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Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship Courses

Sample courses offered by the SME department. Check the University registration system for availability.

MBA 6141 - Managerial Economics

Introduction to some parts of microeconomics that are useful for managers, with attention to the circumstances that give rise to firm profitability. The first half of the course covers supply and demand, price elasticity, and market equilibrium. The second part of the course covers firms with differentiated products and market power, with particular focus on pricing models such as segmentation, bundling, and two part tariffs. The course touches on game theory and strategic interaction among small numbers of firms and ends with a discussion of market failure and the business opportunities that they sometimes create. The course also emphasizes links to other parts of the core business curriculum.

MBA 6301 - Strategic Management

This course focuses on the competitive strategy of the firm, examining how firms achieve and maintain superior profitability relative to their competitors in the long run, and the firm's role in building a more just and sustainable world. Starting from overall industry analysis, we cover how firms position themselves to succeed in various competitive contexts based on their resources and capabilities. We then analyze how firms innovate and adapt their capabilities over time, especially in the digital age. We extend our analysis to the scope choices of the firm and discuss how firms can successfully compete across multiple countries and businesses. Throughout the course, case discussions examine and simulate the process through which strategic decisions are made and carried out. Students are placed in the role of decision-makers and frequently asked to analyze the key choices they must make to define, reinforce, and successfully implement the firm's strategy.

MBA 6315 - Business Ethics

Understanding the ethical environment within which businesses and managers operate.  Focus is on the ethical expectations surrounding organizational activities, firm responsibilities to shareholders and stakeholders, and providing a comprehensive framework for ethical decision-making by individuals.  The goal of the class is two-fold.  First, to help people in business find a voice and advance a point of view as they go forward with their career.  Second, to prepare managers to successfully navigate and manage this critical component of a firm’s competitive environment.

MBA 6503 - Carlson Ventures Enterprise

Throughout this two-semester program, students participate in coursework that teaches best practices, frameworks, and methodologies crucial for identifying and evaluating new ventures. In a teach-then-apply environment, students manage client-based projects solving real-world problems in real-time, whether helping an entrepreneur develop their new business or an established organization evaluate opportunities for growth.

ENTR 6025 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship

The course helps students develop insights into starting and sustaining a successful venture. The course focus is on opportunity identification and evaluation: Where do new venture ideas come from? How do you recognize a good business idea? How can a so-so idea be improved to be a good opportunity? Students will focus on five characteristics of a good entrepreneurial opportunity: Creating significant customer value, profit potential, profit durability, founder and team fit, and amenability to financing.

ENTR 6021 - Developing New Ventures

This seven-week course is for students interested in learning how to design and pitch a new venture (ventures can include for-profit startups, nonprofit startups, or internal corporate product/service development initiatives).  Students work in teams to develop and write a business proposal for their own venture and consider the practical aspects associated with securing buy-in. Students will engage in all aspects of the proposal development process including designing, testing, validating, pitching, advancing/defending, iterating, and effectively implementing the proposal.  Students will also have the opportunity to observe, analyze, and learn from the development and implementation efforts of others.

MGMT 4173 - New Venture Financing

Translating a business plan into a financing plan. Developing alternative financing. Choosing a plan, based on financial/nonfinancial criteria. Types of non-Fortune 1,000-type businesses as financiers view them. U.S. financial institutions: what they finance, their financing criteria. Financing instruments used in the United States, when/why to use them. Cases, exercises, guest speakers.

ENTR 6036 - Managing the Growing Business

Challenges posed by rapid growth/change in independent startups. Infrastructure development, radical changes in strategy, continuous needs for substantial additional resources. Emphasizes analysis of factors accelerating/impeding growth and review/creation of growth strategies. Integration of concepts from strategy, operations, marketing, finance, and human resource management.

ENTR 6037 - Corporate Venturing

Entrepreneurial role of top management in maintaining/increasing stakeholder value through formation/acquisition of new businesses, products, or markets within established corporations. The strategic role of corporate venturing. Cases, guest speakers, group projects.

ENTR 6041 - Initiating New Product Design and Business Development

In this course, students work on product development projects sponsored by client companies and/or entrepreneurs. Projects run all year, but students may enroll for either or both terms. Coursework includes a series of assignments concerned with identifying, researching, and specifying the market and technical parameters for a new product. Assignments feed into a series of deliverables that are presented to the client. Market research emphasizes interviews with prospective customers and experts as well as business model development. Technical solutions are developed through rapid prototyping and concept rendering. Project work iterates between attention to market and technical considerations. Fall & Spring terms offer similar content, although project scope narrows in the Spring term.

