Radford University to offer MBA courses in Abingdon
Radford University’s College of Business and Economics (COBE) is offering two MBA courses in the fall semester at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon.
The university is offering Accounting for Decision Making and Control, a core course in its MBA program, and Service and Product Innovation for Organizations, an elective.
It’s the first time Radford University has offered MBA courses at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, said MBA Director Gary Shirr, who will teach the marketing innovation course.
Radford University offers MBA courses on campus in Radford and online.
“If you’re within driving distance of Abingdon, this gives you an opportunity to take some of your classes in person, and at the same time, have the flexibility of taking online courses,” Schirr said.
The Service and Product Innovation for Organizations (MKTG 658) course examines practice and theory of service and product innovation in organizations with emphasis on novel or radical innovation and experimental approaches.
Concepts such as design thinking, open innovation, lean innovation, agile innovation and co-creation will be discussed, applied and contrasted to traditional new product development approaches.
Students in the Abingdon area will meet as a class every other week at the higher education center, with students outside the area joining in as an online class. The course will be treated as an online course for all students in the in-between weeks.
Accounting for Decision Making and Control (ACTG 611) places an emphasis on accounting data used by managers in decision making. The course uses a textbook and cases. Among topics covered are relevant cost identification in decision making, contribution margin approach and capital budgeting.
Accounting Professor Helen Roybark will teach the course in Abingdon some weeks, with students in a Radford University classroom joining in via video. In other weeks, Roybark will teach the course in Radford and students in Abingdon will join remotely.
The Radford University MBA program, which has been rated as one of the best in the United States by The Princeton Review, is designed to offer a well-rounded base of business knowledge in seven areas: accounting, economics, finance, marketing, operations, and strategy and organizational behavior.
Throughout these courses (21 credit hours) students will develop and enhance critical analytical, communication and leadership skills. Students engage in independent and team learning for course assignments by working with a diverse student body and faculty.
Students are permitted five elective courses. A typical program includes four of the courses (12 credit hours) as electives in analytics and innovation, reflecting COBE’s mission to develop analytical and innovative business professionals. Students would then have one free elective course (three credit hours) in another business elective or as a directed study or internship for credit.
Professional development opportunities are available throughout each semester to prepare students for future career goals. The programs accentuate leadership skills, job seeking and career development skills, networking and additional topic areas that are beneficial to an MBA’s future career path.
“As communities in Southwest Virginia continue to diversify their economic portfolios and encourage entrepreneurial enterprises, COBE’s course offerings in the MBA program provide important curricular support toward this community capacity building,” said Theresa Burriss, director of Academic Outreach for Radford University at the Southwest Higher Education Center. “Such business classes will better prepare individuals to anticipate challenges, craft plans for success and strategize for a sustainable future.”
To learn more, contact the Radford University MBA office at 540-831-6905 or radfordmba@radford.edu.