4 + 1 Degree Programs
Niagara University's 4+1 Programs provide students from all academic backgrounds with the opportunity to complete your undergraduate and graduate degree within five years to help save on time and money. By enrolling in this program, students can take up to two courses in your senior year (one in fall semester & one in spring semester), leaving you with only 9 courses to complete.
The MBA or MSF courses you complete in your senior year will count towards both your undergraduate and graduate requirements. These two courses are included in your undergraduate tuition.
Undergraduate Programs leading to 4+1 MBA or MSF
For students from non-business majors, we have mapped out a curriculum card for completion of your undergraduate degree with the Business Minor to meet our MBA & MSF pre-requisite requirement. See these curriculum card examples for how the Business Minor is incorporated to a non-business degree:
Art History with Museum Studies
Theatre Studies; Design & Production
*This list is to show a few examples. The Business minor can be added to several other degree programs.
MBA Degree Program
Below are all courses needed to complete the core curriculum for the MBA degree
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ACC 601: Strategic Accounting Analysis and Planning
Credit Hours: 3
An advanced core course in strategic accounting which focuses on the interpretation and analysis of accounting information for business decisions. Case studies will be used to illustrate strategic decision processes. International accounting issues will be addressed. Topics include financial statement analysis, cash flow, case studies in budgeting, total quality management, activity-based management, target costing, job-order cost systems, cost allocation methods, and variable costing.
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Credit Hours: 3
This course provides knowledge of how information technology impacts effective management activities, especially in the area of strategic decision making. Topics include organizational information system design, management control of information technology, strategic and competitive aspects of information technology, social issues, and the globalization of information technology.
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MGT 611: Advanced Quantitative Methods
Credit Hours: 3
This course stresses practical applications of statistics in business. Topics covered include analysis of variance, nonparametric statistics, chi-square, simple and multiple regression, time series analysis, statistical forecasting, model building, and statistical process control. Each student is required to complete a project using statistical methods in solving a realistic business problem.
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MGT 670: People in Organizations
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides today's managers with the background and skills necessary to lead and motivate an increasingly diverse, team-based work force. Topics include the structuring of effective teams, leading and participating in teams, communicating with and motivating others, and recognizing and valuing individual differences. Using current theories from the social and behavioral sciences, students are provided with negotiation and conflict resolution techniques that will enable effective conflict management with employees and other organizational stakeholders.
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Credit Hours: 3
This advanced marketing course aims to avail the students with marketing tools and concepts to engage in strategic marketing planning. Students learn about the marketing concept, value creation and the development, implementation and control of the strategic plan.
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Credit Hours: 3
Using a balanced approach of theory and application, this class focuses on the analytical techniques involved in financial planning and decision making in the firm. Primary emphasis is placed on the importance of strategic investment and financing choices and the logic behind these critical decisions made by the financial manager. Case method will be used to apply principles developed in managerial finance to situations involving financial planning, valuation, capital budgeting risk analysis, and cost of capital.
Students have the option to choose one of the following
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MGT 673: Production & Operations Management
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides a management overview of the planning, coordinating and executing of all activities that create goods and services. Topics include productivity, demand and capacity planning, quality measurement systems, network analysis, supply chain interface and production related information technologies.
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MGT 674: Strategic Supply Chain Management
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to view the supply chain from a strategic perspective so that purchasing, materials management, and transportation logistics can be leveraged for competitive advantage. Specific topics include supply chain re-engineering, improving customer service, inventory management, outsourcing, supplier certification, supplier/buyer ethical considerations, and global procurement issues.
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Credit Hours: 3
This course studies the concepts, issues and approaches important in effectively managing projects. Topics include project selection, project planning, negotiation, budgeting, scheduling, resource allocation, project control, project auditing, and project termination. Topics are viewed from a managerial perspective.
As part of the MBA program, you will complete 3 courses in a designated concentration. You can choose from any of the following:
An internship can be used as one of your elective courses. Any substitution requires pre-approval from both Career Services and the Graduate Business Program Director.
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MGT 682: MBA Internship/Co-op (Optional)
Credit Hours: 3
Requires prior consultation and approval from Career Services and MBA Advisor
Capstone course
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MGT 691: Business Research, Strategy, & Planning
Credit Hours: 3
This capstone course synthesizes the knowledge gained in the functional areas of the firm to enable the student to formulate business decisions and policies. The course uses techniques of research developed throughout the program to analyze comprehensive business problems. A major component of the course is a special project requiring a practical exercise in strategic planning.
