Program Description/Overview
This program description applies to CIP code 52.1301 (STEM).
The MBA with Business and Technology concentrations is a STEM track and provides skills in advanced analytics, management and business and extensive practical experience in applying and integrating these skills through application, projects, case studies, and presentations.
Students who are interested in the technology focused management decision making and applications should choose one of the three concentrations that are part of the MBA business and technology track (STEM): 1) Information and Technology Management concentration, 2) Marketing and Digital Trends concentration, or 3) Management, Leadership and Decision Sciences concentration.
The MBA with business and technology concentrations program is designed to ground you in the STEM field of technology and systems (STEM includes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). STEM related graduate education and skills have become a vital part of the global economy. A STEM education forms a solid foundation for many careers by cultivating critical thinking, increasing science literacy, and encouraging innovation, presenting opportunities to pursue a variety of management and technology jobs. The MBA business and technology concentrations (STEM) track requires students to complete all courses in the MBA business and technology (STEM) curriculum, and students cannot transfer into this track/cohort after starting in any non-MBA business and technology (non-STEM) track/cohort.
The program follows a teaching and learning model with all students taking courses to build foundational and core skills in the curriculum as well as concentration courses to build deep expertise in an area of interest during their program of study.
Practical Training Throughout the Program: Practical training is an integral part of the California School of Management Leadership (CSML) programs and aligns with the academic goals and learning outcomes for each program. CSML graduate programs at Alliant International University require practical training from the first term until graduation. Please refer to the Internship and Practicum section below for more information on the rules, regulations, and expectations of CSML Practical Training requirement.
Alignment with Certificates and Certifications: The MBA program is a graduate academic degree program which is geared to graduating students in a job-ready state. The courses in the MBA curriculum have been designed to give students the skills required to excel in careers in the data and , analytics and technology and systems applications arena in a wide range of industries. The program has been designed with the additional advantage to students of encouraging them to prepare and successfully test for industry recognized and sought-after certifications (e.g., MCSA’s SQL Database Development, PMI’s Project Management Professional certification). Students will be introduced to certifications’ requirements and encouraged to apply to and successfully pass their exams. The tests are external to Alliant and administered by independent referent disciplines. Specific courses in the curriculum of the program are aligned with appropriate certifications.
Emphasis/Concentration/Tracks
Tracks
Students interested in the MBA Business and Technology concentrations track can choose one of two formats:
- Weekday MBA Business and Technology Concentrations (STEM)
- Executive MBA Business and Technology Concentrations (STEM)
Both weekday and executive MBA formats require that students complete 36 credit units for graduation. The courses are offered in an academic calendar of 8-week Terms with a program completion time of 18 months. Both tracks are designed to train students for success in professional workplaces by enhancing their skills for state-of-the-art employment environments and educating them for excelling in handling new professional challenges.
Weekday MBA Business and Technology Concentrations Track (STEM)
Students in the Weekday MBA Business and Technology concentrations track will attend classes on ground every week. Most classes are scheduled during the evenings, and some classes could be scheduled during the daytime based on cohort needs and requirements. Alliant is approved to offer practical training starting from day 1 throughout the MBA program to all domestic and international students. International students in graduate programs at Alliant need to consult ISSO and can start their CPT at the start of their programs, Day 1, or within their first academic Term of the program (8 weeks in the case of Terms). Practical training is defined as an approved work experience which is an integral part of an established curriculum and is directly related to the student’s major area of study. Students can complete the required professional practice hours by working on either a practical project, a client project or in an internship. Practical training can be part-time (20 hours a week or less) or full-time (more than 20 hours a week), paid or unpaid. International students should see guidelines from International Office regarding details of FT and PT practical training (see Curricular Practical Training section).
Class schedule: For each course, students attend ground classes once a week. Each course duration is 8-weeks.
