The Portland MBA

Curriculum

The Portland MBA hones your skillset in business fundamentals, including accounting, finance, management, marketing, supply chain and strategy. You’ll receive dedicated instruction in leadership and communication, and your experience will culminate with an immersive capstone project that gives you the opportunity to work with a local, regional or international company to solve a meaningful problem.

The Portland MBA for Career Explorers:
- 21 months
- Daytime classes
- Core curriculum and specialization/certificate
The Portland MBA for Career Accelerators:
- 21 months
- Evening classes
- Core curriculum with option to add specialization/certificate

Your coursework centers around the following three areas.

Visit the Bulletin for course details.

Orientation

Orientation is an important part of the Portland MBA experience and is required for all students.

Portland MBA faculty-led orientation. In September before the start of Fall term (time and date will be announced).

Attendance: Required for all MBA candidates.

Foundations of Competitiveness (16 credits)

These courses provide you with a deepened understanding of the global and competitive challenges facing businesses today. Innovation, Creativity, Global Awareness, Ethics and Sustainability are themes emphasized throughout the following coursework:

Pioneering Innovation: MKTG 513 (4)
Economics & Sustainability of the Firm: FIN 515 (2)
Managerial Macroeconomics: FIN 516 (2)
Managerial Analytics: ISQA 519 (4)
Foundations of Strategy: MGMT 511 (2)
Integrated Strategy: MGMT 514 (2)

The Value Chain of Business (24 credits)

These courses will give you the technical skills needed to analyze and systematically integrate different aspects of business operations including Accounting, Information Systems, Finance, Management, Marketing and Operations.

Financial Reporting: ACTG 511 (4)
Managerial Accounting and Control: ACTG 513 (4)
Marketing Strategy: MKTG 512 (4)
Organizational Management: MGMT 512 (4)
Financial Management: FIN 513 (4)
Sustainable Operations Management: ISQA 511 (4)

Applied Skills & Leadership (22 credits)

Your leadership skills will be first assessed and developed through a series of leadership competencies integrated throughout the curriculum. Leadership is integrated through Managerial Competencies, Skills & Perspectives, One-on-One Leadership Coaching, a two-day Leadership Immersion and a Team-Based Consulting Capstone Project and further honed through the following courses:

Leadership Development and Assessment: BA 521 (2)
Communications for Leaders: BA 522 (1)
Kickstart Weekend: MKTG 510 (1)
Leadership Immersion: BA 524 (1)
Capstone Consulting Project: BA 525 (4) OR Launch-in-9 Capstone Program
MBA International Experience: BA 526 (4) OR MBA International Experience-Domestic: BA 527* (4)
International Experience Culture Module: BA 528 (1)
Teams: BA 529 (will take place at orientation) (1)
Thought Leadership: BA 530 (1)
Law and Governance: MGMT 510 (2)
Project Management: MGMT 516 (2)
Negotiations: MGMT 517 (2)

* BA 527 will be substituted upon approval for the BA 526 International Trips.

Visit the Bulletin for course details.

Specialization Options

Enhance your skill set by specializing in:

Athletic & Outdoor Industry (Certificate)
Business Intelligence & Analytics (Certificate)
Enterprise Analytics
Finance, Specialization*
Global Supply Chain Management (Certificate)
Real Estate Investment & Finance (Certificate)
Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Certificate)
Taxation (Certificate)

Visit the Bulletin for certificate details.

*Students must complete 20 credits (12 required, 8 electives) from the Master of Science in Finance program to add the finance option to their MBA degree and earn an MBA in Finance. Please speak with an advisor for details.

Capstone Consulting Project

Build your professional network and solidify your business knowledge by applying it to experience testing, strategy formulation and team collaboration. Local, regional and international companies rely on our MBA cohorts to solve meaningful problems. Over the course of two-terms, your team will be immersed in client work in your area of interest and produce high-impact deliverables with guidance from faculty.

International Experience

Complement your business expertise with a global perspective. Through custom-designed international experiences, you will gain first-hand insights into global strategy and operation, meet business leaders in key industries and immerse yourself in different cultures. You can choose your experience so it matches up to your academic and career goals. You will learn more about this opportunity at orientation.

