Most business majors that have an undergraduate degree have taken basic marketing courses. Therefore, one MBA course requirement usually includes marketing strategy and planning. Marketing planning and strategy teaches the student how a company develops a product concept, tests it among consumers and rolls it out on a national basis. This course typically covers how products are priced, which advertising methods are most effective, how companies select their target market; and other factors such as competition and business environment that must be taken into account.
Managerial accounting is another course that is usually part of the MBA curriculum. Managerial accounting covers how managers price various products based on fixed and variable costs. All products are made of raw materials, which is a variable cost like direct labor and selling expenses. Factoring in fixed costs such as marketing and sales support salaries, students will learn how a company performs a break-even analysis on products before they introduce them to the marketplace.
Organizational behavior is almost always a core MBA course. This course shows how individuals act and behave in corporate settings. Topics may include how managers motivate employees or how workers cope with stress. Organizational behavior also covers areas such as power, influence and politics in organizations or what traits leaders have in common.
Human relations is another important MBA course. Human relations delves into the psychology of the worker, including what motivates her, the dynamics of verbal and nonverbal communication and how she reacts in a group environment. Human relations also includes human resource management topics such as performance appraisals, promotions, salary and incentives, and even discrimination.
Another MBA course that is required in most universities is financial management. This course typically discusses how businesses finance their companies through partnerships or through stock. Important facets of financial management include budgeting, sales forecasting and inventory management.
Most MBA programs require the student to take a course in quantitative methods and statistics. This course covers how companies research the consumer's interest in their product. Quantitative methods and statistics usually covers how to select a sample, create the survey and measure standard error, which determines the reliability and validity of the survey data.
With the computer age in full swing, management information systems is an MBA course that shows how businesses use computers to make strategic decisions. A management information systems course will usually cover anything from available operating systems to database management and its applications.
The MBA curriculum is comprised of core courses as well as electives. The individual college or university normally determines which courses are required and which ones are electives. However, the MBA student still needs to complete electives to graduate. Elective courses can include management, marketing management, consumer behavior or other courses related to business.