSIS Big Data Management and Analytics Concentration Core (18 hours):

• CIS 8040 Fundamentals of Database Management Systems (3)
• CIS 8045 / MSA 8050 Unstructured Data Management (3)
• CIS 8005 / MSA 8010 Data Programming for Analytics (3)
• CIS 8695 Managing Big Data for Analytics (3)
• CIS 8795 IT Infrastructure for Big Data (3)
• CIS 8392 Advanced Topics in Big Data Analytics (3)
• CIS 8391 Field Study in Computer Information Systems (3)
• Elective Courses in Computer Information Systems and Related Fields as detailed in (2.c.) above (3).

MSIS with a Concentration in Health Informatics: The MSIS with a concentration in Health Informatics is usually offered as a cohort program intended to prepare students for executive careers in the management of information resources in support of medical services and administration within the healthcare industry.  Required courses for this concentration:

The MSIS Core (12 hours):

• CIS 8000 Information Technology Project Management (3)
• CIS 8010 Process Innovation (3)
• CIS 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems (3)
• CIS 8090 Enterprise Architecture (3)

The MSIS Health Informatics Concentration Core (15 hours):

• CIS 8040 Fundamentals of Database Management Systems(3)
• CIS 8070 Mobile Health: Technologies and Applications (3)
• HA 8160 Introduction to the Health Care System (3)
• HA 8670 Health Information Systems (3)
• HA 8740 Health Analytics (3)

• CIS 8391 Field Study in Computer Information Systems (3)
• Elective Courses in Computer Information Systems and Related Fields as detailed in (2.c.) above (6).

MSIS with a Concentration in Enterprise Systems: The MSIS with a concentration in Enterprise Systems is usually offered as a cohort program intended to provide students with the knowledge needed for careers in organizations that use ERP systems to support key business processes. Required courses for this concentration:

The MSIS Core (12 hours):

• CIS 8000 Information Technology Project Management (3)
• CIS 8010 Process Innovation (3)
• CIS 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems (3)
• CIS 8090 Enterprise Architecture (3)

The MSIS Enterprise Systems Concentration Core (18 hours):

• CIS 8040 Fundamentals of Database Management Systems (3)
• CIS 8670 Enterprise Resource Planning Systems: Implementation and Management (3)
• CIS 8672 ERP Business Scenario and Process Analysis(3)
• CIS 8674 ERP Customization (3)
• CIS 8676 ERP Technologies (3)
• CIS 8393 Advanced Topics in Enterprise Systems (3)
• CIS 8391 Field Study in Computer Information Systems (3)
• Elective Courses in Computer Information Systems and Related Fields as detailed in (2.c.) above (3)

MSIS with a Concentration in Management of Information Technology: The MSIS with a concentration in Management of Information Technology is usually offered in executive format (See Section 7225 for details)

Program of Study/Course Prerequisites. With the exception of cohort-enrolled students, each student’s program must be planned in consultation with an M.S. faculty adviser in the Department of Computer Information Systems for approval by the MSIS coordinator before a non-required course is taken. Students may contact the department for the name of their faculty adviser and to schedule an appointment. A copy of the program will be filed with the Office of Graduate Student Services for review and approval. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, cannot be confirmed without an approved program of study. Any changes in the program must be approved by the faculty adviser and a copy of the changes sent to Office of Graduate Student Services. Students always must consult the Course Descriptions chapter of the graduate catalog to determine if they have met the prerequisites for any course to be taken.

Time Limit. The time limit for completing the Master of Science in Information Systems is five years from the semester the first course in section B or C (above) is taken.

For additional information, please visit the following website: cis.robinson.gsu.edu/academic-programs/ms-is/.

7220.10 4 + 1 Programs

1. The Department of Computer Information Systems in the Robinson College of Business and the Department of Computer Science jointly offer a combined BS in Computer Science/MS in Information Systems program. The program is designed to take five years, at the end of which, a student will receive both a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Science in Information Systems. The graduate level coursework permits a choice of emphasis in Managing Information Technology or Information Systems Development. The program requires application. Please see the Computer Science undergraduate program for the complete description of this joint offering.
2. The Department of Computer Information Systems in the Robinson College of Business and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics jointly offer a combined BS in Mathematics/MS in Information Systems program. The program is designed to take five years, at the end of which, a student will receive both a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master of Science in Information Systems. The graduate level coursework permits a choice of emphasis in Managing Information Technology or Information Systems Development. The program requires application. Please see the Mathematics undergraduate program for the complete description of this joint offering.

