STEM Designation
The MSBA is a graduate degree program with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) designation. Due to the demand of graduates with expertise in STEM fields, the Department of Homeland Security permits international students graduating from STEM programs to apply for a 24 month extension of their initial year of Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more detailed information, please visit the ISSO webpage.
MSBA Online Curriculum
11 Courses
31 Credits
Program Length:
Part-time in as few as 20 months
Required Course (1 credit)
Must be taken in the first semester of the program.
| SBS-700 | Unlocking Your Professional Potential | 1 |
Business Analytics Core Courses (18 credits)
If waived, ISOM 801 must be substituted with ISOM elective.
| ISOM-631 | Data Analytics with SAS Base | 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 |
Capstone Course (3 credits)
Should be taken as late in the program as possible.
| ISOM-837 | From Data Mining to Business Insights | 3 |
Required Electives (9 credits)
Students must complete three (3) courses, nine (9) credits of electives, 800-level or higher (exception 600- and 700-level MBA courses and 700-level HLTH and ISOM courses), within the Sawyer Business School and from the approved MSBA electives lists. Online elective course availability varies from semester to semester.
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. Concentrations include: accounting, finance, and healthcare management.
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.
Electives:
| ACCT-800 | Graduate Financial Accounting I | 3 |
| ACCT-801 | Graduate Financial Accounting II | 3 |
| ACCT-806 | Fraud Examination | 3 |
| ACCT-824 | Big Data and Financial Statement Analytics | 3 |
| ACCT-865 | Accounting Information Systems | 3 |
| FIN-800 | Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| FIN-808 | General Theory in Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FIN-810 | Investment Analysis | 3 |
| HLTH-705 | Health Systems I: Healthcare in the U.S. | 3 |
| HLTH-720 | Health Systems II: Economics, Law, and Policy | 3 |
| HLTH-730 | Healthcare Operations Management and Performance Improvement | 3 |
| HLTH-805 | Big Data Strategies for Health and Healthcare | 3 |
| HLTH-807 | Innovation: The Future of Healthcare | 3 |
| HLTH-810 | Quality, Patient Safety, and Patient Experience | 3 |
| HLTHIB-870 | Global Travel Seminar: Comparative Analysis of the Healthcare Systems in England and United States | 3 |
| ISOM-730 | Python for Business Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-829 | Advanced Data Management Leveraging ETL Tools | 3 |
| ISOM-840 | Security and Privacy | 3 |
| ISOM-845 | Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, and Storytelling | 3 |
| ISOM-851 | Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| ISOM-861 | Project Management: Gaining Competitive Advantage | 3 |
| ISOM-910 | Directed Individual Study | 3 |
| ISOM-920 | ISOM Internship | 0-3 |
| MBA-615 | Economics | 1.5 |
| MBA-651 | Financial Management for Business Decisions | 1.5 |
| MKT-810 | Marketing Research for Managers | 3 |
| MKT-819 | Global Perspectives in Consumer Marketing | 3 |
| TAX-801 | Federal Taxation of Income | 3 |
MSBA Online Concentrations
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.
Accounting Analytics Concentration (9 credits)
Required Course: (3 credits)
| ACCT-800 | Graduate Financial Accounting I | 3 |
Elective Courses
Select two from the following list: (2 courses, 6 credits)
| ACCT-801 | Graduate Financial Accounting II | 3 |
| ACCT-806 | Fraud Examination | 3 |
| ACCT-824 | Big Data and Financial Statement Analytics | 3 |
| ACCT-865 | Accounting Information Systems | 3 |
| TAX-801 | Federal Taxation of Income | 3 |
Finance Analytics Concentration (9 credits)
Required Courses: (3 credits)
| MBA-615 | Economics | 1.5 |
| MBA-651 | Financial Management for Business Decisions | 1.5 |
Elective Courses
Select two of the following electives (if MBA-615 and MBA-651 are waived, must select all three): (2-3 courses, 6-9 credits)
| FIN-800 | Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| FIN-808 | General Theory in Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FIN-810 | Investment Analysis | 3 |
Healthcare Management Concentration (9 credits)
Required Courses: (6 credits)
| HLTH-705 | Health Systems I: Healthcare in the U.S. | 3 |
| HLTH-805 | Big Data Strategies for Health and Healthcare | 3 |
Elective Courses
Select one of the following electives: (1 course, 3 credits)
| HLTH-720 | Health Systems II: Economics, Law, and Policy | 3 |
| HLTH-730 | Healthcare Operations Management and Performance Improvement | 3 |
| HLTH-807 | Innovation: The Future of Healthcare | 3 |
| HLTH-810 | Quality, Patient Safety, and Patient Experience | 3 |
| HLTHIB-870 | Global Travel Seminar: Comparative Analysis of the Healthcare Systems in England and United States | 3 |
Course Substitution Policy
If waived, ISOM 801 needs to be substituted with an approved ISOM elective. To waive ISOM 801, a student must have successfully completed equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MSBA matriculation and earned a grade of "B" or better.
To substitute an approved elective for another core course, a student must have successfully completed equivalent academic coursework at the graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MSBA matriculation, “B” or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable).
All substitutions are evaluated upon a student's acceptance into the MSBA Program.
All MSBA students must complete a minimum of 31 graduate credits in the Sawyer Business School (10 courses and SBS-700)
Transfer Policy
eview of any coursework taken previously from an AACSB-accredited MSBA program will be completed on a case-by-case basis. The credits cannot apply to a previously completed degree and must be substituted with an approved elective. Only courses for which an earned grade of "B" or better and taken within seven (7) years prior to enter the MSBA program will be considered.
Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete
Occasionally, Suffolk MSBA students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. You may be able to transfer in six credits of elective courses from an AACSB-accredited MSBA 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.
Transfer Credits from the Moakley Center for Public Management's Certificate Program
Students who have completed a certificate program through the Suffolk University Moakley Center for Public Management may have an opportunity to reduce credit requirements to an SBS graduate degree program (MBA, MMOL, MSA, MHA, MSBA, or MSM). All course waivers and/or transfers vary by program and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the respective SBS Graduate Programs Office.
In order for a course to be considered, it must have an SBS graduate program course equivalent, the student must have earned a grade of B or better, and the student must have successfully completed the certificate prior to enrolling in the SBS graduate degree program.
Applicants must also meet the admission standards for the SBS graduate degree program to which they are applying.