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 the following 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 concentrationUnits
MOR 462Management Consulting4
MOR 465Advanced Methods in Strategy Analysis4

Select two from the following:Units
MOR 421Social and Ethical Issues in Business4
MOR 461Design of Effective Organizations4
MOR 463Organization Change and Development4
MOR 492Global Strategy4

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 concentrationUnits
MOR 469Negotiation and Persuasion4
MOR 470Global Leadership4

Select two from the following:Units
MOR 431Interpersonal Competence and Development4
MOR 472Power, Politics and Influence4
MOR 473Designing and Leading Teams4

Managing and Developing People Concentration

The managing and developing people concentration prepares students for careers in human resource management and more generally for managing people in small and family businesses. Students will be introduced to the activities of human resource management, such as recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, health and safety, and union relationships. In addition to functional activities of human resource management, students may take courses in employment law and executive compensation and other leadership and organization courses. The courses in this concentration will provide students with strong skills in identifying, managing and developing increasingly scarce human talent.

Required course for this concentrationUnits
MOR 471Managing and Developing People4

Select three from the following: Units
BUCO 425Public Communication in Ethics and Research4
FBE 428Principles of Employment Law4
FBE 433Compensation, Incentives, and Corporate Governance4
MOR 385Business in a Diverse Society4
MOR 421Social and Ethical Issues in Business4
MOR 431Interpersonal Competence and Development4
MOR 461Design of Effective Organizations4
MOR 463Organization Change and Development4
MOR 469Negotiation and Persuasion4
MOR 472Power, Politics and Influence4
MOR 473Designing and Leading Teams4

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 CONCENTRATIONUnits
MOR 465Advanced Methods in Strategy Analysis4
MOR 492Global Strategy4

Select TWO FROM THE FOLLOWING:Units
FBE 421Financial Analysis and Valuation4
FBE 445Topics in Economic Analysis of Business Strategy and Policy4
IOM 482Supply Chain Management4
MKT 440Marketing Analysis and Strategy4
MOR 461Design of Effective Organizations4
MOR 462Management Consulting4
MOR 467Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation4

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 concentrationUnits
MOR 492Global Strategy4

Select three from the following:Units
FBE 436Financial Management of Multinational Corporations4
FBE 440Trading and Exchanges4
FBE 462International Trade and Commercial Policy4
FBE 464International Finance4
MKT 465Global Marketing Management4
MOR 470Global Leadership4