Curriculum

Preparing For the Challenges of Business

Today's global business environment is complex. Executives face challenges that defy simple solutions. The Cornell–Queen's Executive MBA program will prepare you to respond to these challenges, adapt to new markets, and lead in a constantly changing environment.

  • The curriculum has been designed to provide a broad general management education within a Canadian, U.S. and international context.
  • The program provides a solid grounding in the important areas of management – management fundamentals; strategic thinking; global business; creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship; corporate social responsibility; and leadership.
  • You will leave the program with the ability to approach issues from a comprehensive and multidisciplinary perspective.

An Integrated and Sequenced Curriculum

The Cornell–Queen's program is a highly-integrated series of courses that provides a solid grounding in the fundamentals of management as well as advanced management topics. The courses are sequenced so that each course builds on the content of the previous courses, allowing ample opportunity to apply your learning to real-world business situations.

Core Curriculum

Management Fundamentals
Marketing Identify market opportunities; prepare and evaluate a marketing plan; and use marketing tools for costing, positioning, pricing, and evaluation.
Finance Select, design, and evaluate a financial strategy that creates and enhances shareholder value. Emphasis is placed on integrating financial considerations into management decisions and corporate policies.
Human Resource Management Manage the human resource challenges in the workplace, and examine ways to address today's key HR issues: recruitment; engagement; development; knowledge transfer; and retention.
Management Accounting and Control Use accounting information for management planning and control. Emphasis is placed on the use of accounting tools to improve planning.
Financial Accounting Decipher and understand the key accounting statements, and learn how to use accounting information to assess the financial health of an organization.
Operations Management Take a multidisciplinary approach to performance improvements, and understand the interrelated roles of technology, capital, and human resources in an operating system.
Information Technology Management Use information technology to transform the competitive framework and to improve the operating performance of the business.
Strategic Thinking
Establishing a Strategic Foundation Develop a strategic mindset and understand the role of strategic planning in creating long-term competitive advantage.
Creating an Effective Strategic Planning Process Change the way you think about your business and develop useful strategic plans that have buy-in across the organization.
Planning Strategically with Tools and Frameworks Discuss and evaluate a variety of strategic planning tools and frameworks.
Successfully Implementing the Strategic Plan Focus organizational resources on the strategic plan to ensure its rapid deployment and to generate sustained momentum.
Linking Functional Plans to the Strategic Plan Understand how short-term operational plans, functional plans, the annual budgeting cycle, and operating plans relate to the long-term strategic plan.
Global Business
Understanding the International Marketplace Understand the global trends and issues that create business opportunities in foreign markets.
Conducting a Country Risk Analysis Understand the political, economic, social, and technological issues that affect a firm's strategy for entering and investing in foreign markets.
Evaluating International Market Opportunities Use country evaluation techniques to identify, evaluate and prioritize market opportunities.
Understanding Cross-cultural Business Issues Examine how cross-cultural issues affect internal business processes and decisions.
Managing an International Business Understand the management issues related to developing and sustaining competitive advantage in foreign markets.
Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Leading Organizational Change Manage leadership issues involved in creating a vision, building alignment, and developing an operating system to deliver an innovative stream of new products or services to the marketplace.
Evaluating, Launching and Managing New Ventures Review issues of special concern to the general manager launching a self-standing new venture in the form of a line extension or new product.
Managing New Technologies Manage the introduction of new technology to enhance competitive capabilities and improve operating efficiencies.
Using Innovation for Competitive Advantage Build an operating model that is capable of ongoing renewal and that provides the organization with a sustainable competitive advantage.
Understanding Value Propositions Apply value-building methodologies to the creation of new products and services and to modifying existing products and services.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Raising the Bar on Business Ethics Conduct business transparently, legally and with a high level of integrity.
Recognizing Human Rights Understand the organization's responsibility to be aware of and respect human rights in all jurisdictions in which the company operates.
Addressing Internal and External Environmental Issues Conduct business in a way that minimizes negative impact on the environment and considers renewable rather than scarce resources.
Optimizing Employee Relations Ensure that employees are treated with fairness, respect and dignity.
Implementing New Standards of Corporate Governance Recognize that management is responsible to investors, as well as a broader group of stakeholders.
Practicing Effective Community Involvement Understand the importance of good corporate citizenship and form a bond with the local community in which you operate.
Leadership
Understanding and Enhancing your Leadership Capabilities Challenge your assumptions and beliefs about leadership and change the way you think about your leadership qualities.
Coaching People and Creating High-performance Teams Build and strengthen management coaching skills and achieve continuous improvement in teamwork, work processes, and management practices.
Negotiating and Building Consensus Improve negotiating skills and build agreement among organizational stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, partners and colleagues.
Building Collaborative Relationships Recognize different styles of thinking, decision-making, conflict management and emotional behaviour and build collaborative relationships and management systems to foster integration across functions.
Improving Project Planning and Management Apply advanced management techniques to project planning while aligning projects with the organization's mission and strategy.

Major Projects

Participants in the program are required to complete two major projects: the team-based Global Business Project and one of two individual projects – either the New Venture Project or the Management Consulting Project.

GLOBAL BUSINESS PROJECT

The Global Business Project is a team project that provides real-world international business experience. Your team will complete a comprehensive analysis of a real global business issue or opportunity anywhere in the world outside of the U.S. and Canada. To complete this "live case", your team will travel to the international location to interview business managers and conduct field research prior to writing your final report. The program covers travel and accommodation costs for the Global Business Project up to $4,000 per person. Each team will be assigned a Project Advisor.

NEW VENTURE PROJECT

The objective of this individual project is to create a business case and comprehensive business plan for a new stand-alone business, or a new line of business in an existing organization. The New Venture Project will give you an opportunity to use the management concepts and tools you have acquired in the program to create a business plan for a new venture. You will identify market opportunities, investigate business potential, consider financing options, and create a business plan. Each participant will be assigned a Project Advisor.

OR

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING PROJECT

The objective of this individual project is to analyze a business challenge and develop a comprehensive set of recommendations and implementation plans to address it. Participants are given a wide scope in the nature of the project. Typically projects focus on performance improvements in operating processes, supply chain management, customer service, information systems, profit margin improvement, or the business planning process. Each participant will be assigned a Project Advisor.

The CMA Designation

While in the Cornell-Queen's Executive MBA program, you may earn exemptions toward a Certified Management Accountant designation. The CMA designation is internationally recognized as a leading financial qualification for executives. Please speak to an application advisor for more information.

The CMC Designation

Graduates of the Cornell - Queen's Executive MBA program earn credits toward the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation while earning their MBA. Exemptions are granted for personal and interpersonal skills courses and credit is given for time devoted to your MBA projects. The Cornell - Queen's Executive MBA curriculum covers most of the topics required for the CMC Comprehensive Qualifying Examination.