Curriculum

Courses in the Penn State Smeal MBA Program are taught within a “7-1-7” modular format. The first set of courses is taught in the first seven weeks of the fall semester. You then experience a one-week immersion course before returning to a final set of courses during the remaining seven weeks of the semester.

Year 1: Fall

Orientation

The first year begins with an intensive program designed to help you to get to know, trust, and partner with your new team.

Module I

Financial Accounting
Statistics
Managing People
Team Processes and Performance
Leadership Communications

One-Week Career Immersion

As a Smeal MBA student, you’ll focus on your future and hone a comprehensive career plan. The Career Immersion features career workshops, individualized coaching and mentoring sessions, and opportunities for alumni and executive interaction.

Module II

Economics
Risk and Decisions
Managerial Accounting
Global Business Environment
Leadership Communications

Year 1: Spring

Module III

Finance
Marketing
Supply Chain and Operations Management
Global Perspectives
Leadership Communications

One-Week Global Immersion

You’ll visit one of four pivotal global business regions as part of the college’s intensive international business immersion experience. In 2009, students discovered Santiago, Chile; Shanghai, China; Istanbul, Turkey; and San Francisco, California for international students.

Module IV

Strategic Management
Ethics
IT Strategy
Leadership Communications
Concentration Intro Courses: Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain, Strategic Leadership, Corporate Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Executive Panel

Present your team’s business strategy to a panel of senior alumni and corporate partners in this case competition.

Year 2: Fall

360 Degree Multi-Rater Assessment

Smeal’s leadership assessment provides you with feedback on your leadership behaviors—each one rated by yourself and up to ten other fellow students and former colleagues. The results are summarized into an easily interpreted format that helps you understand your strengths and development needs.

Module V

Begin your custom concentration courses such as:

Strategic Financial Management.
Business Marketing
Starting & Managing a Small Business
Fundamentals of Financial Markets

One-Week Negotiations Immersion

In this one-week immersion experience, you’ll become a better negotiator, immersing yourself in concepts such as the “Zone of Possible Agreement” and “Best Alternative to a Negotiated Contract.” Practice and critique your newfound skills before implementing in the workplace, where negotiation could be the different between success and failure.

Module VI

Continue custom concentration courses such as:

Accounting and Business Analysis
Brand Management
Power and Influence
Garber Venture Capital Practicum
New Product Development
Strategic Procurement
Growth and Innovation Strategy

Year 2: Spring

Module VII

Applied Professional Experience (APEX)

Your team will begin a cross-functional business project for a client firm.

Continue custom concentration courses such as:

Financial Modeling
Integrated Marketing Communications
Complex Negotiations
Risk Management
Business, Government, and International Economics

Service Immersion

You’ll reach out to the broader community as part of this one-week service immersion experience. Your community service will be based on a single project or a set of projects that intertwine. The service immersion promotes leadership and a sense of responsibility to our greater business environment.

Module VIII

Complete custom concentrations courses such as:

Global Finance
Supply Chain Modeling
Business Law for Innovation and Competition
Global Strategy