Graduate Catalog 2012-2013

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Master of Science in Business Management (MS)

Program Coordinator: Eugene Garaventa

Building 3N, Room 202

Telephone: 718.982.2963

The College of Staten Island offers a program leading to the degree of Master of Science in Business Management. Designed for a broad spectrum of students with undergraduate degrees in business and related fields, it is focused on strategic management and accounting skills with required courses in major decision-making areas. Students will study advanced analytical methods and theory and acquire experience with new technology.

The Department of Business at CSI also offers Baccalaureate degrees in Accounting and in Business (with concentrations in Finance, International Business, Management, and Marketing,) and, in conjunction with the Department of Computer Science, a Baccalaureate degree in Information Systems. The Department of Media Culture offers degrees in Corporate Communications; the Department of Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy offers degrees in Economics. Graduates in all of these disciplines are potential candidates for the Master’s degree program in Business Management.

In addition, the program serves Accounting graduates who will need 150 hours of baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate education to sit for the Certified Public Accountant examination.

The Master’s degree program in Business Management at CSI is unique in CUNY. It specializes in management decision making and is thus appropriate for both accounting and non-accounting student populations.

Objectives of the Master’s degree program in Business Management include:

• Graduates with a background in accounting will acquire the credentials to sit for the CPA examination.
• Graduates will learn the analytical methods currently used to assess businesses and non-profit organizations, planning and implementation processes, and control methods.
• Graduates will update and hone their skills in decision making, analysis, and technology.
• Graduates will understand current theories and issues of business ethics, ethical dilemmas, and the role of ethics in decision making.
• Graduates will be familiar with the global marketplace and its implications for business.

Business Management Admission Requirements

The program admits students for the fall semester only.

A graduate Business Management Steering Committee comprised of the Program Coordinator and Deputy Area Coordinators from Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, International Business, Management, and Marketing will determine admissions using the following criteria:

• Baccalaureate degree in Business or related fields such as Accounting, Corporate Communications or Economics.
• Overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher.
• Letter of intent
• Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Students with degrees in corporate communications may choose to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• CSI Graduates who have a GPA of 3.2 or higher in their accounting or business pre-major and major requirements are exempt from taking the GMAT.
• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam is a requirement of student for whom English is a second language. The minimum score required for TOEFL is 600 (paper), 250 (Computer), or 100 (Internet). The minimum score for the IELTS exam is 7 (overall band).
• Two letters of recommendation from instructors or employers. One letter, whenever possible, should come from a current or former employer.
• All applicants must demonstrate proficiency in business fundamentals by having completed the following undergraduate coursework before starting the MS:
  • 2 courses in accounting**
  • 1 course in communications (may be a communications course or a business course with a strong emphasis on business presentations)
  • 1 course in computer fundamentals (i.e. MS Windows, Office, Internet skills)
  • 2 courses in economics (microeconomics and macroeconomics)
  • 2 courses in quantitative methods (minimum of pre-calculus and statistics)
  • 1 course in management
  • 1 course in marketing

**CSI offers a graduate proficiency accounting course (ACC 600)

Applicants may substitute a passing score on the CLEP examination for any of the proficiency requirements.

• The Admission Committee may request an interview

Business Management Degree Requirements (Effective Fall 2012)

Students in the Master’s degree program in Business Management are required to take 30 credit hours, or ten courses at three credits each, at the graduate level. Most students will have satisfied prerequisites in accounting (two courses), communications (through a communications course or through business classes with major presentation requirements such as upper-level courses in management and marketing), computer fundamentals (one course equivalent to BUS 150), economics (two courses equivalent to microeconomics and macroeconomics and quantitative methods (minimum of pre-calculus and statistics) as undergraduates. Those who have not fully completed the prerequisites, may be permitted to remedy undergraduate proficiencies, but courses taken to remove the deficiencies must be in addition to their regular coursework.

With prerequisites satisfied, all students are required to take four core courses:

These courses, as well as later courses, may involve case studies, computer simulations, formal presentations and projects, and exploring the Internet.

Once these core courses have been completed, students are required to take four more advanced courses:

The capstone course, Managerial Decision Making and Applications, involves a comprehensive and integrative approach to managing an organization over time through computer simulation. There is a significant quantitative and financial aspect to the course complemented by a qualitative analysis of business policy and strategy over time. While not a thesis per se, a significant written assignment is required at the culmination of the course in addition to smaller papers during the term. This capstone course is comparable to those offered at many business schools worldwide. It is a very rigorous experience designed to bolster the program’s intent of training decision makers.

In addition, students will elect two courses from a group of eight:

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