Description: An MBA core course designed to integrate financial and managerial concepts into operations decisions. Disciplines of accounting, finance and economics are combined to provide substantive foundations for discussing and analyzing data. Implications of analysis are applied to facilitate decision-making in other areas such as marketing, operations (manufacturing, logistics and engineering), human resources, information technology and general management. The major learning objectives will be applied through a series of "living" cases that are centered on analyzing historical financial performance, preparing a business plan, and valuing a business.

Personal: This course was very similar to my Financial Reporting for Managers and Investors course. We learned a lot about the accounting practices involved with the financial statements such as choosing between issuance of bonds vs. stocks, FIFO/LIFO, depreciation techniques, recognizing P&L of multi-year projects, DuPont, ROCE, Diluted EPS, COGs, Warranty, expensing vs capitalizing, and host of other topics

Description: This course focuses on due diligence as a creative and time-sensitive process that can open or close doors for startups. Speakers and cases illustrate what potential investors or acquirers do to validate the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of information provided before finalizing an investment decision. Students learn performing due diligence is a labor-intensive investigative process that unfolds in stages where the results also speak to the credibility of the entrepreneur.

Personal: This course was really eye opening on the due diligence practices of private equity. It is common to look at 300 companies to find 3 worth investing in. Using satellite imagery to determine the size of manufacturing plants, hiring past FBI members for intel, and watching videos frame-by-frame to determine machine outputs were just some of the eye opening strategies employed. A big takeaway for me was that upgrading the management team is the #1 thing time is spent on and how much getting along on a personal level counts. This is especially important as post acquisition integrations tend to be the make or break and most M&A deals are failures!

Description: This course focuses on entrepreneurial marketing and the methods employed by emerging growth companies to successfully penetrate and disrupt markets. Speakers and cases illustrate branding strategies, selling approaches, pricing alternatives, and digital marketing tactics peculiar to startups who are constrained by scarce resources and saddled with expertise in the hands of a few.

Personal: This was an entrepreneurial class where we primarily had guest speakers come in and deliver case studies on actual problems they are looking to solve in the real world. One case study in particular was deciding to continue to grow on their own or consider including investors to supercharge their growth. The takeaway for me was that many problems in business take on risk and very rarely can be solved for with formulas. 

Description: This course focuses on IP strategy and valuation with emphasis on the technology-driven startup. Early stage companies must demonstrate proof-of-concept to their investors, a huge milestone that verifies the potential of real-world application. Speakers and cases deal with the harsh trade-offs of IP decision-making and the constant need to raise capital to accelerate technology development.

Personal: There was a lot more to learn than I imagined here such as all the different options for IP such as patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights. Following that there is a whole world of options of how it can be utilized such as determined territories, field of use, sub-leasing rights, exclusivity, reps & warrantees, and payments & royalties. Additionally the process of making a IP deal was discussed such as the formal use of Letter of Intents (LOIs)

Description: For students in programs where measurements and predictions are made.Topics include the following: tabulation of data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, sampling, types of distributions, probability, hypothesis testing and elementary aspects of correlation.

Personal: Statistics is a love/hate for me. Understanding the importance is paramount and I have a personal love for Z-Score models but I do have a hard time recalling the specific formulas off the top of my head. Some notable things taught were probability, binomials, confidence intervals, distributions, hypothosis testing,

Description: An MBA core course designed to provide a thorough understanding of business organizations by examining strategies middle and senior managers use to create and sustain organizational competitive advantage. The course examines the organization from an overall perspective within the context of the firm's internal and external environment. The second aspect of this course deals with the ability to communicate effectively in today's business and professional environment. Students will examine and practice the written and verbal communications strategies and skills that are essential to their success in business.

Personal: I enjoyed that this course let us focus on a single public company with the goal of doing intensive research and proposing the next big move for the company. I love the outdoors and after some intial research of the companies available I chose Deckers and below are two demonstrations of my findings.

Description: Corporate financial reporting under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Analysis and interpretation of financial statements: accrual accounting, balance sheet valuation, income determination and cash flow analysis.Profit manipulation, window dressing and "creative accounting" through accounting policy choices. Fraudulent financial reporting, uses and limitations of accounting information. Accounting information as a tool for strategic decision making.

Personal: I found Professor J to be absolutely incredible and I found a geniune interest in the accounting practices and how much of an art form it can be as well as the concept of the time-value of money. During this course I made a personal financial calculator spreadsheet and have shared with the world for those looking for helpful finacial calculators all in one place (and without ads)