TRITON INSTITUTE

Master of Business Administration

Objectives

The primary objectives of the master’s degree program are: (1) to provide a knowledge base of interdisciplinary business theories and techniques to the students, particularly to the working adult population, and (2) to train and to develop students’ practical management skills in a chosen concentrated area for career development, and (3) to develop the students’ decision-making capability to face the challenge of the dynamic business world staged with diverse, multicultural, and global business settings.

Concentration of Study: The MBA program provides an opportunity for the student to choose from a variety of concentration areas including: information technology and enterprise management systems, accounting, project and technology business management, global business marketing, legal issues and intellectual property management, health service management, and hospitality management.

Graduation Requirements: A minimum of 36 units is required, 12 from each of the following categories, Basic courses, Electives, and Area of Concentration. Students must also makeup for any background deficiencies by taking additional courses even if 400 level courses may be used as elective units. A grade of “B-“ or better must be earned in all basic courses and area of concentration, and a grade of “C-“ must be earned for all elective courses. GPA 3.0 or better is required, and students must be in good standings with the university. After fulfilling the requirements stated above, the student may file a petition for graduation and if approved, may graduate.

Concentration Area and Career Planning

All graduate students in the MBA program at Triton are advised to plan for their studies and choose a concentration area early. Before or upon completing 12 units in graduate course work, the student must choose a concentration area. Academic counselors are on-hand to assist the student to make his/her study plan and assess the technology trend and job market.

The students are encouraged to utilize the online eCareer Center and work with Student Services counselors to prepare their resumes and participate in job search activities when they are ready for such a pursuit.

Master Project/Thesis: Students interested in doing research and development work may choose to do a 3-unit master’s project or 6 unit master’s thesis to earn elective units. Students should pay attention to the requirements for completing the project/thesis.

Advisor: The master’s thesis course may be registered as a two-part course, with each part as a 3-unit course, taking a total of two semesters to complete. A faculty member serves as the project/thesis advisor to offer guidance to the student.

Repeat: A student unable to complete the project/thesis in the semester he/she is enrolled in the course is required to continue to enroll in the course the following semester until completion of the project/thesis. Upon completion of the project/thesis, the student or the project team is required to submit a project/thesis report, following the university’s project report guide, to the project advisor for approval before submitting it to a technical writer for editing. The student or the project team must also arrange an open-forum presentation to share the work experience with other students.

Grade

The student receives an “S” or letter grade for satisfactory performance and earns the credits, or an “NP” grade for unsatisfactory performance without earning credit in each semester the project is being conducted. Letter grades issued by the advisor are acceptable. Extra credits earned for repeatedly taking the project/thesis cannot substitute for other course requirements.

Electives

In addition to the seven waivable required courses and the 9 nonwaivable required courses discussed above, students select 24 units of elective credit to complete their MBA program. Any course offered in conjunction with the MBA program with the exception of those otherwise required or waived is considered an elective.

Changes in Degree Requirements

Triton’s policies and requirements are subject to change, and changes may not be immediately reflected on campus websites or publications. New degree requirements, however, will not imposed retroactively on continuing students unless agreed upon by the students. If degree requirements are changed, students may complete their degree programs under the requirements in effect at the time of their initial enrollments (readmission, if key have discontinued degree status). They have the option of electing to be governed by the new requirements if they are so desired and provide that all requirements of one catalog are met.

MBA Background Preparation

Students admitted to the MBA degree program are required to have proper business background preparation for taking the graduate level coursework. The student must clear all deficiencies before being allowed to take the degree required courses. A student with deficiency in any required background subject must clear it by either 1.) taking courses for credits at Triton and earning a grade of at least C- or higher or 2.) taking and passing the appropriate preparatory module of studies. With advance approval by the academic review committee, the student may be allowed to take proficiency exams to clear his/her background requirements. The following are the required background subjects:

A. Management and Business Law (MGT320, MGT 461,MGT 491, MGT511, MGT 516, MGT 520, MGT525, MGT540, MGT550, Law 420 )

B. Economics and Marketing (MKT514, MKT551)

C. Accounting and Finance(ACC320, FIN 410, FIN520)

D. Quantitative Analysis and Information Technologies

MBA Curriculum

The MBA program requires a minimum of 36 semester units of graduate study. A maximum of four 400 level courses are allowed to count towards graduation credits. Before the student takes any one the courses below he/she must meet the prerequisite requirements.