MSF Degree Program
Below are all courses needed to complete the core curriculum for the MSF degree
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ACC 601: Strategic Accounting Analysis and Planning
Credit Hours: 3
An advanced core course in strategic accounting which focuses on the interpretation and analysis of accounting information for business decisions. Case studies will be used to illustrate strategic decision processes. International accounting issues will be addressed. Topics include financial statement analysis, cash flow, case studies in budgeting, total quality management, activity-based management, target costing, job-order cost systems, cost allocation methods, and variable costing.
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FIN 643: Corporate Financial Policy
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on financial decisions. The course will include cases that illustrate different real-world financial situations faced by corporations. This course should help prepare students for careers in commercial and investment banking, corporate financial management, as well as more general business careers that have a substantial finance component. Topics covered will include capital structure, payout policy, security issues, mergers and acquisitions, and risk management.
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Credit Hours: 3
This course deals with the theories, analysis and management of fixed income and equity securities in a global capital market. The emphasis is on the application of finance, economics, accounting and statistics to the valuation of the aggregate stock market, alternative industries, asset pricing models, and portfolio management.
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FIN 645: International Finance
Credit Hours: 3
The focus of this course is on the international financial environment in which business firms operate and in which financial service providers compete. Attention is given to foreign direct investment, risk analysis, capital budgeting, international banking, and portfolio management. In addition, advanced topics such as international taxation, currency, and interest rate risk management will be discussed. The material presented will assist in the understanding of global management, international banking operations, and international financial institutions.
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Credit Hours: 3
The objective of this course is to prepare students for empirical work in economics. Specifically, topics covered will include basic data analysis, regression analysis, testing and forecasting. Students are provided the opportunity to use economic data to test economic theories. We will utilize computer software in all facets of our approach. This is believed to be a more applied course. Ultimately knowing the limits of software packages and what theories mean for empirical analysis will be stressed.
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FIN 615: Valuation & Financial Modeling
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on how assets, securities, and firms are valued in capital markets. We broaden the valuation techniques developed in financial principles classes and apply these methods across a range of financial data and assets. The course provides skills in valuation modelling used in other finance courses.
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FIN 690: Applied Portfolio Management
Credit Hours: 3
This course blends theoretical concepts of equity analysis and portfolio management with practical experience in running the Monteagle Fund, Niagara University’s student-run investment fund. Students conduct analysis of potential stock investments and monitor existing portfolio holdings.
Students have the option to take any three courses below related to their specific field of study.
- For CPA preparation - students should take all 3 ACC courses
- For CFA or FRM preparation - take all 3 FIN courses
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ACC 602: Advanced Business Tax Strategy
Credit Hours: 3
This course begins with an overview of business taxation in the U.S., and international tax planning issues. This foundation serves as a basis for the development of business tax strategies for successful competition in the global marketplace. Research and case studies of international tax issues are explored. Topics include tax planning and administration, choice and tax implications of business entities, international tax principles, wealth management, and ethical issues.
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ACC 603: Advanced Accounting Theory
Credit Hours: 3
This course explores the underlying concepts of financial accounting theory and its application to current accounting practice. Standards of the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) are emphasized. Topics include the conceptual framework of accounting, financial accounting and reporting standards, and the rationale for generally accepted accounting standards. Research into the development of accounting theory is included.
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Credit Hours: 3
An advanced course in audit theory and practice, covering auditing concepts and procedures, audit research, computer auditing, and Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) audits. Computerized audit problems and case studies illustrate audit concepts and practice.
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FIN 686: Financial Institutions
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a comprehensive review of the structure, function, and operation of financial institutions. Its focus is primarily with commercial banks, savings banks, investment banks, hedge funds, insurance companies and investment management firms. The course has a special emphasis on identifying, quantifying, and managing the risks faced by each of these organizations, including interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk, and foreign exchange risk. For each of these risks, specific tools and techniques to manage these risks are examined and tested, such as asset liability matching, securitization, forwards, futures, swaps, caps, floors and collars.
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FIN 685: Fixed Income Securities
Credit Hours: 3
This course develops an understanding of all aspects of fixed income securities investing, including trading, valuation, portfolio strategy and risk management. It covers the analysis of fixed income securities including bonds, bonds with embedded options, structured credit products, and asset backed securities. In addition, real estate investment is reviewed.