USC
University of Southern California
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Areas of Concentration

Department of Management and Organization

The management function in an organization is concerned with achieving effective performance in meeting the goals and objectives that keep the organization competitive and profitable. In carrying out their responsibilities, managers must utilize human resources to accomplish these goals. Managers are expected to balance the demands in the external environment with the resources and capability inside the organization to achieve a “strategic” fit between goals and accomplishment. The effective manager is skilled in decision-making, strategy formulation, organizational design, developing a supportive work environment, motivating employees and performance appraisal.

Organizational behavior focuses on the management and organization of human resources. Environmental, cultural, economic, technological, interpersonal and individual aspects of human functioning in organizations are considered. Undergraduate courses are designed to provide behavioral and conceptual awareness and skills for future professional managers.

The Department of Management and Organization offers three undergraduate concentrations.

Management Consulting Concentration

This concentration prepares students for careers in management consulting, either as a member of a consulting firm or as an internal consultant within a corporation. It provides knowledge and skills for contracting with clients, analyzing their problems and devising appropriate solutions. This concentration is highly relevant for students considering a consulting career in such functional areas as finance, accounting, marketing, information systems, operations management or human resources. The courses in this concentration provide students with practical knowledge about the consulting process as well as field experiences to gain relevant skills.

Required courses for this concentration units
MOR 462 Management Consulting 4
MOR 465 Advanced Methods in Strategy Analysis 4

Select two from the following: units
MOR 421 Social and Ethical Issues in Business 4
MOR 461 Design of Effective Organizations 4
MOR 463 Organization Change and Development 4
MOR 492 Global Strategy 4

Leadership Development Concentration

This concentration prepares students for leadership positions in a variety of organizations, from large corporations to small entrepreneurial firms. It provides knowledge and skills needed to lead people in both domestic and global settings. This concentration is appropriate for students considering a career in general management or for those who will take leadership positions in such functional areas as accounting, finance, marketing, information systems or operations. The courses in this concentration emphasize practical knowledge of the leadership function as well as development of leadership skills and behaviors.

Required courses for this concentration units
MOR 469 Negotiation and Persuasion 4
MOR 470 Global Leadership 4

Select two from the following: units
MOR 431 Interpersonal Competence and Development 4
MOR 472 Power, Politics and Influence 4
MOR 473 Designing and Leading Teams 4

Strategic Management Concentration

The strategic management concentration prepares students for careers in a broad spectrum of business organizations. This concentration is multidisciplinary in nature, and gives students the opportunity to integrate the knowledge they have learned at Marshall by providing skills and tools required to make strategic decisions for complex management problems. This concentration is appropriate not only for students considering a career in general management or management consulting but also for those who want to develop strategic thinking capabilities crucial to managers in a variety of disciplines such as investment banking, technology and media/entertainment.

REQUIRED COURSES FOR THIS CONCENTRATION UNITS
MOR 465 Advanced Methods in Strategy Analysis 4
MOR 492 Global Strategy 4

SELECT TWO FROM THE FOLLOWING: UNITS
FBE 421 Financial Analysis and Valuation 4
FBE 445 Topics in Economic Analysis of Business Strategy and Policy 4
IOM 482 Supply Chain Management 4
MKT 440 Marketing Analysis and Strategy 4
MOR 461 Design of Effective Organizations 4
MOR 462 Management Consulting 4
MOR 467 Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation 4

Global Management Concentration

This concentration is intended for students who seek careers in organizations that span national boundaries or operate outside the United States. Changes in technology, transportation, communications and political alliances have significantly internationalized business. Increasingly, firms are required to compete in multiple foreign markets at both the product and supply-chain levels. Understanding the management, marketing, financial and operational challenges associated with global business activity and developing skills in these areas have become essential requirements for success. The global management concentration includes courses that are designed to provide students with both a broad perspective and practical knowledge and skills in global business.

Required course for this concentration units
MOR 492 Global Strategy 4

Select three from the following: units
FBE 436 Financial Management of Multinational Corporations 4
FBE 440 Trading and Exchanges 4
FBE 462 International Trade and Commercial Policy 4
FBE 464 International Finance 4
MKT 465 Global Marketing Management 4
MOR 470 Global Leadership 4