7225 Executive Master of Science in Managing Information Technology

Dr. Ephraim McLean, Program Director, 404-413-7448, emclean@gsu.edu

Applications are no longer being accepted for this program.

The Executive Master of Science in Information Systems concentrating on managing information technology (MSIS MIT) is a 12-month, lock-step program designed for rising professionals with a minimum of four years professional information technology (IT)-related experience. Students receive a Master of Science in Information Systems degree upon completion of the program.

The purpose of the Executive Master of Science in Information Systems program is to provide mid-level managers, and those aspiring to IT-related management, a challenging curriculum relevant to the needs of rising IT professionals. The MSIS MIT curriculum is designed to prepare IT professionals for significant management level positions. Participants will increase their ability to think efficiently, plan productively, manage effectively, and make decisions that create added value for the enterprise. For example, the curriculum will help managers assume a strategic role in the enterprise’s future; plan and manage for the next generation of IT business challenges; utilize and manage resources effectively and efficiently; and identify and broker solutions to current challenges utilizing best-in-practice IT methods. From an IT perspective, managers will be better able to implement a business-focused approach to create value and deliver a competitive edge for their organization.

The program consists of ten three-hour courses and a six-hour capstone project. The courses cover a wide range of IT management topics extending from strategic to organizational, financial, and technical. All courses are enhanced versions of the award-winning courses offered in the traditional two-year program. The capstone projects will be selected based on the interests of participants and their value and relevance to their companies.

The lock-step format serves to forge strong networking, a more in-depth learning environment and support among the students as they take the same courses together during the program.

This Executive format program meets the needs of busy IT professionals; the program is designed to be completed in one year while maintaining full-time employment. Face-to-face classes are held on alternate Saturdays. Electronic distant-learning modules are offered in between these Saturdays at the convenience of the participant – any time, any place.

Another aspect of the strong commitment to the success of each participant is the Mentor of Excellence program. During the year-long experience, each participant will be paired with a business leader who will serve as mentor to guide, advise, and support.

Required Courses in the MSIS MIT

The MSIS Core (12 hours)

• MIT 8000 Information Technology Project Management (3)
• MIT 8010 Process Innovation (3)
• MIT 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems (3)
• MIT 8090 Managing Enterprise Systems (3)

The MIT Concentration Core (1 hours)

• MIT 8070 Mobile and Wireless Information Systems (3)
• MIT 8100 Management of Information Services (3)
• MIT 8200 Information Systems Strategy (3)
• MIT 8210 Global Systems Sourcing (3)
• MIT 8299 Finance and Accounting for Information Systems (3)
• MIT 8699 Organizational Change Management (3)
• MIT 8990 IT Management Capstone Project (3-6)

Elective Courses in Computer Information Systems and Related Fields as detailed in (c.) above (0-3).

For additional information, please visit the following website: http://cis.robinson.gsu.edu/academic-programs/executive-ms-mit/.

7230 Master of Science in Information Systems Audit and Control

Dr. Balasubramaniam Ramesh, Program Director, bramesh@gsu.edu

There is a developing shortage of specialists with the combination of accounting and technology knowledge needed to properly inform and execute management decisions in areas such as IT Assurance, Information Security, IT Governance, and IT Risk Management. The purpose of the Master of Science in Information Systems Audit and Control (MSISAC) program is to produce graduates who are able to combine a thorough knowledge of accounting principles with an equally thorough knowledge of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to enable organizations to competently operate in environments where accounting systems are tightly integrated with organizational ICT. Graduates will be well prepared for careers in IT auditing, but also for a variety of other areas such as accounting, information systems, consulting, and assurance.