1.) Basic Courses (12 credits)

The basic courses provide a base for interdisciplinary business theories and techniques and decision-making methodology. A student must take the following courses to complete the required graduate course requirement:

MGT511 Human Resources Management

BUS520 Quantitative Methods for Business

MGT516 Production and Operations Management

FIN520 Financial Management

2.) Area of Concentration (12 credits)

Apart from required graduate courses in section 1, students must additionally select an area of concentration and complete at least 12 credits (4 courses) in the chosen concentration area. This is to ensure the student is competent in the selected area. The courses taken to fulfill the concentration requirement must not overlap the courses taken for the above Foundation Courses requirement. As new courses are also offered between publications of the university catalogs, the students are advised to refer to the "Concentration Area Course Tables" published with each release of the semester class schedule to select courses for meeting the concentration area requirements.

Area A. Project Management

(Prerequisites: Advanced graduate standing)

Required courses:

MGT520 Project and Risk Management

MGT525 Supply Chain Management for E-Business

MGT540 Managing for Quality Improvement

MGT550 International Business Management

Select two other graduate courses in this concentration area.

Area B. Accounting

(Prerequisites: ACC460)

Required Courses:

ACC510 Introduction to Taxation

ACC520 Advanced Accounting

Select two other graduate courses in this concentration area.

3.) Electives (12 units)

Students may elect graduate-level courses 400 or 500-level, and higher courses in any discipline as electives to meet the elective requirements.

Mezzanine Courses for program requirement - Students admitted with a background deficiency in organizational behavior and management must take the course of MGT471 Organizational Behavior and Management course and those with a deficiency in Entrepreneurship and Venture Business must take "MGT501 Entrepreneurship and Venture Business " course at Triton. Credits earned can be counted as elective credits towards the MBA graduation requirements.

* Other background requirements for the concentration areas: Each concentration area requires certain 400 level background courses. Students may earn credit towards the degree, if observing the limit for the number of 400-level courses for the program, by taking these courses, such as

a. Area A (Project Management ): MGT461

b. Area B (Accounting): ACC460

MBA TOTAL REQUIREMENT (36 CREDITS)

MBA Course Description

ACC320 Principles of Accounting (4.0 credits)

This course teaches students the basic foundations for accounting principles. The 6 main topics are: an introduction to basic elements of financial accounting, setting up and using a general journal, how to record and analyze financial transactions, various types of accounts and how to use them, and accounting methods for different types of business. SAP R/3 concepts will be introduced. Students may also use certain kinds of accounting software.

Prerequisite: Instructor’s Consent

ACC410 Cost Accounting (3.0 credits)

Students taking this course are taught the relationships among cost, volume, and profit, the process and job-order methods; standard costs, activity based costing, variance analysis, quantitative method and models used in management. It also teaches the students how to use their fundamental knowledge in decision making in a business.

Prerequisite: ACC320

ACC460 Intermediate Accounting - I (3.0 credits)

This course is only for students who are interested in becoming accounting professionals. This course builds on the knowledge obtained in Principles of Accounting series. Students are taught how to understanding financial accounting and accounting standards, required disclosures, financial statement preparation, and an in depth study of current assets, how to calculate revenues and fixed assets. Students will be taught how to use popular accounting tools for both homework and exercises.

Prerequisite: ACC320 and FIN410

ACC490 Intermediate Accounting - II (3.0 credits)

This course is a continuation of Intermediate Accounting - I (ACC462). Students are taught about current and long-term liabilities, investments, stockholders’ equity, post-retirement benefits, leases and cash flow statements.

Prerequisite: ACC460

ACC510 Introduction to Taxation (3 units)

This course covers taxation concepts applied to individual’s income, deductions, credits, property transactions, and tax accounting methods. An understanding of the concepts will enable students to prepare quality individual income tax returns as a professional. The course will also cover taxation rules governing financial planning.

Prerequisite: ACC320

ACC520 Advanced Accounting (3 units)

This course is designed for accounting track graduate students who want to have a complete understanding of the concept of consolidation requirements, consolidated financial statements, and accounting techniques relating to particular types of business and non-business entities. The student will also explore various tax aspects of consolidated financial statements and participate in case studies.

Prerequisite: ACC460

ACC522 Federal Taxation of Business Enterprises (3 units)

This course is designed to give students an understanding of the concepts of federal taxation of corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts. An understanding of the concepts will enable students to prepare corporation and partnership tax returns in a professional environment. Also covered are rules governing estates and trusts.

Prerequisite: ACC500

ACC530 Managerial Accounting (3 units)

This class applies the essentials of financial accounting to the practice of management. Students will understand cost definitions, cost concepts, cost behavior and cost estimation; also, how cost accounting is applied to manufacturing and service organizations, the principles of planning and control for effective cost-related management, capital budgeting, cash flow statements, and how to analyze financial statements.