ENTR 6042 - Implementing New Product Design and Business Development

Implementation of product development projects begun in the Fall term in Entr 6041. In this course, students work on product development projects sponsored by client companies and/or entrepreneurs. Projects run all year, but students may enroll for either or both terms. Coursework includes a series of assignments concerned with identifying, researching, and specifying the market and technical parameters for a new product. Assignments feed into a series of deliverables that are presented to the client. Market research emphasizes interviews with prospective customers and experts as well as business model development. Technical solutions are developed through rapid prototyping and concept rendering. Project work iterates between attention to market and technical considerations. Fall & Spring terms offer similar content, although project scope narrows in the Spring term.

BA 2005 - Corporate Responsibility and Ethics

Identify/apply ethical principles to the resolution of moral challenges in management. Understanding the place of business/corporation in society. prereq: Carlson School student

BA 2005H - Corporate Responsibility and Ethics

Identify/apply ethical principles to the resolution of moral challenges in management. Understanding the place of business/corporation in society.  prereq: Honors student

MGMT 3001 - Fundamentals of Management

Aspects/characteristics of organizations, their members. Why people/groups feel/behave as they do. Processes/methods that improve behavior/attitudes/effectiveness of members. Member/manager skills. Guest speakers, group presentations, films.

MGMT 3004 - Strategic Management

Business strategy. How business firms set and pursue their goals. Key categories of strategic issues and concepts/frameworks managers use to analyze and address those issues. Attention to specific firms and situations.prereq: CSOM, soph or jr

MGMT 3015 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship

Fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Career paths, including new business start-ups, franchising, acquisitions (including family business succession), corporate venturing, and entrepreneurial services. Legal structures for new business formation. Aspects of business law/ethics.

BA 3033W - Business Communication

This course teaches strategies and skills to communicate with confidence, clarity, and impact in business settings. Students develop their abilities in critical thinking (analyzing data, audience, purpose, and context) and craft (honing skills in storytelling, persuasion, writing, diction, tone, presence, data visualization, and visual design). They learn to navigate ambiguity, evaluate the needs of internal and external stakeholders, and communicate solutions to complex business problems. The course is performance- and project-based. Students produce professional-level memos, emails, and research-based proposal decks. They deliver multiple presentations (individual and team) and learn to communicate effectively with data. Students will meet with the instructor in small groups outside of class time for one scheduled lab session. The course culminates in the Case Study Competition where student teams apply their knowledge to address a real challenge from one of our industry partners.

MGMT 3045 - International Environment of Firms

Theories, frameworks, tools, and facts for understanding the environment of firms in international competition. Main world-level economic flows (trade, investment, finance). How country-/industry-level economic, political, and sociocultural factors influence behavior/functions of firms in international competition.  prereq: 1001 or 1001H or 3001

MGMT 4001 - Social Venturing in Action

Capstone course. Students choose projects with nonprofit organizations in the local community. Readings/discussions tie managerial theory to experiences. Issues that involve the intersection of for-profit/not-for-profit economies. Primarily undergraduate class. Opportunities for selected grad students.  prereq: Sr nonprofit major or instr consent

MGMT 4008 - Entrepreneurial Management

Management of a new venture after founding. Internal/external challenges of managing a startup organization. Working with resource constraints and understanding how business models may change over time. prereq: concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in [3010 or IBUS 3010]

MGMT 4031 - Industry Analysis in a Global Context

This course covers concepts and tools required to devise strategies that enable a global business to create superior value for customers and to capture a sufficient share of that value. It will offer perspectives on analyzing competitive situations and identifying and evaluating strategic options. In particular, it focuses on:

  • Applying fundamental concepts of strategic management--including strategy identification, the relationship of strategy and organization, industry analysis, competitor analysis, firm and industry evolution--coupled with economic theory and quantitative analysis to evaluate competitive strategies in a global context;
  • Developing an awareness of the impact of external environmental forces and of strategic actions by the firm and its rivals on business strategy.
  • Integrating knowledge gained in previous and concurrent core courses with a focus on understanding applying analytical concepts that are most useful to business analysts and managers.  prereq: Mgmt 3004 or 3001

MGMT 4032 - Corporate Strategy

This course examines issues of corporate strategy, i.e., issues associated with creating and managing a firm that operates in multiple businesses. Some of the key questions we shall seek to address through this course are: 

  • What are the drivers of corporate scope? How should a firm choose the activities/businesses it participates in?
  • What are the sources of value for a firm from being diversified across multiple businesses?
  • What are the challenges associated with managing across multiple businesses and markets?
  • How are these challenges best dealt with? What structures and processes enable successful corporate diversification over time?