Executive MBA Business and Technology Concentrations Track (STEM)
Executive MBA with Business and Technology track/cohort is a closed cohort and students cannot transfer into this track/cohort after starting in any other MBA track/cohort. Students in this track attend ground classes on one full day a month (12 hours) per course. This schedule is repeated throughout the entire program. Students in this track will go through a rigorous admission process assessing their fit for the track. Students in the cohort start the program from day 1 of the first term and complete the full program’s curriculum to be eligible to join the cohort. Students may not transfer into this program once courses have begun.
Alliant is approved to offer practical training starting day 1 throughout the MBA program to all domestic and international students. International students in graduate programs at Alliant need to consult ISSO and can start their CPT at the start of their programs, Day 1, or within their first academic Term of the program (8 weeks in the case of Terms). Practical training is defined as an approved work experience which is an integral part of an established curriculum and is directly related to the student’s major area of study. Students in this track also engage in practical training throughout their program. Practical training can be part-time (20 hours a week or less) or full-time (more than 20 hours a week), paid or unpaid. International students should see guidelines from International Office regarding details of FT and PT practical training (see Curricular Practical Training section).
Class schedule: For each course, students attend ground classes one full day each month . Each course duration is 8-weeks.
Concentrations
Information and Technology Management
This concentration gives students specialized knowledge in enterprise business process integration, enterprise system analysis, enterprise data management and utilization of business intelligence, as well as information systems for small and medium enterprises. Students will achieve the mastery of the concepts, methods, and tools utilized by Systems Professionals to build, implement, maintain, and administer an IST infrastructure designed to more effectively manage the processes required to support the organization’s business goals and objectives.
Marketing and Digital Trends
In this concentration, students learn important principles and applications of branding and brand management, how to develop and articulate marketing plan and sales strategy, how to conduct market research, collect and analyze data, and gain in-depth understanding of consumer behaviors in the global context and the impacts of national and geographic cultures.
This concentration also provides the technical skillsets necessary to function in the rapidly advancing digital marketing era. As marketing continues to develop alongside a range of new technological advancements, the need for professionals who understand the changing digital environment is greater than ever. Digital marketing skills are in serious demand and the digital skills gap is set to widen, the job market is growing, and companies are putting more efforts into digital marketing than ever before.
Management, Leadership and Decision Sciences
This concentration integrates principles from management, leadership, and decision science to equip students with a multifaceted skill set essential for navigating the complexities of today’s business landscape and for effectively managing and leading any project and organization. Students may choose their career paths from a variety of areas, including Retail, General Management, Sustainable Management and Development, Human Resources, Marketing and Public Relations, Organizational management, International Business Relations, or Entrepreneurship.
No Concentration Option
Students sometimes have career goals which align with more than one functional concentration or more than one industry segment. Employers support this graduate preparation in roles such as individual contributors or business overview positions involving a broad expertise in operations, execution or strategy. In such cases, students can discuss with their academic advisor and/or the program director to complete the program with a diverse set of concentration courses applicable to their track. If approved, they may complete 9 units from amongst the courses offered for the other MBA concentrations with approval from their Academic Advisor. Students who choose this option will not have a specific concentration noted on their record upon graduation.
Fast Track Program
Students who are in good academic standing (3.0 GPA) are eligible to participate in the Fast Track program for the DBA and PhD Leadership programs. Students whose GPA is lower than 3.0 and interested in the Fast Track option will be interviewed by the PD.
MBA students who are interested in the Fast Track opportunity to doctoral programs will write an application essay which will be evaluated by a faculty committee. Those students who are approved by the committee will be allowed to take Fast Track courses.
In the Fast Track program, MBA students can take up to three (9 units) of doctoral level bridge courses from Alliant’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program or PhD in Leadership program. If students complete the bridge courses with a B or above grade, they can transfer these courses into these doctoral programs if they enroll in them at Alliant International University upon completing their MBA program.
The following Fast Tracks are available for this program:
- DBA
- PhD in Leadership
Program Learning Outcomes/Goals
PLO1: Demonstrate an understanding of core knowledge in the management, analytics, and technology fields.