Prerequisite: instructor’s consent.

ACC540 Auditing (3 units)

In this course, students learn auditing techniques with an emphasis on the Electronic Data Processing environment, audit procedures, practice and programs; working paper preparation and report writing. The students will experience using electronic auditing software to work on their homework and projects.

Prerequisite: ACC212

ACC550 Accounting Information Systems (3 units)

This course provides a conceptual framework for contemporary accounting information systems and accounting cycles. It covers database concepts, internal control, transaction cycle and business process, expenditure cycle, conversion cycle, general ledger, and enterprise resource-planning systems. Students may be introduced to SAP R/3 for data manipulation and report generation.

Prerequisite: ACC212

FIN 410 Fundamentals of Finance (4.0 credits)

Students taking this course will be introduced to the world of finance. Financial management is a technique used by corporation managers to raise and allocate capital in a manner that will maximize revenue and stabilize the firm’s future cash flows. This course examines the concepts and techniques available to financial managers as they address various aspects of the financing and investment. Topics include financial background, financial statements, a review of accounting, and taxes; cash flow and financial analysis, time value of money, the financial system and interest, the characteristics of bonds, the valuation and characteristics of stocks, capital budgeting, risk and return, and also international finance. A case study will be applied to assist students’ learning. SAP R/3 may be introduced.

Prerequisite: Instructor’s Consent

FIN520 Financial Management (3.0 credits)

This class teaches students to apply the essentials of financial accounting to the practice of management. Students will understand the definition, behavior, concepts, and estimation of cost; and also about how cost accounting is applied in manufacturing and service organizations, the principles of planning and control for cost-related management, cash flow statements, capital budgeting, and how to analyze financial statements.

Prerequisite: FIN320 or Instructor’s Consent

FIN530 Investments (3.0 credits)

This course will cover the basis of investment and how to manage it. Students will be taught about theory and empirical evidence, related to market efficiency, portfolio theory, assess pricing models, factor models, and option pricing theory. Students are taught to combine market research results and electronic information sources to create investment strategies.

Prerequisite: FIN 520

LAW420 Introduction to Business Law (4.0 credits)

This course is an introductory-level course for students interested in U.S. business law. The course will prepare students in spotting potential legal issues in the operation of businesses so they can operate legally and know when to consult an attorney before taking action. The course begins with an overview of the U.S. legal system, its fundamental structures and processes. Emphasis is placed on the increasing role of administrative agencies, as well as on basic contract law principles. Students will also be exposed to several substantive areas of law affecting business.

Prerequisite: Instructor’s Consent

MBA608 Master's Project (3.0 credits)

This course is designed to develop student’s research abilities. The student or project group will conduct the project under the close supervision of a project advisor. The research and development approach must employ up-to-date information and methodologies. Students are required to: 1.) Make decisions on the subject and formulation of the objective, 2.) Plan the research and development procedures and practical approach, 3.) Set a time table and operation instructions, and generate a proposal, 4.) Carry out their plan 5.) Exam and write a report regarding the results at the end. The project topic and proposal must be approved by the project advisor. The format of the report must be in accordance with Triton's project style guide and be approved by the advisor and tech writer.

Prerequisite: Advisor’s approval

MBA609A Master's Thesis - I (3.0 credits)

This is the first part of a 2-part master's thesis course designed for students in the Business Administration program who plans to pursue his/her research interests on a deeper level. Each part requires one trimester to complete half of the entire project work. In this first part, the advisor will assist the student in identifying the research topic, shaping research ideas, and defining the research objectives and scope. The student then performs the following: topic studies, defining the project objectives and procedures, writing a project proposal and submitting it to the administration after obtaining his/her advisor's approval, working on research and implementation of the project, and documenting findings. Students are required to meet with the advisor regularly.

Prerequisite: Advanced graduate standing

MBA609B Master's Thesis - II (3.0 credits)

This is the second part of the master's thesis course. At the beginning of the semester, the student should draw a conclusion on the research and development work for the project and begin to write a thesis report. The student should make and analyze the project work and results. This way, the student will gain in depth knowledge of the selected subject and develop independent thinking and research capabilities. The report must be approved by the advisor and a tech writer. Upon completion of the project, the student is required to conduct an open-forum presentation of the project.

Prerequisite: MBA609A

MBA 610 Case and independent study (3.0 credits)

Independent studies tailors to student special interest in business administration under the direction of an instructor who is knowledgeable in the field. It may consist of reading, homework, tests, projects or presentations determined the instructor.