ICT provides the basic fabric with which organizational management develop, record, and process abstractions and models that are both the basis of management strategy, decision making and of recording the flows of assets and liabilities within the organization and with its trading partners. Accountants are increasingly called upon to design, review, audit, and advise stakeholders with regard to the accuracy, timeliness and appropriateness of complex ICT based systems. Developing competencies in IT audit often requires a broad understanding of enterprise-wide approaches for managing growing international risks and emerging regulations. IT auditors must know how to identify and mitigate information risks, effectively manage security-related incidents, and reduce the impact of these on people, profitability and property.

To summarize, the purpose of the Master of Science in Information Systems Audit and Control program is to produce graduates who are able to combine their knowledge of accounting and auditing with the latest information systems tools and techniques to enable organizations to achieve information assurance and security. MSISAC program graduates are expected to be academically prepared to take the CISA exam upon completion of their degree. This combination of skills necessary for obtaining these highly valued certifications is very rarely found in any program in the nation.

Regulations for the Degree

1. The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the MSISAC program. A maximum of six hours of transfer credit is permitted in this 30-hour program.
2. Course Requirements. The course requirements for the Master of Science in Information Systems Audit and Control degree and the format of the program follow. Consult the Course Descriptions chapter for prerequisites to the graduate courses listed below. For descriptions and prerequisites of the undergraduate foundation courses, see the Course Descriptions chapter of the Georgia State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. These catalogs are available on the web at www.gsu.edu; click on Students then University Catalogs.

a. Foundation Courses:

The following foundation courses are required in addition to the Specialized Master’s Foundation Requirements listed in Section 7110.20:

None

b. Prerequisite courses:

The courses in this list are in addition to the 30 hours required for the degree. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be          exempted if equivalent course work has been previously completed with grades of C or higher. An accepted applicant, who at the time of admission to the MSISAC program, has not completed          the foundation and prerequisite courses, must complete these requirements in a manner approved by the MSISAC program coordinator.

Accounting

ACCT 2101 and ACCT 2102 Financial and Managerial Accounting Principles

Computer Information Systems

CIS 3300 Analyzing business systems or equivalent or an approved online course in Systems Analysis as directed by the MSISAC program coordinator

CIS 3730 Database Management Systems or an approved online course in Database Management Systems as directed by the MSISAC program coordinator

c. Required Courses (30 hours):

Credit Hours/COURSES

Required Graduate Courses

• CIS 8000 Information Technology Project Management (3)
• CIS 8085 Information and Information Systems Risk Management (3)
• CIS 8086 Protecting Information Assets (3)
• CIS 8630 Business Computer Forensics and Incident Response (3)
• CIS 8690 Advanced Topics in Information Systems (3)
• ACCT 8310 Seminar in Management Accounting Systems (3)
• ACCT 8630 Information Technology Auditing (3)
• ACCT 8680 or CIS 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems (3)
• ACCT 8740 Seminar on Internal Auditing (3)

Graduate Elective (3 hours)

• Any CIS or ACCT 8000 level elective including CIS 8391 Field Study in Computer Information Systems (0-6), CIS 8388 Capstone Project (3) and ACCT 8391 Field Study in Accounting (3)

7300 Master of Science in Real Estate

Jon Wiley, Program Director, 404-413-7728, jwiley@gsu.edu

The Master of Science in Real Estate degree is designed for students who are principally interested in careers in the real estate industry and those who will use real property in business decision making. It provides the student with both general and specialized real estate knowledge and analytical skills. The degree prepares students for professional areas such as financial counseling, market analysis and valuation, as well as industry activities such as real property development, acquisition, disposition, and management. The MSRE program is based on a synthesis of legal, physical, market and financial considerations that affect the real property decision process. The student’s educational experience is enhanced because the program attracts many experienced real estate professionals into the classroom, and the program has a practical orientation in which students participate in industry problem solving and research under the direction of the program’s faculty.