The learning objective of this course is to help you learn to identify and define successful corporate strategies and offer solutions for the common problems that diversified firms face. The course not only introduces you to core concepts around corporate strategy, but it also seeks to develop your ability to critically evaluate the strategies of multi-business firms, through the extensive use of case discussions.  prereq: Mgmt 3004 or 3001

 MGMT 4033 - Strategy Implementation                                                                                                                

This course focuses on implementing strategies at both the organizational and functional levels. Specific topics include the relationship between strategy formulation and execution, the systemic and structural problems that make most of these efforts difficult and often unsuccessful, and various methods to minimize these problems. The course is designed both as a standalone topic and to deepen the student’s understanding of the strategic concepts covered elsewhere in the strategy minor.

MGMT 4034 - Technology Strategy

This course addresses challenges and opportunities in the strategic management of technology and innovation. The course will equip students with the conceptual frameworks, tools, and language for analyzing and managing businesses in environments of technological change. Course topics include how new technologies transform industries and create new markets, strategies for addressing technological change, and approaches for managers to shape and/or respond to new technologies. Because innovating or responding to new technologies often involves strategic and organizational change, the course also involves considering how organizations change in response to new technologies. There will be a combination of readings, lectures, case discussions, and simulations. The final team project provides an opportunity to explore in-depth the technology strategy and innovation challenges of a particular organization.  prereq: Mgmt 3004 or 3001

MGMT 4035 - Mergers and acquisitions strategy

This course focuses on the strategic use of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as a means of new market entry and growth. It covers such questions as: when should one pursue an acquisition? What are the sources of value from an acquisition? What are the common challenges acquirers face? What should acquirers look for in a potential target? How should they integrate a target post-acquisition? It also considers the sell-side strategies for firms looking to exit businesses through divestiture.

The learning objective of this course is to help you learn to identify and define successful mergers and acquisitions and offer solutions for the common problems that firms face when undertaking acquisitions. The course not only introduces you to core concepts around M&A, it also seeks to develop your ability to critically evaluate firms’ M&A choices and to effectively communicate your assessment of these choices to a business audience.  prereq: Mgmt 4032 

MGMT 4050 - Managing Innovation and Change In Action

This course focuses on how entrepreneurs create new businesses and how organizations innovate and change. Special emphasis is given to understanding the sequences of events that typically unfold in individuals, groups, organizations, and industries as innovations develop from concept to implementation. The course relies heavily on the concepts and findings from the Minnesota Innovation Research Program, as well as other studies. The course focuses on how the innovation journey unfolds in the creation of a wide variety of new businesses, technologies, products, programs, and services, and what paths along this journey are likely to lead to success and failure. The course emphasizes building diagnostic skills and developing useful principles that may increase the odds of maneuvering organizational innovation and change journeys.  prereq: Mgmt 1001, 3001 or 3010

MGMT 4080W - Applied Technology Entrepreneurship

Team projects based on commercializable technologies or innovations. Teams present their ideas to investors and industry professionals. Students are encouraged to submit their business plans to Minnesota Cup.

MGMT 4170W - New Business Feasibility and Planning

New-business-opportunity identification/development. Students conduct feasibility analyses, create formal business plans, gather feasibility data, and contact potential customers, suppliers, and other primary sources.  prereq: 3010

MGMT 4171W - Entrepreneurship in Action I

Two-semester course. In the fall, students identify a business opportunity, develop concepts, determine the resources required, and launch the business. In spring, students implement a business plan, manage a business, and determine exit strategy.  prereq: 3010, [4008 or concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 4008], completed coursework in the business core, CSOM upper-division, approved application

MGMT 4172 - Entrepreneurship in Action II

Second of a two-semester sequence. In the fall, students identify business opportunities, develop concepts, determine resources required, and launch businesses. In spring, students implement a business plan, manage a business, and determine exit strategies.  prereq: 4171

MGMT 4173 - New Venture Financing & Seed Stage Investing

This experiential course is offered to University undergraduate students interested in learning about the new venture
financing through the operation of an independent angel investment fund. It serves as an introduction to the subject
matter, while providing a forum for the students to review investment opportunities, connect with members from the
entrepreneurial and investor communities, and learn about startup fundraising through direct participation in the
investment process.

This course is being offered to complement a student-owned private venture capital fund in collaboration with
individual accredited investors, which was initially formed in April of 2018. In addition to the ongoing management of
the fund operations and reporting, the students will be responsible for ongoing capital raising. The final authority for all
investment decisions rests with the students.