MGT320 Principles of Management (4.0 credits)

Students who take this course will learn the foundations and basic skills of management. Specifically, students learn organizational structure and environment, and develop skills in setting objectives in planning, leading, organizing, decision-making, controlling and motivating, communication and negotiating, and managing information for decision making. SAP R/3 may be introduced as demo software.

Prerequisite: instructor’s Consent

MGT461 Organizational Behavior and Management (3.0 credits)

Students who take this course will explore the complex dimension of organizational behavior including examination of experiential and conceptual approaches to communication, self-awareness, motivation, perception and problem solving. Students explorer interpersonal and intrapersonal aspects to learn about the management of change, theories in leadership and organizational issues. Students will participate in real case projects.

Prerequisite: MGT 320 or Instructor’s Consent

MGT491 Entrepreneurship and Venture Business (3.0 credits)

This course teaches students the full range of the entrepreneurial process including the evaluation, development, and creation of a successful business. It will help the potential entrepreneurs and professionals visualize and experience entrepreneurial development. The course explores the entrepreneurial approach to resources such as the development of an organizational structure, financing entrepreneurial ventures, market analysis, and screening venture opportunities. Individuals will experiment and evaluate what it takes to be an entrepreneur including developing the plan for a new business.

Prerequisite: Senior standing and MGT 461 or Instructor’s Consent

MGT511 Human Resources Management (3.0 credits)

This course provides students and practicing managers with a comprehensive overview of essential personnel management concepts and techniques. The focus is on essential topics such as job analysis, candidate screening, interviewing, testing, hiring, evaluating, training, motivating, promoting, compensating and their associated legal constraints. Additional topics covered include global HR, diversity awareness and training, and sexual harassment legal requirements. Practical applications such as how to appraise performance and benefits and handle grievances are explored. Additionally, developing independent work teams that foster creativity and innovation will be discussed

Prerequisite: MGT461 or Instructor’s Consent

MGT516 Production and Operations Management (3.0 credits)

This course is designed to teach students basic theories about production and operations management. Emphases will be on planning, organizing, controlling, and balancing quantitative aspects and behavioral applications in production/operations management; operations strategy will be the guide for topical integration. The students will learn about basic management processes, resource conversions, and behavioral applications within production/operations. Specific topics include operations management, operations strategies for competitive advantage, forecasting in operations, facility and layout planning, product and process design choices, scheduling, inventory control and quality control. The PP, MM, and QM modules of SAP R/3 will be used as demo software.

Prerequisite: Senior standing or Instructor’s Consent

MGT520 Project and Risk Management (3.0 credits)

This course is designed for students who are interested in pursuing the project management area of study. Students will be introduced to the principles of project and program management, followed by the roles of project management, matrix organization and project management techniques, leading students to the efficiently execute and complete projects. Students will also learn how to identify and analyze project risks, and how to reduce or eliminate risk-related factors. These techniques are useful in project proposal development. Methods for ongoing risk assessment and project performance evaluation are included. SAP R/3 may be utilized for hands-on experience.

Prerequisite: MGT 461 or Instructor’s Consent

MGT 521 Organizational Behavior (3.0 Credits)

This course focuses on the challenges of managing complex systems. We will explore the leadership and motivational skills relevant to performing as an effective manager, and discuss the different roles associated with managing the individual, the unit, the organization, and the larger system.

Prerequisite: Advanced graduate standing or Instructor’s Consent

MGT525 Supply Chain Management for E-Business (3.0 credits)

Students taking this course will learn about applying evolving methods in integrating the process of product distribution and supply chain management using electronic business skills. This course will teach students specific methods that will allow them to profitably and efficiently fulfill customer demand through the Internet.

Prerequisite: MGT516

MGT540 Managing for Quality Improvement (3.0 credits)

This course introduces the principles of quality management to students in the context of organizational and cultural change dedicated to the continuous improvement of products and services. The course will focus on quality control and quality assurance in project execution and ongoing operation environment. Students will learn about quality planning and quality management through hands on practice, including quality plan development and execution, quality management processes and implementation. Many quality management techniques and methodologies will be introduced during the course, and students will be lectured about ISO 9000 and other quality standards.

Prerequisite: MGT461 or Instructor’s Consent

MGT550 International Business Management (3.0 credits)

This class teaches students to review the classic five functions of management: planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. Students will compare managerial practices of many countries. The class will also cover the importance of quality and continuous improvement for gaining a competitive edge. Students will learn practical aspects of management from actual case studies, the strategic considerations for management in the international environment, and the roles of the latest information technologies, including computer networks, decision support systems, telecommuting, and CAD, CAM, CAE.