7300.10 Regulations for the Degree

Course Requirements: The Master of Science in Real Estate degree consists of 30 semester hours of course work numbered 8000 and above. Previous graduate real estate coursework successfully completed at the Robinson College of Business will be evaluated and up to six hours credit toward the required or elective courses in the major (section “b” or “c” below) may be awarded to entering students. A maximum of six hours of transfer credit is permitted in this 30-hour program. The option of awarding credit toward the MSRE degree is totally at the discretion of the Department of Real Estate and its designees. The course requirements for the degree and the format of the program follow. The number of hours of 8000-level credit required in each section of the program is shown in parentheses after the section heading. This number represents the minimum requirement. If prerequisites for the courses listed in each section have not been properly completed or if they are not included as electives within the M.S.R.E. program, they must be taken as additional hours. In most cases, however, the graduate-level prerequisites can be incorporated as electives into the student’s program of study. Students always must consult the Course Descriptions chapter of the current graduate catalog to determine if they have met the prerequisites for any course to be taken.

a. Foundation Courses: See section 7110.10 for the foundation requirements for this degree.

b. Required Courses in the Major (21 hours):

• RE 8020 Real Estate Investment Analysis (3)
• RE 8030 Real Estate Financing (3)
• RE 8050 Real Estate Development (3)
• RE 8060 Applied Real Estate Market Analysis (3)
• RE 8090 Real Estate Case Analysis (3)
• RE 8100 Strategic Management of Real Property in the Corporate Environment (3)
• RE 8400 Advanced Real Estate Investment Analysis (3)

c. Elective Courses (9 hours): Students may choose as electives any three 8000 level RE prefixed courses or appropriate courses from an approved list available from the Department of Real Estate.

Program of Study/Course Prerequisites: Each student’s program of study must be planned in consultation with the MSRE program director or a designee of the director before a copy of the program of study is filed with the Office of Graduate Student Services for review and approval. Students may contact the department to schedule an appointment with a faculty adviser. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, cannot be confirmed without an approved program of study. Any changes in the program must be approved by the faculty adviser and a copy of the changes sent to Office of Graduate Student Services. Students always must consult the Course Descriptions chapter of the current graduate catalog to determine if they have met the prerequisites for any course to be taken.

Time Limit.  The time limit for completing the M.S.R.E. program is five years from the first semester a course in section “b” or “c” (above) is taken.

7310 Master of Taxation

Galen Sevcik, Program Director, 404-413-7231, gsevcik@gsu.edu

The Master of Taxation program offers a variety of courses that provide students with a meaningful opportunity to develop the technical, analytical, and research skills needed for tax practice. The Master of Taxation Program is an academically rigorous program taught in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business Buckhead Center by the faculty of the School of Accountancy. Students begin the program in either the Fall semester or the Spring semester and complete the program in either one or two years. Classes meet once a week and are offered from either 4:30 to 7:00 or 7:15 to 9:45 in Fall and Spring. Summer classes are offered two days a week.

7310.20 Regulations for the Degree

The regulations, policies and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and “Master’s Programs” sections of this chapter apply to the MTx program.

Course Requirements. The course requirements for the degree of Master of Taxation and the format of the program follow:

a. Foundation and Prerequisite Courses.

The courses in this section are in addition to the 30 semester hours required for the MTx degree. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent course work has been previously completed with minimum grades of C-. Consult the Course Descriptions chapter for prerequisites to the graduate courses listed below. For descriptions and prerequisites of the undergraduate foundation courses, see the Course Description chapter of the Georgia State University Undergraduate Catalog. This catalog is available on the web at catalog.gsu.edu.

Accounting: Financial accounting principles ACCT 2101 or MBA 8025 or managerial accounting principles ACCT 2102 or MBA 8115.

Behavioral Science: Sociology SOCI 1101, or psychology PSYC 1101, or anthropology ANTH 1102, or buyer behavior MK 4100, or management principles MGS 3400, or managerial decision making MGS 4000.

Economics: Macroeconomic principles [ECON2105] or microeconomic principles ECON 2106. ECON 2106 is preferred.

Mathematics: College algebra MATH 1111.

Statistics: MATH 1070.

Taxation: ACCT 4510.

b.  Courses in Taxation (30 hours)

Students will take ten of the following courses, including six required courses totaling 18 hours.  In addition, students will take four other courses totaling 12 hours.  Program administrators will ensure that students take the courses in the appropriate sequence, e.g., the TX 8020 and TX 8030 must be the first two courses taken if a student takes only two courses the first semester in the program.