PLO2: Demonstrate competence in oral and written communication for management, analytics, and technology fields.
PLO3: Utilize technical tools and scientific research methods to collect, analyze, and evaluate data and information to make decisions based on data and develop appropriate strategies.
PLO4: Apply critical thinking, analytical and technical skills to solve problems in the context of the professional workplace.
PLO5: Demonstrate a positive and non-judgmental attitude in interpersonal and professional interactions within diverse teams and multicultural environments.
PLO6: Make ethical and socially responsible management decisions based on research and data.
PLO7: Demonstrate an understanding of specialized knowledge in the student’s area of concentration.
Internship, Practicum, and/or Dissertation Information
Students in the ground programs are required to participate in curricular practical training as part of their experiential learning throughout the program starting on day 1 or within their first academic term of the program (within the first 8 weeks). In practical training courses students will be engaged in developing professional and applied practice related skills and expertise per the student’s program learning objectives. This is achieved through a variety of work and learning experiences which could involve supervised practical training and/or applied client projects. This is required throughout the academic program from starting on Day 1 (or within the first academic term) to program completion.
It is the student’s responsibility to find practical training opportunities, however the CSML Practical Training Coordinator will support students in providing practical training opportunities.
A student will have eight weeks (one term) to secure a practical training/internship site once they start the MBA program. Students who do not have practical training/internship by the end of their first term will be placed in a project by the school practical training coordinator. If a student loses their practical training at any point during their program, they must notify the practical training coordinator immediately to be placed in a project. Students are required to be involved in an internship or a project throughout the program. Students must maintain a good academic standing to be eligible for full-time practical training permission. Students whose GPA falls considerably below the required 3.0 may lose their practical training permission completely.
CPT eligibility based on cumulative GPA:
- Student whose GPA is between 2.0-2.5 can continue full-time CPT for 2 terms. If their GPA remains below 2.5 after 2 terms, the student will move to part-time CPT
- Student whose GPA is between 1.9-1.5 must move to part-time CPT that same term
- Student whose GPA is below 1.5 must stop CPT until GPA improves to above criteria
Approval of practical training sites: Program Director or Faculty Internship/Project Coordinator will have final approval which is required each term. Detailed procedures for approval of a practical training site and the training details will be provided by the program.
International students should meet the International Student Office (ISSO) and the Designated School Official (DSO) for guidance and approval to start their practical training. International students must apply for authorization for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) to the DSO and schedule an appointment at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Day 1 CPT. Please email ISSO@alliant.edu to schedule an appointment. Note that international students may begin curricular practical training ONLY after receiving their Form I-20 with the DSO endorsement. To be considered for Curricular Practical Training, the work must be related to your major field of study. Please view CSML CPT Application Process for International Students with the ISSO for application information.
CSML’s Career and Professional Development (CPD) plan and infrastructure: Goals:
Practical training courses are part of CSML’s Career and Professional Development (CPD) plan and infrastructure. Its goals are the following:
- To enable students to showcase their real-world experiences before graduation, CPD aims to assist them in developing and polishing their resumes and cover letters while also equipping them with a discipline-specific body of knowledge and encouraging research, scholarship, and continuous learning in their chosen field of study.
- To provide students with opportunities to participate in real-world application, consulting and research projects, including business development, professional development, applications in minority-owned businesses and humanitarian causes, while also emphasizing the importance of multicultural/international competence and promoting team-based and multidisciplinary approaches. This approach ensures that students develop a well-rounded set of skills, including cultural sensitivity and the ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams, which are essential in today’s global and interconnected workplace.
- To take a holistic approach that directs, equips, and empowers students to take control of their future selves by providing resources, accountability, and motivation to remove ambiguity and replace it with confidence and inspiration, while also fostering conduct, judgment, dispositions, and ethics. This approach ensures that students develop not only the skills and knowledge necessary for success but also the ethical values and personal qualities needed to make sound decisions and contribute positively to society.
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