Curriculum
18-26 Courses
48-72 Credits
Program Length:
- Full-time in as few as 16 months
- Part-time in as few as 33 months
Contextualize: From Boston to the World (5 credits)
Must be taken in the first semester.
| SBS-700 | Unlocking Your Professional Potential | 1 |
| MBA-701 | Values Based Decision Making | 1 |
| MBA-710 | Understanding World Class Clusters | 3 |
Core Credits (12 credits)
May be waived.
| MBA-625 | Managerial Statistics | 1.5 |
| MBA-635 | Operations Management: Design and Analysis | 3 |
| MBA-650 | Value Based Financial Management | 3 |
| MBA-660 | Marketing: the Challenge of Managing Value | 3 |
Understanding Business Fundamentals (9 credits)
MSA Preparation Courses (9 credits)
May be waived.
MSA Core Courses (18 credits)
If a course is marked "must substitute" follow the rules outlined in the Elective Course section.
Construct the Big Picture (7 credits)
| MBA-745 | Contextualizing Values Based Decision Making | 1 |
| MBA-750 | Building Global Connections | 3 |
| MBA-760 | World Class Strategies | 3 |
Lead and Implement Change and Capstone Course (6 credits)
Should be taken as late in the program as possible.
| MBA-770 | Leading and Implementing Change | 3 |
| ACCT-861 | Leadership in the Financial Professions | 3 |
MSA Elective Course (3 credits)
The required MSA Elective Course must be an ACCT or TAX course. If a student received any courses marked “must substitute” the first substitution must be an ACCT course, the second substitution must be a TAX course, and the third substitution and beyond can be any course from the approved MSA Elective list.
Concentrations
Students may declare a concentration in Business Intelligence, Corporate Finance & Accounting, Forensic Accounting, or Governmental & Not-for-Profit Accounting if they received enough MSA Core Course waivers for substitution. If a concentration is declared, three electives must be in one concentration area. The schedule of when courses within a concentration are offered vary by semester.
Students who declare a concentration must submit an SBS Graduate Program Concentration Request Form. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor before they declare a concentration.
The concentration appears on the transcript, not the diploma.
Business Intelligence Concentration
Required Courses (6 credits)
| ACCT-824 | Big Data and Financial Statement Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-821 | Data Management and Modeling | 3 |
Elective course (1 course, 3 credits)
Choose 1 course from the following list:
| ISOM-801 | Solving Business Problems Using Advanced Excel | 3 |
| ISOM-825 | Enterprise Data Management | 3 |
| ISOM-827 | Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence | 3 |
| ISOM-845 | Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, and Storytelling | 3 |
Corporate Accounting and Finance Concentration
Required Course (3 credits)
| ACCT-824 | Big Data and Financial Statement Analytics | 3 |
Elective Courses (2 courses, 6 credits)
Choose 2 electives from the following list:
Forensic Accounting Concentration
Required Course (3 credits)
Elective courses (2 courses, 6 credits)
Choose 2 courses from the following list:
Approved MSA Electives
| ACCT-825 | Management Decisions and Control | 3 |
| ACCT-827 | Special Topics in Accounting: Business Law & Taxation | 3 |
| ACCT-871 | Not-For-Profit and Governmental Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-910 | Directed Individual Study in Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-920 | Accounting Graduate Internship | 3 |
| FIN-800 | Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| FIN-808 | General Theory in Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FIN-810 | Investment Analysis | 3 |
| ISOM-801 | Solving Business Problems Using Advanced Excel | 3 |
| ISOM-821 | Data Management and Modeling | 3 |
| ISOM-825 | Enterprise Data Management | 3 |
| ISOM-827 | Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence | 3 |
| ISOM-835 | Predictive Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-837 | From Data Mining to Business Insights | 3 |
| ISOM-840 | Security and Privacy | 3 |
| ISOM-845 | Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, and Storytelling | 3 |
| ISOM-861 | Project Management: Gaining Competitive Advantage | 3 |
| MBA-741 | Experiential Intensive | 3 |
| MGIB-835 | International Strategy | 3 |
| TAX-862 | Taxation of Corporations | 3 |
| TAX-863 | Taxation of Pass-Through Entities | 3 |
| SBS-920 | Graduate Internship | 0 |
Electives for the CPA Exam
Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) for CPA Exam
Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) CPA Exam
| ACCT-871 | Not-For-Profit and Governmental Accounting | 3 |
Regulation (REG) CPA Exam
| TAX-862 | Taxation of Corporations | 3 |
| TAX-863 | Taxation of Pass-Through Entities | 3 |
Approved Electives for CMA Exam Preparation
| ACCT-824 | Big Data and Financial Statement Analytics | 3 |
Waiver Policy
MBA Core and MSA Preparation Courses may be waived. MSA Core Courses may need to be substituted with an elective.
To waive an MBA Core Course, a student must successfully complete equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MBA/MSA matriculation, with a grade of “B” or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable). To waive an MSA Preparation Course a student must successfully complete equivalent coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the five (5) years prior to the MBA/MSA matriculation, with a grade of "B" or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable). Exception: ACCT-800 will only be waived if a student has completed prior coursework at a U.S. university.
To substitute an MSA Core Course, a student must have successfully completed equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the five (5) years prior to MBA/MSA matriculation, with a grade of "B" or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable). Exception: ACIB-872 and TAX-801 will only be substituted if a student has completed prior coursework at a U.S. university.
All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student’s acceptance into the MBA/MSA Program and are waived during the student's first semester. Students may also elect to take a proficiency exam, for a fee, to gain a waiver. Proficiency exams must be taken in the first semester and are administered on the Boston Campus.
All MBA/MSA students must complete a minimum of 48 credits in the Sawyer Business School.
Transfer Policy
For any candidate seeking transfer credits, courses taken at the graduate level from an AACSB accredited graduate program in business will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. These credits may be considered for transfer if the credits do not apply to a previously completed degree.
Transfer credits must have an earned grade of "B" or better and have been taken within five (5) years prior to entering the Suffolk MBA/MSA program. However, at the discretion of the MSA program director, accounting core courses may not be transferred if the subject material has changed significantly since completion. A maximum of six (6) credits may be considered for transfer.
Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete
Occasionally, Suffolk MBA/MSA students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. The Business School has several options available to ensure completion of the Suffolk MBA/MSA. You may be able to transfer in six (6) credits of elective courses from an AACSB-accredited MBA or MSA Program close to your new place of residence. Courses must be pre-approved by Suffolk's assistant dean of graduate programs and have a grade of "B" or better.
Students who leave the area may also be able to complete all or a portion of their Suffolk MBA/MSA on a part-time basis online.