Sample Schedules

Orientation is an important part of the MBA experience and required for all students. Furthermore, the BA 529 Teams class will be incorporated into the orientation session. Orientation usually takes place one to two weeks before the fall term officially begins and is held in-person at the Karl Miller Center.

The Portland MBA for Career Explorers

Core classes are typically offered Monday through Friday during the day and in the evening.

The Portland MBA for Career Explorers: Sample Schedule
Term	Year 1	Year 2
Fall	Financial Reporting: ACTG 511 (4) Foundations of Strategy: MGMT 511 (2) Leadership Development & Assessment: BA 521 (2) Teams: BA 529 (takes place at orientation) (1) Communications for Leaders: BA 522 (1) Executive Perspectives on Leadership: BA 523 (1)	Pioneering Innovation: MKTG 513 (4) Managerial Analytics: ISQA 519 (4) Leadership Immersion: BA 524* (1) Certificate (4)**
Winter	Marketing Strategy: MKTG 512 (4) Project Management: MGMT 516 (2) Financial Management: FIN 513 (4) Corporate Governance: FIN 517 (2)	Integrated Strategy: MGMT 514 (2) Capstone: BA 525 (2) Leadership Immersion: BA 524* (1) Certificate (8)**
Spring	Managerial Accounting & Control: ACTG 513 (4) Economics & Sustainability of the Firm: FIN 515 (2) Managerial Macroeconomics: FIN 516 (2) Organizational Management: MGMT 512 (4) Negotiations: MGMT 517 (2)	Sustainability Operations Management: ISQA 511 (4) Capstone: BA 525 (2) Thought Leadership: BA 530 (1) Certificate (4)**
Summer	International Experience: BA 526 (4) MBA International Experience Culture Module: BA 528 (1)

*Leadership Immersion: Choose between Fall and Winter.
**Depending on the Certificate you choose, this may be more than 16 credits.

The Portland MBA for Career Accelerators

Students can take advantage of a weekday evening schedule for their core classes.

The Portland MBA for Career Accelerators: Sample Schedule
Term	Year 1	Year 2
Fall	Financial Reporting: ACTG 511 (4) Foundations of Strategy: MGMT 511 (2) Leadership Development & Assessment: BA 521 (2) Teams: BA 529 (takes place at orientation) (1)	Pioneering Innovation: MKTG 513 (4) Organizational Management: MGMT 512 (4) Leadership Immersion: BA 524* (1)
Winter	Financial Management: FIN 513 (4) Marketing Strategy: MKTG 512 (4) Communication for Leaders: BA 522 (1)	Sustainability Operations Management: ISQA 511 (4) Integrated Strategy: MGMT 514 (2) Corporate Governance: FIN 517 (2) Capstone: BA 525 (2) Leadership Immersion: BA 524* (1)
Spring	Managerial Accounting & Control: ACTG 513 (4) Economics & Sustainability of the Firm: FIN 515 (2) Managerial Macroeconomics: FIN 516 (2) Executive Perspectives on Leadership: BA 523 (1)	Managerial Analytics: ISQA 519 (4) Thought Leadership: BA 530 (1) Negotiations: MGMT 517 (2) Capstone: BA 525** (2)
Summer	International Experience: BA 526 (4) MBA International Experience Culture Module: BA 528 (1) Project Management: MGMT 516 (2) Finance Option/Certificates (4)	If not previously completed - International Trip: BA 526 (4) Finance Options/Certificates (4) Capstone: BA 525** (2)

*Leadership Immersion: Choose between Fall and Winter.
**Capstone: Choose to complete this project over spring/summer if you have a team that wants to work on this timeline.

Waivers

Students may be eligible for a waiver of up to 13 credits from the following courses: ACTG 511 & 513, FIN 515 & 516, ISQA 511 and MGMT 512. Waivers are based upon the student holding an undergraduate degree (earned within the previous seven years) or an active license in the specific discipline for which the waiver is sought. Students must apply for waivers during the summer prior to entering the program.

To apply for a waiver
Please submit an MBA Waiver Request Form (PDF) to sbgradadvising@pdx.edu with the subject line “MBA Waiver Request: Last Name, First Name.” From the date of submission, you will receive a final decision from the MBA Academic Advisor via email within two weeks.