Prerequisite: Advanced graduate standing or Instructor’s Consent

MGT552 Technology Product Management and Marketing (3 units)

This course is designed to give students a practical experience in product development, and focuses on the management of engineering and technology activities. Topics include technology product design, planning, production, marketing, sales, and maintenance; technological product life cycle from research and development through new product introduction, marketing requirement documentation (MRD), product positioning, channel inventory management, outbound communications, and the organizational role of the product marketing manager. Case study and project presentations are required. Prerequisite: Advanced graduate standing or instructor’s consent.

MGT611 Strategic Management (3 units)

This is an advanced-level case study course that integrates the technical skills and concepts of accounting, finance, marketing management, statistics, and computer applications among others. The course first covers the concepts and techniques of strategic management, followed by case studies. Topics cover an overview of the strategic management process, the three strategy-making tasks, industry and competitive analyses, evaluating company resources and competitive capabilities, strategy and competitive advantages, matching strategy to a company’s situation, evaluating the strategies of diversified companies, implementing strategy, and case studies.

Prerequisites: Advanced graduate standing or instructor’s consent.

MGT613 Manpower Planning (3 units)

This course begins with the discussion of the need for manpower planning and gives samples of plans developed for various types of organizations such as manufacturing, high-tech, small business, etc. This course would give students an opportunity to learn about and develop a manpower plan which is part of the Business Plan and also an ongoing dynamic document developed as a part of the Strategic Planning component of the organization. It also has to do with scheduling, rosters and succession planning which is a process of identifying a long-term plan for the orderly replacement of key employees. The course also explores cases of developing a manpower plan including developing a Gap Analysis to determine manpower needs and budgeting for the manpower needs. Developing new HR manpower configurations such as self-managed teams, telecommuting, outsourcing, temps-to-hire and other methods to make companies more flexible and offer economical solutions to the high cost of knowledge workers. The course includes case studies and actual writing of several manpower plans for various sizes of organizations.

Prerequisite: MGT511

MKT320 Principles of Marketing (3 units)

This course introduces the major principles of marketing, marketing’s role within the company and in the global economy. Studies will focus on how to find marketing opportunities with market segmentation, how to get information for marketing decisions, the elements of product planning and new product development, wholesalers and retailers and their strategies, pricing, and promotion.

MKT460 Marketing Management (3 units)

This course studies marketing management by analyzing real-world cases. Students will learn to implement and execute the marketing process through situation assessment, strategy formulation, marketing planning, marketing implementation and evaluation. Prerequisite: MKT320

MKT 514 Marketing (3.0 Credits)

This course introduces students to the marketing strategies and tactics that provide competitive opportunities for healthcare organizations. The course focuses on the marketing elements of price, place, product and promotion, concepts that are the basis of constructing and implementing a marketing strategy. Other topics include market research, product strategy, new technology and MD's, branding, multi-cultural marketing and promotional decisions, including crisis communications. The class work includes cases, theory and an independent project.

Prerequisite: Advanced graduate standing or Instructor's Consent.

MKT 551 Strategies Marketing (3 credits)

This course teaches students fundamental concepts and practices in marketing research and data analysis, and use of the data and financial analysis to set strategic positioning strategies. Students will learn both the primary source (such as surveys) as well as secondary sources (Internet, publications, etc.) in research techniques and engage to their own marketing research projects. . Emphasis will be on practical marketing research skills of development and basic analysis mechanism leading to strategic marketing. Although statistical analysis will be covered in the course, quantitative analysis skills will be the main focus. The course also supports an overview of quantitative and qualitative tools for strategic marketing, market segmentation process, strategic positioning, and channel marketing issues. Case studies and marketing requirements reports are required.

MKT552 International Marketing (3 units)

This course considers how culture and environment of different countries affect marketing strategy, how to perform a comprehensive analysis of a country to support marketing plan formulation, the strategic implications of different market groups around the world, and special insights on international marketing from a study of special cases.

Prerequisite: MKT460 or instructor’s consent.

MKT555 International Trade and Operations (3 units)

The course is designed to develop the knowledge and understanding of the global marketing environment and of the concepts, tools, and theory that will prepare the students to take the responsibility for successful global market penetration for his/her business organization. The perspective of the course is managerial, i.e., the ability to identify opportunity, resolve problems, and implement solutions and programs.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or instructor’s consent.