MGMT 4500 - Senior Seminar in International Business

International business capstone. Topics are related to doing business globally. Opportunity to integrate study abroad/coursework experiences.  prereq: CSOM sr, completed semester abroad, IB major or minor

MGMT 5018 - Philanthropy & Fundraising Strategy

This brief experiential course explores the evolving world of philanthropy and provides an opportunity to directly influence a real-life nonprofit’s funding strategies. It shows students how, despite resource constraints, nonprofit organizations can effectively build meaningful engagement and financial support around society’s most pressing needs. It provides an immersive experience – supported by a professional ecosystem – where students can learn, be inspired, and leave this class more driven (and capable) to be “a force for good.”  By the end of this course, students will have gained hands-on consulting experience in partnership with nonprofit organizational leaders, active consultants, and major philanthropists. They will have devised and presented implementable strategies at the “virtuous nexus” between potential donors and their client’s organizational needs - solutions that increase engagement and promote lasting symbiotic relationships between the private and nonprofit sectors. They will be well-positioned to make a significant positive impact throughout their careers in the Twin Cities and beyond.

MGMT 5102 - StartUp: Customer Development and Testing

Provides a structured process with faculty and mentor oversight for students at any level and from any college at the University to learn the initial process of customer development by testing market acceptance of a specific new business concept. Students primarily take this course individually and must have an idea or technology that they are interested in pursuing. The goal of the curse is to teach the process to quickly and efficiently test the value and market fit for a new concept.

MGMT 6031 - Industry Analysis and Competitive Strategy

Processes by which firms maximize long-term returns in face of competition, uncertainty, changing market/technological conditions. Resource commitments to gain sustainable advantage. Choices to leverage resources.  prereq: MBA 6300, MBA student

MGMT 6032 - Strategic Alliances

How inter-/intra-alliance rivalry influences the global competitive landscape. How interplay of competitive/cooperative arrangements among firms invigorates intellectual/operational tasks. Designing/managing international strategy, organizational structure, and alliances.  prereq: MBA student

MGMT 6033 - Managing the Strategy Process

This course focuses on strategy execution at both the organizational and functional levels. Specific topics include the relationships between strategy formulation and execution, and between implementation and change. The course goes into depth on the systemic and structural problems that make most of these efforts difficult and often unsuccessful, along with various methods to minimize these problems. prereq: MBA student

MGMT 6035 - Complex and Cross-Cultural Negotiations

Learn principles and practical strategies for negotiating, writing, and enforcing international alliances, mergers & acquisitions, and other agreements critical to the survival and success of multinational corporations in a different country and cultural contexts.

MGMT 6040 - Competing Globally

Dealing with enormous complexity in a competitive environment, in strategy, and in organizations. Focuses on strategic/organizational issues in managing across borders.  prereq: MBA student

MGMT 6050 - Management of Innovation and Change3 - Managing the Strategy Process

How organizations innovate/change. Focuses on innovation in a wide variety of new technologies, products, programs, and services. What paths are likely to lead to success/failure.  prereq: MBA student

MGMT 6070 - Technology Strategy

This course addresses challenges and opportunities in the strategic management of technology. It will equip students with conceptual frameworks tools, and language for analyzing and managing businesses in environments of technological change. Students will understand how new technologies transform industries and create new markets, ways that firms shape and/or respond to technological evolution in industries, and the strategic decisions for managing technological change and creating and capturing value from new technologies. We will also consider the influences of factors outside the control of a particular firm, such as complimentary markets or the organization of innovations in the broader technology developing community. Because innovation and responding to technological change involve changing organizations, we will also consider factors in leading and managing organizational change. The course uses a combination of readings, lectures, case discussions, exercises, and simulations, and includes cases and vignettes on situations of specific companies managing technology strategy.

Anyone who wants to lead innovation or create and capture value from new technologies should take this course. We live in a world of constant technological change and disruption. An understanding of the patterns and processes of innovation and technological change will help students formulate and execute successful technology strategies.

MGMT 6085 - Corporate Strategy

Case for/against insourcing vs outsourcing, and corporate diversification. Managing a multi-business firm. Role of acquisitions/mergers in corporate diversification. Contrasting mergers with strategic alliances. Corporate restructuring and divestitures.