• TX 8020 Advanced Federal Income Taxation (3)***
• TX 8030 Tax Research (3)***
• TX 8040 Tax Practice and Procedures (3)***
• TX 8080 Taxation of Partnerships and Partners (3)***
• TX 8120 Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders (3)***
• TX 8100 Taxation of Property and Securities Transactions (3)
• TX 8180 Current Topics in Taxation (3)
• TX 8220 Estate/Gift Taxation & Estate Planning (3)
• TX 8270 State and Local Taxation (3)
• TX 8300 International Aspects of Taxation (3)
• TX 8320 Income Tax Accounting Periods and Methods (3)***
• TX 8391 Field Study in Taxation (3)
• TX 8510 Issues in Individual Tax (3)

*** Required courses

Advisement/Course Selection: The MTx program coordinator and graduate academic advisor are available to students for consultation and guidance as needed. Students are encouraged to contact the coordinator and/or advisor and schedule an appointment for advisement as needed. Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, will be determined by the Office of Graduate Student Services by comparing courses taken by the student with the foundation courses assigned at admission and the degree requirements stated above. It is the responsibility of the students to monitor their progress toward the degree and to determine if they have met all the requirements of the degree.

The School of Accountancy requires strict adherence to the prerequisites listed for each of its courses (see the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog). Students enrolled in taxation courses without having completed the stated prerequisites with minimum grades of C will be required to withdraw from the course. Please contact the School of Accountancy before registration if you have questions about course prerequisites.

Time Limit: The time limit for completing the MTx program is five years from the first semester a course in the program.

7330 Graduate Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management

The Graduate Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management is intended for individuals who possess an MBA or a master’s degree in a business-related field, or hold a CPA or CPCU, and who desire graduate education in enterprise risk management but do not wish to complete the degree requirements for an MBA with a concentration in risk management and insurance. The Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management is designed for individuals seeking more broad-based education than what they might have gained in their undergraduate or graduate degree programs. There is an increasing demand for professionals who can efficiently manage financial and nonfinancial risk exposures faced by businesses. Course work taken to meet the certificate requirements emphasizes both financial risks (including, for example, derivatives and exchange rate risk) and nonfinancial risk (including political risk, property and liability exposures, risks associated with information technology, and employee welfare exposures).

7330.10 Regulations for the Certificate Program

All Graduate Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management students will complete the Business Communication Skills requirement explained earlier in this chapter. The regulations, policies, and procedures given in the “Master’s Enrollment” and Master’s Programs sections of this chapter apply to the C.E.R.M. program. The time limit for completing the certificate program is three calendar years. The certificate program requires completion of six graduate courses in residence at Georgia State University. In the event of waiver of one or more of the prescribed courses due to prior experience or education, substitute courses will be approved by the Director of the E.R.M. Certificate Program. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required. In addition to possessing the MBA or another business master’s degree, or the CPA or CPCU professional credential, applicants are required to meet the admission requirements for the MBA program with a concentration in risk management and insurance (enterprise risk management specialization)

Course Requirements

a. Required Courses (12)

• RMI 8050 Risk Management Modeling
• RMI 8370 Financial Risk Management
• FI 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets
• FI 8200 Derivative Markets I

b. Elective Courses (6)

Students select two courses from the following list with approval from the Director of the ERM Certificate Program: Students select two courses from the following list with approval from the Director of the ERM Certificate Program:

• RMI 8120 Property and Liability Insurance
• RMI 8150 Corporate Risk Management
• FI 8300 Advanced Corporate Finance
• FI 8320 Corporate Financial Strategy
• ACCT 8680/CIS 8080 Security and Privacy of Information and Information Systems
• ECON 8860 Economics of Global Finance

Other graduate-level course work may be substituted with prior approval by the Director of the E.R.M. Certificate Program other graduate-level course work may be substituted with prior approval by the Director of the E.R.M. Certificate Program.

Awarding the Certificate. After completing the requirements for the certificate according to these regulations, the student must make a written request to the academic advisor in Graduate Recruiting and Student Services to have the certificate awarded. The academic advisor then reviews the student’s record. If all requirements have been met, a request for the certificate on behalf of the student will be sent to the registrar’s office.