MGMT 6305 - The International Environment of Business

Introduction to international trade/finance theory and political economy. Institutional governance of international trade/monetary policy, differences in political-economic/sociocultural systems, implications for managerial decision-making.  prereq: MBA student

MGMT 6402 - Integrative Leadership: Leading Across Sectors to Address Grand Challenges

Seminar. Strategic challenges linking business, government, and society locally/globally. Co-led by faculty from Carlson and Humphrey Schools. An international network of leaders/organizations participate. Case studies as part of capstone projects.  prereq: MBA student

MGMT 6410 - Corporate Responsibility

Managing with an appreciation for corporate responsibility. Corporate responsibility/how executives think about it. Factors that make assessing corporate responsibility complex. Need for business leaders to understand/make choices with respect to corporate responsibility issues.  prereq: MBA 6300, CSOM grad student

MGMT 8102 Research Methods I - Applied Empirical Methods

This is a course in applied empirical methods, focusing on approaches to causal inference commonly used in strategic management and entrepreneurship research, as well as other research design and execution issues.  We will discuss issues of the validity of independent and dependent measures, econometric approaches to implementing various designs.  We will study these methods by reading and discussing empirical papers in strategy and entrepreneurship and by working with data in problem sets.

CSOM 8101 Research Methods II - Applied Economics

Problem formulation, conceptual modeling, theory building, and research design in the social and behavioral sciences

MGMT 8104 Research Design

 Problem formulation, conceptual modeling, and research design in the social and behavioral sciences.

MGMT 8202 International Management

Overview of the field of international management research.

MGMT 8302 Organizational Theory

Major theories and current research on organizational and inter-organizational topics from a macro perspective.

MGMT 8400 Future Topics in Strategy

As needed

MGMT 8401 Strategy I

Review of research in strategy formulation.

MGMT 8402 Behavioral Strategy

Designed to help doctoral students interpret and conduct research on strategic management. Will focus on research that reflects a behavioral approach to strategy.

MGMT 8403 Strategy II

This is the second strategy core course for Business admin Ph.D. students in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship. It will focus on both strategy content and process.

MGMT 8404 Non-Market Strategy

This is a Ph.D. seminar in the field of nonmarket strategy, i.e., the strategies by which firms alter, influence, or adapt to their existing institutional environment in order to gain a competitive advantage. Drawing on foundations in both institutional economics and institutional theory, the seminar examines a body of recent research in the field of strategic management that studies how and to what effect firms engage with political, legal, and social stakeholders. While the primary focus of the course is on the antecedents and consequences of such nonmarket strategies for firms, we shall also consider the impact of these strategies on social welfare, and the resulting implications for public policy.

MGMT 8405 Technology Strategy

This is a course that will cover theories and phenomena that are central to the field of technology strategy. The course will include readings on a broad range of topics and perspectives pertaining to firms’ technology and innovation strategy. An illustrative list of readings is provided below. These readings will be grouped into required and recommended readings. The course is intended to prepare students to undertake research in technology strategy. Towards this goal students will prepare summaries of assigned readings, serve as discussion leaders for the class topics and write a research proposal (including a research question, theory and hypotheses, and research design) that builds on the course concepts.

MGMT 8404 Non-Market Strategy

This is a Ph.D. seminar in the field of nonmarket strategy, i.e., the strategies by which firms alter, influence, or adapt to their existing institutional environment in order to gain a competitive advantage. Drawing on foundations in both institutional economics and institutional theory, the seminar examines a body of recent research in the field of strategic management that studies how and to what effect firms engage with political, legal, and social stakeholders. While the primary focus of the course is on the antecedents and consequences of such nonmarket strategies for firms, we shall also consider the impact of these strategies on social welfare, and the resulting implications for public policy.

MGMT 8405 Technology Strategy

This is a course that will cover theories and phenomena that are central to the field of technology strategy. The course will include readings on a broad range of topics and perspectives pertaining to firms’ technology and innovation strategy. An illustrative list of readings is provided below. These readings will be grouped into required and recommended readings. The course is intended to prepare students to undertake research in technology strategy. Towards this goal students will prepare summaries of assigned readings, serve as discussion leaders for the class topics and write a research proposal (including a research question, theory and hypotheses, and research design) that builds on the course concepts.  

MGMT 8501 Entrepreneurship

This seminar provides a broad introduction to the field of entrepreneurship. It helps students develop the skills and knowledge needed to conduct their own research within this domain. It introduces them to the theoretical and empirical foundations of the field of entrepreneurship as a scholarly discipline. It will familiarize students with key debates in the field. It will also sharpen students' conceptual and analytical skills, and help them develop their research agenda.

MCOM 5510 - Persuasive Writing in Business

Writing to motivate/affect change. Form/content. Techniques of persuasion.  Producing polished text. Writing with power.

MCOM 5530 - Strategies and Skills for Managerial Presentations

Delivering key messages with clarity/confidence, regardless of audience or setting. Maximizing impact as a speaker, seated/standing. Personal communication style and audience. Tailoring message. Handling questions/answers. Using audio/visual tools. Presenting as a team.